← Back to maintenance guide
Download HTML

Cedar Valley MTB Club

MTB service levels

Practice-heavy youth cadence: about three weekday rides plus a couple of Saturdays a month. Follow the hour marks if your rider logs different miles.

What the badges mean

Ride-day checks

Before ride

Takes about 2 minutes

  • Air - tires, bead seat, suspension sag
  • Brakes - lever feel, pad clearance, rotor
  • Chain - wax or lube present, no stiff links
  • Drivetrain / dash - shifting, hanger, e-bike display if equipped
  • Extras - stem, bars, saddle, thru-axles tight

No exceptions before rolling out.

After ride

About 5 minutes

  • Wipe frame, fork, shock, and drivetrain with a damp cloth
  • Rinse mud from brakes and rotors - no pressure washer on pedals or bearings
  • Check tire sidewalls for cuts, tears, or embedded debris
  • Check tire tread - replace when center knobs are worn flat
  • Spin wheels - listen for bearing roughness or wobble
  • Hang or store upright - never resting on the rotors

Service levels

Level 1 · Monthly

About every 25 riding hours (~4 weeks at practice cadence) · ~$109

  • Tubeless - top up sealant 30–60 ml per tire; inspect bead seat
  • Tubeless valve cores - clean or replace if sealant flow is sluggish
  • Chain - strip and re-wax (hot wax or your usual method)
  • Suspension - check sag, air pressure, rebound clicksSpecial
  • Brakes - pad wear depth; fluid sight glass if present
  • Clipless pedals - inspect and re-grease if needed
  • Cockpit - torque stem bolts, bar clamp, and seatpost clampSpecial
  • Tires - center knob wear and sidewall cuts
  • Thru-axles - thread condition and torque to spec

Good first service for younger riders to help with, under supervision.

Level 2 · Bi-monthly

About every 50 riding hours (~8 weeks at practice cadence) · ~$189

Everything in Level 1, plus:

  • Fork lowers - drain, clean, refill (use the oil your fork calls for)ShopSpecial
  • Chain wear - measure; replace if worn past the maker’s limit (often ~0.5%)
  • SRAM brakes - bleed with DOT fluid if spongy (usually DOT 5.1)WarnShopSpecial
  • Shimano brakes - bleed with mineral oil if spongyWarnShopSpecial
  • Headset - check for play; grease if needed
  • Dropper post - actuation and cable / hose routing
  • Derailleur hanger - check alignment, especially after impactsSpecial
  • Wheel hubs - check for play; spin for bearing roughness
  • Wheel truing - spoke tension; true if more than about 2 mm outShopSpecial

WarnBrake bleeds are brand-specific: SRAM uses DOT fluid, Shimano uses mineral oil. Open the matching how-to for your bike - do not mix kits or fluids.

Level 3 · Quarterly

About every 100 riding hours (~4 months at practice cadence) · ~$399+

Everything in Level 2, plus:

  • Fork - full service (air spring and damper)ShopSpecial
  • Shock - air sleeve service and o-ring replacementShopSpecial
  • SRAM brakes - full DOT bleed (usually DOT 5.1)WarnShopSpecial
  • Shimano brakes - full mineral-oil bleedWarnShopSpecial
  • Bottom bracket - check play and creak; service or replaceShopSpecial
  • Clipless pedals - full rebuild with the correct kit for your model (Crankbrothers bodies are often stamped 2, 3, or 11)Special
  • Cables and housing - inspect; replace if frayed or corroded
  • E-bike motor - torque check per the manufacturer (if equipped)ShopSpecial
  • Suspension linkage bearings - check play; grease or replaceShopSpecial

Pedal rebuilds can be a supervised youth project. Full shock service is often billed separately at shops.

Specialty & seasonal

Pedals

Intervals below match common Crankbrothers guidance. Other pedal brands differ - follow the maker’s kit and grease schedule.

  • Pre-ride - inspect pedal body and cleats for wear or looseness
  • Monthly / ~25 hr - re-grease internals; light oil on the wing pivot
  • Quarterly / ~100 hr - full rebuild (Eggbeater/Mallet kit #16051 or Double Shot #16274 are common Crankbrothers kits)Special
  • Annually / ~150–200 hr - overhaul or factory service if wornShopSpecial
  • ~300–500 hr - inspect and replace cleats when worn

Avoid close-range pressure washing - it pushes grease out of the seals.

Annual

Do these at least once a season, or whenever a deeper look is overdue.

  • Frame - inspect welds for cracks or dents (especially BB and head tube)
  • Full-suspension pivot bearings - replace if play showed up at Level 2 / 3ShopSpecial
  • Brake rotors - check runout; replace if warped beyond about 0.3 mmShop
  • Tubeless - inspect bead for cracking; replace sealant fully
  • E-bike battery - capacity check and firmware update if equippedShop
  • Grips / bar tape - replace if worn or cracked
  • Fit review - saddle height, reach, and bar width for growing riders