Mountain Bike Maintenance E-Book

Peter Ballin

• Herausgeber: Crowood
• Kategorie: Lebensstil
• Sprache: Englisch

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2017

Beschreibung

The bicycle is an amazing contraption. It costs nothing to power, is good for your body and does no harm to the environment. Most importantly however, it can give you the freedom to travel wherever you would like to go. The bicycle has been constantly evolving throughout its history. It has become more efficient, lighter, and stronger; in addition becoming more suited to a wide range of terrain and more accessible to a broad range of users. This book looks briefly at the history of the mountain bike and basic cycling techniques before taking a detailed and in-depth look into how to service, maintain and repair the modern mountain bike, with step-by-step tutorials throughout.

Leseprobe

Mountain Bike Maintenance

Peter Ballin

THE CROWOOD PRESS

First published in 2017 by

The Crowood Press Ltd

Ramsbury, Marlborough

Wiltshire SN8 2HR

www.crowood.com

© Peter Ballin 2017

This e-book first published in 2017

All rights reserved. This e-book is copyright material and must not be copied, reproduced, transferred, distributed, leased, licensed or publicly performed or used in any way except as specifically permitted in writing by the publishers, as allowed under the terms and conditions under which it was purchased or as strictly permitted by applicable copyright law. Any unauthorised distribution or use of thistext may be a direct infringement of the author’s and publisher’s rights, and those responsible may be liable in law accordingly.

British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

ISBN 978 1 78500 333 2

CONTENTS

Chapter 1 – Evolution of the Bike

The Birth of the Modern Mountain Bike

The Different Types of Mountain Bike

Chapter 2 – Learning the Parts of a Mountain Bike

The Parts of a Mountain Bike

Riding Gear

Chapter 3 – Basic Riding Techniques

Attack Position

How To: Ride Flat Turns

How To: Ride Berms

How To: Climb

How To: Ride Steep Descents

How To: Ride Roots

Chapter 4 – The Right Tool for the Job

Fifteen Most Common Tools

Comprehensive Tools Guide

Using a Torque Wrench

Different Types of Torque Wrenches

How To: Use a Torque Wrench

Lubes, Thread Lock and Degreasers

Chapter 5 – Before and After Riding

Pre-Ride Checks

How To: Clean a Mountain Bike

Chapter 6 – Wheels

Wheel Size

Tyre Choice

Inner Tubes

Types of Axle

How To: Fit a Tyre

How To: Fit a Tubeless Tyre

Punctures

How To: Fix a Puncture

How To: Replace Broken Spokes

Bearings

Hub Cartridge Bearing Replacement

Cup and Cone Servicing

How To: Build a Three-Cross Mountain Bike Wheel

How To: True a Wheel

How To: Check and Adjust Wheel Dishing

Chapter 7 – Contact Points

Handlebars, Grips and Stem

Pedals

Quick Pedal Care Guide

How To: Install and Set Up a Bar and Stem

How To: Fit a Star Nut

How To: Adjust Handlebar Width

Saddles and Seatposts

Types of Saddle

Types of Seatpost

How To: Set Seatpost Height for Endurance Riding

How To: Set the Fore/Aft Position

How To: Cut Aluminium Seatposts, Handlebars and Steerer Tubes

How To: Cut Down Carbon Fibre Seatposts, Handlebars and Steerer Tubes

Dropper Seatposts

How To: Bleed a RockShox Reverb Dropper Seatpost

Headsets

Types of Headset

How To: Remove and Install a Threadless Headset

Chapter 8 – Drivetrain and Gears

Chains

Common Chain Problems

How To: Break and Install a Chain

Shimano Chains

How To: Break a Shimano Chain

How To: Split and Connect Powerlinks

Chain Length

How To: Set the Correct Chain Length

How To: Change a Rear Derailleur Cable

How To: Index Gears

How To: Adjust the Limit Screws on a Rear Derailleur

How To: Align a Rear Derailleur Hanger

How To: Change a Cassette

Bottom Brackets

Types of Bottom Bracket

How To: Fit a Shimano External Bottom Bracket and Cranks

How To: Install a Chain Guide

Chapter 9 – Brakes

Rim Brakes or Disc Brakes

Mounting Points

V-Brakes

How To: Mount V-Brakes to a Bike

Disc Brakes

How To: Bleed Shimano Brakes

How To: Bleed Avid, Sram and Formula Brakes

How To: Bleed Hope Brakes

Understanding the Brake Adjustment Dials

How To: Shorten Hydraulic Brake Hoses

Types of Brake Pad

How To: Fit Hydraulic Brake Pads

How To: Align a Disc Brake Caliper to Stop it Rubbing

How To: Straighten a Bent Disc Rotor

Chapter 10 – Suspension

Suspension Terminology

How Does Suspension Work?

