Best resources for learning MTB maintenance?

Overdoze

Hi all,

After recently purchasing a VooDoo Bantu, for light trails with the girlfriend, I have gotten much more into mountain biking than I originally anticipated.

I want to learn the basics of bike maintenacne as I just noticed a creaking sound when in the highest gear combination and feel it would be worthwile to fix it myself. Are there any specific websites or vidoes that I should use to learn?

On a side note, should I expect any creaking in the top gear because the bike is new? Or should it be investigated an fixed? I have has the bike about a month and the creaking wasn't there before.

Thanks,
Liam

nicklouse

the links in my sig and the makers manuals.

codfather

Current issue of MBR has a handy guide to all the essentials of mountain bike maintenance and there's usually a dedicated section in most MTB monthly magazines for maintenance and repairs.

buddy_club

Sheldon Brown an Youtube are all you could need. Also you will need to purchase as whole or build up a collection of bike specific tools - but who doesn't like buying more tools

cooldad

Parktools is the most useful. Youtube can be, but there is a lot of censored as well, so as long as you know enough to sift through it...

Overdoze

Many thanks guys. Some great stuff there. Turns out it was a problem with the gear cables. Did a Re-index of the gears now everthing is working smooth.

Coleby1007

What tools would you recommend going out to buy as a start?

Chunkers1980

Track pump, puncture kit, mini pump, Hex and Torx keys is where I'd start.

If you want anything else, the ready made kits are very good. Take a look at the Superstar one

Coleby1007

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19657416#p19657416]Chunkers1980[/url] wrote:

Track pump, puncture kit, mini pump, Hex and Torx keys is where I'd start.

If you want anything else, the ready made kits are very good. Take a look at the Superstar one

Thanks

Chunkers1980

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19657420#p19657420]Coleby1007[/url] wrote:

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19657416#p19657416]Chunkers1980[/url] wrote:

Track pump, puncture kit, mini pump, Hex and Torx keys is where I'd start.

If you want anything else, the ready made kits are very good. Take a look at the Superstar one

Thanks

This is cracking value - although I can't help thinking the SS will be a little better quality wise, not that it matters too much if you use the stuff properly, once in a blue moon.

http://www.on-one.co.uk/i/q/TOJWTK/jobsworth-shimano-specific-18-piece-cycle-tool-kit

cooldad

The Jobsworth stuff is fine - generic, probably sold under plenty of 'brands'.

The Rookie

Yup, Halfords, Aldi and Lidl all sell the same kit with different stickers on.

I got mine from Lidl fter 5 years and lots of use the only tool that is starting to look a bit worn is the cassette lockring tool.

shimanobottombracket

I have already got into my own bike maintenance. Still short of knowing a thing or 2 about MTB suspensions and wheel bearings. How would I go about:

A: Identifying what wheel bearings I need
B: What tools are required to change the bearings/races etc?

They are the only serviceable components I am unable to replace ATM. Most of the stuff on my bikes is pretty strait forward.

cooldad

Depends on the hubs, are they cartridge or cup and cone bearings to start.

shimanobottombracket

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19678346#p19678346]cooldad[/url] wrote:

Depends on the hubs, are they cartridge or cup and cone bearings to start.

Not sure what my MTB ones are, but I believe my road bike ones are cartridge. Is there a way to tell what wheel bearings they are without pulling them out? (I mean specific make, part number etc).

cooldad

You should be able to tell just by looking.

What are the hubs?

mattyfez

I managed to service my cup and cone hub relatively painlessly, I didn't renew the bearings but a clean up, re-grease, and adjusting the cup /cone made things much smoother, in retrospect I think all it really needed was a cup /cone adjustment to hold the bearings a bit tighter.

Adjusting the cup/cone pressure on the bearings was more art than science, as if it's too tight it will drag and Wear the bearings, too lose and you'll get excessive play and wobble.. so I had to find a happy medium, so it was a case of tweak, fit the wheel and spin it in the frame, rinse and repeat until you get a feel for it.

Plenty of youtube guides, I'd recommend watching a few so you have a good idea of what it is you're doing.. Of it's a cartridge bearing then it's more simple, just get a new one!

mattyfez

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19697392#p19697392]sharleenianni239[/url] wrote:

Hey guys I found this really cool looking bike at this link http://www.gizmag.com/xterrain500-electric-fatbike/39070/ and it looks really cool and can ride over sand. Does anybody has any experience with this product. It does ride easy over sand and mud

U CAN SEE IMAGE & VIDEO BELOW LINKS
http://images.gizmag.com/gallery_lrg/xterrain500-electric-fatbike-4.jpg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ItU0a_TtHRk

Ignoring the fact that appears to be a spam post, apparently it's capable of 20mph, I can imagine hitting an obstacle at a bad angle on that thing at 20mph would rip the forks clean off the frame!

larkim

The hardest part I've found about bike maintenance is finding the words to describe the part which you think is borked.

Sheldon Brown is a good resource if you've got the time to read everything there, but it is feeling a touch dated.

You will stuff up an expensive part at some point through your initial learning curve, but don't let that stop you! I am generally unskilled at stuff, but I managed to swap a full set of cable disc brakes to hydro ones and replace a bottom bracket in about 25 minutes a couple of weeks ago - two years ago that would have been a full weekend effort at my usual learning pace!!