I've only been riding seriously for a couple of years now, and my knowledge of my bike's maintenance needs must improve. Specifically, I'm now finding parts that have corroded or been damaged through neglect, but I didn't know I had to take protective measures in the first place.

For instance, I bent my 9-month old rear Bontrager wheel in a crash. When I took it to the shop to be trued, it turned out that the nipples had corroded (salt air) to the point of crumbling, and a rebuild was recommended. I was told that I should have been placing oil on the nipples to prevent the corrosion, but I had no idea of the need for such a thing. I had assumed that nipples were made of corrosion-resistant material. I was wrong, at least in Bontrager's case.

Also, the leading edge of my Trek carbon fiber fork has begun to develop chips in the finish. How do I deal with this problem? Is this the beginning of the end for my fork? Is there anything I could have done to prevent this issue from arising?

Are there any other not-so-obvious maintenance needs that you suggest paying attention to?

Any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks.

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"The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, but wiser people so full of doubts." -- Bertrand Russell