Trek Factory Racing team mechanic Joe Krejbich cleans Rachel's Trek MTB at a World Cup race.
© Zach Faulkner
MTB

How to clean your bike like a pro: 5 top tips

Tired of being unable to shift that hard-to-reach grit? Follow these five easy steps to guarantee a clean ride every time, and with it that ‘new bike’ feel, this winter.
Written by Ric McLaughlin
4 min readPublished on
For anyone based in the UK, riding through the winter and spring can be something of a messy affair. The trails turn to a combination of mud and puddles, and your bike instantly gains a couple of kilos courtesy of a healthy coating of sticky slop.
The Athertons' mechanic goes to work cleaning a GT Fury at the 2015 Fort William World Cup in Scotland.

Look after your bike and it'll look after you

© Bartek Woliński/Red Bull Content Pool

While it can feel like a chore, keeping your bike clean can make a huge difference – and a quick bearing-stripping blast with the petrol station's power washer doesn't count as a 'clean', either! Washing your bike properly will not only make it feel like a brand-new machine on the next ride, but will also prolong the lifespan of its components too – saving you money in the process.
Not sure how to keep your bike in tip-top condition after each ride? Here's how to keep things running in full working order during the muddier times of the year.

1. Use a proper cleaner

Spray-on bike cleaners are dismissed by some as snake oil, but in reality they do make a big difference. Spray it on, leave for a couple of minutes and then wash off. The residue and awkward, easy-to-ignore clumps of dirt, which just hosing alone can miss, will disappear instantly.
Be warned though – chemical cleaners can be powerful stuff. Make sure you thoroughly wash them off, especially if your bike has any anodised surfaces as cleaners can flatten or strip their colour over time. Also, although it can be tempting to coat the whole bike in bubbles, a little goes a long way, so save some pennies and use sparingly.
Muc-Off Ultimate Bicycle Cleaning Kit

Muc-Off Ultimate Bicycle Cleaning Kit

© Muc-Off

It's also important to dry your bike post-wash. This ensures a thoroughly clean surface and prevents excess moisture dripping onto components that are prone to rusting.

2. Really clean the drivetrain

Hope’s 170mm Spiderless Cranks and 34T chainring

Hope’s 170mm Spiderless Cranks and 34T chainring

© Bartek Woliński

No matter what you think of gearbox bikes, the external drivetrain is one of the real Achilles heels of mountain biking. That perfectly indexed drivetrain that propels you forward spends the vast majority of its life caked in filth – not ideal.
Again, cleaners are a great way to strip away caked-on slop, but it's making sure that your chainring and jockey wheels are clean that will make the biggest difference.
It may sound obvious, but an old toothbrush works best for cleaning out the teeth. Then clean, wash and dry the chain before applying a sparing amount of your lubricant of choice. Once it's had a few minutes to soak in evenly, wipe off. A common mistake is coating the chain in lube and just leaving it, but all this does is attract even more gunk to stick to it.

3. Show your suspension seals some love

Close up view of the Front Forks on Mark Wallace's Canyon Sender DH MTB, pictured in Fort William, Scotland on June 2, 2017

RockShox BoXXer forks

© Bartek Woliński

Even if you're not the most confident of bike mechanics, it's not difficult to give your suspension the best chance at running smoothly. Invest in some fork oil and, once the fork and shock are clean and dried, wipe a generous amount around the bottom of the stanchions. Cycle the suspension through its travel a couple of times before wiping clean. Constant filth followed by washing and drying can dry out your seals, causing them to degrade over time, so this helps to keep things running smoothly.

4. Check tyre pressures

Maxxis Minion DHR II tyres

Maxxis Minion DHR II tyres

© Bartek Woliński

During winter, simply riding and then putting your bike away to fester can be all too tempting. Over time, your tyre pressures can drop right off, with even a couple of PSI loss being enough to make your bike feel sluggish.
Digital tyre-pressure gauges are cheap and mean that you can accurately check tyre pressures in seconds. Ensuring that they're topped up and kept constant is an easy way to keep your bike feeling brand new.

5. Check bolts and bearings

Hope Tech stem and headset

Hope Tech stem and headset

© Bartek Woliński

This is by no means an after-every-ride essential, but a once-a-winter bolt check can help to avoid the deep freezer burn of being stuck miles from home with a part hanging off your bike. Investing in a torque wrench and doing a bit of web browsing to find out your bike's torque settings can pay dividends when it comes to a creak-free ride.
Trek Factory Racing team mechanic Will Soffe

Trek Factory Racing team mechanic Will Soffe

© Doc Ward

Likewise, dropping the fork and cranks out to inspect your headset and bottom bracket bearings is well worth doing. Neither riding nor cleaning are particularly kind on your frame's largest spinny-roundy bits, and the grease that's essential to keeping them running smoothly can leach out over time. Often a clean and a smear of fresh slippery stuff can make a massive difference.