How to clean a MTB after each ride?
Discussion
My current "process" is - Hose down (not jet wash) to get off the mud.....spray anything that moves...in fact, most of the bike (apart from brakes) with fast dry contact cleaner, then WD40 on stuff that moves around (suspension hinges, etc) then re-oil the chain.
No doubt there is a better way! What is it?
No doubt there is a better way! What is it?
I bought one of those £20 water pumps off of ebay and a 10l water carrier from a camping shop so I have a hose pipe in my car effectively. Only way of MTBing through the winter with a small car!
Washing it immediately after the ride is the way to go, by the time you get home the mud is harder to get off. I've stopped using muc off but I do still like their brushes, the big giant soft one they do is great for agitating the mud. Rinse, brush, rinse seems to work for me with no chemicals.
Washing it immediately after the ride is the way to go, by the time you get home the mud is harder to get off. I've stopped using muc off but I do still like their brushes, the big giant soft one they do is great for agitating the mud. Rinse, brush, rinse seems to work for me with no chemicals.
Hose off main clumps of mud
Spray chain cleaner on cassette, chainring, mech and jockey wheels
Give chain a clean - I use park tools chain cleaner
Spray degreaser over full bike while it's still wet and agitate with a soft brush
Remove wheels and clean rims, tyres and hubs - scrub cassette
Refit wheels and give a final hose off
Spray GT85 on frame, rims, fork legs (avoiding brakes) and wipe over with microfibre
Apply silicon spray to fork / shock stanchions and reverb
Dry chain and apply lube
Spray a little gt85 into mechs
Every month or so I grease the frame bearings (my frame has a pump gun attachment)
Also take pads out monthly and add a little grease to the pistons
Spray chain cleaner on cassette, chainring, mech and jockey wheels
Give chain a clean - I use park tools chain cleaner
Spray degreaser over full bike while it's still wet and agitate with a soft brush
Remove wheels and clean rims, tyres and hubs - scrub cassette
Refit wheels and give a final hose off
Spray GT85 on frame, rims, fork legs (avoiding brakes) and wipe over with microfibre
Apply silicon spray to fork / shock stanchions and reverb
Dry chain and apply lube
Spray a little gt85 into mechs
Every month or so I grease the frame bearings (my frame has a pump gun attachment)
Also take pads out monthly and add a little grease to the pistons
Tiggsy said:
My current "process" is - Hose down (not jet wash) to get off the mud.....spray anything that moves...in fact, most of the bike (apart from brakes) with fast dry contact cleaner, then WD40 on stuff that moves around (suspension hinges, etc) then re-oil the chain.
No doubt there is a better way! What is it?
Much the same here...No doubt there is a better way! What is it?
- Hose/light pressure wash while mud is still wet
- spray entire bike liberally with neat Muc-off
- hand-sponge it off
- spray drivetrain with neat muc-off, scrub cassette and front ring with stiff brush
- Attach chain cleaning device, fill with neat muc-off, run chain through about 30 times
- hose entire bike down
- bounce bike a few times to get most of the water off, then reverse-spin the cranks to get most water out the chain
- Rub chain with kitchenroll/cloth to get most of the water off
- leave for a couple of hours to drip dry
- have a shower, and wash ruined muddy clothes
- re-oil chain (per link)
- careful accurate squirt of GT85 around rear-derailleur moving parts
- re-oil suspension stanchions
- have a cup of tea and realise I spent more time cleaning than riding at this time of year
- cry
There's literally nothing on a bike that benefits from being covered in either WD40 or GT85!
All they do is allow dirt to stick to the bits you're supposed to be cleaning and build up a slippery layer on your brake rotors via over-spray so your brakes don't work properly. Once it's on the rotors it'll soak into the pads and ruin them, they can't be cleaned. Getting the rotors clean again will involve IPA and a blow-torch, so while it's a fun job, it's better to just keep the rotors clean int he first place.
Either a tap or a low-power 12v pressure washer with a brush to get the muck off as much as you like. Silicon spray on the fork stanchions and proper lube on the chain. Nothing else needs to be touched outside of your normal maintenance routine.
All they do is allow dirt to stick to the bits you're supposed to be cleaning and build up a slippery layer on your brake rotors via over-spray so your brakes don't work properly. Once it's on the rotors it'll soak into the pads and ruin them, they can't be cleaned. Getting the rotors clean again will involve IPA and a blow-torch, so while it's a fun job, it's better to just keep the rotors clean int he first place.
Either a tap or a low-power 12v pressure washer with a brush to get the muck off as much as you like. Silicon spray on the fork stanchions and proper lube on the chain. Nothing else needs to be touched outside of your normal maintenance routine.
Put bike against front hedge.
Spray the screwfix essential degreaser ( £8/gallon) over the drivetrain bits and maybe run the chain through the chain cleaner tool if it's looking too bad.
Pressure wash it avoiding the bearing areas too much and fork seals.
When it's dry re-lube the chain - the cheap chain wax from the surplus shop has been my preferred choice but they have now sold out.
Done.
GCN did a test on sealed bearings with a pressure washer, you really have to be pretty brutal for it to have an effect on them.
Might think differently if I had a full suss.
Rinse with hose
Spray degreaser on the drivetrain
Work degreaser into drivetrain with a small stiff brush
Rinse drivetrain
Spray bike with MucOff
Agitate with a soft brush
Rinse bike
Bounce bike to get rid of some water
Wipe bike over with a cloth sprayed in bike spray
Dry chain with another cloth sprayed in WD40
Carefully squirt fork stanchions/shock with silicone spray
When the bike is really bad I'll also take the wheels off and give the drivetrain a more thorough clean.
