Can someone argue on the fact that cleanliness is anyways not a good habit to pursue?
It is indeed true to the fact that frequent cleaning of your stuff and machines would enhance their life and performance.
Mountain biking is an extreme sport that is capable enough to give you an adrenaline rush. You are all set to hit those stubborn trails and terrains for off-road biking with the best suitable mountain bike.
These challenging paths are rocky, rooty, and full of dirt, mud, and what not to mention.
Once you begin with the biking expedition across the mountains and the moment you get back to the endpoint, it becomes almost impossible to recognize you beneath that dirty and muddy face and body.
Moreover, your mountain bike is equally stained all over with the dirt encountered while biking.
Hence, post the expedition, it demands you a hygienically relaxing shower and for your bike a quality cleaning.
This article is all about the valuable information about how often you can clean your mountain bike and its parts and components in order to keep it overall good to go for the next biking adventure.
How Often Should You Clean Your Bike?
It is a very commonly asked question, that how often should you clean your bike. Well, cleaning your mountain bike depends completely on the fact that how often you are using your bike on certain terrains.
The bikers must clean their bikes, especially after a biking expedition in the winter season or during rains. As rains, mud, sludge, and the dampness due to the moisture cause the rusting of the bike’s frame and body.
If not got rid of quickly with a wash, these factors may damage the durability and performance of the mountain bike.
The mountain bike that lets you go off-road needs a quick wash and also a re lubrication immediately after extreme biking over muddy or wet terrains, ideally.
Hence, after either one or two riding sessions, clean or wash your bike and its components accordingly.
All the modern and latest mountain bikes are very comfortable to be washed.
You can easily clean them until you see that it is manageable and later could go to a professional bike shop for deeper cleaning.
These professional bike cleaners usually segregate all the bike parts, clean them nicely and deeply, and fix them back conveniently.
Hence, you would get your bike as new as it used to be with a much professional cleaning service.
Thus it would be suitable to state that the type of terrain, the purpose of biking, the biking duration, and the intensity of biking are all the factors that let the biker know that his mountain bike must be cleaned now.
To learn more about the fact in detail, let us scroll down.
1. Using The Mountain Bike For Off-Road Biking Over Trails And Terrains
In case you are taking the bike on an off-road expedition over the rough, rooty, wet trails and terrains, it becomes mandatory to wash and clean the bike often or after one or two rides.
In case of heavy rains, biking over the muddy and damp trails full of potholes is exceptionally challenging for the biker.
It is equally harsh for the bike to go through all the obstacles on such surfaces.
Hence, in such a case, the bike needs a quick wash and cleaning. Also, it is important to dry off the bike with a dry cloth.
Always avoid drying the bike in direct sunlight, as it damages the frame material and other bike components.
Post the cleaning, re-lubricate the chain, and let it rest for some time for a better next expedition.
2. Using The Mountain Bike For On-Road Biking Or Commuting
In the case of using the mountain bike to commute between home and workplaces, or schools and universities, frequent washing and cleaning of the bike are not required much often.
Since the types of terrain, you tend to follow while commuting is city roads and pavements that are usually smooth and clean.
Hence, washing the bike often, entirely, is not required, and you can do so as per the bike’s condition.
Despite the bike’s sturdy frame, the bike’s chain needs prior attention in cleaning and maintenance.
The reason being, if the chain remains dirty stained with dirt, it may wear the cogs and crank teets of the bike.
In the case of using your mountain bike for casual commuting purposes often in a week, you don’t need to wash the complete bike.
You simply need to watch out for the most important thing that is the bike’s chain because chains have a comparatively shorter lifespan.
A dirty chain can stretch easily, causing the wearing of the cogs and crank teeth.
3. Using The Mountain Bike For Casual Cruising Or Leisure
In the case of casual cruising or leisure, it becomes essential to wash and clean the mountain bike pretty often.
If you are taking your bike out for cruising over pavements or grocery shopping and other frequent purposes at least twice or thrice a week, you must keep the gears and chain clean.
The gears are important when it comes to comfort, ease, and safety. Hence, to maintain that, it is important that you clean and dries them instantly, often.
