What do I need to know about bike servicing?
Discussion
I've got a 2017 GIANT TALON 3 mountain bike, I tend to ride between 10-30 miles at a time, and the bike has done no more than 600 miles in total.
There's nothing obviously wrong with it, but the gears can be a little funny sometimes and there's a bit of excess oil on the drivetrain. I suppose it wouldn't hurt to have the hydraulic brakes adjusted either, as there's a small gap between the pad and the disc, and the fluid probably has some moisture in it by now.
I've looked at the local bike shops, and they all seem to offer various servicing packages up to £150 plus add ons. These include stripping the gears, regreasing bearings, hubs etc.
I must admit this sounds a little excessive, but I know pretty much nothing about bikes. Is all this preventive maintenance necessary and is £150 value for money? The bike is probably worth not much more than that.
I've also found a company that will do mobile bike servicing. Are these safe to use or is this stuff best done inside a workshop?
There's nothing obviously wrong with it, but the gears can be a little funny sometimes and there's a bit of excess oil on the drivetrain. I suppose it wouldn't hurt to have the hydraulic brakes adjusted either, as there's a small gap between the pad and the disc, and the fluid probably has some moisture in it by now.
I've looked at the local bike shops, and they all seem to offer various servicing packages up to £150 plus add ons. These include stripping the gears, regreasing bearings, hubs etc.
I must admit this sounds a little excessive, but I know pretty much nothing about bikes. Is all this preventive maintenance necessary and is £150 value for money? The bike is probably worth not much more than that.
I've also found a company that will do mobile bike servicing. Are these safe to use or is this stuff best done inside a workshop?
If you're keeping the bits that should be oily oily and washing it occasionally, then there isn't really much else to do until things wear out.
Check the brake pads, tyres and gear cables periodically so they don't catch you out on a ride.
Hydraulic brakes are self adjusting so don't need to be touched. I wouldn't bother changing the fluid.
It's worth learning to adjust the gears yourself.
600 miles is nothing. If only used when the weather is reasonable and pottering along on roads it'll go several thousand miles before you need to do anything and even then you would probably just be replacing the chain.
Check the brake pads, tyres and gear cables periodically so they don't catch you out on a ride.
Hydraulic brakes are self adjusting so don't need to be touched. I wouldn't bother changing the fluid.
It's worth learning to adjust the gears yourself.
600 miles is nothing. If only used when the weather is reasonable and pottering along on roads it'll go several thousand miles before you need to do anything and even then you would probably just be replacing the chain.
3xAAA said:
is £150 value for money?
Seems excessive to me, unless it includes some parts.My 2p. The thing with bikes is that they rarely break when they're in the garage or shed, it's always when you're on a hillside in the pissing rain and it's getting dark.
You can prevent a lot of that with good, preventive maintenance, but it's no substitute for some basic tools and know-how.
Some people don't like working on their bikes, too messy, they don't have enough room or they just can't be arsed and are happy to pay the money to know it's right. I actually really enjoy working on my bike, if the family give me some time off to actually do it.
If I was going to spend £150, I'd watch something like this
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xglmDRfXDSk
Buy myself a really nice set of Allen keys (as these alone will do most jobs) - I like Wera ones, about £30 a set.
https://www.toolstation.com/wera-ball-end-multi-co...
A jobsworth torque wrench
https://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/TOJWMTWSV2/jobsworth...
Some grease, some cables and have a go.
There will be literally dozens of how-to videos on YT for anything you might want to do.
Later you might fancy a bike stand, I've got a Park Tools one, but really I don't think it's much better than a £30 Aldi one for what I use it for. These days I've got a Tool chest with all sorts of stuff in it, but mostly, Allen/Hex keys will do 90% of jobs, the rest you can pick up when and if you need them.
Oh, you bike, whilst it might have cost you £500 3 years ago, thanks to the 'wonders' of Covid, it's probably worth more than that on eBay at the moment, worth looking after it.
At the start of the first Lockdown I used my local bike ship to service my road bike as I was injured and couldn't spend time stood up, bear in mind I would say I have a good relationship with them.
Within 50 miles riding of this service, my front brakes failed. I checked the pads (disc bike) to find they were conpletely worn down to the backing and had obviously never been checked or changed.
First and last time I'll trust anyone else to service my bikes
Within 50 miles riding of this service, my front brakes failed. I checked the pads (disc bike) to find they were conpletely worn down to the backing and had obviously never been checked or changed.
