How to clean and maintain your bike
We've prepared a few basic maintenance and cleaning tips for beginners and long-time cyclists to keep your bike in tip-top shape at all times and reduce the chances of your bike breaking down.
Before starting maintenance, you can prepare watering cans, toothbrushes, rubber gloves, waste rags and other items. Highly technical items like front and rear shock interior maintenance are best left to a professional workshop, which will cost some money, but will save you time and hassle. Keeping every part of your bike clean, dry and lubricated will prolong the life of your bike and be worth it in the long run.
Body
If the bicycle is not very dirty, you can use a watering can to wet the body first, wash away the dirt on the surface of the frame, then wipe it with a rag or a sponge dipped in some water, and then rinse it again with a watering can.
Drivetrain System
To clean the drivetrain system, you need to use detergent to remove the oil stains on the flywheel, chainring, and chain. First, wet the drivetrain system with a watering can, and then use a brush to clean the oil and dust on the surface of the flywheel, chainring, and chain. It is a hard-hit area where dirt is hidden and needs special attention. You can use a waste toothbrush to scrub between the teeth of the flywheel, and the effect is particularly good. After scrubbing, rinse with a watering can to clean the dirt, and then use a waste rag to wipe off the water stains on the drivetrain system to prevent the flywheel chain from rusting. The cleaning of the drivetrain system is complete.
Suspension System
After the front fork and rear shock have gone off-road, the inner tubes will be covered with mud and dust. If these dirt are not cleaned in time, they will accumulate in the dust seal of the inner tubes. If they are not cleaned and maintained for a long time, it will easily cause irreversible damage to the inner tubes. Therefore, it is best to clean and maintain the inner tube after every off-road ride, which can effectively extend the service life of the parts.
In fact, the cleaning of the inner tube is relatively simple. You can fold a paper towel in half, then place it at the junction of the inner tube and the dust seal and gently pull it back and forth to bring out the dirt hidden on the lip of the dust seal, and then wipe the entire surface of the inner tube. If possible, you can apply some special silicone oil for shock absorbers on the inner tube, and then press back and forth several times to wipe off the excess grease on the surface. Then the daily maintenance and cleaning of the shock absorber system is completed.