Importance Of Cleaning Your Mountain Bike
To clean the bike and looking after its maintenance is beyond just the bike looking good. It, in fact, ensures the durability and maintenance of the much expensive and useful bike components as well.
Their proper cleaning and regular look after keeps the bike go smooth and well consistently.
Cleaning often, drying, and proper maintenance enhance the lifespan of your drivetrain without it demanding an ample of money to be spent.
Moreover, the components like cogs, chain, chainring, derailleurs, etc., also perform better on any type of terrain.
Mountain biking is all about dirt and mud beyond challenging terrains. The filthy dirt and grime get stuck in the bike’s chain and sprockets.
Dirt being the biggest enemy of the bike’s parts and components, causes easy wearing, hence it is needed to get rid of it essentially.
That is also important to make your bike ride smoothly, efficiently, and silently.
Cleaning your mountain bike after riding is hence very important and is equally easy. While doing that, you simply need a little open space, sufficient water supply, a hose or sprayer or even a water bottle, cleaning soap or gentle foaming bike wash, fresh and clean soft cloths, and a bike stand.
Tips To Follow While Cleaning The Mountain Bike Often
1. Place Your Bike Carefully In A Bike Stand Before Cleaning
The basic style of cleaning the mountain bike may be making it rest on the ground or leaning against the wall, but that indeed is uncomfortable and may cause scratches on it.
A Seatpost stand may also be helpful here. But the best tip for cleaning the bike is using a Euro-based stand which enables spinning of the bike and thus convenient removal of dirt and mud even from the most stubborn areas.
2. Use A Medium Pressure Hose Instead Of Industrial Grade Power Washer
Always prefer using a medium pressure water hose that is placed beneath the bike while washing.
The high-power industrial grade washer must be avoided in order to prevent the saddle and handlebars from getting damaged with its high pressure.
Never leave any stains of soap and greasiness over any parts on the bike. If so, always use the least pressure to remove it and immediately dry it off with a clean cloth.
3. Use A Mild Scrub And Lukewarm Soapy Water For Cleaning The Entire Drivetrain
Always use a soft and mild scrub to clean the bike’s frame and handlebars.
A quality brush or used toothbrush may also be used to clean rims, chainguard rims, sprockets, wheels, etc.
The cogs, chain, chainrings, and derailleurs must be cleaned using a separate soft-bristled brush.
Always use warm water to clean and wash the tires. The disc rotors may be cleaned using rubbing alcohol for extra shine and gloss.
4. Always Take Special Care Of The Bike’s Chain While Cleaning
It is always advised to clean the bike’s chain with a degreaser using a brush.
This would help in removing even the minute of dirt particles stuck within the chain links.
This will also keep the chain grease-free afterward. Use the best variety of chain lube for lubricating the chain well.
Once the process of lubricating is over, carefully remove the excess substance stuck on the outside of the chain, as it will only attract more dirt to get stuck around.
Post the cleaning process, you may use a special Wear Measuring tool to check how much your bike’s chain has worn.
This eventually helps in better durability of the chain along with making your ride smooth and quiet.
5. Always Dry Off The Bike Well After Cleaning
You must always keep a note that after cleaning well, your bike is completely dry. This could be done either using a blower pump, compressor, or a soft fiber towel.
The process of drying up the bike well, especially, the chain is extremely important because that is required before applying lubricants over it.
Conclusion
These are some basic mountain bike maintenance that you should keep in your mind before cleaning your mountain bike.
Hence to state, the mountain bike must be cleaned often or within a suitable duration based on its usage and the level of harshness it faces over the various types of terrains.
Although the complete drivetrain should be cleaned well in order to attain an enhanced lifespan and durability of the bike, it is more important to keep the bike’s chain clean and prevented the deposited strains of dirt and road grimes.
Thus cleaning your mountain bike will often make it perform better on the next expedition seeming as new as possible.
With the means of this piece of writing, I look forward to helping all the biking enthusiasts regarding the maintenance of their favorite wheel buddies.
The above mentioned are all the valuable factors and tips that are a must to follow in order to maintain your rough and roadie bike for a longer duration.
A mountain bike is equally precious for a biker, the way the precious diamonds to a jeweler. And so, it seeks equal worth and attention.
Buck up then, and the next time you would think of cleaning your mountain bike, follow what is here for you.