Maintenance

Chain Stay/Frame Pads

Scotch 2228 Moisture Sealing Electrical Tape makes an excellent and very durable chain stay and frame protector. The adhesive holds well, but when you want to peel it off just proceed slowly and it comes right off easily. A bit of cleanup with GlueBGone and you can start afresh.
Cane Creek 40 HeadSet

Servicing Steering Head Bearings

Servicing steering head bearings
Cleaned bearing race.
Since I do not have new bearings, I just cleaned these up.
Fresh grease and ready to mount Rock Shok
A bit of antisieze on the threads.

Rear Hub Maintenance Vuelta XRP Pro Super Lite wheels

6001-2RS Double Rubber Seal Bearings
Mountain Bike Spokes
Shimano MTB Shift Cable Set OPTISLICK
Requilding the rear wheel on my Tomac Cortez mountain bike Vuelta XRP Pro Super Lite wheelsets. Replaced the remaining flat blade spokes with more durable round steel spokes. Replaced the Vuelta hub wheel bearings with Xike bearings that are double sealed and look identical to the exceptional NGK 6001-2RS bearings that came installed in the wheelset. Still running the original bearings and flat spokes in the front wheel. It seems that the biggest problem is that the front wheel kicks up rocks that then slam into the rear wheel damaging spokes.
While doing all of this work, I also refreshed my shift cable. Seems the exceptional Shimano MTB Optislick cable is good for about one year of use.

Adjusting Brake Alignment

Front brake dragging. Loosen brake mount bolts a bit, spin wheel and squeeze brake (repeat a few times). Last squeeze and hold then tighten brake mount bolts. No drag. No dead rabbit squeak as you ride in mountain lion country. Rider happy.

Aluminum Frame Repairs

Third time break. This time right through the weld.
VF Fab near Amarillo, TX repairs cracked frame
Will it hold without heat treating? Hope so, heat treating generally warps the frame with out a custom jig.
Mountain biking is safer than motocross…except for the part where protective gear is limited, I’m often alone, am distant from medical facilities, and frequently beyond phone service. Carry a Trauma Kit from Mountain Man Medical.