Maintenance
Looking after your wheelie bike
How to keep a C100, LH1 or any hardtail wheelie bike quiet, safe and ready: what to check before every ride, what to do each week and month, and when to hand it to a mechanic.
- By
- Collective, London
- First published
- Updated
- Reading time
- 9 minutes
A wheelie bike works harder than an ordinary mountain bike. The back wheel carries all of your weight for long stretches, the rear brake is in constant use, and the front end drops back to the ground again and again. Ten minutes of care each week keeps a C100 or LH1 quiet, safe and ready.
This is how we look after our own bikes in London: what to check before you ride, what to do each week and month, and when to hand the bike to a mechanic. It applies to every Collective wheelie bike, the C100 V3, C100 Pro, LH1 and C3, and most of it applies to any hardtail.
Safety first. This guide is advice, not a workshop manual. If you are unsure about any job, especially brakes, use a qualified mechanic. Collective bikes must be assembled and checked by a bike shop or qualified mechanic before first use, and that is also part of registering your warranty.
Chapter 01
Why wheelie bikes wear differently
On the back wheel, one set of parts does the work two wheels normally share.
Riding a wheelie puts your whole weight through the rear tyre, rim, spokes, hub and axle. The rear brake does most of the controlling, so its pads and rotor wear faster than the front. Every time the front wheel lands, the fork, headset and stem take the hit.
So a wheelie bike needs the same care as any mountain bike, with extra attention at the back and at the front end. That is why the C100 frame has a reinforced rear triangle, and why the checks below start with the rear brake and the rear wheel.
Chapter 02
Cleaning
A clean bike shows you its problems before they become expensive.
- Rinse, don't blast. Use a bucket or a low-pressure hose. A pressure washer forces water past the seals in the headset, bottom bracket, hubs and fork.
- Wash from the top down. Bike-specific cleaner and a soft brush on the frame, bars and wheels. Keep cleaner and degreaser away from the brake rotors and pads.
- Degrease the drivetrain. Chain, cassette, chainring and derailleur pulleys. Scrub, rinse and let it dry.
- Dry and look. Wipe the frame down and look for cracks, dents or chipped paint around the welds, the rear triangle and the dropouts.
- Oil the chain last. See chapter three.
After riding in rain, at least wipe the chain and re-oil it the same day. Wet chains rust overnight.
Chapter 03
Chain and gears
A worn chain quietly destroys the cassette and chainring behind it.
Oil it properly
One drop of bike chain oil on each roller while turning the cranks backwards, then wipe off the excess with a rag. Use dry lube in summer and wet lube in winter. Too much oil collects grit and wears the chain faster.
Measure wear monthly
A chain checker costs a few pounds and saves a cassette. Most have two marks. Replace an 11- or 12-speed chain at 0.5, and a 10-speed chain at 0.75. Leave a worn chain too long and the new one will skip on the old cassette, so you replace both.
Gears that skip or won't settle
The C100 V3 runs Shimano Deore 10-speed, the C100 Pro Shimano SLX 11-speed and the LH1 SRAM SX Eagle 12-speed. If a gear jumps under load, first check the derailleur hanger, the small part that holds the rear derailleur to the frame. Drops and crashes bend it, and a bent hanger makes even perfect cables shift badly. It is designed to bend before the frame does, and replacements are cheap: the C100 derailleur hanger and the LH1 derailleur hanger.
Cable stretch on a new bike is normal. A quarter turn of the barrel adjuster at the derailleur usually brings the gears back. If it doesn't, take it to a mechanic.
Chapter 04
Brakes
On a wheelie bike, the rear brake is the steering wheel, the safety net and the throttle. Look after it first.
Every Collective wheelie bike uses Shimano hydraulic disc brakes: MT200 on the C100 V3 and C3, Deore on the C100 Pro and Acera on the LH1. They need very little attention, but what they need matters.
Pads
Look into the caliper from above. Replace the pads when the friction material is down to about 0.5mm, or sooner if braking turns weak or starts to grind. Rear pads wear first on a wheelie bike, so keep a spare set.
Keep them clean
Oil or spray on a rotor or pad ruins braking, and contaminated pads usually have to be replaced. Never spray lube near the brakes. Clean rotors only with isopropyl alcohol or a dedicated disc-brake cleaner.
Spongy lever, sinking lever
The lever should stop firmly at the same point every time. If it feels soft, or comes closer to the bar over a ride, there is air in the system and the brake needs bleeding. Shimano brakes use Shimano mineral oil only, never DOT fluid. If you have not bled hydraulic brakes before, this is a bike shop job.
Rotors
A rotor that rubs in one spot is slightly bent and can often be trued. Replace a rotor that is worn thin, cracked or blue from heat.
You can ride a slightly noisy chain home. You cannot ride a wheelie safely on a brake you don't trust.
Chapter 05
Tyres and wheels
The rear wheel carries everything. Give it the most attention.
Pressure
Run your tyres inside the pressure range printed on the sidewall. Too soft and you risk pinch flats and dented rims when the bike lands. Too hard and the bike skips over the road and loses grip. Check pressure weekly with a gauge; tyres lose air slowly even when nothing is wrong.
