slammer66

I bought a new hybrid trek a few months back, I got a maintenance package that gives me tuneups for two years or 5 years, I forget. but anyway I've got just under 400 miles on it so far, how many miles would y'all recommend between tuneups?

10 Wheels

Take it in if you have some kind of problem.

SpeedRanger

I would take it in once a year, early spring.

CargoDane

The first tune up is probably now as it's a new bike. Later ones you can wait for longer with.

HillRider

A tune-up at 400 miles should only mean refining the shifting and brake adjustments since cables and housing usually "bed in" in the initial miles and need some small adjustments. Beyond that a full overhaul is usually done annually at the beginning of the riding season.

Iride01 

Usually the bike shops here ask you to bring the bike back in two to three months or around 300 to 400 miles which ever comes first. And it's usually a free inspection that includes checking and adjusting things that sometimes need a little attention during that "break in" period. Like wheel spokes and derailleurs.

After that it depends on how much you do yourself. If you don't work on it at all including lubing the chain, then maybe twice a year. If you do some of your own work, including lubing the chain, understand fully how to adjust DR's, then you might get by with once a year or every two years.

deacon mark

Bike tune ups to me are really about what needs to be done. Has zero to do with anything other than how things are working. Certainly you need to check things but when your bike starts acting up it usually is not all at once. If you ride in the rain and poor conditions you might need to do things very often. Also it is possible to ride really long miles in between doing anything if you ride in good conditions and reasonable do some lube and cleaning. I have road a lot this year averaging 800 miles a month and under generally dry conditions. I have gotten huge mileage out of tires, chain, bar tape, and cables and housing. Some folks don't ride more than 1500 miles in a year but things can still happen just due to environment. In fact some parts of the bike keeping them going is somewhat better than not using them at all. Grease can dry out and oil does break down over time left to air.

For myself the most frequent change I do is the rear derailleur cable and housing. I want the bike to shift perfect and it will, if cable is good and housing. The rear loop is usually the first to go because it gets all the road stuff right up on it from the wheels. The bend in the cable and shifting all the time makes this for me a faster wear item. I change it out at least 2 times a year, easy and cheap to do for the joy of precision shifting. My brakes on the other hand can go years before needing new cables and housing. In fact the brake pads go for years due to I ride in the county and do not stop or use the brakes a lot. I also live in the flatlands that is a plus on wear.

Riding regularly the same bike you get tuned in to all the nuances of the bike. Pretty easy after a while to know when things are going down. Just recently I notice my steering to be a bit rough and sure enough the headset and bearings had rust and build up. That has lasted me 3.5 years and many folks go way more than that before a good headset needs replaced. i bought in my case a new Ritchey WCS headset $55. No brainer I just replaced the whole thing. You can just replace bearing but just a cheap to by and whole new headset. I do my own work so pressing it in not a issued

The moral on tune ups is they are probably overrated if you are an experienced rider with some knowledge. For someone who simply rides and does not get too involved with the whole bike then possibly they benefit the most. They go long periods between service or needing things so not an issue. But if you ride a lot of miles or in bad weather you really need to be your own mechanic for everything except items that require tools that are not cost effective to buy. If you need to face a bottom bracket the tool cost is not worth it just having a shop do it.

JohnDThompson 

Most bike shops offer a free tune-up on new bikes after about a month. That gives time for the cables/housings to bed into place, spokes to stress-relieve, etc. Check with the shop where you purchased the bike.

cxwrench

There must be a LOT of mediocre mechanics working in shops these days. NO new bike should need any 'touch ups' or adjustments after 2, 4, 8 weeks or whatever. If the bike is built properly there will be no 'break in'. When the bike leaves the shop it should be finished, meaning properly built and all of that stuff should be taken care of.

The bike needs a tune up when it needs a tune up. It's like asking 'how long is a piece of string'? If it's a CX race bike and it's a muddy event it's gonna need pretty much everything after an hour. If it's a hybrid that granny rides it might be 2 years before it needs anything.

CargoDane

Hence why we talked mostly about miles.
Actually, cables do stretch (particularly brake cables), pads needs breaking in, and after first assembly, having ridden the bike for a while, it is always a good idea to check if anything is about to rattle loose. That's just common sense. Unless, of course, if you epoxy all your bolts.
But less will come loose if you use medium strength loctite. I guess you could also lockwire all the nuts and bolts, but that seems like a lot of work for a bike.

cxwrench

Uhmmm no. Cables most certainly do not stretch. Pads should be bedded in when the bike is built. It takes 5 minutes. And again no...all fasteners should be tightened and double checked when the bike is built. This is most definitely not anywhere near my first rodeo. I've got 15 years as a pro team mechanic under my belt and if I had to tell a pro racer to pull over half way through a stage so I could check their bike you can guess what might happen. I'm guessing you're not a mechanic by trade, right?

