7 Essential Maintenance Skills You Need To Know

Looking after your mountain bike is the most important part of the sport. If done properly your bike could last you a lifetime. It's also important for safety reasons, which is why Anna Cipullo has created a list of 7 important maintenance skills every rider should know. Using these skills will also help save you money on those big repair bills!

⏱️ Timestamps ⏱️
00:00 - Intro
00:27 - Set Up Your Sag
01:51 - Adjust A Gear Cable
03:15 - Change A Tyre
04:56 - Use A Torque Wrench
06:57 - Use A Tubeless Plug
08:07 - Adjust Your Headset
10:05 - Realign Your Brake Caliper

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Do you have any maintenance tips and tricks that you think are essential? Please share them in the comments below! 👇

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[gmbntech]

🔧Do you have any maintenance tips and tricks that you think are essential? Please share them in the comments below! 👇

[randymaclean]

When adjusting a caliper, you can loosen the bolts, then pull on the brake lever, and retighten the bolts while the brake is firmly engaged. The caliper will center perfectly on the disc leaving your brake well-aligned. (This is only for hydraulic brakes that clamp the pad to the disc from both sides. Mechanical brakes that squeeze only one side will need to be carefully aligned as in your video.)

[dimrub]

I've been taught to center the calipers (either disc or rim) by unscrewing them until they are loose, then pressing on the lever, so that the pads are pressing on the disc (and thus are centered) then tightening again.

[NonLegitNation]

I am absolutely horrible at adjusting gears and derailleurs but one thing I have learned is you can get get different results from adjusting your barrel adjustor on a bike stand and doing it while riding. I personally believe it's better to do it while riding because you are putting stress and pressure on the chain, crank, cassette, and cable so your adjustment will actually hold. But I've found that when adjusting on a bike stand that it will be fine on the bike stand but then once I get on the bike and ride it the adjustment was off. But then again as i mentioned I REALLY suck at adjusting gears, lol.

[andrewlamplugh]

I can't thank you enough and just like that I fixed two of the little problems I had on my trusty bike. Thanks for the timely reminder. Best wishes

[cstrike]

Resetting the caliper pistons is also essential in order to center the caliper properly. Cleaning the rotor and the brake pads as well.

[Klunker]

I’m great at setting up sag on my rigid hardtail.

[johnmaurer]

This was extremely helpful, thank you for making it simple. A lot of the stuff, especially derailuer I thought was a lot more complicated

[Tam-Solo]

I’ve always been afraid to touch anything on my bike but this video gives me confidence to give it a go. I used to always take it into a shop every time I needed something adjusted but now I live a couple hours away from any town with a bike shop so Its all on me! Thank you for posting.

[DJMeesters]

Great video! The more often I see different ways to do things the more confident I get to maintain my bike myself.

[jamesmincher]

Barrel adjust while riding cant beleive ive never thought of that tip makes so much sense 😊

[islandaerial]

I HAD to learn a lot of maintenance due to the amount of riding I put on my eMTB...
If I didn't my costs would be astronomical even more so than they already are. YIKES!

[jag]

If you've just fixed a flat, reinstalled your wheel and you're getting brake rub that you weren't before, it's almost always that you're wheel isn't centered. Make sure it's centered before messing with caliper adjustment.

[antc]

Great video for the basics. Being able to sort disk caliper / pad rub on the trail is an essential skill. But it's also worthy to check back at base that the caliper is centred over the disc. Generally this is easy as most calipers comprise 2 halves bolted together, so the joining face should align with the disc. If not, this may indicate stiction of 1 piston (or piston set) due to disk residue or grit build up around the exposed part of the piston. A good clean of the assembly with the pads removed will usually sort this to new. Cleaning the piston actually involves a bit more work in terms of actuating the brakes to expose more surface, but beware not to pop a piston and remember to push the pistons back carefully with a strong plastic lever (be especially careful levering ceramic pistons).

[stitch]

I got to say your works are clear you know stuff and your beautiful and smart great to see such confidence

[chinabicycle]

simple, and most importantly understandable

[PhilDesmond]

Excellent, clear and concise. Thank you.

[philg]

Brilliant! Thank you for explaining it all so simply. Maintenance not so scary now. ❤

[chrisfranklification]

Great video Anna, thanks. Some things I knew, some I didn't, but all useful to be reminded about and see demonstrated. Main new lesson for me: what the hooks are for on tyre levers! Why had I never been told that before! lol

[Greeniykyk]

Good video. You don't mention how to ensure the headset isn't too tight. I pick up the bike from the saddle nose, allowing the front wheel to hang with the steerer tube roughly vertical and swing the wheel (or handlebars) to one side and let go. The front end should smoothly swing back to center with an oscillation or two. If it can't, loosen pinch bolts, loosen the top bolt an eighth of a turn or so. Retorque the pinch bolts and repeat checks. 
You can also check by riding hands off. If you crash right away it was too tight.