The right care for your mountain bike

Stefan Frey

· 11.12.2014

Photo: Ryan Creary

The right care for your mountain bike

In this article, we use so-called affiliate links. With every purchase through these links, we receive a commission from the merchant. All relevant referral links are marked with . Learn more.

Muddy weather, muddy MTB trails: gears, suspension and bearings need special care in wet weather. Tips for bike cleaning and mountain bike care aids.

Add bookmark

Moisture and the bombardment of dirt and mud can take their toll on your mountain bike's technology. To ensure that your bike works perfectly even in damp weather, you should give it a little extra care - especially in autumn and winter. In our picture gallery, we show you what you should pay particular attention to when caring for your MTB. Simply click on the images to enlarge.

++ Everything you need for wheel cleaning and care is available here in the Rose online shop at favourable prices ++

1. wash the bike: Damp mud can be easily rinsed off with the garden hose directly after the ride. Dried-on dirt is more stubborn and needs to be soaked first. Then spray the bike with a cleaner and leave it to work for a few minutes. Water is usually enough to wash it off, while coarse brushes help with sprockets and chainrings. Hands off the steam jet, the high water pressure is a killer for bearings and seals. The clean bike can be waxed at the end, then it will still shine after the next ride.

2. clean the MTB gears: With every kilometre in the mud, the gears become more clogged until at some point nothing works any more. The small pulleys on the derailleur cage are particularly susceptible. To clean them, slowly turn the crank backwards and use a blunt screwdriver or tyre lever to remove dirt from the pulleys. You can then make the clean bearings run more smoothly again with a dash of oil.

3. oil the MTB chain: Rain and puddles can remove the lubricating film from the chain after a long tour. If you don't take action here, you risk annoying squeaking, rusting chain links and poor shifting behaviour. Clean the chain with a cloth after the ride. Then carefully lubricate the links of the chain. Leave for a few minutes and then wipe off the lubricant residue with a cloth. By the way: In damp weather, a wet lube is best suited as its increased wax content means it is not washed off the chain so easily.

4. maintain the cables: If the cables run open on the frame, dirt can penetrate the housing at the transitions. This makes shifting increasingly difficult.

Shift up to a large sprocket and large chainring and then down again without turning the crank. This relaxes the cable, which you can then simply unhook. Now simply clean the cable with a little penetrating oil and a cloth. Check the transitions in particular for ease of movement. If you want to cycle stress-free through the autumn, you can also lay the shift cables end-to-end. It's a bit of work once, but you'll have peace of mind for a long time afterwards.

5. maintain suspension elements: Suspension forks and shocks are high-tech products that only function smoothly if you don't let dirt get in. Although O-rings and dirt wipers protect against this, the suspension elements on the mountain bike do not like a dried mud pack. Rinse off coarse dirt with water after the ride and then clean the stanchions and dust rings with a soft cloth. You can then use a little Brunox deodorant to make the suspension even smoother.

5 Images

Photo: Ryan Creary

Helpers for the right bike care & bike cleaning

Aqua2Go Pro pressure washer: The portable bike shower cleans the bike with a pressure of 3-10 bar. One tank filling can clean up to three bikes. Price: 190 euros. The Aqua2Go Pro pressure washer is slightly cheaper at the Rose online shop, it costs 160 euros*.

Dr Wack F100: The winner of the last cleaner test dissolves even the coarsest dirt. Price: 14.99 euros (e.g. available from Rosebikes*).

Muc-Off Wet Lube: The organic oil for bad weather won a BIKE tip in the last test and impresses with its high lubricity and corrosion protection. RRP: 4.99 euros - in the Rose online shop from 3.95 euros*.

3 Images

Photo: Hersteller

More autumn topics on Bike-Magazin.de:

KLEIDERWAHL - How the editors cycle in autumn

EQUIPMENT - The best accessories for any weather

WET PROTECTION - Short rain trousers put to the test

LICHTSPIELE - The best helmet lamps in comparison

Stefan Frey

Editor

Stefan Frey is from Lower Bavaria and loves the mossy, loamy trails of the Bavarian Forest as much as the rugged rock of the Dolomites. For technical descents, he is prepared to tackle almost any ascent - under his own steam. As an accessories specialist, he is the first port of call for questions about equipment and add-on parts, while as head of copywriting he sweeps the language crumbs from the pages of the BIKE print editions.

Home

The right care for your mountain bike

Helpers for the right bike care & bike cleaning

More autumn topics on Bike-Magazin.de:

Stefan Frey

Most read in category Workshop