First and last time I'll trust anyone else to service my bikes
Bike maintenance is not difficult.
I learnt how to strip everything off my bike at about age 12. Completely self taught as there was no internet and Dad didn't know one end of a spanner from another. Serves me right for cycling in the sea, down rivers and all sorts back in the day.
With YouTube everything is so much easier. I still find it quite enjoyable.
I don't think bike shops are particularly unreasonable for their service charges, but you'll save a packet, be able to solve stuff whilst out on a ride and might actually enjoy it.
I learnt how to strip everything off my bike at about age 12. Completely self taught as there was no internet and Dad didn't know one end of a spanner from another. Serves me right for cycling in the sea, down rivers and all sorts back in the day.
With YouTube everything is so much easier. I still find it quite enjoyable.
I don't think bike shops are particularly unreasonable for their service charges, but you'll save a packet, be able to solve stuff whilst out on a ride and might actually enjoy it.
3xAAA said:
I've got a 2017 GIANT TALON 3 mountain bike, I tend to ride between 10-30 miles at a time, and the bike has done no more than 600 miles in total.
I've done 2000 miles on the commuter bike in the last 12 months. Am thinking about booking it in for a service but am not sure its needed. It did need a rear hub rebuild after some rather unforgiving pot holes knackered it.I did clean it once in the last year after the muck derailleur got this bad.
This is what the state of the current drivetrain, the bike is used nearly eveyday so no point in cleaning it as it'll end up looking like this after every commute.
As people have mentioned 600 miles is absolutely nothing, especially if its a bike only used in fair weather.
Save your cash, and go ride the bike more rather than worry about servicing it
.
Everything you need to know about bike maintainance is on YouTube. i particularly like the Park Tools videos. It's not like servicing a classic Ferrari with 6 carburettors. It is only a bicycle.
If you enjoy working on your bike, as I do, then just buy the tools and do it yourself. If you have neither the time nor inclination, then get it serviced.
pp
If you enjoy working on your bike, as I do, then just buy the tools and do it yourself. If you have neither the time nor inclination, then get it serviced.
pp
My chain and my cassette are immaculate
After every ride I religiously clean them.
I think if you do that you won't go far wrong.
£150 for your bike is daylight robbery.
Id expect that servicing cost on a bike like my mountain bike.
Unless in that cost he's replacing all cables, outer hoses, brake pads and rear cassette and chain.
If its lube, new cables, strip and service headset etc. Id walk.
After every ride I religiously clean them.
I think if you do that you won't go far wrong.
£150 for your bike is daylight robbery.
Id expect that servicing cost on a bike like my mountain bike.
Unless in that cost he's replacing all cables, outer hoses, brake pads and rear cassette and chain.
If its lube, new cables, strip and service headset etc. Id walk.
Hugo Stiglitz said:
My chain and my cassette are immaculate
After every ride I religiously clean them.
I think if you do that you won't go far wrong.
£150 for your bike is daylight robbery.
Id expect that servicing cost on a bike like my mountain bike.
Unless in that cost he's replacing all cables, outer hoses, brake pads and rear cassette and chain.
If its lube, new cables, strip and service headset etc. Id walk.
As usual, it depends. Where I live (that London) 150 quid is not excessive for an annual ervice. Upper quartile but not OTT. After every ride I religiously clean them.
I think if you do that you won't go far wrong.
£150 for your bike is daylight robbery.
Id expect that servicing cost on a bike like my mountain bike.
Unless in that cost he's replacing all cables, outer hoses, brake pads and rear cassette and chain.
If its lube, new cables, strip and service headset etc. Id walk.
One reason why I service my own bikes. As noted already, it is mostly not hard to do.
That said, bent wheels I do leave to the professionals!
gangzoom said:
3xAAA said:
I've got a 2017 GIANT TALON 3 mountain bike, I tend to ride between 10-30 miles at a time, and the bike has done no more than 600 miles in total.
I've done 2000 miles on the commuter bike in the last 12 months. Am thinking about booking it in for a service but am not sure its needed. It did need a rear hub rebuild after some rather unforgiving pot holes knackered it.I did clean it once in the last year after the muck derailleur got this bad.
[Img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50790528778_daca1b6839_c_d.jpg[/thumb]
This is what the state of the current drivetrain, the bike is used nearly eveyday so no point in cleaning it as it'll end up looking like this after every commute.
