"You'd better be careful with them, they could be the last ones," bike shop owner Nils Richter routinely tells his customers when he pushes new brake pads over the counter. Cycling is booming like never before and is creating a gigantic wave of demand. Delivery times for wearing parts are skyrocketing. Chains, brake discs and pads are already in short supply in many places. If you want to get through the season without having to take a break, you should keep an eye on your equipment and treat it with care.
As a mountain bike is generally ridden in all weathers and on all terrains, some components wear out much faster than on a road bike, for example. Just a single day in sandy-wet conditions can completely grind down the brake pads and maltreat the chain to the point of exhaustion. It is often enough for just one of many components to fail and it becomes impossible to continue riding. Regular maintenance is therefore an important part of counteracting premature material wear. Many defects can be recognised in advance and can be prevented accordingly - especially if a long tour or an important race is imminent.
MTB drivetrains can be expensive
Opinions differ on the question of when to replace wearing parts: While some people ride over 6000 kilometres with the same drive, others replace the chain three times for the same mileage. Both tactics can work. In the first case, however, it can become quite expensive in one fell swoop. As soon as the lengthened chain slips, the chainring and cassette have also reached the end of their service life. If you replace the chain more regularly, you have invested some money in the meantime, but you can ride the more expensive chainring and the much more expensive cassette for some time longer. In this article, you can find out when a component on your mountain bike is really worn out and how to recognise wear on your own bike.
The complete wear guide with ten important points on the checklist is available as a PDF in the download area below:
- Drivetrain: chain, cassette, chainring, bottom bracket, rear derailleur pulleys, rear derailleur friction damper
- Brakes: brake pads, brake discs, brake fluid
- Wheels: hub bearings, spokes, rims
- Tyres: tyre tread, tyre sidewall, rubber compound
- Outer casings/cables: shifting force and precision
- Headset: play, ease of movement
- Rear triangle: damper bushes, rear triangle bearings
- Fork: Lubrication, bushings
- Telescopic support: play, function
- Pedals and shoe cleats: Bearing play, wear and tear