How to: Set Up Suspension

How to: Replace DU Bushings and Shock Hardware

How To: Check Shock Bushings for Wear

How To: Change a DU Bushing

How To: Service Fox Forks

How To: Service a Fox Air Rear Shock

Glossary

Appendix: Conversion tables

Index

CHAPTER 1

EVOLUTION OF THE BIKE

1817 – The Walking Machine

The walking machine.

Initially developed as an alternative to travel by horse, a German named Karl Drais invented the first practical bicycle, which he named the Draisine. It was powered by scooting and, due to its solid wooden wheels and frame, it was incredibly uncomfortable on anything but the smoothest of terrain and hence struggled to gain popularity.

1865 – The Velocipede

The Velocipede.

In 1865 the next generation of bicycle appeared, this time with pedals mounted to the front wheel. It was named Velocipede, Latin for ‘fast foot’, and was nicknamed The Boneshaker. Its wooden frame and metal tyres, combined with the cobbled streets of the day, again made for an extremely uncomfortable ride.

1870 – The Penny Farthing

The high-wheel bicycle.

Thanks to advancements in alloys, the first metalframed bicycle appeared in around 1870. The high-wheel bicycle was the obvious next step from the Velocipede; the large front wheel enabled faster speeds and also gave a smoother ride, assisted by metal spokes and rubber tyres. The design quickly became very popular, but also gained a reputation for being dangerous due to the rider sitting so high. The iconic Penny Farthing is the most famous of the high-wheel bicycles.

1880 – The Safety Bicycle

The safety bicycle.

Bearing many similarities to a modern bike, the safety bicycle was a big turning point in the bicycle’s evolution. Locating a chain-drive transmission between the two wheels helped to increase stability. This was one of the most important differences between the safety bicycle and its ancestors – it made people see the bicycle as a legitimate means of transport, no longer a dangerous toy.

The Birth of the Modern Mountain Bike

US Army bicycle.

In 1896 the US Army introduced the first specifically modified off-road bicycle to replace horses. As bicycles don’t need food, water or rest, cannot become ill and, most importantly, are not easily killed, it was an obvious choice to replace the costly horse. The first modified off-road bicycles were all built with rigid frames and forks.

Less than a decade later, in 1902, European road racers founded the road cycling-based sport of cyclocross. During organized road races, riders would take short cuts through farmers’ fields to get to the next town quicker. The idea stuck and cyclo-cross was born. The invention of the sport is the first recorded instance of bicycles being raced off-road.

In 1955 a group of cyclists from the United Kingdom created The Rough Stuff Fellowship, a club for cyclists that wanted to ride off-road.

Early cyclo-cross bike.

Klunker.

In the early 1970s a group of riders from California retrofitted a heavy beach cruiser from the 1930s with fat balloon tyres, better brakes and motocross handlebars. These bikes became known as Klunkers and were used to race down mountain fire roads. As these races become bigger they became known as Repack races, due to the grease in the hub brakes heating up so much it would melt and spill out, requiring the rider to repack their hubs after each run. Repack racing rapidly became popular and more competitive, sparking innovation for some of the first ever specially designed mountain bike products.

A mountain bike from the 1980s.

In the late 1970s, leading into the early 1980s, a few road bike companies started to mass produce the first mountain bikes, which to begin with were seen as a short-term fad. The first mass-produced mountain bikes were modified road bike frames that had thicker tubing for strength, wider tyre clearance for the larger tyres, and the first flat handlebars to give better stability. Until the late 1980s the sport of mountain biking was still in its infancy and therefore was not taken seriously by the larger bike brands.

A mountain bike from the 1990s.

In the late 1980s and early 1990s the popularity of mountain biking rapidly grew due to recognition from the media. There were televised events and athletes with big sponsorship deals, which in turn increased innovation in mountain bike technology. People started to realize the benefits of an all-terrain bicycle and larger bicycle manufacturers started to produce mountain bikes (MTB) and invest in new technology.

The Different Types of Mountain Bike

The limits of mountain bike performance and rider skill are constantly being pushed. Whether it’s riding longer distances, getting down a mountain faster, jumping bigger gaps or hopping between obstacles more quickly or with more style, the progression of the sport is in constant flux. Due to these different specializations, mountain biking has branched off into multiple unique disciplines, with each requiring its own specific bike and equipment. Manufacturers and competitors are always looking for an edge over the competition, so constant technological and manufacturing development is achieved and new technologies are often quickly transferred from one discipline to another.

Modern mountain biking can be roughly split between these eight disciplines.

Cross-country (XC)

Cross-country bike.

