Because of the terrain they usually cover, mountain bikes are extra susceptible to dirt and grime buildups on their moving parts, especially the chain and gear boxes. Ignoring these buildups and allowing them to go on unchecked can result in your bike wearing out and falling apart much sooner than with just average wear and tear. While degreasing and lubing up your chain is a simple task, getting all of the gunk off your bike will probably take you about an hour.
Step 1
Shift your bike's gears to the lowest setting on the back gear and spin the chain until it sets in place. Fill the bucket with hot water and soap to get a nice cleaning mixture.
Step 2
Dip your scrub brush in the hot and soapy water and scrub all the outside grime off the inside and outside of the chain. You can move the chain by turning the pedals backward to get to all the sections.
Step 3
Spray the length of the chain with the degreaser. Pedal the cranks backward a few times to allow the degreaser to soak into the links of the chain. Let the degreaser drip dry, or rinse it off with clean water.
Step 4
Wipe the chain with a clean rag to remove any excess degreaser or leftover dirt. Drip some chain lube over the length of the chain, rotating the cranks as you do so to ensure the lube gets down into the links. Wipe the chain with a rag to clean off any extra lube.
Step 5
Cover a rag in degreaser and pull the plastic cable covers forward to expose the metal cable underneath. Wipe the cables with the degreaser-soaked rag to remove grime buildup inside your cables.
Step 6
Add some grease to a clean rag and drag the rag across the length of the exposed cable by pinching the cable between your thumb and forefinger as you pull the cloth over it. This will prevent excess grease from covering the cable.
Step 7
Dip your toothbrush in the hot and soapy water and use it to scrub dirt and grime away from the front mechanism on the top of the pedal wheel. Wipe it down with a clean rag after scrubbing it and apply a little lube to keep it moving smoothly.
Step 8
Clean the rear mechanism or jockey wheels with a flat-head screwdriver. Scrub them using hot water and the toothbrush, followed by a degreasing and a light lubing.
Step 9
Pick out any dirt from in-between the sprockets in the back gear box with the flat-head screwdriver. Scrub them using the hot soapy water and the scrub brush or toothbrush, and then wipe them with a clean rag.
Step 10
Perform a general cleaning and wipe-down to remove dirt and grime from the frame. Drip a few drops of lube in-between your brake lever pivots to keep them smooth. Wipe your bike with polish, using a clean rag, and you're good to get back to the mountains.
Things You'll Need
- Bucket
- Hot water and soap
- Brushes and sponges
- Old toothbrush
- Thin flat-head screwdriver
- Degreaser spray
- Bike polish
- Bike grease
- Chain lube
- Clean rags
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