Crap service

[SkipdiverJohn]

Suspension MTB's are inherently a massive maintenance liability, as they have far too many wearing parts in them. I won't touch them with a bargepole, mine are 26" rigids from the late 80's/early 90's and are no worse than any other derailleur gear bike to maintain.

 

[Blue Hills]

200+ was for more than fettling and lube as you put it, I got the bike , a ‘97 full suss mountain bike second hand, it had been well used , so was in need of a full service , Perhaps we use the word service when we should use overhaul , cassettes , chainwheels wear , chains and cables stretch regardless of how much oil you put on , they will wear , the wheel bearings need repacking , shocks rear and front forks need seals etc to be renewed given time, It seemed a good idea to have all jobs done at the same time, I was let down , I was answering the OP ,

If bits are included a different matter.
Cables are cheap though (my gear cables cost £1 each) and I think it a good idea to do those yourself once you are a regular cyclist as well and have a few laid by - that way, you are encouraged to keep an eye on things (takes seconds every now and again) and any problems can be sorted pronto - there is often quite a waiting list for bike shop repairs and seems a pity to have a bike off the road, particularly if your only one, for a week or so.

 

[Blue Hills]

Suspension MTB's are inherently a massive maintenance liability, as they have far too many wearing parts in them. I won't touch them with a bargepole, mine are 26" rigids from the late 80's/early 90's and are no worse than any other derailleur gear bike to maintain.

Yes, suspension has its uses but best avoided unless you have a real need.
And I know people do but I'd never have it on a bike used for touring.
I had a very nice dale frame with a short travel "city" suspension - eventually took all the bits off it to put on a steel frame relying on pneumatic tyres for all the suspension I really need.

 

[Ajax Bay]

cables stretch regardless of how much oil you put on

Cables do not stretch, other than elastically under tension (ie temporary and reversible when tension removed).

 

[ozboz]

Cables do not stretch, other than elastically under tension (ie temporary and reversible when tension removed).

This contradictory to what I have been told and read on websites,

 

[bladderhead]

I have gone over 55000 miles on the same suspension components. No problems so far. Mostly road and some bridle paths etc, though, no downhill or that sort of thing.

 

[TheDoctor]

This contradictory to what I have been told and read on websites,

I think what actually happens when 'cables stretch' is more that the cable housing, ferrules and so on compress a little. It has exactly the same effect as the cable stretching, and TBH it's a bit pedantic to state it's one rather than the other. We all know what the phrase means

 

[Smokin Joe]

The derailleur system fitted on the vast majority of bicycles to be seen in bike shops and bike web sites in this country is a disaster for anyone who just wants a bike to get a few miles to and from the shops or work, and has no desire to become a part time cycle mechanic..

Eh?

The only maintenance the derailleurs on any bike I've owned needs is a twiddle of the adjuster after the first 50 miles or so when everything has bedded in and a cable change every couple of years. Other than that they are fit and forget.

 

[snorri]

Eh?
The only maintenance the derailleurs on any bike I've owned needs is a twiddle of the adjuster after the first 50 miles or so when everything has bedded in and a cable change every couple of years. Other than that they are fit and forget.

Unlimited mileage on a variety of road surfaces in all weathers and nothing more than a cable change after two years?

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

Eh?

The only maintenance the derailleurs on any bike I've owned needs is a twiddle of the adjuster after the first 50 miles or so when everything has bedded in and a cable change every couple of years. Other than that they are fit and forget.

What about cleaning all the road filth off the freewheel and gear mechs? They are much worse for picking up filth than hub gears employing a single front + single rear sprocket, which are usually at least partly protected by a chainguard. Derailleurs are totally open to the elements. Plus if you ride off road you can get loads of grass stalks and other plant life all wrapped around the sprockets and in the jockey wheels.

 

[Smokin Joe]

What about cleaning all the road filth off the freewheel and gear mechs? They are much worse for picking up filth than hub gears employing a single front + single rear sprocket, which are usually at least partly protected by a chainguard. Derailleurs are totally open to the elements. Plus if you ride off road you can get loads of grass stalks and other plant life all wrapped around the sprockets and in the jockey wheels.

Five minutes to clean and they are as good as new. I can understand why some people like hub gears because it suits the type of use they get, but you are stuck with the ratios provided by the manufacturer. Derailleurs offer a great deal of versatility in that respect, the ratios my aging limbs now use are a lot different to what I had 50 years ago, or even ten years ago come to that.

 

[Smudge]

Never paid an LBS or a bike mechanic to service or fix anything on a bike. When we were lads we learnt how to fix bikes by just having a go at it, with a good deal of trial & error. Nowadays you have the net including youtube to show you.
I dont like even taking my motorcycles in a shop and so i service them myself, the only exception being when they're new and i need the first 600 mile service stamp for the warranty and even then i've come across all sorts of things that haven't been done properly on that simple service.
Do it yourself, you know its done properly then..... and if it isn't, at least you haven't paid for it.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Suspension MTB's are inherently a massive maintenance liability, as they have far too many wearing parts in them. I won't touch them with a bargepole, mine are 26" rigids from the late 80's/early 90's and are no worse than any other derailleur gear bike to maintain.

Hardly massive liability, just a little extra now and again every few years.

 

[fossyant]

Suspension MTB's are inherently a massive maintenance liability, as they have far too many wearing parts in them. I won't touch them with a bargepole, mine are 26" rigids from the late 80's/early 90's and are no worse than any other derailleur gear bike to maintain.

They aren't that bad - it's my mainly ridden bike these days, in mud. You've just got to pay a bit more attention to cleaning the stanchions, and spraying a bit of silicon lube near the seals. There are big advantages with all that modern trickery (namely getting over rougher ground quicker)

 

[Ajax Bay]

think what actually happens . . . is . . . that the cable housing, ferrules and so on compress a little. It has exactly the same effect as the cable stretching, and TBH it's a bit pedantic to state it's one rather than the other. We all know what the phrase means

Well maybe, but if the rider doesn't understand what might be happening and put's it down to 'cable stretch' when in fact it's cable outers/ferrules wear (or settling in after first installation), then they may just replace the cable which has 'stretched' (it hasn't).
Pedantic versus sloppy thinking: I know which half of the spectrum I wish to inhabit.
Who is the 'we' in "we all know"?