Does anything like this exist like it does for cars? Maybe something like a checklist where it says "Every week/100 miles do this", "Every month/500 miles do this" etc. Would be handy to have!

Well, I don't have a book or anything but generally it goes down like this:

-After every ride, wipe off the chain. Lube the chain. Wipe excess lube off.

-If I ride a lot during the week, I'll give my whole drive train a light cleaning.

-Every month (more like every 3 weeks) I do a very thorough cleaning including wheels, in-depth drivetrain, and the frame itself.

It would be impossible as maintenace depends so much on the conditions the bike is used in. Riding perfectly clear dry roads is different than riding on salted/sanded roads is different than riding off road. Maintenance for things like hubs and bottom brackets will also depend on the type of bearings used in the assembly. Not all bearings are serviceable or sealed the same.

A bike is not a car.

Use some common sense about maintaining bikes. It's not rocket science.

Talk about excessive. Wipe off chain and lube after _every_ ride? Who does that?

Lubing 8-10 times per week would use up a lot of lube.

Mainly just on the mountain bike. The chain eats a lot of dirt in my area, so wiping off the dirt wipes off most of my lube. I typically ride the mountain bike twice a week.

And Operator, obviously I do it. But I can understand the dramatic effect you were trying to reach. Didn't work.

Way to spoil it

Subie, as noted above the general cleaning and chain work is so condition related that it's hard to put a figure on it.

Some of the other stuff is a little easier to gauge. If you ride a lot and fairly often in rain then an annual strip down, clean and relube of the wheel bearings and headset is a good idea. The bottom bracket too if it's an older bike with maintainable parts instead of a sealed unit. At the same time the seat post should be pulled out and cleaned and re-greased to avoid it eventually washing away the protective grease and corroding into the seat tube of the frame. At the same time I like to look over my brake calipers and see if they are sticky at all. If they are I pull them apart to clean and grease the parts that benifit from this. If your bike only sees occasional use in good weather all this can be bumped down to once every second year.

Common sense is an oxymoron. There's no sense that we all have in common. He was asking us to impart our knowledge.

Of course, it depends on your terrain, your bike, and your riding schedule.

Depending on tire size, inflate or check tire pressure every week. If you have very narrow tires, check every day or two.

Less frequently, check chain cleanliness and lubrication.

Overhaul your four main bearings every few years. The four main bearings, if they are serviceable, are 2 hubs, headset, and bottom bracket.

Check cables for free operation every month or two. Same for gear shifting and braking.

Every three to six months, do a safety check: check wheel trueness (truth?), check tightness of axle nuts or skewers, seat binder bolts, stem bolts, handlebar binder bolts, proper brake operation. Check health of tires.

Thanks for the tips everyone, especially noglider. Very helpful!

Also, keep an eye on your brake pad alignment and wear. Unless you have single-pivot sidepull brakes (which few bikes have lately), the alignment goes off as they wear. It's bad if they hit too low, but worse if they hit too high, as they will abrade the tire, building up heat, leading to a violent blowout.

Absolutely no "scheduled" preventative maintenance for me. If something doesn't seem right I fix, clean, or make adjustments right away.

When it breaks, I fix it. Once in a while I wipe some kinda lube stuff on the chain or something.

Truity.

SeattleBikeTours.com has a pretty decent maintenance schedule. Even if you don't use their specific timetable, it will still give you an idea of the things you should periodically check.

You're supposed to lube the chain? I thought the guy at the bike shop said the frame. So I guess I can wipe all that grease off the tubes now? Boy, it's going to be a lot easier to carry it up the stairs. Thanks!



Keith

It also washes a lot of grit down into the pins and bushings making grinding compound.

Cup and cone hubs and BB's, overhaul every 2500 to 3000 miles max. Wet conditions more often. Same with loose bearing headsets. Radial (cartridge bearings) as often as necessary usually 3000 to 5000 miles.
I remove and clean the chain every 650 miles.

I would still be removing a chain if it made a difference, but I've found these chain cleaner gadgets to be the best thing since the toothbrush. I mean really, this thing here is fantastic, and mine is all broken to bits. I hold it together with my hand while using it.

+1 on the value of the chain cleaning gizmos. They are fantastic and make it easy to do a good job right on the bike. But if you're doing this without the benefit of a bike stand then be sure the bike is leaned out far enough that the solvent on the chain that drips off isn't spilling onto the tire and rim sidewalls. That's hard on the rubber and the lube residue from cleaning the chain makes for interesting braking later.

Are these chain cleaning machines really much better than using a rag? With a rag, it seems I can wipe the chain for eternity and still see dirt on the rag, even if I do it weekly, and it's not like I am soaking the chain with lubrication (I even lightly wipe it off afterwards). Are these machines considerably more thorough? Will my chains last longer using them?

You bet! I have one of these chain cleaning thingy. Pour some degreaser & water. Run the chain through a few rounds. Sparkly clean! Let dry and re-lube. Little mess.

I've got a $40 gift card for the local Trek store that'll start to lose value if I don't use it. Maybe I should pick up one of those... I see the park one has replaceable parts - I like that. How often do those parts need to be replaced?

Waddya mean- you have to do maintenance on the maintenance tools???