Annual maintenance: the specifics

Like every year, November is a very sad month for Quebec riders: the season is ending and we have to put our bike (or in many cases, our bikes) away until next season. Despite all this sadness, it is important to remember that light will come back into our lives and that we will ride the trails once again in the spring. At that time, you will not want to miss a single day of riding and to make sure of it, we strongly recommend that you immediately take care of your bike's annual maintenance, during the off-season.

This is when you bring your bike to your shop and we talk to you about the annual maintenance. If you are a customer here, you will then hear us talking about the La 1837 and La Coupe Du Monde packages. It is quite easy to find your way around most of the steps of these maintenances. We generally have a good understanding of the importance of maintaining the drivetrain, brakes, wheels, etc. Where we can be less comfortable is when they talk to us about maintenance of the suspension and pivots of the bike. Let's try to clarify everything for you.

Suspension maintenance

Suspension maintenance is certainly the maintenance that raises the most questions from our customers. It is sometimes difficult to find your way around when the mechanics start speaking to you in a foreign language if you are not initiated to a certain level in bicycle mechanics: basic maintenance, rebuilds, 50 hours, 200 hours… So here is a useful little guide.

Basic maintenance or 50 hours

Basic maintenance, also called 50-hour maintenance by manufacturers, is simple maintenance that should be done regularly. It ensures the proper functioning and good performance of the suspension by avoiding possible breakdowns that a "dirty" suspension could cause in the long term. Maintenance essentially consists of opening the suspension, cleaning it, replacing the oils in the lower stanchions (or in the can in the case of the rear suspension) and replacing the various seals. We do not touch the internal mechanics of the suspension (damper). It's a bit like changing the oil on your car. This maintenance can be done several times per season depending on the use of the bike and the desired performance of the suspension. Manufacturers, as the name suggests, recommend this maintenance every 50 hours of use of the bike. We strongly recommend that you do basic maintenance at least once a year to ensure the proper functioning of your suspension and avoid premature breakdowns.

Full rebuilds or 200 hours 

The 200 hour service leaves nothing behind. The suspension will be completely disassembled, including the internal components. All seals and oils will be changed. If the damper uses pressurized gases, they will also be checked and replaced. In short, it is a complete rebuild of your suspension. Manufacturers recommend doing this service at least once a year or every 200 hours of use. The damper is the system in your suspension that controls the speed during compression as well as rebound. Typically, you will hear us talk about a complete rebuild when we notice a problem in the behavior of your suspension's damper during the mechanical inspection.

Pivot maintenance

The pivots of a full suspension mountain bike are one of the weak points of the latter. It is easy to forget to maintain them and thus cause a loss of performance of the suspension which could even lead to breakage in more extreme cases. The pivots use  bearings in order to be able to move effortlessly and thus allow the suspension system to provide you with a fluid movement and maximum performance. You want your bearings to be clean, well lubricated and turning smoothly. If they are damaged or if they no longer turn properly, they must be replaced. You can have the most efficient suspension system on the market, if it is paired with damaged bearings, the performance will no longer be there. This is one of the most common causes of creaking and lateral play on a bike. If you ride a lot in the rain or are the type to wash your bike frequently with soap and water (we're looking at you with big eyes here), your bearings most certainly need to be inspected, cleaned and greased. In fact, if you ride a lot or are a fan of frequent cleaning with water (again big eyes here) we strongly recommend that you also clean and grease them during the season. Grease protects your bearings from dirt and water, which will certainly reduce the risk of replacing the bearings during your annual maintenance. These bearings are generally found in large quantities on your bike. Although the unit cost of these may not seem very high, they can contribute to substantially increasing your bill.

These maintenances are essential for the proper functioning of your bike and we hope that this article has helped you to better understand why. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact us. It is always a pleasure to help you and remember that there is no bad question!