Hi, I just got my first fixed gear bicycle yesterday (FINALLY after like 3 months of searching on craigslist). I'm by no means a bike expert so I wanted to see if you guys had any regular maintenance procedures I should go through on my bike? I watched those mashsf videos and the guy looked like he put lube on the inside of the headset before putting it together...stuff like that? And also, how tight should I wrench on the back wheel?

-Clean and lubricate the chain (I do this every few days, but sometimes I get lazy)
-Make sure that everything that needs to be tight, is tight: lockring, cog, headset, wheels, etc.
-Pump the tires up (every week I do this, as the generally loose about 10psi a week)
-wipe the frame down with a damp cloth (this gets rid of most dust and dirt)
-Check all bearings (Headset, wheels, bottom bracket)
-If you have a brake (and you should, especially if you're learning) Make sure the pads are hitting the rim, and clearing it as well. I also check if anything is embedded in the pad, as this can quickly wreck your rim.

That's about what I do, and I ride about 15-30km a day.

I grease and oil all moving parts once every two years. Unless they are dirty or have sand inside.

I wipe the frame twice a year

I clean the chain and check my brakes once every two months.

I pump my tires every couple of weeks

+1, ijgrant's maintenance schedule would be great, but it much too time consuming.

It is great and is pretty much the same as mine.

Servicing your bike is dependent on many factors and time is the least of them... the mileage you ride, the type of riding you do, and the climate you ride in are more significant.

Chain life varies but 2500 miles seems to be around average... when I am riding at my maximum that meant I was replacing a chain every 2.5 months. You should know how to check your chain for wear and this can be done with a ruler... a new chain measures 12 inches between 12 pairs of links (measuring from the center of the pins) and when that measurement gets to 12 1/16 it is time for a new chain as this will prolong the life of the drive.

Fixed gear and SS bikes can enjoy longer chain life because the chain runs straight and has no deflection like a geared bike... keep it clean and oiled (do as needed) and it will run smoother and last longer.

I do a quick bike check before every ride and it only takes a minute to check your wheels for proper air pressure, check the wheel and bearings, check chain tension, and inspect tyres for any damage. I also do a quick brake check to make sure the pads are aligned and have not picked up any debris, and that the cables are tight.

Steel frames need a little more care than Al frames and keeping them clean and using a wax / polish or wiping them down with a little light oil (really old school) will keep them shiny and prevent rust.

I overhaul all the bearings on my higher mileage bikes at least once a year and sometimes will do this every six months on bikes that see harsher weather like rain and snow... this also warrants a more frequent schedule for cleaning and oiling one's chain.

In the past 3 - 4 years I have ridden nearly 25,000 miles and those miles have been worry and trouble free.

I live in corvallis, Oregon so there is a lot of rain...however I don't plan on taking my bike out in the rain much anyways. What kind of wax do you advise I use on my steel pista? (it's the grey frame/black lettering if you care). I'd like to use some sort of wax cause the bike gets water spots/smudgy if I just wipe it down with a wet rag. There was some gunk on there so I used rubbing alcohol to get it all cleaned up.

Any decent car wax will work... with a lot of rain you will have to pay extra attention to your bearings as the wheels will throw that and captured dirt everywhere.

You want to make sure your headset is well maintained as I am guessing you aren't using a front fender and your front wheel will throw a lot of crap into the lower race.

I just air up my tires once a week and check chain tension every couple of rides. I will probably clean and re-lube my chain in 6-8 months. I HARDLY ever ride in the rain, if ever.

Apply fresh lube every week or so.
Once a month or after any time out in the rain, degrease, clean, and relube the entire drivetrain.
Retension chain as necessary, just enough to keep from having play in the cranks.
Pump tires every couple weeks.
Wipe down frame any time I don't like how dirty it is.
Other adjustments (headset, brakes, etc.) as necessary.

most important thing for me is making sure every single bolt on my bike is as tight as it should be. ESPECIALLY in the drivetrain (this goes for cog and lockring as well)

I wipe down and relube the chain every week, and bring the tires back up the full pressure (check with thumb before each ride, though). Every month or so, I dunk the chain in a jar of acetone with marbles in the bottom (for the grit to fall into). I live in Seattle, so the roads a very often wet, and the chain picks up grit really quickly, so regular cleaning is required to not have the chain die a quick and painful death.

I wipe down the frame when it looks like it needs it. Complete disassembly, cleaning, and re-greasing every two years or so. Retrue wheels when I do the disassembly, but also check them if I hit the wheels really hard in a pothole or something, though they're usually fine unless the wheel got hit hard enough to detension the spoke, which also often means the rim has a bit of dent there (my dad is a bit rougher on his bike, he's had that happen a few times).

On a geared bike I also recheck that the shifting is adjusted right about every year or so, unless I can feel something off while riding it.

Anyone have any tips on lubricating a headset? I'm helping put together a cheap Vilano/Purefix type bike, and out of the box, the headset scrapes a bit when rotating the handlebars. How to get it working smooth?

I'm surprised we don't have a maintenance sub-forum to ask about general maintenance tips etc. Seems odd to restrict these kind of questions to specific types of cycling. Maybe I missed a sub-forum?

First off, those cheap headsets will never be very smooth. Get some good synthetic automotive axle and bearing grease, and completely coat the bearing cages and races. When adjusting the headset, get it just tight enough so that there is no play between the fork and frame. You will probably have to settle for some roughness when turning the bars in order not to have any play. Also, you will probably have to re-tighten the headset several times after riding before it stays adjusted properly.

Thanks TejanoTrackie - yeah, i figure it won't ever be perfect, but just wanna get the best I can out of it. i'm enjoying learning about setting up and maintaining a cheap setup. do i need specialised tools to get at the bearing?

You don't need anything other than ordinary tools to service the headset bearings. Basically, you simply have to remove the fork, which means removing the front wheel and stem with handlebar. You remove the headset top cap and then loosen the stem clamping bolts to slide it off the top of the fork steerer tube, after which the fork will slide out the bottom of the frame head tube, permitting full access to the headset bearings. Remember to put all the parts back the same way they came off.

Most of it is straightforward.

I wax my chain once a week because I don't like using lube. Otherwise just clean/lube the chain on occasion.
I squeeze my tires before riding and if they feel firm enough, I ride. If they feel low, I add air.
Check and tighten all bolts from time to time.
Give it a wipe down after riding in the rain

I love this idea. About the marbles.

So much good advice in this thread