How to Tune Up A Mountain Bike? – 8 Easy Ways For You !!

If you are here, then pretty sure you have a fascination for mountain bikes. A mountain bike can be a person’s best friend.

If you ride a lot of time on trails, then you need to tune up your bike. That’s how a rider should show love for the bike. Many people ask how to tune up a mountain bike?

These 8 easy ways will be explained step by step for your understanding.

8 most easy ways to tune up your mountain bike

Now is always a better time to give some tender loving care to your bike. You are just having way too much fun, maybe it’s the middle of the riding season, so it’s easy to forget that your bike needs some loving. So let’s start now, and it’s time to get a little greasy.

One pro tip before starting is to start with a clean bike. This simple task will make your maintenance go smooth like butter. This easy trick saves a lot of time if you are planning on a full-body tune-up.

1. Service Suspension

The first thing to consider while servicing the bike is to freshen up the suspension oil. We suggest you do this tune-up after every ten rides. This will make sure the rubber seal lasts a lot longer than usual. There will be less dirt in your fork as well.

This will make riding bikes feel more relaxing and pleasant. Your hands will feel more relaxed. This requires minimal tools so easy to do at home.

Start with servicing the fork off the bike, which helps you to clean the headset next. There is an airside and Damper side. Use fork fluid on the airside and Teflon fluid on the damper side. The measurement of these fluids will vary based on your bike’s model.

Start with releasing the air out of your fork but remember your settings just in case. Then undo the rebound knob and lose both bolts on the bottom to remove the lowers.

Then start with spraying a little alcohol and let it dry. Then air up your fork to 60 psi and then gather together, and insert oil form below.

2. Caring your Headset

So your bike sounds like a weird shopping cart? And you don’t know the problem. It’s a high chance that you never said hello to your headset.

If someone’s headset is loose and their bike is creaking, then you know they haven’t been friendly with their headset.

First, give the headset bearings a little spin and make sure everything is working fine.

Secondly, snug down the top cap and then do the pinch bolts up. Don’t make it too hard to rotate the bars.

3. Brake Rotors and shouting pads

It’s unbearable hearing your brake pads squealing. Just like your chains, It is recommended to change your brake pads. You don’t want these pads to be dead and taking a rotor down with them.

Look for contamination in your rotors. Clean them with brake cleaners. Do check the brake pads from time to time. Make sure they are not killing the rotor and at the same time going low on metal backing.

4. Cleaning Bottom Bracket

We bikers know the trouble of having clunky pedaling and loud noises. Most of the time, the reason is just a dirty bottom bracket.

When we usually use the water down there to clean up, we push the grease out from where it is supposed to be. First, remove the cranks and clean the spindle; check out the bottom bracket. Look if there is any damage to the chainring. Check the bottom bracket bearing for wear and replace if needed.

5. Re-grease pivots

Throughout a lot of experience, I’ve gathered information on maintaining pivot. We will check the bearings if they are good to go. We’ll have to make sure they run smoothly as butter. So they can handle ups and downs.

6. Chain & cassette

Keep your chain cleaned up, and make sure to change it if it has been stretched out. Remember changing your chain costs a lot less than changing your cassette and your chainring.

Also, don’t forget to put lube from time to time in your drive train. It helps you to maintain minor wear in your drive train. Even if it wears, it will wear a lot more evenly.

7. Check spoke tension

It’s always been essential to check the tension and straightness of our wheels. Loose spokes might sound cheap to repair, but the truth is different. This can lead to substantial expensive repairs. So make sure your spokes are always snug.

Use a zip tie around the chain stick as a guide to look for any wobbles. Then start with the spokes, only tighten them when needed. Don’t over-tighten any spoke. Start with hand-checking all the spokes. Small quarter turns, so you don’t overdo it. We are almost done with everything.

8. Bolt check

This is like the after-party. The last best thing before packing everything up. Always use a torque wrench when possible.

There you go, such an excellent freshly baked bike. Friendly, comfy, and easy to go. This is a fantastic thing, and the best you can do is take care of it.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. Is it worth restoring an old mountain bike?

Yes definitely. Fixing up your old bike is such a rewarding and satisfying feeling. Half of the satisfaction dwells in you fixing it, and the rest is having an adventure in it. Most bikes beyond a specific time limit mean they are based on steel and solid, strong, and durable. Older bikes tend to be easier while someone is servicing them.

Old Mountain bikes are more straightforward and which makes them more robust. In the new bikes and their new derailleurs, they sure made it idiot-proof. This means you can use it harshly, but they don’t have bearing adjustment. Once the riveted joints go, they are suitable for nothing.

There will be one problem that you might run into, which is a lack of replacement parts. For example, you want to replace an old bike’s bottom bracket, and the bb shell differs slightly. Still, this little to no change might cause huge issues.

2. What does a mountain bike tune-up consist of?

There are different types of tuning up. I’m going to tell you about a typical one. This generally includes adjustment of the breaks, adjusting the headset, taking care of Suspension.

Here they have filling up with different suspension fluid and giving it a good fix. Nuts and bolts tightening is another fantastic thing, which is typically done through the whole process.

Some people do a complete tune-up, and they include drive chain cleaning in it. Because it is slightly complex as one has to remove the cassette, this minimal removal also partially disassembles the rear derailleur, which costs some extra time.

Tune-up also consists of fixing the tire’s wobbles and tightening the spokes and fitting the fork smoothly.

3. How often should I tune up my mountain bike?

Experts say that one should tune up his or her bike every ten rides. This helps one to have to keep the good health of the cycle. If you are an average person, then you can check up once every season. But if you are someone compassionate about mountain biking. Then do it every 10 rides.

You can give lube in the drive train more often to make it smooth. And one should change the chain every season for better performance.

4. How do you tune up an old mountain bike?

This one is, in short, our whole article. This can give you the proper answer because old mountain bikes are the same as the new ones. The only difference is some parts vary. Other than that, everything is the same.

You fix the Suspension, clean it up to fill it with fluid. You have to remove the lower part carefully. Then select the headset of the bike. This will give your bike a lot of stability.

The brake pads of the bike will help you have a better grip. You also don’t want to lose the rotor. Keep an eye on your brake pad.

The chain is an essential part. Use lubrication for the chain so it doesn’t wear much. Look an eye on your cassette and chainring, and hopefully, they will not need to be changed. Because changing them could be pretty costly.

Finish it by checking those bolts. You should also make sure of the spoke tension. Loosen up spokes can end up costing a whole lot of money.

Conclusion

Mountain bikes are a person’s best friend. A person can have a lot of fun with these bikes. So they do deserve your attention and care.

All these processes might sound like a lot of hustle, but if you genuinely want to keep your bike top-notch and get the total thrill of mountain biking, then you should try to follow steps. These steps are everywhere that you’ll need to know to keep your bike in top top-notch position.

Hope we can be helpful to you. This article we created to be a helping hand to unique bikers like you.