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How to maintain mountain bikes?

Everyone likes to ride mountain bikes, so have you thought about maintaining it? If you want to maintain the beauty and good performance of the mountain bike, its maintenance is very important. Usually, you should not only pay attention to timely cleaning, but also pay attention to the correct cleaning method. In addition, simple daily maintenance should not be left, so that it can be better Maintenance.


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After a period of riding, the mountain bike will become dirty. If you leave it alone for a long time or just wash it indiscriminately, it will inevitably affect the good performance of the mountain bike over time. Of course, just cleaning is not enough. Maintenance in normal life It is also very important, so how to maintain the mountain bike in detail?


In fact, these problems do not require any professional technicians, nor do you need any professional tools. If you know a certain method, you can handle the maintenance of mountain bikes at home. Let’s take a look at the two aspects of cleaning and maintenance


How to clean mountain bikes



If you want to maintain a mountain bike well, you must first clean it in place, and clean up all the stains on the body, in order to show its beautiful side, and to make the subsequent maintenance more effective, so what should I do? How about cleaning? Overall, it can be divided into the following two steps.


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Overall cleaning


If you want to clean the mountain bike, you should first perform a rough cleaning of it, so that the subsequent cleaning can be better.


This is usually done with a high-pressure water gun. Be careful not to adjust the water to high pressure. This will make it easy to wash away loose dirt and the like, but higher water pressure may cause dirt to scratch the paint or even wash it off. Entering the car will affect the parts and then the performance of the mountain bike.

The water should be adjusted to spray, and then spray the entire car to remove the dirt stuck on the mountain bike for subsequent cleaning. It can be concentrated on the frame, pedals and wheels for cleaning, but please be careful not to rush to the bottom bracket or bearing parts. In these places, water intrusion is very taboo. Be careful when washing.


Partition cleaning


After a simple wash as a whole, each area is carefully divided and cleaned one by one to ensure that there will be no omissions, so as to ensure the cleanliness of the entire vehicle.


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Car frame cleaning


After the overall washing in the front, most of the soil on the frame will be softened. If there is no softened, you can use a rag or sponge to soak in water and pour it on these places, and then wipe with a rag to easily remove the dirt. 


In some places, such as the bottom bracket of the frame, it is easier to accumulate dust. Pay special attention when cleaning. After washing the muddy water on the top with clean water, pour some detergent on the cloth, wipe it, and then scrub on the frame. When there is dust, just wipe it back and forth several times.


Do not use strong detergents such as washing powder, because many mountain bike frames are made of aluminum. The alkaline components contained in washing powder will chemically react with aluminum. After a long time, markings will appear on the frame, which will affect the aesthetics. 


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Wheel hub, wheel hub, seat bag cleaning


After the initial washing, most of the dirt and other stains on the tire should be removed. If there is firm adhesion, you can use a brush to scrub. The brush can be slightly harder to more effectively brush off the sand and dust on the tire.


When cleaning the rim, do not use a brush. You can use a rag or sponge to scrub. For stubborn stains, you can use detergents and other cleaning agents to help clean them. Wipe the brake pads on the rim carefully. The spokes can be cleaned easily


For the hub, simply wipe it with a clean rag. When washing the seat tube and the seat bag, be careful not to let muddy water flow into the seat tube along the gap between the seat tube. Under the seat bag, the muddy water often flies up the most. Wherever, please carefully wipe off the mud with a rag.


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Dial, front dial , rear dial  clean


The structure of the finger dial is still relatively complicated. There is more butter in the parts for lubrication. You can use a clean cloth to gently wipe it when cleaning; and for the front and back dials, you can use a water pipe or a water gun to aim Rinse the space between the front and back to wash away the sand and gravel stuck in it, and then wipe off the oil stains with a rag + detergent.


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Front fork, pedal, brake cleaning


When cleaning the front fork, try to avoid water residue. It is best to wring out the water on the rag and wipe the inner tube of the front fork. If there are impurities on the front fork after a period of use, you can gently wipe it off with a cotton swab.


For the pedals and brakes, you can continue to use water pipes or high-pressure water guns for careful flushing. Just wash the dirt and sand on them. For the pedals, roulette, front and rear shifting and some small dirt on the guide wheel, you can use a brush to clean.


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Dental disc,flywheel cleaning


Dental disc,flywheellubricating oil is left on such accessories, which can easily adhere to dust. It can be said that this is the dirtiest and most difficult part of mountain bikes. Therefore, you must be extra careful when cleaning them.


