Free checklist
LiveBike tune-up checklist: basic, standard and overhaul
Three tune-up tiers, each a complete procedure. Put them on the menu board, print them for the bench, or build them as a template your mechanics fill in on a phone.
Standard tune-up
Template v4 · WO-2291 · Sam
- *Chain wear under 0.5%PassFail
- *Rotor above stamped minimumPassFail
- *Brake pad compound (mm)1.8
- *Thru-axles to specPassFail
- *Tire sidewalls — cuts or bulgesPassFail
- Photo: drivetrain after clean1 photo
- Customer signature
Why three tiers
Ask five shops what a 'tune-up' includes and you get five answers. Ask five mechanics in the same shop and you might get five more. That is how a rider pays for a tune-up and still leaves with a creaking bottom bracket, and it is how your seasonal hire spends two hours on a job you priced at one.
Three tiers fix most of it. A basic tune-up makes a rideable bike safe and shifting. A standard tune-up adds the cleaning and adjustment that brings a neglected bike back. An overhaul takes the bike apart, services every bearing and replaces every cable. Each tier includes everything in the one below. The rider picks, you know what you are doing, and the price matches the time.
The tiers below are a starting point. Rename them, move items between them, add your own. Parts are always extra and quoted separately; the tier is labor.
Basic tune-up
Safe and shifting. For bikes that are ridden regularly and mostly need adjustment.
Intake4
- Record make, model, size, color and serial number
- Note the customer complaint in their words
- Photograph existing damage: frame scratches, cracked paint, bent parts
- Run the safety inspection (M-check) and note anything outside this tier
Wheels and tires6
- Inflate to the pressure the rider uses, within the range on the sidewall or rim
- Inspect tread and sidewalls for cuts, bulges and exposed casing
- Check tubeless sealant is still liquid; note if it needs a top-up
- Spin each wheel: true laterally where it is out by more than a couple of millimeters in the stand
- Check hubs for play and rough bearings
- Check quick releases are closed with firm cam tension, or thru-axles torqued to spec
Brakes5
- Check pad wear; flag pads at or below the maker wear limit
- Rim brakes: center, toe and set pad height on the braking surface
- Disc brakes: align calipers, check rotor for rub and true minor bends
- Mechanical: adjust cable tension and lever reach
- Hydraulic: check lever feel; flag a spongy lever for a bleed
Drivetrain5
- Measure chain elongation with a checker and record the reading
- Wipe and lube the chain, wipe off the excess
- Check derailleur hanger alignment by eye; flag if bent
- Adjust limit screws and indexing through every gear
- Electronic groups: check battery charge and run the shift adjustment
Finish5
- Check headset for play and bind
- Check stem, bar, seatpost and saddle bolts to the torque printed on the part
- Check pedals and crank arms are tight
- Test ride: shifting under load, brakes, noises
- Wipe down the frame
Print this page (⌘/Ctrl + P) for a clean paper copy, or build it as a template in Service.
Standard tune-up
Everything in the basic tune-up, plus cleaning and deeper adjustment.
Drivetrain clean5
- Remove and degrease the chain, or clean it on the bike with a chain cleaner
- Degrease cassette, chainrings and derailleur pulleys
- Inspect cassette and chainrings for hooked or shark-finned teeth
- Check jockey wheel bearings for play and roughness
- Re-lube the chain and check stiff links
Cables and adjustment5
- Inspect cable ends and housing for fraying, kinks and cracks; replace as quoted
- Align the derailleur hanger with an alignment tool
- Check bottom bracket for play and rough rotation
- Check hub bearing adjustment; adjust cup-and-cone hubs
- Adjust headset preload
Wheels and brakes4
- True both wheels laterally and radially in the truing stand
- Check spoke tension by hand for loose or broken spokes
- Clean rotors and pads with isopropyl alcohol, or clean rim braking surfaces
- Check rim wear indicators on rim-brake wheels
Frame and fit3
- Clean the frame and inspect for cracks, especially at welds and around the BB and head tube
- Check suspension sag and look for oil on the stanchions
- Note any service interval due on fork or shock for the rider
Print this page (⌘/Ctrl + P) for a clean paper copy, or build it as a template in Service.
Overhaul
Everything in the standard tune-up. The bike comes apart, every bearing is serviced and every cable is replaced.
