Suspensions are a key component in the performance and safety of mountain bikes. Keeping them clean and properly lubricated improves comfort, control, and the ability to absorb impacts from obstacles, descents, and jumps. Proper maintenance not only optimizes the experience on mountain bike trails, but also prevents premature wear and potential mechanical failures.
In the case of road bikes, although they do not have suspensions like mountain bikes, maintaining the fork and other structural components is also crucial to ensure efficient and safe riding on long routes or uneven terrain.
Types of suspension maintenance
If you have a full suspension bike, both the fork and the shock absorber should be checked periodically. There are three levels of inspection that you should apply to keep your suspensions in perfect condition:
- Basic inspection (before and after each ride): You can do this yourself, checking the condition of the parts and key adjustments, such as the stanchions, lowers, dials, lockout, and the SAG.
- Intermediate maintenance: This involves cleaning, oil and seal replacement. Ideally, you should go to a specialized workshop to ensure the bike maintains its optimal performance.
- Advanced inspection: This involves a general inspection and thorough maintenance of the less accessible parts of the suspension. It is recommended to have this done at a service center authorized by the manufacturer.
How often should the suspension be checked?
To extend the lifespan of the suspensions on a mountain bike, it is important to follow a maintenance routine based on the use and conditions of each ride. In this article, we explain in detail how often or after how many kilometers you should perform each type of inspection, the most common problems, and the best practices to take care of your bike.
Most common suspension failures
Not keeping up with fork and shock maintenance on your mountain bike can lead to problems and breakdowns in both components. The repair costs could, in some cases, be higher than the cost of the actual maintenance. These are some of the most common failures and issues:
Pressure loss
In air forks—the most commonly used nowadays—constant pressure loss, even after recently inflating, is a sign that the suspension needs a check-up. Seals or O-rings will need to be replaced and the oil changed.
Lockout failure
Another common failure that tends to occur from skipping maintenance is the lockout breaking. The oil in the internal circuit loses its properties over time and with dirt entering from the outside (dust, mud, etc.), causing the lockout washers or piston to get damaged. This prevents the mechanism from closing to stiffen the suspension. In other words: it doesn't lock as it should in each position. If this happens to you, you'll need to take the bike to a workshop or specialized service center for repair.
Oil leak
Another problem many bikers have faced is suspension oil leaks. The liquid can appear on the fork stanchions or shock body due to worn seals. It can also leak through the compression or rebound dials. In the first case, changing seals or oil is usually enough, but in the second, the internal oil circuit or cartridge may be damaged, which will require a more expensive complete overhaul.
When and where should you do maintenance?
To avoid these breakdowns, which can sometimes be quite expensive, you need to do regular maintenance on your suspensions. As we mentioned above, maintenance has three levels, depending on the complexity and cost of the check-up.
Visual inspection (before and after each ride)
You can do this yourself before and after every ride with your bike. Wipe both suspensions with a damp cloth and then check the condition of the stanchions (the part superior that compresses) and lowers (thicker lower tubes) of the fork, as well as the shock. Always keep the seal area free of dust and mud, check the pressure, the condition of the air valve, and make sure the dials turn smoothly. Also calibrate the SAG or sag, compression, and rebound.
Basic inspection (every 50 hours of use)
This is preventive maintenance, and the interval can be shortened or extended depending on how often you use your bike. As a general rule, and to prevent failures, at Tuvalum we recommend doing this check-up every 50 hours of use or every 3 months, whichever comes first. It involves internal cleaning, oil change, and seal replacement. You can choose to do this inspection at home and thus save yourself the labor cost of a technical service. Changing the seals and oil is not very complicated if you are good with mechanics. This Fox video about basic maintenance of the Fox 32 fork can serve as a guide:
Full or general overhaul (every 150 hours of use)
This is the complete maintenance of the suspension and includes internal cleaning, changing seals and oil, as well as disassembling and checking the hydraulic circuit or air chambers. At Tuvalum, we recommend doing this overhaul every 150 hours of use or once a year, whichever comes first. This maintenance is more complex and costly, so we advise taking the suspension to an authorized brand technical service.
How much does a mountain bike suspension service cost?
Both the basic and general suspension services are costly, although the expense is considered more of an investment than a cost. Keeping your suspensions in top condition at all times will improve your bike's performance on every ride and avoid breakdowns that are more expensive than the maintenance itself. The price of each service will vary depending on the brand of the suspensions and the labor cost of the workshop or authorized technical service. In general, and to guide you if you have never serviced a fork or shock before, changing seals and oil ranges between 50 and 100 euros, while the full service exceeds 100 euros. Bicimax, official Fox distributor in Spain and Portugal, has published on its website a price list for its fork and shock services. This can also serve as a guide for other brands, as the rates are similar for all of them.
Recommended service intervals by brand: Fox, RockShox, and SR Suntour
Each suspension brand has its own maintenance intervals, which also vary depending on the type of suspension (fork or rear shock), model, and age. Focusing on the most important ones, Fox is the brand that recommends the least maintenance per year. In general, although the interval will depend on the model or use, a complete service should be done every 125 hours of use or 1 year, whichever comes first. In contrast, RockShox shortens the intervals to 100 hours for its pre-2016 suspensions, but increases to 200 hours for its 2018 and newer generations. In addition, it recommends a preventive oil and seal change for all of them every 50 hours. Other popular brands in the market, such as SR Suntour, recommend full maintenance at the technical service every 100 hours of use or one year, whichever comes first. In the case of Cannondale and its Lefty single-arm fork, a service should be done every 100 hours of use or one year (seal change and cartridge check) and a more complete one every 200 hours or 2 years. The latter includes seal change, cartridge maintenance, and telescope rebuilding and lubrication.