As people have mentioned 600 miles is absolutely nothing, especially if its a bike only used in fair weather.
Save your cash, and go ride the bike more rather than worry about servicing it
.[Img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50884688681_500de99173_c_d.jpg[/thumb]
dontlookdown said:
Hugo Stiglitz said:
My chain and my cassette are immaculate
After every ride I religiously clean them.
I think if you do that you won't go far wrong.
£150 for your bike is daylight robbery.
Id expect that servicing cost on a bike like my mountain bike.
Unless in that cost he's replacing all cables, outer hoses, brake pads and rear cassette and chain.
If its lube, new cables, strip and service headset etc. Id walk.
As usual, it depends. Where I live (that London) 150 quid is not excessive for an annual ervice. Upper quartile but not OTT. After every ride I religiously clean them.
I think if you do that you won't go far wrong.
£150 for your bike is daylight robbery.
Id expect that servicing cost on a bike like my mountain bike.
Unless in that cost he's replacing all cables, outer hoses, brake pads and rear cassette and chain.
If its lube, new cables, strip and service headset etc. Id walk.
One reason why I service my own bikes. As noted already, it is mostly not hard to do.
That said, bent wheels I do leave to the professionals!
Like mentioned earlier if you’re a bit unsure follow the parktool guides. Before you know it you’ll be pulling out BB’s and servicing dropper posts.
Simes205 said:
dontlookdown said:
Hugo Stiglitz said:
My chain and my cassette are immaculate
After every ride I religiously clean them.
I think if you do that you won't go far wrong.
£150 for your bike is daylight robbery.
Id expect that servicing cost on a bike like my mountain bike.
Unless in that cost he's replacing all cables, outer hoses, brake pads and rear cassette and chain.
If its lube, new cables, strip and service headset etc. Id walk.
As usual, it depends. Where I live (that London) 150 quid is not excessive for an annual ervice. Upper quartile but not OTT. After every ride I religiously clean them.
I think if you do that you won't go far wrong.
£150 for your bike is daylight robbery.
Id expect that servicing cost on a bike like my mountain bike.
Unless in that cost he's replacing all cables, outer hoses, brake pads and rear cassette and chain.
If its lube, new cables, strip and service headset etc. Id walk.
One reason why I service my own bikes. As noted already, it is mostly not hard to do.
That said, bent wheels I do leave to the professionals!
Like mentioned earlier if you’re a bit unsure follow the parktool guides. Before you know it you’ll be pulling out BB’s and servicing dropper posts.
Truing wheels is like welding, or surgery. Best results obtained by those who do it every day, for a living.
dontlookdown said:
Impressively grubby jockey wheels. Well done. Looks like it's time for a new cassette though;)
No issues with it yet though, will probably clean it this weekend as the road bike will come out given the weather predictions for next week, though the road bike chain set currently looks like this so I might just stick to abusing the commuter bike for a bit longer .
gangzoom said:
dontlookdown said:
Impressively grubby jockey wheels. Well done. Looks like it's time for a new cassette though;)
No issues with it yet though, will probably clean it this weekend as the road bike will come out given the weather predictions for next week, though the road bike chain set currently looks like this so I might just stick to abusing the commuter bike for a bit longer .Halfords do a bikehut toolkit for £50 that comes with lifetime warranty like their Advanced range. However, I'm slowly finding that different bikes require propriety-adverse tools. My FSA crankset had some weird setup to remove chainring and I couldn't find the socket tool anywhere online so dropped it to my LBS whilst they were rebuilding my back wheel.
I've slowly been tackling jobs myself but in scenarios like this I defer to the experts.
I've slowly been tackling jobs myself but in scenarios like this I defer to the experts.
beambeam1 said:
Halfords do a bikehut toolkit for £50 that comes with lifetime warranty like their Advanced range. However, I'm slowly finding that different bikes require propriety-adverse tools. My FSA crankset had some weird setup to remove chainring and I couldn't find the socket tool anywhere online so dropped it to my LBS whilst they were rebuilding my back wheel.
I've slowly been tackling jobs myself but in scenarios like this I defer to the experts.
Yup, bikes are inherently ultta-simple devices that have been needlessly complicated by manufacturers and their mutiple proprietary standards and special tools. I guess Shimano, SRAM et al have to make a crust somehow;)I've slowly been tackling jobs myself but in scenarios like this I defer to the experts.
But most regular jobs are still simple enough thankfully.
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