Clean and lubricate the mountain bike chain it is the first and only thing you can do to maintain your MTB even without being a bicycle mechanic. Cleaning and lubricating the MTB chain is not an operation to be done every time you go out and yet it is to do regularly, based on the time or number of weekly rides, to ensure that the chain is quieter, changes smoothly and lasts longer over time. Sand, earth, branches and accumulated dirt in general can in fact influence the ease of shifting and, at the same time, wear the metal of the chain, which in the long run stretches, also ruining crowns and sprockets.
Clean and lubricate the mountain bike chain: how to do it
We start from the assumption that it always is It’s a good idea to clean your MTB after every ride where it gets particularly dirty. There are those who love to use the pressure washer, even stopping at some car wash before returning home, but it is good to know that the pressure of high-pressure washers can deteriorate the bearings causing more harm than good. To clean the MTB chain, it is best to use a hose, as well as brushes and a specific detergent for bicycle chains.
The first thing to do is to clean the MTB chain remove encrustations and dry residues, therefore with the chain dry and without wetting the bike. There are specific brushes for cleaning the MTB chain, often sold in kits for complete cleaning of the chain, pulleys, sprockets and crowns, which allow you to clean between one sprocket and another, removing dirt, as well as from pulleys. Once this first operation has been carried out, you can use water and a detergent such as Finish Line Bike Wash or Muc-Off Drivetrain Cleaner: spray a little detergent, leave it to act for a few minutes, brush carefully without overdoing it. mechanical action and then rinse with plenty of water.
There is also one special chain cleaning brush composed of 3 small brushes that are used as pliers that wrap the chain: after spraying the detergent, lift the rear wheel and, holding the brush around the chain, slide it backwards by operating the pedal with your hand, at a moderate speed . Also in this case it is necessary to rinse at the end of the operation.
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What not to use to wash the MTB chain
I specific detergents they are recommended because there are some products, such as kitchen degreasers or other household cleaners that are not suitable, and indeed are actually harmful, for the MTB chain. Anodization, i.e. the electrochemical process by which a protective layer of oxide is created on the surface of the metal to protect them from corrosion, and gaskets are in fact extremely sensitive to the actions of chemical agents in detergents. Ditto as regards the mechanical action, so no metal brushes, abrasive sponges or, worse, tools such as screwdrivers (yes, many mechanics do this, but they have a surgeon’s sensitivity that beginners don’t have…).
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How to clean your bike chain if you don’t have a water hose
If you don’t have a way to use a water hose there are some specific chain cleaning devices like the ParkTool Cyclone which are essentially sealed boxes with brushes inside, through which the chain passes after having filled them with water and specific detergents (there are also those who use white oil, which however is more polluting than many detergents now of vegetal origin).
How to lubricate your mountain bike chain
After a thorough cleaning it’s time to lubricate the mountain bike chain. Now, lubricating a chain is a much more delicate operation than cleaning it, and we must start from the assumption that too much oil is as bad as no oil. Then, with the chain clean and dry (with a cloth or compressed air) you can proceed to drop it a drop of oil only and only on the rollers. The ideal thing would be to drop a drop of oil on the rollers starting from the false link (for the models that still have it) so as not to leave even a link behind, making it deposit from above on the lower chain and turning the pedals all the way back, so that the oil settles evenly. The useful thing to know is that there are dry chain oils, ideal for summer and dusty routes, and wet chain oils, ideal for winter and muddy routes, which are more resistant (precisely so as not to go away with water) but they also accumulate more dirt.
MTB maintenance
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2024-05-17 08:04:29
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