first service for racing bike

smartbadge said:

I bought a Trek 1200 about four months ago. I have clocked up about 400 miles on the bike so far. I think that it is time that I took it for a service.

400 miles really isn't much, and there should be virtually no wear. If
you're not experiencing any problems, I wouldn't bother.

Check that the wheels are true and the spokes tight. Listen for clicks,
squeaks, or other unusual noises. Check for smooth shifting and
braking.

The only new bike "break-in" might be cable housings compressing
slightly, requiring a slight adjustment of brake and shift cable
tension.

Art Harris

Quoted message said:

Hi all,

I bought a Trek 1200 about four months ago. I have clocked up about
400 miles on the bike so far. I think that it is time that I took it
for a service.

What should I ask the bike dealer to look at during the maintenence
service?
What are the things that generally need attention?

Much of my cycling has been in Ireland, were the roads are not smooth
as those in the US.

Bikes are not like cars, they don't require trips to the dealer for
service. Chains, brake pads and tires wear, but usually after at least
1,000 miles, and probably more like 2-3,000.

Quoted message said:

Hi all,

I bought a Trek 1200 about four months ago. I have clocked up about
400 miles on the bike so far. I think that it is time that I took it
for a service.

What should I ask the bike dealer to look at during the maintenence
service?
What are the things that generally need attention?

Tell them the things that in your view are not working as well as they
were when it was new. brakes, shifting, etc. They will also check true,
round, dish, tension of the wheels, I hope.

Quoted message said:

Much of my cycling has been in Ireland, were the roads are not smooth
as those in the US.

Thank you in advance.

smartbadge

Like a brand new car, they should tighten all the cables and check the
major bearings (cranks, pedals, hubs, headset) for either looseness or
tightness or lubricant depletion. If the bike's been in wet weather
also check the chain for squeeking and relubricate if necessary.

In the old days, many new bikes came with "Tight" bearings, e.g. hubs.
After 100 mi or more the cups would "press in" to the races and the
bearings would develop some play and require re-adjustment. That's
one of the origins of the "30 day checkup" offered by many shops.

All products experience an "infant mortality" period near the
beginning of life and a "wear out" period near the end of life. The
goal of the mechanic is to look for such problems developing and
either fix or replace any malfunctioning parts before they fail
completely. Modern parts probably don't have much in the way of
infant mortality. However, for a TREK 1200 the mechanics should know
what the design flaws are and he/she should look in these areas ...

- Don Gillies
San Diego, CA

Donald Gillies said:

Like a brand new car, they should tighten all the cables and check the
major bearings (cranks, pedals, hubs, headset) for either looseness or
tightness or lubricant depletion. If the bike's been in wet weather
also check the chain for squeeking and relubricate if necessary.

In the old days, many new bikes came with "Tight" bearings, e.g. hubs.
After 100 mi or more the cups would "press in" to the races and the
bearings would develop some play and require re-adjustment. That's
one of the origins of the "30 day checkup" offered by many shops.

All products experience an "infant mortality" period near the
beginning of life and a "wear out" period near the end of life. The
goal of the mechanic is to look for such problems developing and
either fix or replace any malfunctioning parts before they fail
completely. Modern parts probably don't have much in the way of
infant mortality. However, for a TREK 1200 the mechanics should know
what the design flaws are and he/she should look in these areas ...

- Don Gillies
San Diego, CA

Thank you Don and to everyone who has replied to my Trek 1200 query.