I’m finally looking at getting a 125-150mm travel bike to take care of some of the big trips I’ve got planned.

I’ve been a die hard HT rider since the start and have only owned a couple of full sus bikes that were sold pretty quickly because they didn’t suit where I was ridding. So, bearings and complex linkages scare me from a maintenance perspective.

I’ve read horror stories of frames being written off from various issues with linkages and with UK grinding paste this issue could be more pronounced.

Questions:
1. Are linkage driven frames much more difficult to maintain than single pivot?
2. Are there any frames notorious for premature wear?
3. I won’t be setting any records and will be riding for fun- is single pivot plenty for me?
4. Can a competent home mechanic change the bearings/bushings?

I’ve seen lots of great deals on bikes that have linkages and the single pivot bikes are, funnily enoguh, much more expensive.

I’ve found them to be OK so far. I have to maintain 2, mine and the wife’s, and its not been a big issue. Just changed the main pivot bearings on mine for the first time in a few years. It was a bit of a pain mostly due to leaving it a bit too long and going at it a bit half cocked but only took an hour or so. Probably a 20 minute job on a good day. Checked the rest of the bearings while I had it apart and they all felt fine. Probably do the hula hoop bush on the shock once a year but that is a 10 minute job and the same on all bikes (if not worse on single pivots).

I certainly wouldn’t let it put me off and I’d buy another multi link to replace it.

Questions:
1. Are linkage driven frames much more difficult to maintain than single pivot?
Yes, there more bearings to change so it’ll be more “difficult” but some are more of a shit to work on than others.
2. Are there any frames notorious for premature wear?
Spesh don’t have a great rep for bearings, SP bearing last for years in comparison (having owned 4 SP bikes & repaired friends multi pivots numerous times)
3. I won’t be setting any records and will be riding for fun- is single pivot plenty for me?
I believe how it feels to you is more important than anyone bike being better than the other. I like SP’s, and have found multi pivot bikes too soft/mushy (though no doubt more efficient & capable).
4. Can a competent home mechanic change the bearings/bushings?
With the right tools, yes but it doesn’t stop them being a ****.

I’ve got a 2009 Anthem and I’ve had to change the bearings once – there are 10 of them and most are ‘blind’ so it was a nasty job involving more brutality than I was really comfortable with. But the replacement bearings from BETD are wearing a lot better than the originals as they are much better sealed.

If it’s of any help, I’ve just stripped a Scott Spark 20 Junior and to get the bearings out of the linkages I made a simple bearing puller with a threaded bolt, a socket, few washers etc and I pulled the bearings out in 5 minutes.

New bearings were ordered from Simply Bearings Ltd (about £20 delivered) and should be here soon. Hopefully, installation is the reverse of removal!

However, one point to add – its clear the previous owner(s) didn’t do any maintenance at all and the old bearings were (i) knackered (ii) no longer seated correctly and that has led to the linkage rubbing on the frame. So, I think as long as you inspect regularly and replace when needed, it shouldn’t be too much of a pain and it will reduce the likelihood of something expensive being damaged.

I’ve also managed to service a fox rear shock with no issues, and I’ve no experience…just followed all of the steps in a few mags.

1. No
2. yes
3. Yes
4. Yes
Taking the air can off and changing 2 seals is’nt really a ‘shock service’ (unless you have changed the damper oil ,rebuilt the shim stack and recharged the IFP with nitrogen as well.In which case,chapeau).

My Nomad is easy for regular maintenance. Just follow their seasonal maintenance guide checking bolts are tight enough and shove grease in with a grease gun (frame has grease ports). Most of the time that’s all that’s extra for me to do over a hard tail.

Eventually the bearings do wear though (took 3 years on mine), but Santa Cruz offer a lifetime bearing warranty, so take to shop and pay £35 for the labour and job done. You can do it yourself but you’ll need blind bearing pullers.

It’s not the same with all frames. Some are easier than others. Really isn’t a great deal of hassle over a hard tail though. Shocks are pretty much the same, especially the basic seal service and doing the bushings. Again not much to it.

ska-49 – Member
3. I won’t be setting any records and will be riding for fun- is single pivot plenty for me?

If you’re more of a plodder and climber then you may be better off with linkage systems, especially something like a VPP. Single pivots are notorious for horrible pedal bob. In my mind they’re more suited to chucking downhill, not climbing. Of course there are fancy gizmos on shocks to counter it (propedal etc), but good suspension design eliminates the need (again, VPP).

Some people make a big deal out of single pivot “reliability” but bearing replacement’s a tiny part of the cost of running a full suss, mine is a horst link/fsr with a bunch of pretty small bearings, even so it costs me less in bearings every year than it does in chains.

Some bikes are harder to swap than others though and obviously it does skew things a bit if you’re not comfortable doing it yourself. You could of course just take the oblivious option- I’m sure the dude who owned my 224 before me thought the bearings and bushings last forever, the swingarm bearings were almost completely solid.

How do you test if the bearings are gone? Just take the shock out and move the rear triangle and feel for bad bearings? or do you have to take the whole rear end apart and check each bearing?

Had a couple of Santa Cruz bikes, from single pivot to VPP2 and always found bearing really easy to service/replace. Current VPP2 is made easier with a grease gun which can simply attach underneath and fill fresh, pushing all the grime out.

jairaj, normally you first notice after replacing your shock bushing and stll find movement in your suspension. Though if you want to do preventative maintenance, to avoid cumlative issues as described by Smurf, letting out the air from your shock (or disconnecting it) and try moving the suspension through it’s arc and see how it feels (smooth or rough). Chances are if it over a year old, theres at least muck in the bearings (if not seized) and their not moving as smoothly as they should.

TBH NW, 2 bearing once every 5 years (min, I have a 10 year old SP that never had it bearings changed from new) compared with 8 bearings on my m8 specialised every couple years, I’d suggest SP’s are more reliable & cheaper to run long term when compared like for like. I’d not base buying a frame on it, or say it was a major financial saving but its not totally irrelevant (unless you chop and change bikes every 6 months)