Strip4
- Remove drivetrain: chain, cassette, cranks, derailleurs
- Remove wheels, headset and bottom bracket
- Clean all parts in the parts washer; clean the frame bare
- Inspect frame and fork for cracks, dents and damaged threads
Bearings5
- Service or replace headset bearings
- Service or replace bottom bracket bearings
- Overhaul hubs: clean, re-grease and adjust, or replace cartridge bearings
- Service pedal bearings where serviceable
- Service freehub body and pawls
Rebuild7
- Chase and face threads where needed
- Fit new cables and housing throughout
- Bleed hydraulic brakes with the correct fluid for the system (mineral oil or DOT)
- Reassemble with grease or carbon assembly paste as appropriate
- Torque every bolt to the value printed on the part or in the maker documentation
- Tension-balance and true both wheels
- Full indexing, brake setup and test ride
Print this page (⌘/Ctrl + P) for a clean paper copy, or build it as a template in Service.
Build this as a template in BIKE.co Service
Service checklists are live today. Each tier above becomes one template, and each group becomes a section. Most items work best as a checkbox question, but a few deserve their own types: chain elongation as a number, so the checklists report can show you how many chains came in past 0.75%; brake pad condition as a dropdown of good, low and replace; tire condition as a dropdown with a photo question beneath it.
Mark the items that matter as required. A mechanic cannot submit the checklist until every required answer is filled, which is the difference between a standard and a suggestion. Add a signature question at the end for the mechanic who did the work, and another for the customer at pickup if you want one.
You can also set a template to attach to every visit on a job and make it required. Then the visit cannot be closed, and the job cannot be billed, until the tune-up checklist is submitted. The field app installs from the browser and keeps working with no signal, which is new: answers are queued on the phone and sent when the connection comes back.
When the tune-up is done, the submission produces a PDF with the answers, photos and signatures drawn in. Hand it to the rider or email it. It is the clearest way to show a customer what 60 or 120 dollars of labor bought them.
Setting it up
Create a template per tier
Name them the way your menu board does. Each template is versioned, so editing it later never changes what an old submission says.
Add sections and questions
One section per group. Choose from the eight question types: short answer, long answer, dropdown, checkbox, number, photos, date and signature.
Mark required answers
Chain reading, pad condition and the test ride should be required. Everything else can be optional.
Set roles
Workspace roles set Service permissions: give your lead mechanic a role that can build templates, and the bench a crew role that fills them in.
Review the report
The checklists report lists every submission of a template, filtered by date and status, on screen or as a CSV.
Q-0731 · from request R-0212
Quote
- Standard tune-up × 1$95.00
- Hydraulic bleed, rear × 1$45.00
- Chain 11s 116L × 1$42.00
- Rear tire 700×45 (sidewall cut) × 1Optional$58.00
- Tubeless conversion × 1Optional$40.00
Sell the tiers as good, better, best
Three tiers on a quote. Quotes in Service are live and handle this with optional lines the rider can choose; separate good, better, best tiers are not built yet.
Illustration · sample data
FAQ
Questions shop owners ask
What should a basic bike tune-up include?+
A basic tune-up should include a safety inspection, tire inflation and inspection, brake adjustment, derailleur indexing, a chain check and lube, minor wheel truing, a bolt check and a test ride. Parts are quoted separately.
What is the difference between a standard tune-up and an overhaul?+
A standard tune-up cleans and adjusts the bike in place, while an overhaul takes it apart. An overhaul services or replaces every bearing, replaces all cables and housing, and bleeds hydraulic brakes before reassembly.
When should a chain be replaced during a tune-up?+
Replace the chain at 0.5% elongation on 11- and 12-speed drivetrains and at 0.75% on 10-speed and below, measured with a chain checker. Waiting longer usually means replacing the cassette and sometimes the chainrings too.
Can I use this checklist in BIKE.co today?+
Yes, service checklists are live in BIKE.co Service. Build each tier as a template with eight question types, required answers, photos and signatures, and every submission produces a PDF for the customer.
Should parts be included in the tune-up price?+
Most shops price the tune-up as labor only and quote parts separately, because a worn cassette or a new set of tires can double the ticket. Quote the parts before the work starts and get the customer to approve them.
Keep reading
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