WINTER BIKE MAINTENANCE — bearings and suspension
Know Your Bearings and Pivots, Overhaul Your Suspension
Whether you are a mountain biker, gravel ripper, roadie, or urban commuter, winter is a time when you have to put a little extra thought into bike maintenance and upkeep.
if you’re wondering if it’s time for some professional service, Read on for some essential tips on maintenance timing, and keeping your bike safe and running smoothly.
winter biking maintenance may not seem like a top priority when you’re busy hitting the slopes and seeking fresh (white) pow. However, now is the time to make sure your bike is in good condition, and get the big intimidating jobs done: before shops are slammed with in-season repairs.
the thing is, winter riding adds up: the extra bike washing, the mud and the cold/wet conditions and the laise faire approach some of us take in the “off season" means more wear and tear, period. thus, getting the work done now can help you avoid costly repairs in the future, ensure your bike is either ready for sale or shredding (keep that re-sale value high with regular suspension and bearing services), as spring approaches.
One of the most important aspects of winter bike maintenance is keeping your bearings and pivots clean and greased. Bearings are susceptible to damage from both water and dirt, so it's important to clean and grease them regularly. this means headsets, bottom brackets, wheel and pivot bearings.
how do you know if it’s time to get your pivot bearings and hardware serviced?
If you hear a noise coming from your bicycle it is likely that a bearing needs attention or something is loose. bearings will make a grinding noise when they become dry from lack of lubrication or if debris has entered the bearing seal causing the balls or needles to grind against the housing.
any signs of play in the frame or wheels, loosness in headset or bottom bracket, are cler indicators it’s time to get in there and fix something, but another great way to ensure the resale value of your bike stays high is by servicing at maximum intervals.
TIP - use your strava, trail forks or other gps ride tracker to see how many hours/rides you’ve put in between services. most forks and shocks require a basic service at 50 hours and a full service at 200 hours. we recommend pivots get checked and likely replaced annually. some bikes have pivots that last longer, other have pivots that wear quickly -it depends on frame design and how force is distributed through the linkage.
at Dialed, we only replace your bearings if it’s time to do so, meaning the balls (either inside a sealed cartridge, or loose) have worn in some way that creates either drag or movement where it isn’t wanted. but if you don’t know what you’re looking for — at least swing by for a pivot inspection, we can put together a quote and keep the work within your budget.
A full pivot overhaul can be expensive (between $200 and $300 plus parts) because it involves disassembling the bike right down to its bones and then digging into the frame to clean up the guts of the whole thing. Its a labour intensive, necessary job that requires specialized tools. skipping regular pivot overhauls can cause long term or irreperable damage to your linkage, frame, or suspension. worn and dry/dirty pivot bearings can massively impact the performance of your suspension, and therefore your ride quality as well.
pivot overhauls are absolutely something you can take care of at home if you’re handy and have the right tools and greases, but what is your time worth? would you rather spend a rare day off in the garage working out how to re-build your bike or just have us get it done, and spend time with your family or on one of your other bikes?
professionals can find the schematics for the exact model and spec of your bike, order the correct bearings and hardware, and will use specialized greases, threadlocks and other treatments to ensure things stay tight and clean for a long time.
SUSPENSION SErVICE
Another important aspect of winter bike maintenance is overhauling your suspension. often major suspension services are done by external service providers (when we need full service support we use fox Service Center in Burnaby, Suspensionwerx and SRAM’s (dealer only) service centre in North Vancouver, as well as Fluid Function in Squamish).
when you book a suspension service at Dialed, we ensure your fork and shock are uninstalled and reinstalled to manufacturer’s recomendations, we use the best grease, thread lock and tools available to prevent damage to your hardware, frame, and suspension, and we offer a suspension set-up where we check your spring rates, air pressure and foundational compression and rebound settings at a discounted rate.
suspension can be complicated, which means there’s sometimes a delay in returning our customer’s bikes, and is the number one reason we encourage people to get this work done before February/March when we’re all wanting to be back on the trails full time.
so instead of letting winter slow you down, take advantage of the down time in shops right now – with a little bit of regular maintenance, you can keep your bike running smoothly all season long, avoid major costs and UNNECESSARY bills and support a small local business through their toughest time of year.
dirty or dry, bearings wear out frequently and need replacing often. winter bike washes mean more love is needed for bearings
The Benefits of Professional Service
yes, we want you to be empowered to dig into your own bike and fix anything you set your mind to, but when it comes to modern bikes, they are worth a lot of money. the benefit of a professional looking at your bike is that they may catch things you didn’t even know to look for, they can catch major issues while you’re still covered by warranty and prevent issues that would void your warranty. I think of it as an annual check-up for your bike with all the following benefits and so many more:
1. The professionals have the necessary tools and expertise to properly service your bike. the right bearing pull, press, high quality (and specialized) greases, torque wrenches, thread lock, etc…
2. They can spot potential problems before they become major issues, protect your warranty and source the parts you need on the spot as well as give you mechanical tips to help you save money between visits. Visiting a mechanic can save you money in the long run.
