2023-10-30
Why your bike needs regular service
Your bike has a lot of little moving parts that work together to give you an awesome riding experience. Over time, particularly if you’re putting on a lot of miles, those parts can get dirty, grimy, gritty, and gross.
When that happens, the parts on your bike start to make noises and wear out, which can lead to less enjoyable rides, potential breakdowns, unsafe riding, and costly replacements. To ensure your bike lasts as long as possible, you should have a professional technician give it some regular love and attention.
Trek stores service bikes of all makes and models. Whatever you ride, wherever you ride—we can help you extend your bike’s life and get the most fun out of it.
SCHEDULE A SERVICE
How do I know when my bike needs service?
If you can hear more than the wind while you’re riding, your bike needs some love! Some other signs are squeaky brakes, clicking or grinding, and disjointed or difficult shifting.
How often should I get my bike serviced?
Most bikes need service for every 25 hours of riding time. So, if you ride about three hours each week, you should get your bike serviced every two months. Service at this interval will keep you riding smoothly and help your bike’s parts last.
Geez, I don’t even get my car serviced that often! What’s up with that?
Most of your car’s parts are internal, but everything on your bike is exposed to the elements. General wear and tear and debris from the roads and trails can affect the way your bike’s parts work, but regular service keeps you rolling smoothly.
Nothing’s broken, so why would I need service?
Bike service is about making sure everything works flawlessly when you want to ride—and, most importantly, it’s about making sure you can ride confidently. Waiting until something breaks could end up being far more costly than regular service.
What is metal fatigue?
Aluminum is an incredible material for building bikes. It has great strength-to-weight, can be shaped easily, and is recyclable. But it also has a limited safe life. The gradual weakening of aluminum that bike frames, forks, and fasteners experience over time is a process called “metal fatigue.”
While the safe, useable life of a bike will depend predominantly on how often and the manner in which it is ridden, a good rule of thumb is that if your aluminum bike is over ten years old, you should think about whether it is time to replace it.
If you have a question about the condition of your bike, we recommend that you bring it to Skate Shack for inspection. We can give you a better idea of the condition of your bike and its parts and provide recommendations for what to do next.
When’s the best time for service?
Winter is the perfect time for service. You’re probably riding your bike less, turnaround time is faster in this season, and servicing your bike in winter will ensure you’re ready to ride when sunny spring weather arrives.
24-hour service turnaround
We respect that you got your bike to enjoy it, not to let it sit in a service center. That’s why Trek stores offer a 24-hour turnaround on most services.
Multiple service levels
We offer various levels of service depending on your specific needs, from cleaning and lubricating your bike’s moving parts to completely breaking your bike down and rebuilding it.