Koyote

I think shops offer that free tuneup mostly to make customers feel more confident. And I also suspect that, of the few bikes that actually show up for that free tuneup, most get nothing more than a cursory once over and maybe a quarter twist of a cable adjuster, just because.

CargoDane

Sorry, but I'm now going to ignore you. Claiming that thin wires used for braking does not stretch is just ridiculous. No one who knows anything about wires will tell you they don't stretch. The belief that the strands do not work themselves closer together and therefore becoming longer is ignorant at best. Hell, even gear cables does, although to a lesser extent as it is not exposed to as much force.

Talking about mechanics: A mechanical handbrake is usually using a wire. That wire stretches too. Wire rigging on boats: Stretches. Wires for trolling/trawling: Stretches. Wires stretch when applying force to them. That's very much the nature of wires.

Here is a google search for a very specific problem with wires stretching: Using them for winches. WHen they break, they snap back violently, meaning you need heavy stuff hanging over them to somewhat control the wire in such a scenario. Yes, they're thicker, but they're made the same way as thinner ones:
https://www.google.com/search?q=wire...w=1253&bih=651

cxwrench

You truly do not know what you are talking about. ALL of those applications have nothing do with the very low loads put on bicycle cables. You aren't a mechanic at all, are you?
ETA: I know this because I've measure cables, installed them, compressed housing, and remove the cables to measure again. I'll give you 3 guesses what I found...only one counts.

CargoDane

At least I don't claim to be one. A "professional mechanic" even
There is a reason I specified brake cables, as they are the ones on a bike that is exposed to the most force. A hand brake wire or rigging wire are dimensioned accordingly. A brake wire on a bike likewise.

A brake wire on a bike is obviously not dimensioned for a trawling net (they have mostly all switched to Dyneema by now - all because of stretch). A brake wire on a bicycle is very thin, so it takes less force to make it stretch. The small gauge wire takes less force to stretch than a thicker one. Duh! They are made the exact same way and react the exact same way to force applied to them.
I guess you cold say that a gear cable doesn't stretch because it doesn't stretch MUCH, since the forces are much lower.

I got sideswiped when I went to pt you on ignore, because you're not only claiming to be a mechanic, but a "professional mechanic". That had me laughing out loud - especially when what prompted me to go there was your claims that has no bearing on reality. Did you just get an internship at a bike shop and now consider yourself a mechanic Professional Mechanic?

Hell, it even contracts and extends itself depending on temperature, but maybe that is also something wires on a bike is totally exempt from because they're on a bike?

Your add-on is more than just a little convenient.

cxwrench

You didn't read my earlier post, did you? I'm in my 25th year of making a living as a mechanic. I've got 15 years as a pro team guy, that includes national team, mens pro and womens pro teams. I know of what I speak. Your examples of cables (not wires...they're single strand, cables are not) have nothing to do w/ what happens on a bicycle. Derailleur cables are under mere ounces of tension, brake cables maybe a few pounds at most. Just like chains, there is no 'stretch' involved. Housing compression, sure. Ferrules seating, yep.
To get back on topic, a 'break in' tune up is only needed if the bike is not built properly. Period.

CargoDane

https://bfy.tw/Pccj

cxwrench

Whomever wrote that article is a complete asshat. "Left the bike out in the sun...tighten the brakes". Seriously?

CargoDane

Brake wire stretch:
https://www.google.com/search?client...UTF-8&oe=UTF-8

General information on wire stretch:
https://www.google.com/search?client...UTF-8&oe=UTF-8

Enough said, mr "Professional" mechanic.

Yelbom15

If cables don’t stretch, does that mean I can remove my barrel adjusters?

CargoDane

It's not "an article". It's a google search. There are loads of hits. That's how google works.

Rolla

OP, don't worry too much about time or mileage, and just listen to your bike when you ride. If you hear pinging in the spokes, the chain not shifting smoothly between cogs and/or chainrings, brake pads rubbing on rotors or rims or tires, or any annoying clicks, creaks, or squeaks, go ahead and take it in. It probably won't need a full tune-up, but will likely benefit from some simple wheel and/or rotor truing, cable adjusting, or pad alignment to get things running smoothly and quietly again. When you get towards the end of the time period in which the shop honors the free tune-up, go ahead and get one.

And now, we return you to the dick measuring resumè recital, already in progress.

Geepig

Pro team mechanics never have their eyes off the bikes, there is so much out there on the road that could affect the bike. A good pro team mechanic will have built the bike up from scratch, but when you have a production machine there are many things that can go wrong, such as tyre manufacturing defects. As an R&D engineer it can be depressing to take delivery of warranty return parts, but things like a one month check can help spot such issues early.
Anyway, when I bought my current Kross I had to return for a free check after a month to validate the guarantee and fix a little niggle I had with the rear fender I had purchased separately.

davidad

2500 miles has worked for me.

Sy Reene

For OP, I'd read the terms of the special maintenance package you bought. Is it Trek provided, or something 3rd party like VeloCare, etc?