Repairing Mountain Bikes

It would seem that bikes that can cost upwards of two or three thousand dollars would include more information about mountain bike repair than a few pages in booklet form. Regardless of this lack of information, every rider needs to become familiar with a few of the basic needs of mountain bike repair simply to maintain their bike in good working order. After all, a wheel falling off during a downhill run can have devastating effects on the rider as well as the bike.  It is important to know ways of repairing mountain bikes. See 11 Trailside Mountain Bike Repair Hacks.

Keeping the bike clean

One of the first things everyone needs to know about mountain bikes is how to keep them clean. This involves not only the tires and handlebar grips, but also the wheels to prevent erosion and the cha in to help detect potential breaks. To minimize the need for mountain bike repair, preventive maintenance can save time and money along the trail, and knowing how to perform a few simple repair procedures can get you back on the trail in a hurry.

Pump Up Your Tires

If your bike has been sitting for awhile, if you’re switching between smooth and rough terrain, or if you need to repair a puncture, you’ll need to know how to pump air into your tires.  A portable pump, or optionally a floor pump for home use, easier to use than the small portable ones but not necessary.

Fix a Flat or Replace a Tube

One of the most common mountain bike repair procedures is fixing a flat tire. Sooner or later, you’re going to get a flat tire. Congratulations, and welcome to the club it has happened to all of us.

With mountain bikes, especially those with several gears, adjustments to the chain ring are usually required after the back wheel has removed for tire repair and then replaced.

What this actually means is that the inner tube, the tube inside of the tire has a hole in it. When you have a hole in your tube, you have two options: replace the tube with a new one, or patch the hole. Because finding and patching a hole is a little harder to do during your ride, it is common to have a spare tube and replace the tube with the spare tube. You can later patch the tube when you are home.

It best to keep spare tubes with you at all times.  You will need to choose the right tube to match your tire diameter, width, and valve type. The easiest way to get this right is to look at the tube already in your tire, and buy the same size and valve type. Spare tubes are cheap and easy to find online or at your local bike shop.

Regular Maintenance

While few parts on any bike will last forever, especially under the conditions in which most mountain bikes are ridden, simple steps can prevent the need for extensive mountain bike repair procedures. Like oil in a car’s engine can prevent the need for a new engine, keeping a bike’s brake cables lubricated can prevent them from snapping. When the brakes are needed and the cable is rusty and frayed, it can cause them to fail. This can lead to not only needing more repairs on the bike, but can also result in personal injury to the rider.

Listening to the bike, more accurately the noises that may be heard can often offer hints of needed mountain bike repair. A slight rubbing noise may be the result of the tire hitting a brake pad, or a steady sliding noise may indicate problems with the rotor on dick brakes. A simple adjustment may cure these issues before mo extensive mountain bike repair becomes necessary. I want to leave you with how important to know ways of repairing mountain bikes.