Cleaning Mountain Bike Shocks

Without slipping into how to maintain shocks sliders let s look at how we need to clean inspect and lubricate frame pivots to.

Cleaning mountain bike shocks. Mountain bikes aren t meant to be looked at or ridden on the pavement they are supposed to be lovingly abused on a dirty singletrack trail. Following this method washing my bike usually takes under 15 minutes with the lube job taking an additional 5 or so. Things you need to clean your mountain bike. Bikes pick up all kinds of dirt dust and debris from the road and trail.

Rear suspension is only found on full suspension mountain bikes and is commonly referred to as the rear shock or shock for short. Completely clean your fork and rear shock after each and every ride. Why it s important to keep your mountain bike clean. Cleaning the outside of your fork will prevent the opportunity for dirt to migrate into the delicate inner workings of the suspension while routinely checking the foam seal will alert you of any.

Use mild soapy water rinse with a very light pressure water spray taking care not to spray water directly at the seal upper tube junction and wipe dry with a clean soft cloth. Clean your forks and shock after every ride in fact clean your bike after every ride. How to clean a mountain bike. Carefully inspect the.

The shock allows the rear wheel to soak up impacts helping to keep the tire in contact with the ground increasing rider control and decreasing rider fatigue. Go ride get dirty and go back to step 2. Last week we broke down how full suspension mountain bike frames pivot and flex to move through their travel most often through rotating bushings bearings all of those moving parts require varying degrees of attention and maintenance to keep pivoting smoothly. Keeping your bike clean protects your investment by enhancing the life of your bike s various parts as well as protecting its paint and ride quality.

Cleaning the chain gears and suspension. Grinding or sanding is r. Soft dry cloth to dry your bike. Remove the wheels and clean them separately.

Sounds obvious but it s frightening the amount of worn out parts your see that could have been avoided by just using a bit of soap and water. A clean bike is a happy bike. Use the de greaser to remove old grease lubricant and muck from the sprockets chain rings chain derailleur and pulley wheels. Once you ve cleaned the bike ideally put it in a bike stand and alter the angle like the one in the picture.

Clean your fork and shock after every ride. Keeping your mountain bike suspension forks clean grit free and lubed is vitally important in prolonging the life of these essential components. This motorbike was stored outdoors for a long time and accumulated rust spots on the upside down forks shock absorber suspension.