Wear
Look for cuts, a flattened centre and the casing showing through. The rear tyre wears faster on a wheelie bike, so swap it before it fails, not after.
The rear axle
The standard C100 V3 rear wheel uses a quick-release skewer. Check before every ride that the lever is fully closed and tight. It should leave a firm imprint in your palm as it closes. If you want to run pegs, or just want a stronger rear end, the W2 wheelset and Hub 2 rear hub use a 10mm through axle. See Wheelsets and Hubs.
Spokes and true
Squeeze pairs of spokes together around the wheel. They should all feel similarly tight. Spin the wheel and watch the gap to the brake caliper: a wobble means the wheel needs truing. Loose spokes on a wheelie bike quickly become broken spokes, so get them seen to early.
Chapter 06
Bolts and bearings
Creaks and clicks are the bike asking for attention.
Bolts
Once a month, check the stem, handlebar, seat clamp, crank and pedal bolts and the brake caliper bolts. Tighten to the torque printed on each part, using a torque wrench if you have one. Over-tightening can crack aluminium parts just as surely as a loose bolt can fail.
Headset
Hold the front brake on and rock the bike back and forth. A knock or clunk from the front of the frame means the headset is loose. Landings work it loose over time. Adjust it, or replace worn bearings. Collective headsets are in Headsets.
Bottom bracket, pedals and hubs
Creaking under hard pedalling usually comes from the bottom bracket, the pedals or a dry seatpost. Grab each crank arm and pull it sideways: any play needs a mechanic. Spin each wheel with the bike in the air. It should turn smoothly and quietly, with no side-to-side movement at the rim.
Chapter 07
The fork
A few seconds of care after each ride keeps a suspension fork smooth for years.
The C100 V3 has a 100mm fork with lockout, the C100 Pro a RockShox Judy Silver, and the LH1 a 120mm air fork. After each ride, wipe the stanchions, the shiny upper tubes, with a clean cloth so grit doesn't get dragged past the seals.
Check that the lockout engages and releases cleanly. On an air fork like the LH1's, set the pressure from the chart on the fork leg or in the maker's manual, and recheck it monthly. Follow the fork maker's service interval for the lower-leg service. A bike shop can do it in one visit.
The C3 has a full chromoly rigid fork. Just check it for damage after any big impact.
Chapter 08
The schedule
Save it, screenshot it, stick it on the garage wall.
| When | What to do | Who |
|---|---|---|
| Before every ride | Brakes firm, rear quick-release closed, tyre pressure, nothing loose or rattling | You |
| After wet or dirty rides | Rinse, dry, wipe and re-oil the chain, wipe the fork stanchions | You |
| Weekly | Clean and oil the chain, check pads and tyres, check tyre pressure with a gauge | You |
| Monthly | Chain wear, bolt check, headset play, spoke tension, wheel true, fork lockout and air pressure | You, or a shop |
| Every 6 months, or sooner if you ride daily | Full service: drivetrain, brake bleed, bearings, wheel truing, fork service | Bike shop |
| After a crash or a hard landing | Frame, fork, bars, stem, wheels and derailleur hanger inspected before you ride again | Bike shop |
Chapter 09
Your local bike shop
The best upgrade you can buy is a mechanic who knows your bike.
A good mechanic spots what riders miss: a stretched chain, a hanger a few degrees out, brake fluid past its best, a wheel about to lose a spoke. Twice a year is the minimum for a bike that does wheelies. If you ride every day, go more often.
Supporting your local shop also keeps the scene going: the workshops, the meet-ups and the people who fix bikes on a Saturday so ride-outs can happen on a Sunday. Find a Collective dealer near you in the dealer locator.
When parts do wear out, Collective spares and upgrades are in Bike Parts & Upgrades, and wheelie-specific parts are in Wheelie Bike Parts.
Chapter 10
Questions
How often should I service my wheelie bike?
Check it yourself weekly and monthly, and have a full professional service at least every six months. Go more often if you ride daily or do a lot of wheelies, because the rear brake, rear wheel and drivetrain wear faster.
How do I know if my chain is worn?
Use a chain checker. Replace an 11- or 12-speed chain at the 0.5 mark and a 10-speed chain at 0.75. Skipping under load is a late sign of wear.
Why is my brake lever spongy?
Usually because air has got into the hydraulic system. The brake needs bleeding with Shimano mineral oil. If you have not bled brakes before, take the bike to a mechanic.
Can I use a pressure washer on my bike?
It is best not to. High-pressure water pushes past bearing and fork seals. Use a bucket, a soft brush and a low-pressure rinse.
What tyre pressure should I run?
Stay within the range printed on the tyre sidewall. Lower in that range gives more grip and comfort; higher gives more speed and protects the rim on hard landings.
Which derailleur hanger fits my bike?
The C100 uses the C100 derailleur hanger and the LH1 uses the LH1 derailleur hanger. If you are unsure, contact us with your bike model before ordering.
Does maintenance affect my warranty?
Your bike must be professionally assembled and checked to register the warranty. Regular servicing also keeps a record of the bike's condition. See the warranty page for what is covered.