Mountain Bike Maintenance

by Peter Ballin

Overview

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. Contents include: Tools and equipment; Wheels and tyres; Handlebars, pedals, saddles and headsets; Drivetrain and gears; Brakes and suspension. This detailed and in-depth guide will be of great interest to all offroad cyclists and is fully illustrated with 480 instructional colour photographs.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781785003332
Publisher:	Crowood Press, The
Publication date:	10/26/2017
Sold by:	Bookwire
Format:	eBook
Pages:	160
File size:	128 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Peter Ballin has a wide range of experience and interests, from being an accomplished international mountain bike racer and guide, to spending many years working as a bike mechanice in the French Alps. He has appeared in major media publications and worked with professional riders as a mechanic on the world cup circuit. He also worked as a mountain bike trail builder in New Zealand and Canada, and ran his own mountain bike holiday company in the south of Spain.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 Evolution of the Bike 7

The Birth of the Modern Mountain Bike 8

The Different Types of Mountain Bike 9

Chapter 1 Learning the Parts of a Mountain Bike 12

The Parts of a Mountain Bike 12

Riding Gear 15

Chapter 3 Basic Riding Techniques 17

Attack Position 17

How To: Ride Flat Turns 18

How To: Ride Berms 18

How To: Climb 19

How To: Ride Steep Descents 20

How To: Ride Roots 20

Chapter 4 The Right Tool for the Job 21

Fifteen Most Common Tools 21

Comprehensive Tools Guide 23

Using a Torque Wrench 29

Different Types of Torque Wrenches 30

How To; Use a Torque Wrench 31

Lubes, Thread Lock and Degreasers 32

Chapter 5 Before and After Riding 34

Pre-Ride Checks 34

How To: Clean a Mountain Bike 36

Chapter 6 Wheels 39

Wheel Size 39

Tyre Choice 42

Inner Tubes 44

Types of Axle 44

How To: Fit a Tyre 45

How To: Fit a Tubeless Tyre 47

Punctures 48

How To: Fix a Puncture 48

How To: Replace Broken Spokes 52

Bearings 53

Hub Cartridge Bearing Replacement 53

Cup and Cone Servicing 56

How To: Build a Three-Cross Mountain Bike Wheel 58

How To: True a Wheel 61

How To: Check and Adjust Wheel Dishing 63

Chapter 7 Contact Points 65

Handlebars, Grips and Stem 65

Pedals 68

Quick Pedal Care Guide 68

How To: Install and Set Up a Bar and Stem 70

How To: Fit a Star Nut 73

How To: Adjust Handlebar Width 74

Saddles and Seatposts 75

Types of Saddle 75

Types of Seatpost 76

How To: Set Seatpost Height for Endurance Riding 77

How To: Set the Fore/Aft Position 79

How To: Cut Aluminium Seatposts, Handlebars and Steerer Tubes 80

How To: Cut Down Carbon Fibre Seatposts, Handlebars and Steerer Tubes 81

Dropper Seatposts 82

How To: Bleed a RockShox Reverb Dropper Seatpost 82

Headsets 85

Types of Headset 85

How To: Remove and Install a Threadless Headset 88

Chapter 8 Drivetrain and Gears 91

Chains 91

Common Chain Problems 92

How To: Break and Install a Chain 93

Shimano Chains 95

How To: Break a Shimano Chain 96

How To: Split and Connect Powerlinks 96

Chain Length 97

How To: Set the Correct Chain Length 98

How To: Change a Rear Derailleur Cable 99

How To: Index Gears 102

How To: Adjust the Limit Screws on a Rear Derailleur 104

How To: Align a Rear Derailleur Hanger 106

How To: Change a Cassette 108

Bottom Brackets 109

Types of Bottom Bracket 109

How To: Fit a Shimano External Bottom Bracket and Cranks 111

How To: Install a Chain Guide 114

Chapter 9 Brakes 117

Rim Brakes or Disc Brakes 117

Mounting Points 117

V-Brakes 117

How To: Mount V-Brakes to a Bike 118

Disc Brakes 120

How To: Bleed Shimano Brakes 122

How To: Bleed Avid, Sram and Formula Brakes 124

How To: Bleed Hope Brakes 127

Understanding the Brake Adjustment Dials 130

How To: Shorten Hydraulic Brake Hoses 130

Types of Brake Pad 132

How To: Fit Hydraulic Brake Pads 132

How To: Align a Disc Brake Caliper to Stop it Rubbing 135

How To: Straighten a Bent Disc Rotor 136

Chapter 10 Suspension 137

Suspension Terminology 137

How Does Suspension Work? 140

How to: Set Up Suspension 142

How to: Replace DU Bushings and Shock Hardware 145

How To: Check Shock Bushings for Wear 147

How To: Change a DU Bushing 147

How To: Service Fox Forks 148

How To: Service a Fox Air Rear Shock 152

Glossary 155

Appendix: Conversion tables 156

Index 158