XXVI.TWO / AEIGHT TECH BLOG / ULTIMATE SERVICE
- eightbikeco5
- Feb 26
- 6 min read
U L T I M Ä T E S E R V I C E 2 0 0
This year we’re going to take a deeper dive into the services we offer at AEIGHT in 2026. I thought we should start with the big one - the full annual strip rebuild service!... The “Full Strip-down”/”Platinum”/”Stage 4”/”Full Annual Service” [you get the idea!], as other shops and workshops call it. The wording can sometimes be confusing and you’re not always sure what actually happens to your bike during a service. What do we do and how long does it actually take - here’s the low-down on what I do when your bike is booked in for our ULTIMÄTE Service...
When you bring your bike in we chat through with you, what, if any, changes/modifications need to be made, if there are any areas which you think we need to give more attention, and if you’ve noticed anything untoward with the bike. The ULTIMÄTE level Service is our full annual strip-down and rebuild service for modern road, gravel, and mountain bikes. We’ll often test ride the bike to check for any issues ourselves, before the bike gets put in the stand to estimate for any replacement parts or extra servicing. Be aware that things can crop up at any point during a service, so whilst we attempt to be as accurate as possible with our estimate, we will occasionally need to alter it - in that case we’ll discuss this with the customer.
Once we’ve got the go-ahead the complete bike gets a full clean. We start with the drivetrain degrease, and then go over the rest of the bike, before removing any components. On an ULTIMÄTE Service we then strip the majority of the parts off the bike and clean them separately, reaching all the areas of the components that you’re not normally able to get to. We will normally mark the seat height with tape, remove, clean, re-prep, re-fit and re-torque the seatpost as this should be done once a year ideally. At the same time we’ll check the saddle clamp.
We remove the old bartape, or grips, and if the headset is to be removed/replaced, we’ll cut or uncouple the brake hoses, and then remove and clean everything - if the headset only needs regreasing we’ll do that straight away as it’s one of the most difficult areas to clean and regrease, especially with internal routing. If the headset is being replaced and we’re fitting new hoses, or refitting the existing ones, we’ll also do that straight away.
On a mountain bike, we’ll (optionally and additionally) remove and service the fork and suspension units at this point. On average this costs an additional £150 per suspension unit, including all fluids, and kits needed. We’ll do a separate blog on suspension servicing later in the year, but it’s always available as a standalone thing or as an addition to any service.
We are also able to service/replace all frame bearings and suspension linkages, again as an additional part of any service. Once the suspension is finished and the headset is ready, we then refit the bars and stem into their correct position. With now everything else, including brake pads, off the bike, now is the perfect time to treat the frame and fork with a ceramic coating, or a wax, or to simply polish it, depend on which you prefer.
With the wheels out of the bike we remove the cassette, rotors, hub end caps/bearing covers/freehub body, and give the wheels a secondary clean so that we can work on the hubs. If new tyres are due to be fitted, we do so at this point - otherwise we’ll simply top the sealant up. The hub bearings themselves are repacked according to use (usually with a high performance grease), and likewise the freehub body is serviced. The cassette is scrubbed with degreaser, and the rotors are cleaned with alcohol. Everything is reassembled and we then check and adjust spoke tension, and true the wheels ready to go back onto the bike.
We then do a full bleed on the brakes as it’s important to replace the fluid annually and remove any trapped air. We’ll then fit the pads, refit the wheels and test the brake system, which is much easier without the drivetrain components on the bike.
The individual drivetrain components are stripped and cleaned. The pulley wheels are removed, cleaned, and the bearings/bushings are regreased. The mechs are cleaned, inspected, and rebuilt. The rear mech hanger is checked for alignment before the mechs are refitted. The BB is either replaced, or stripped, inspected, regreased with the appropriate grease. The crankset is cleaned, inspected, and refitted to the bike.
The chain is scrubbed and degreased and any old wax or oil is removed - it is then refitted to the bike using a special workshop joining link. At this point the gears are adjusted and tested, firstly in the stand, secondly on a set of indoor rollers (or outside if it’s dry). Once we’re happy that everything is working as intended the chain and workshop link is removed and rewaxed in a hot bath of wax to ensure maximum penetration - this can make the gear shifts noisy or awkward for the first ride which is why we test everything before fitting the wax. The freshly waxed chain is then refitted using a new chain link for safety.
We then fit new bartape according to your preference - we have various options in stock. The bike then gets one final spin on the rollers and everything is torque checked before an AEIGHTBIKECO tag is applied to the inside of the non-driveside stay. Bikes which have an existing AEIGHT tag in place will receive 5% off labour and in-stock parts, as a thank-you for helping us spread the word! The ULTIMÄTE Service takes the best part of a working day because we go the extra mile and treat the bike exactly how we’d want our bikes to be treated. It includes all of our knowledge from servicing, racing and riding over the last 25+ years. The cost for the ULTIMÄTE service in 2026 is £200*
*Plus Sundries (Chain Link, Wax, Fluids, Consumables, and Lubricants) - £20
Bartape and all other parts - RRP**
**We generally keep stock of and supply all standard service parts for the major brands which we expect to work on. We are also able to Special Order most other items for you. With prior approval it is possible for you to supply your own parts if you would like - in this case we are not able to offer any buying advice, so if you’re unsure/unable to order the correct part we politely ask you to leave it to us. If in doubt, let us take care of it! Returning customers receive discounts on the majority of items, at our discretion. We try and be as kind as possible to anyone who supports our brand!
All prices and information relate to what we offer in 2026 - this is subject to change, but we always quote all individual jobs before we proceed, so you always have the choice to decide for yourself if you’d like to go ahead.
Photos and words by Glen Whittington
2026.RIDERS - GLENWHITTINGTON
#aeightracer – Bike Rider / Framebuilder / Mechanic - Glen started racing in 1998, initially specialising in XCO, XCM, and Solo 24-Hour Mountain Bike. He became a mechanic in 2002, working in shops and also for professional race teams. During this time he spent more time racing ‘Cross and Road, and then also TT. In 2013 he built his first bespoke frame and then spent several years at Roberts learning the art. Since then he’s designed, tested and now sells his own frames/bikes to the public as part of his ÆIGHT brand - you can find his business Instagram account here.
GOT WHAT IT TAKES TO RACE WITH US?
We’re always looking for riders to be part of our ÆIGHT CØLLECTIVE. The #aeightbikeco is about doing things a little differently - Rather than a jersey being the common theme, we kit our riders out with bespoke steel bikes and handbuilt wheels made in our Sussex workshops, the ÆIGHT WHEELWØRKS and the ÆIGHT MANUFACTØRY. We then support each other at events and races regionally, nationally and internationally - whether that’s for mountain bike, ‘cross, gravel, crit, road or TT - it’s what we call, the #aeightbikeco
The best part is that we’re not asking you to leave your team or club - that includes racing in your club/team kit. We’ve got certain brands that we work with, mostly so we can standardise shared equipment, but your own sponsors and clubs are almost always welcome. We have some strict qualifying criteria but don’t be put off by this – if you’re interested in being part of the #aeightbikeco then please get in touch by emailing your racing CV to eightbikeco@gmail.com
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