Wear Parts
With good maintenance, many components on a bicycle last for a long period of time. However, there are also components that wear out over time through regular use of the bike, or may even break — also due to poor or missing maintenance, careless storage, etc.
1. Classic wear parts include:
- Brake pads and brake rotors
- Bicycle chain, cassettes, and chainrings
- Tires
The lifespan of these parts can vary greatly depending on the rider type, area of use, and bicycle care. Therefore, it’s not possible to give fixed specifications in years or kilometers. Wear must be assessed individually.
2. Hidden wear parts that can suffer damage even without use:
- Drive battery
- Battery in computers and lighting systems
- Tires and tubes
- All components exposed to the elements
Attention: Batteries must never be stored empty! If they are not recharged from time to time (the optimal storage level is around 60% charge), they will undergo deep discharge and become unusable.
Tires should always be inflated to avoid “flat-spot damage”.
If a bike is exposed to the elements for long periods, plastics and rubber become brittle, and metals oxidize, meaning they rust. Besides visual deterioration, this can also have technical consequences that affect the usability of the bicycle.
Excerpt from the “Wear Parts List” of a well-known bicycle manufacturer:
The following parts are considered wear parts in particular:
- Rims (with rim brakes)
- Tires
- Chain
- Chainrings
- Cogs
- Hub bearings
- Bottom bracket
- Headset
- Bearing sets on full-suspension frames
- Cables
- Brake rotors
- Brake pads
- Grips
- Saddle
- Bushings, seals, and bearings in suspension components (fork, shock) and dropper posts
- Batteries of electrical systems
Wear parts should be checked and maintained regularly to ensure proper function. Heavily stressed parts, such as the chain or bearing sets, must be replaced regularly.
Please note that wear parts are not covered by normal warranty regulations.