service intervals

Temp3st wrote:

> I was wondering how often I should be taking my bike to be serviced.

It'll vary on how much you do minor maintenance yourself, quality of components, the sort of places
you ride etc. Things like chain cleaning and lubing are easy to do yourself and add a great deal to
trouble free running and reduced wear, and monitoring brake wear is not only easy but should be a
vital part of a safe riding routine. Stuff like BBs will depend on what sort they are: sealed
cartridge, keep riding until it sizes up... Also the case that if you're into competition or the
like you'll probably want things absolutely tip-top to a greater extent than a recreational rider.

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch University of Dundee Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Medical Physics, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK net [email protected]
http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/

> I was wondering how often I should be taking my bike to be serviced. I currently ride (on road)
> about 30 miles a day but hoping to up the bounty to between 40 and 50.

Can you check your bike yourself? That would be the best way to gauge if/when you need your
bike serviced. I check mine before (and normally after) every ride and then do most of the
servicing myself.

My primary checks are:
- brakes (alignment and pad condition)
- dropouts (ie wheels not loose)
- rims (just to make sure they're not cracked)
- spokes (just to make sure they're all there and functional)
- headset (to make sure steering tube not loose)

Secondary checks could be:
- rim wear (where brake grinds against rim)
- wheel "trueness"

Even if you don't service it yourself, if you check the condition of your bike you should be able to
tell when it needs servicing...?...

It appears that I treat my bike quite roughly so I usually need to tweak something before
every ride.

--
...meandering mule...

"Temp3st" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Hi I was wondering how often I should be taking my bike to be serviced.

Get a good book and learn to service it yourself. Bikes don't necessarily need regular service
intervals, things just need fixing and adjusting when they need doing.

> I currently ride (on road) about 30 miles a day but hoping to up the
bounty
> to between 40 and 50.

Seriously, if you're doing that kind of mileage, you really can't afford to rely on someone else to
keep your brakes and transmission in fine fettle. With a few tools and a good book there's nothing
that's beyond the scope of the average person. Even if you consider yourself mechanically
"incompetent", it's never too late to learn (and really not that hard).
>
> thanks in advance.

Apologies if this isn't the answer you want, but I think it's the right answer.

HTH

Tim

Temp3st wrote:
> I was wondering how often I should be taking my bike to be serviced. I currently ride (on road)
> about 30 miles a day but hoping to up the bounty to between 40 and 50.

I recommend doing at least the basics yourself on a weekly basis - that's checking and cleaning the
external parts. You won't necessarily need to attend to /every/ component every week but with a wipe
round with a rag and a close butcher's, you'll naturally notice things that need adjustment or
replacing as and when required.

Any components with conventional bearings (usually hubs & headset, sometimes bottom bracket and
other parts) will need servicing at least two or three times a year for your mileage - more if ride
a lot in heavy rain or just want to make sure bearings last and stay as smooth as possible.

Pedals, seatpost and quill stem should be removed and greased* at least once a year.
* Grease pedal threads, stem & seatpost shafts (if not carbon)

~PB