I’ve recently got my mountain bike and road bikes both serviced by Bio-Mechanic Cycles and Repairs (BMCR). The mountain bike I knew had problems, although having got a professional assessment I’ve come to realise that it is indeed at the end of its useful life, such that it’s best to not service the suspension front or rear as the money would be better off put toward a new bike.  It just depends whether I can get a new rear suspension swing-arm replaced for free, or if Merida will make me pay for it, because there is a crack forming at a weld which is becoming a little concerning.  It actually began to crack within a year after getting it.  The frame has a lifetime warranty although I’m not sure if the swing-arm is considered as part of the frame.  I’m glad BMCR were able to point this out to me, otherwise I could have wasted hundreds of dollars flogging a dead horse.

As for the road bike, I actually thought it was doing okay, although I’ve been told:

We have: serviced the hubs; tensioned the spokes and straightened the wheels; greased the cables and casings; faced (machined square) the bottom bracket shell; cleaned, greased, and tightened the bottom bracket, cranks, and pedal threads; straightened the rear derailleur hanger; serviced the headset bearings; replaced the handlebar tape; and adjusted the gears and brakes.

A few of these things explain why I’ve been having problems fine tweaking the bike myself over the last 8 years! Looking forward to picking it up later today.