Tune-Up

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by blowin mud
How often should a road bike be given a tune-up? And is it true a new bike should be tuned-up after 100 miles?

Well, where the frequency of regular tuneups is concerned, there's no hard and fast rule. It depends on how hard you're riding, what your mileage is, riding conditions, and so on.

Like with cars, your bike use determines the regularity of your checkups.

Besides, what does a tune up entail? There are some things you should do pretty frequently, like clean and lube; other things, like replacing your cables and housings, don't need to be done more often than once every few years (again, depending on the strain you're putting the thing under).

Regarding the 100 mile job -- yeah, that's a piece of conventional wisdom that generally does some good. Drivetrains and other parts sort of "settle" during the first few weeks of use. Some little kinks reveal themselves, and inevitably, your derailleur cables stretch out a touch and shifting gets sloppy.

Unless there's anything terribly wrong, though, most of the "100 mile" jobs can be done at home with a little research under your belt.