Cross-country is the most common mountain bike discipline and is currently the only one that is also an Olympic sport. It usually involves a mass or interval start, with riders racing a long, often looped, track. The tracks tend to be of a lower technical skill level and the focus is more on fitness and endurance. Tracks are made up of many climbs and descents across a mixture of terrain: loamy forest single tracks, gravelly fire roads and even tarmac sections between off-road stages. Owing to the difficulty in televising an XC race and the low frequency of jumps and crashes, cross-country has a small viewing audience despite having a greater professional and amateur competitive turnout than any of the other disciplines.

Cross-country bikes can be either hardtails or short travel, full suspension bikes. A hardtail allows a more efficient power transfer, whereas a small amount of rear suspension allows the rider to traverse rougher sections faster but he or she may lose some of the power of a pedal stroke to the action of the suspension.

The steep geometry of a cross-country bike is designed to put the rider in an upright position for riding, making climbing a lot easier as well as allowing easier steering at lower speeds.

Trail/Enduro

Trail biking is the bridge between downhill and cross-country; in essence it is what mountain biking is all about. Trail bikes are often hailed as ‘do anything’ or ‘one bikes’, as in one bike to do it all.

All-mountain bike.

All-mountain bikes are for riders who want to ride to the top of the trail, but still want to ride at speed and tackle technical sections, jumps and drops on the descent. From this concept, the MTB race discipline of enduro was born. This involves multiple timed downhill stages with riders having to pedal, often uphill, between stages. A trail bike features front and rear suspension with 140–180mm of travel. The bikes are required to be lightweight for the climbs but also tough enough to be able to cope with rough terrain, drops and jumps on the descents. The geometry on an AM bike is considerably slacker in comparison to an XC bike, meaning the angle of the front forks is more relaxed and the bike has a longer wheelbase. This makes the bike more stable and easier to control on the descent and at high speed.

Downhill (DH)

Downhill bike.

Downhill mountain biking is exclusively, as the name suggests, a downhill sport. Riders are transported to the top of the hill by means of a vehicle or ski lift, often referred to as an uplift.

Downhill trails are far more technical than those used in other forms of mountain biking. They feature drops, jumps and incredibly rough terrain, and are often made up of large areas of mud, rocks or roots.

The extreme nature of downhill trails is made easier to tackle by the large amount of suspension of downhill bikes – around 200mm of travel – along with thick, dual ply tyres and very slack geometry, putting the rider in the right position to tackle these obstacles as well as making the bike a lot more stable at the higher speeds associated with downhill.

Freeride (FR)

Freeride bike.

Stemming from downhill but lacking the timed aspect, freeride is all about style and tricks. The bikes are almost indistinguishable from downhill race bikes but the aim is for the rider to demonstrate his or her skill over a series of large jumps and drops. Tricks can involve spinning the bike around the horizontal or vertical axis and removing appendages from the bike in mid-air.

Dual Slalom (DS)

Dual slalom bike.

Dual slalom involves two riders competing head-to-head down two identical trails that run parallel to one another. The concept itself came originally from dual slalom ski racing. DS was a Mountain Bike World Cup discipline for many years until it was replaced by fourcross in the early 2000s. Despite its removal from the World Cup tour it is still a popular discipline and a crowd favourite at events such as Crankworx and the Sea Otter Classic.

Dual slalom bikes are predominantly lightweight hardtails, however short travel, full suspension is also common. The bikes are tough, with short wheelbases allowing fast turning and quick acceleration.

Four-cross (4X)

4X is derived from BMX racing, with four riders competing head-to-head down a wide track of jumps and berms. The difference between 4X and BMX racetracks is that 4X tracks are predominantly downhill and can feature drops, rocks and roots alongside the large BMX-style jumps. The bikes used in 4X racing are almost indistinguishable from those used in dual slalom.

Trials

Mountain bike trials follow the same principles as motorbike trials. The rider has to negotiate a route through natural or man-made obstacles without putting his or her feet down or falling off. The racing is slow and technical, with riders achieving the summits of large obstacles with a series of hops on either wheels or just the rear wheel. In a trials competition, if any part of the rider or the bike except the tyres touch the course the rider will be given a point. The winner is the rider who completes the course with the fewest points.

Trials bikes feature no suspension at all, small gear ratios and long stems. They are available with mountain bike-style 26in, or much smaller 20in, wheels.

Fat Bike

Fat bike.

Fat bikes have oversize tyres, enabling the rider to ride on soft terrain where normal mountain bikes would get stuck. These high volume, wide tyres can be ridden on snow, sand and wet boggy ground. The tyres are designed to be ridden at low pressure (8–10psi) which acts like suspension, giving a smooth ride over rougher terrain.

CHAPTER 2

LEARNING THE PARTS OF A MOUNTAIN BIKE

The Parts of a Mountain Bike

The parts of a mountain bike.

While riding, servicing or repairing mountain bikes, it’s vital to know the names for the different parts. This will be useful when ordering replacements or trying to explain to a bike shop a problem you may be having with your bike.