Cleaning Mountain Bike Chain

The chain and drivetrain are typically the dirtiest parts of your bike and this dirt is bad news for bike longevity and performance.

Cleaning mountain bike chain.

While there s no limit to the variety of techniques that can be used i ll cover three simple approaches that you can use to clean your bike chain at home. You do this by slowly turning the pedals backward to move the chain a section at a time so you can clean it by either spraying on the solvent as you wipe down the chain with an old rag or by wiping down the chain with a rag that is saturated with the solvent. Here are are hacks and tips on how to get that chain spotless. If you notice your bike chain is excessively dirty and grimy with a crust of dirt and environmental sludge it s probably time to clean your chain.

A super clean drivetrain rapidly reduces the rate of wear on your bike components. Regular cyclists will likely perform a chain cleaning every week or two or at least once every 200 miles or so depending on how much riding is being done and under what conditions. At worst parts will break or fail. Failing to grease and clean components can result in a noisy ride at best.

How do you keep a mountain bike running reliably. Your frame needs to be cleaned regularly and the components require cleaning and servicing as well. The best way is to perform regular mountain bike maintenance. With your bike in position apply solvent something like wd 40 or isopropyl alcohol to the chain.

Cleaning bike chains is a mixture of art and science in the mountain biking community.