Maintenance reference
MTB service intervals: the complete reference
Every wearing part on a mountain bike has a clock. Most of them run on ride hours, some on distance, a few on plain calendar time. This is the whole picture in one table: what to service, when, and why, with deeper guides per component below.
The master table
| Component | Interval | What happens if you skip it |
|---|---|---|
| Fork - lower legs | ~50 h | Dry foam rings and dirty oil grind bushings and stanchion coating. Cheap service, expensive neglect. |
| Fork - full / damper | 100–200 h or 1 yr | Damper oil loses viscosity: fading damping, harsh top-stroke, mystery knocking. |
| Shock - air can | ~50 h | Dry seals stick and leak; small-bump sensitivity disappears first. |
| Shock - full service | 100–200 h or 1 yr | Aeration in the damper: the rear end packs down and wallows. |
| Chain | 0.5–0.75% wear | A stretched chain eats the cassette and chainring; a cheap swap becomes a full drivetrain bill. |
| Cassette | every 2–3 chains | Worn teeth skip under load, usually on the steepest climb of the day. |
| Brake pads | at ~1.5 mm pad | Metal on rotor: screaming descents and a rotor replacement on top. |
| Brake bleed | 1 yr | Old fluid boils earlier (DOT absorbs water): a wandering bite point on long descents. |
| Dropper post | 50–100 h or 1 yr | Sag, slow return, and play. Droppers die slowly, then suddenly. |
| Pivot & wheel bearings | 1 yr / after wet seasons | Notchy bearings ruin frame alignment tolerances and rear-end stiffness. |
| Headset & BB | 1 yr, sooner if pressure-washed | Creaks first, corrosion-welded cups later. |
| Tubeless sealant | 2–4 months | Dried sealant seals nothing; you find out mid-descent. |
Intervals are a starting point, not gospel. Dust, mud, winter grit and frequent washing shorten every interval; a dry-climate XC bike stretches them. Your component manual always wins; these figures summarise current manufacturer guidance for average trail riding.
Ride hours, not months
A fork doesn't know what month it is. It knows how many times its seals cycled and how much grit the foam rings soaked up. That's why FOX, RockShox and Öhlins all specify service in hours of riding. The catch: nobody remembers their hours. Two honest options: keep a logbook, or let an app count real ride time from Strava, a Bosch eBike or a manual odometer and run a separate clock per component.
Deep dives
FAQ
How often should I service my mountain bike?
Per component, not per bike: fork lowers ~50 ride hours, full suspension service 100–200 hours or annually, chain at 0.5–0.75% wear, brake bleed yearly, bearings annually. The table above has the full list.
What counts as a ride hour?
Actual moving time, not elapsed time and not calendar time. A weekly 2-hour rider hits a 50-hour lowers service roughly every 6 months; a bike-park regular hits it in 6 weeks.
Do e-bikes need more frequent service?
Yes. Mid-drive torque wears chains, cassettes and chainrings 30–50% faster, and higher average speeds add suspension cycles. Track drivetrain wear more aggressively on an eMTB.
Put every clock on autopilot
Loam runs an independent service clock for each component, fed by real ride hours from Strava, Bosch eBike or your odometer. Free, no ads, and your garage stays on your phone.
