7

Well, I drive a car and I have a technical book (maintenance) and automatically I want to do the same for my newly bought bicycle. I would love to track repairs, maintenance schedules, changed / added parts, at the same time stats (weight, part durability per km), mileage and stuff like that...

Unfortunately, when I bought my bike I did not receive any of such kind. So, my questions would be:

  1. Do you have 'technical maintenance book'?
  2. Maybe you have a digital template?
  3. Maybe I could buy one somewhere?
  4. Or maybe there is a better way you could suggest :)

I believe that good bike owners should properly take care of their bikes thus providing better value on resale and future maintenance.

3
  • 1
    Park Tool and Sheldon Brown have most of the information you will ever need. Commented Jun 25, 2015 at 23:21
  • Also, Google and Youtube and here :) I honestly don't think you need a book, just search for your problem, find solutions, be patience and do your mistakes and learn from them. You will do them with or without a book, I guarantee, and you'll save for some tools you'll need.
    – super
    Commented Jun 26, 2015 at 1:35
  • Modern Bikes are high precision machines. The biggest danger to a bike is DIY bike maintenance by a "Gorilla with a spanner". They need more patience and finesse than motorcars that are built heavier and have been designed with maintenance ability of the average gorilla in mind. Lots of resources on line for the DIY guy, and in most cases a large amount of $$$ to be saved over taking to the shop. Biggest "sin" I see bikes that need a 2 minute tune up tweak destroying the riders enjoyment of the ride - and its not hard to learn to do.
    – mattnz
    Commented Jun 26, 2015 at 4:03

4 Answers 4

7

Maintenance on a bike is much less than maintenance on a car. It is a much, much simpler machine with far fewer parts. As such there isn't such a thing as a maintenance schedule or service book.

That said, there are a few things you should do;

Tyres
Visual inspection and pressure check once per week.

Chain
The chain needs to be cleaned and lubricated. The frequency will depend on how much and how long you ride, as well as the conditions. I ride on average 100-150 miles a week and do mine roughly once per fortnight. In the winter when it rains a lot and there is salt spread on the road it tends to be weekly.

You should also check your chain for wear and stretching occasionally. You can buy a tool to measure the stretch. A decent chain will last anything from 5000-10000 miles or less if it isn't looked after.

You might also want to replace your cassette when you replace your chain, but this can be expensive. Again, if looked after a cassette should last 10000 miles easily.

Brakes
Check and adjust every so often, maybe once per month. Brake cables stretch and the blocks wear out and need replacing.

Gears
Once set up correctly gear mechanisms generally don't require much maintenance. On a new bike you may need to adjust after a month or so due to cable stretch.

Other components such as head sets, bottom brackets, wheel hubs etc are generally very long lasting and shouldn't require regular maintenance. In fact these mostly now come as unserviceable sealed units.

1
  • Okey, ill take your answer as suitable. Even though, I would prefer writing notes just for myself. Commented Jun 26, 2015 at 12:43
3

Most bikes don't really come with much of a guide or instructions.

Buy a Park Tool Big Blue Book of Bicycle Repair or one of the Zinn and the Art of Road Bike Maintenance (or Mountain Bike Maintenance) and you'll have some pretty comprehensive guides on how to maintain, fix, or replace just about anything on your bike. Specialty tools may apply for various tasks though.

Online resources are good as well. See Sheldon Brown's website for lots of great tips, with lots of commentary. Some info may not be as current as other resources though.

1

Bicycle maintenance is more generic than car maintenance due to design. Bikes don't often have any custom parts besides the frame. All the rest are usually off the self components from different vendors. So, there is not much point to have maintenance schedule for a particular bike.

Besides, bikes usually don't come equipped by bike computers by default so it's not given that users can reliably keep track how long distance the bike has been ridden.

To keep good care of your bike, I recommend:

  • Learn how to inspect your bike and keep it tuned up. This is fairly simple. Mostly you just need to keep nuts tight and proper places lubricated and you're good to go.

  • Take your bike to shop for proper check up at least once every year or riding season. Doing it before any longer bike trip is also good policy.

  • Store your bicycle properly. Keeping bike indoors over winter does a lot for lifetime of the bike.

That's it. Learning to do basic repairs is pretty easy, can save a lot of money down the line and is pretty much required if you intend to go touring or do more serious riding. So I would recommend that you buy a generic book about bicycle maintenance and a basic tool set and prepare to get you hands dirty every now and then.

1

I have a "Bicycle Diary", just a plain notebook where I keep a log with every maintenance task done (parts changed, chain lubing, greasing, ...), rides (where, when, how long, ...) and general notes. I also made a chart with entries for each component (chain, cassette, pads, ...) and the odometer lecture when I changed it (so I can know when a replacement is due).

Your Answer

By clicking “Post Your Answer”, you agree to our terms of service and acknowledge you have read our privacy policy.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.