Cleaning your MTB

[Docca]

What products would you recommend?

Also- any mileage in one of those little/gentle power washers for MTBs?

[millemille]

I use Halfords' version of Muc-Off...

https://www.halfords.com/cycling/bike-m ... 64388.html

Spray the bike liberally in it, leave for a few minutes, agitate with a dust pan brush and then spray off with hose on a shower spray pattern. If I'm at a bike park, or not getting the bike home before any claggy mud will have dried, I have a pump garden sprayer that I use to get the worst off before cleaning it properly at home.

Hang the bike up and take the wheels out and remove the brake pads.

Spray the bike liberally all over with GT-85, wipe the frame over and leave to drip dry. Check the frame for damage and check all the linkage bolts etc.

Clean the brake discs and pads with isopropyl alcohol and scotchbrite.

Put it all back together again and lubricate the chain with a dry lube, Finish Line or Muc-off's.

I await, with a sense of impending awe, @weeksy arriving to regale us with stripping it down to component mollecules and polishing them with Mr. Sheen and micro fibre cloths

[MingtheMerciless]

Warm soapy water (I use car wash) and a sacrificial sponge/mitt. Muc-off bright green degreaser for sticky/oily stuff. I tend to scrape the worst of the mud off with a range of muc-off brushes before washing. Let it dry and then re lube chain with lube of choice (mud chemistry/local geology dependant). I use Fenwicks professional for dry to intermediate and Juice Lubes Viking lube for full wet. Juice Lubes JL69 for general spray lube duties and Fork juice for stanchion/seals.

[Taff]

Quick wash off with much off and a hose, but only when it's dirty..... My vision of dirty may differ from others

I do look after the chain much more closely though.

I have one of those little 12v pressure washers, it holds 15l of water which is plenty to give a couple of bikes a quick hose off or one bike a better wash. Also good enough to wash off 4 muddy dogs.

[millemille]

We need @porter_jamie's expert input on this one...

[Couchy]

Hand clean only with sponge and cloths, no powerful hoses and definitely no power wash. Rinse and then dry with a blower. Calipers off for a check every ride. Wheels every now and then. Chain, cassette and derailleur cleaned and lubed every ride.
From what I've seen most issues are caused by power washers and folk not stripping bits down to clean and lubricate

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

Let the mud dry and then vaguely attempt to knock it off

[weeksy]

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/191559678203 ... 2749.l2649

The Muc-off stuff is decent and doesn't damage annodising. We use a gentle hose and a bit of that and a mitt that you'd usually find for washing cars. Once that's done the drivetrain is wiped, then dried and lubed (GT-85).

[millemille]

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/191559678203 ... 2749.l2649

The Muc-off stuff is decent and doesn't damage annodising. We use a gentle hose and a bit of that and a mitt that you'd usually find for washing cars. Once that's done the drivetrain is wiped, then dried and lubed (GT-85).

Where's the disappointed face emoji?

[weeksy]

[Mr Moofo]

Are you meant to clean them ?

Ah!

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

My mate keeps his EMTB super clean, he's been through two chains and a set of sprockets in 1000 miles, in the same mileage I've been through a chain, mine gets the mud knocked off and the chain lubed.

[Taff]

My mate keeps his EMTB super clean, he's been through two chains and a set of sprockets in 1000 miles, in the same mileage I've been through a chain, mine gets the mud knocked off and the chain lubed.

It's not unusual for an ebike drivetrain to be trashed in 800 miles especially if the user is a bit hamfisted changing gear under load etc

[Jody]

My mate keeps his EMTB super clean, he's been through two chains and a set of sprockets in 1000 miles, in the same mileage I've been through a chain, mine gets the mud knocked off and the chain lubed.

From what you said, it could be interpreted that he's a lot fussier about his bike, therefore more likely to replace parts that are worn, rather than wait for them to be worn out !?

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

My mate keeps his EMTB super clean, he's been through two chains and a set of sprockets in 1000 miles, in the same mileage I've been through a chain, mine gets the mud knocked off and the chain lubed.

From what you said, it could be interpreted that he's a lot fussier about his bike, therefore more likely to replace parts that are worn, rather than wait for them to be worn out !?

Probably, he's a bit OCD and easily bored

But I'm teaching him the way of "sling it in a shed until you want to use it" AKA "if it ain't broke don't fix it"

[porter_jamie]

I mean to clean mine, but every now and then my dear friend invites me to.his place in the peak district. We go for a pedal, stop for icecream and have a jolly good time. When we get back to his place his mechanical sympathy get the better of him and various substances come out of various containers and cans and hosepipe and thence the bike is clean. It looks jolly.nice afterwards and the mech works lots better without all that packed mud stuck in it. I wouldn't recommend this as a standard cleaning regime however because its a good 3 or 4 hour drive each way depending on traffic.

[Asian Boss]

I raised this with The Bald Beast who is an extremely proficient mountain biker and all round conscious soul. He said he very rarely cleans his. So that is the approach I have taken. I was washing it down with a hose, brush etc and all the fancy bottled products before. The new regime seems to work well. I do clean and lubricate the chain and gears FWIW.