Bike maintenance questions
 

This is my first real bicycle -- a 2010 Cannondale Bad Boy Disc I bought used -- and I didn't get a manual with it. Please forgive these newbie/basic questions:

-What, other than the chain needs lubing, and on what frequency?
-How do you know when bicycle disc brakes are going bad, or in need of replacement?

Thanks!

The chain is what usually needs the most frequent lubrication. Other things that need some user attention are all the small pivots on things like levers, brakes and derailleurs. Lastly, most of the ball bearings need to be re-greased on some sort of a schedule.

The overall schedule varies depending on riding conditions, with rain being something that shortens the service life. I oil my chain every 1,000 miles, do the pivots 2x/year, and grease the major ball bearings after winter, or at about 5,-8,000 miles. That's based on mixed all weather riding, including NYC winters with snow and slush (salt water) which is why I wait until spring for the major service.

FB said it well. I'll add that if the riding is harsh (mashing pedalling style, extreem elements frequently, very heavy rider/loads, outside storage) the service can be more frequent then usual. Disk pads will absorb grime as well as wear down. You should remove the pads every so often and sand their surfaces/dress them. You'll learn soon how much wear they have how fast (pay attention to the thickness) VS how much contaminates effect the function. Disk brakes have little pad movement for the lever travel, little pad wear equates to lots of lever travel. Keep the pads clean, the rotors straight and you'll have the best brakes that minimual effort can have. Andy.

Great. Thank you. I'll pull the brakes apart to inspect. Do bike brakes (like car brakes) have the minimum thickness printed on them>

Not always. Andy

wow, 1000 miles between chain lubes?

20 miles the day after some light rain here and my chain is gritty as heck from running through mud puddles and such. I'm cleaning it weekly if not more often.