mountain bike maintenance

I'm trying to get into mnt biking, before I go dropping good money into it I'm using my buddy a older trek nothing special something you would find at wal mart. But it hadn't been used in atleast two years other than the tire wear and pressure is their anything else I should do/inspect. And I'm 6'2'' 260lbs

 

-Give us model and year of bike
-make sure it's comfortable
-make sure no fork seals or shocks are leaking
-make sure brakes function correctly and have good brake pads
-make sure it shifts smoothly in all gears
-check for loose spokes and/or bent rims
-smooth operation of all bearings

 

on top of that check the chain for rust and/or broken or cracked links. you might invest in a good wax based chain lube. it helps keep mud and dirt off the chain. jut make sure you wash it off good and reapply every time you go through dusty or muddy places.

check the frame for anything that is bent or cracked too. trust me, a cracked frame can lead to a really bad day really fast at a really really inopportune moment.

when checking brake function check the cable for frays. im assuming it is a cable brake system instead of hydraulic if it is a walmart special. there should be little knobs where the cable goes into the brake handle that can be used for fine adjustments and there should be an allan wrench set screw where the cable attaches to the actual brake contraption that you can loosen up to pull some slack out of the cable if it has stretched.

Now get out there and ride. Mountain biking is a blast

 

oh i forgot to add. do not use WD40 on the chain. it may seem like a good idea at first but it will do evil evil things to you. if you do not use a wax based lube some old engine oil works pretty good. as with the wax lube, be sure to wash when dirty

 

awesome thanks alot, im going to pick up the bike now