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| Service time! |
Today will tackle basic maintenance after a grueling ride on mixed conditions like rain, river crossings, sand the extreme conditions that CAN damage your bike components.
Rain
It could refresh an otherwise tiring ride but rain can damage your components along with tools, mobile phones, and other essential items you carry while riding. So be prepared to waterproof your belongings a simple small to medium size zip bag will do, if you want you could buy the water resistant wallet for added versatility. If you are using a hydration bag pull the rain cover.
Clean and lube your chain water strips lubrication unless your are using WET type of chain lube.
Wipe your bike water spots can ruin shiny bikes finish.
Clean your rotors careful not contaminating the pads, put a little alcohol on clean rag and wipe the rotor do not squeeze the brakes until alcohol evaporates.
Wipe fork stanchion off dirt, including dust seals.
Mud, sand, crossing rivers EXTREME Mountain biking conditions
Can destroy important components like your hubs, bottom bracket, headset, rusting bolts if you cant immediately have your bike serviced.
Hubs if you are crossing rivers, going through sand, and generally mucking about on muddy trails your hubs will be the first to suffer. For Cup and cone type hubs get it serviced ASAP repacking with new ball bearings and lubrication will save your hubs from doom.
Sealed bearing hubs are nice it keeps most of the elements in check BUT its not totally dirt-proof. If you are running fairly new hubs it could take at least a year before all the accumulated gunk affects the internals. Most sealed hubs can be opened for replacement of bearings and greasing. Have it checked once in a while just to be sure.
Rims, spokes clean along with hubs, while your at it check for alignment and spoke tension.
Drive train components like the Front derailleur, Rear derailleur, Cassette, Crank and chain if possible remove and clean. Removing makes de-gunking/greasing easier reaching those hard to reach places.
Cables for shifters remove clean, lubricate.
Tune shifting RD, FD.
Bottom brackets are sealed and will last long but it could still get invaded by dirt and water. So expect a replacement if your counting years of usage.
Headset could also take years before needing replacement just to be sure when your fork is being serviced or your replacing stems have the headset checked, or wipe excess dirt, clean.
Fork clean stanchions, wipe dirt off dust seals.
Seat tube remove the seatpost clean both. Don't forget the saddle as mud and other gunk cant get kicked-up from the rear tire.
Bolts check for tightness, grease if necessary.
Brakes check pads for contamination clean with a sandpaper or replace if needed. Clean rotors.
Mountain bikes endure more abuse than regular bicycles so be vigilant on maintenance to avoid components failure that could have been avoided with simple TLC.
PapaHamster
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