3. Regular maintenance can help extend the life of your bike, protect the resale value of your investment and improve your ride experience. also, professional mechanics have the ability to think critically when solving problems that may not fit the official line on how something is supposed to work. sometimes you just need to think outside the box and the pros are good at this.
4. It’s a great way to ensure your bike is ready for spring and summer riding season, so you aren’t three weeks behind your crew when they hit the park for opening day or start venturing out for weekend adventures.
5. professionals can help set up your bike so you get the most out of expensive modern technology - suspension settings such as SAG, compression and rebound are all important settings to keep you safe and happy on the trail.
check out that shaft. wouldn’t want a bunch of microscopic metal floating around in there, now would we?
Suspension Overhauls and Replacements – What Are the Different Types?
Assuming your mountain bike sees regular use, it’s a good idea to give it a once-over at the beginning of each riding season. This is especially true for suspension, which can take a beating over time and may need to be rebuilt or replaced.
depending on the model of shock or fork, you can expect to pay between $200 and $300 for labour and often more for parts on top of that. unfortunately, this is just part of riding. these expensive parts we own require regular specialized maintenance and without it they will fail to the poiunt of needing to be replaced, and replacement costs are often $800-$1200 depending what you’re running.
But what exactly does a “suspension overhaul” entail?
Here’s a rudimentary breakdown of the different types of suspension services:
1) forks
Over time, the seals that keep oil in and dirt out wear down, this allows contaminants to get into the system and cause internal wear. inside of the fork we only want clean oil. any debris can cause microscopic metal shards to build up inside, accelerating the death of your internals, This can drastically reduce fork performance, making it feel less responsive and harder to control, and it could mean you have a very high bill to tend to if you leave this too long.
A basic fork service at dialed involves pulling the lowers off of the STANCHIONS/crown steer unit, cleaning the inside of the legs thoroughly, replacing dust seals and foam rings, cleaning inside the air leg stanchion and replacing the old fluids.
Full service fork overhauls take it a step further, where dampers are bled, rebuilt and internal o-rings and seals are replaced.
To check if your fork needs an overhaul, give it a good visual inspection. If you see any leaks or cracks in the seals, then it’s definitely time for a service. Even if everything looks fine on the outside, it’s still a good idea to disassemble the fork and clean all of the internals (including the stanchions) on a yearly basis.
Can you remember the last time your fork was serviced? If not, then it is DEFINITELY time to get it in to the shop.
Dirty, nasty, freaky stuff is hiding in your shock internals. This is what it looks like when you leave too long between service
2) Rear shocks
Just like forks, rear shocks can develop leaks and wear over time. while small leaks may not seem like a big deal, they are a sign that integrity in the seals has been lost somehow and can lead to serious problems down the road (blown shocks that feel like pogo sticks, worn out internals, metal in the oil). if your shock is making noise, this is a clear indicator something is wrong.
Contaminants can work their way into vital areas of the shock — such as the air can — and lead to rapid wear and tear. often this means customers face a decision to spend hundreds of dollars on parts on top of labour, with these bills frequently creeping close to the price of a replacement shock.
A basic shock service is also known as an air can service and INVOLVES removing the outer-most casing of the shock, cleaning thoroughly, replacing a few o-rings and resealing it all up before testing the system. A full service on a shock is obviously more INVOLVED and can require incredibly specialized equipment and treatments such as nitrous bleeds and dyno testing. every shock model is different and requires different tooling. we will alo take a look to make sure you have the right amount of vokume spacers (AKA tokens) in your shock for your ride style and weight.
even if you want to do this yourself, you’ve got to make sure to re-install your shock according to spec, meaning pay attention to where hardware goes how to install spacers, washers, as well as treat bolts with the appropriate grease, threadlock and torques. always look up the specific schematics for your bike’s model year.
3) Suspension/Dropper posts
Dropper posts aren’t so different from suspension in terms of function and service. for most posts a basic service would involve removing the outer most sleeve and collar of the seatpost, and getting inside to inspect the internal shaft, o-rings, seal heads, etc. it also involves replacing suspension fluid in some models and even just a basic service can massively improve the smoothness, speed and overall function of your dropper. Basic service of a dropper, much like forks and shocks is really a preventative maintenance that is often forgotten about, but it will save you money over time.
A full service is required if there is damage to the internals, seal head etc, and this kind of service often requires going deeper and replacing every seal in the system.
Like forks and shocks, there are RECOMMENDED service intervals for your dropper - a basic service is similarly, usually recommended at about 50 hours of riding (we think of it as about 50 rides for the average person) while a full service comes along around 200 hours. to be sure, check the manufacturer’s recommendations and put a reminder in your phone to check how long it’s been between services.
above all else we aim to create a safe, welcoming space where you can ask us anything and leave our shop more empowered
One thing I want everyone to know about Dialed is that we are all about empowering you, educating riders to make their EXPERIENCE better and safer. We’re here to keep you riding and keep your precious parts out of the landfill. come see us anytime, even if it’s just to get some advice, chain lube or other small parts. we are always here for you, whether your issues are big or small.