Spray degreaser on the drivetrain
Work degreaser into drivetrain with a small stiff brush
Rinse drivetrain
Spray bike with MucOff
Agitate with a soft brush
Rinse bike
Bounce bike to get rid of some water
Wipe bike over with a cloth sprayed in bike spray
Dry chain with another cloth sprayed in WD40
Carefully squirt fork stanchions/shock with silicone spray
When the bike is really bad I'll also take the wheels off and give the drivetrain a more thorough clean.
Craikeybaby said:
Rinse with hose
Spray degreaser on the drivetrain
Work degreaser into drivetrain with a small stiff brush
Rinse drivetrain
Spray bike with MucOff
Agitate with a soft brush
Rinse bike
Bounce bike to get rid of some water
Wipe bike over with a cloth sprayed in bike spray
Dry chain with another cloth sprayed in WD40
Carefully squirt fork stanchions/shock with silicone spray
When the bike is really bad I'll also take the wheels off and give the drivetrain a more thorough clean.
Dont forget to lube chain after wiping with WD40.Spray degreaser on the drivetrain
Work degreaser into drivetrain with a small stiff brush
Rinse drivetrain
Spray bike with MucOff
Agitate with a soft brush
Rinse bike
Bounce bike to get rid of some water
Wipe bike over with a cloth sprayed in bike spray
Dry chain with another cloth sprayed in WD40
Carefully squirt fork stanchions/shock with silicone spray
When the bike is really bad I'll also take the wheels off and give the drivetrain a more thorough clean.
Craikeybaby said:
Rinse with hose
Spray degreaser on the drivetrain
Work degreaser into drivetrain with a small stiff brush
Rinse drivetrain
Spray bike with MucOff
Agitate with a soft brush
Rinse bike
Bounce bike to get rid of some water
Wipe bike over with a cloth sprayed in bike spray
Dry chain with another cloth sprayed in WD40
Carefully squirt fork stanchions/shock with silicone spray
When the bike is really bad I'll also take the wheels off and give the drivetrain a more thorough clean.
What are you using WD40 for?Spray degreaser on the drivetrain
Work degreaser into drivetrain with a small stiff brush
Rinse drivetrain
Spray bike with MucOff
Agitate with a soft brush
Rinse bike
Bounce bike to get rid of some water
Wipe bike over with a cloth sprayed in bike spray
Dry chain with another cloth sprayed in WD40
Carefully squirt fork stanchions/shock with silicone spray
When the bike is really bad I'll also take the wheels off and give the drivetrain a more thorough clean.
I go for
Rinse with hose
Spray drivetrain with degreaser (brush if in a bad way)
Spray rest of bike with Muc-Off*
Rinse off with hose
Lube drivetrain
Spend 5 minutes being questioned by my wife how I can wash the bike off, but can't clean anything else.
Rinse with hose
Spray drivetrain with degreaser (brush if in a bad way)
Spray rest of bike with Muc-Off*
Rinse off with hose
Lube drivetrain
Spend 5 minutes being questioned by my wife how I can wash the bike off, but can't clean anything else.
- I had a Muc-Off type spray, can't remember what brand, and it was fine, then I saw a copy of Muc-Off in a pound shop, so decided to give that a go. The frame is fine, but my handlebars are now stained, almost like they have an oil slick across them. There is a reason why it was a quid and I've learned.
Fluffsri said:
Craikeybaby said:
Rinse with hose
Spray degreaser on the drivetrain
Work degreaser into drivetrain with a small stiff brush
Rinse drivetrain
Spray bike with MucOff
Agitate with a soft brush
Rinse bike
Bounce bike to get rid of some water
Wipe bike over with a cloth sprayed in bike spray
Dry chain with another cloth sprayed in WD40
Carefully squirt fork stanchions/shock with silicone spray
When the bike is really bad I'll also take the wheels off and give the drivetrain a more thorough clean.
Dont forget to lube chain after wiping with WD40.Spray degreaser on the drivetrain
Work degreaser into drivetrain with a small stiff brush
Rinse drivetrain
Spray bike with MucOff
Agitate with a soft brush
Rinse bike
Bounce bike to get rid of some water
Wipe bike over with a cloth sprayed in bike spray
Dry chain with another cloth sprayed in WD40
Carefully squirt fork stanchions/shock with silicone spray
When the bike is really bad I'll also take the wheels off and give the drivetrain a more thorough clean.
The Mad Monk said:
What are you using WD40 for?
Water Displacement.When I get home, spray with garden hose, agitate mud with brush from dust pan and brush set, hose again. Careful dust cassette with GT85 ( only because it's sram steel so rusts if I don't - didn't need to with shimano), oil chain. Job done.
People using degreaser each wash - don't you like your bearings?
People using degreaser each wash - don't you like your bearings?
Kermit power said:
Given that all the bearings should, in theory at least, be sealed, there is a strong case to be made for only cleaning the drive train. Just let the rest dry out and then brush any dirt off.
For a MTB? Dry brushing for me. Just seems silly to be washing down something that is designed to get muddy, only to get it muddy again the following day.What does get a "proper" clean after most rides is the chain, derailleur wheels, and cassette/chainrings. Clean out any mud and grit that's worked it'sway into the chain rollers and re lube it. And a soft brush and wipe down of the fork stanchions.
The frame? I let the mud dry, then use various brushes and old lolly sticks to brush/scrape the mud off. I weighed the mud once, out of interest, and there was around 750 grams of it, so it needs doing occasionally.
The only time it gets washed is when it has to be taken apart to rebuild bearings or replace "oily bits". Then it gets wetted with a fine mist from a hose, then washed with a damp sponge so as to get water only where I want it to get.
The only other job that gets done regularly is cleaning the disc rotors. I use Fenwicks Brake Cleaner for cleaning these, and some other bits too.
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