For dental disc and flywheels, rags or sponges can’t go deep, you can use a long-handled hard brush to deal with. First dip the brush with cleaning fluid, put the brush on the dental disc and flywheel, then turn the crank, after a few turns, proceed Change the speed back and forth, let the chain leave the original position of the dental disc and flywheel, then apply the brush on the ground to clean the original part under the chain, and finally wash away the remaining cleaning fluid.


Of course, if you will dismantle the mountain bike, you can also remove the rear wheel and clean the flywheel. When disassembling, pay attention to relaxing the rear brake to prevent the brake from pinching the wheel.


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Chain cleaning


This part of the chain is also very dirty. In addition to the dust absorbed by the lubricating oil, there will also be a lot of sand splashed on it when riding. When cleaning, first clean the leaves and other dirt stuck in it, and then come back There are two cleaning methods to clean the stubborn grease in this place.


One is to use kerosene, soak the kerosene on the rag, wrap the chain and drag it back, spread the kerosene evenly on the chain, wait for a while, you will find that the oil is dissolved and floated, then use a clean rag Wrap the chain, turn the crank, and wipe the chain clean.


The second is to use the cleaning agent. Spray the cleaning agent on the chain. Before the oil is almost dissolved and the cleaning agent is not dry, just wrap the chain with a rag and wipe it. In order to avoid the cleaning agent from splashing on the tires and other places, The tire can be covered with a rag beforehand.


How to maintain mountain bikes



If you want to extend the service life of a mountain bike and maintain its performance, it is not enough to just be clean. Normally, you must pay attention to maintaining it, so how to maintain it?


The electroplating layer of the mountain bike should be wiped with a dry cloth and coated with neutral oil; the paint film of the car body should be wiped with a feather broom. Do not wipe with oil or expose to sunlight. For cars coated with varnish, car wax should not be used for polishing, which will cause the paint to peel off. In addition to these basic operations, you must also pay attention to the oiling and maintenance of the pipeline, front Back-dial,  brake and chain.



Front and back dial maintenance


The front derailleur is the derailleur combination that adjusts the position of the chain at the pedal, and the rear derailleur is the derailleur that adjusts the position of the chain at the flywheel. After cleaning the front and rear derailleur joints, it is best to drip lubricating oil; At the guide wheel, you can inject lubricant into it with a syringe.


Also note that there are several limit screws on the front and rear derailleur, H and L, H is a high screw, L is a low screw, their meaning is to prevent the chain from falling out of the small plate or small fly, if it can be changed to The largest and smallest, will not fall off the chain, these screws do not need to move.


If the chain is dropped from the large plate or the large flight, tighten it H. If it cannot be hung up, loosen it H. If the chain falls from the small plate or the small flight, tighten it L. If it cannot be retracted When it comes down, just loose L; but if the other gears are not shifting properly, don’t adjust them. You should adjust a few plastic fine-tuning screws or tighten the cable.


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Brake maintenance


After a period of riding, the brake pads will wear out more or less. If conditions permit, it is best to remove the brakes and clean up the dirt and other dirt on the brakes, and then apply butter as lubrication. 


If the brake pads are worn out, you need to install the brakes and adjust them. Before installing the brakes, apply a little butter to the brakes at the brake position of the frame, and pay attention to the springs on the brakes when installing them. The protruding point should be inserted into the second hole of the frame.


There are 3 small holes at the V brake of the frame. The first hole has the highest braking force, and the third is the smallest. When you clamp the brake during debugging, you can see the position of the brake pad on the rim. If it is off, clamp it. Use the hexagonal nail to loosen the brake pad under the brake state, adjust the brake pad to the proper position and tighten the hexagonal nail of the brake pad.


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Chain maintenance


If the mountain bike has a low gear shifting performance, the chain has a tooth jam, or the chain makes an abnormal noise, the chain needs maintenance. Normally, you must clean the chain after using the mountain bike.


After cleaning, the chain should be oiled and maintained. If it is easier to operate, set the chain to the smallest wheel pair and the smallest wheel state before the mountain bike is chained. This way the chain is loose and the operation will be more convenient. After cutting off It is not easy to play. Be careful not to spray randomly when oiling. It is best to use a rag to block the chain underneath and apply oil to the top of the chain.


matters needing attention



Know how to clean and maintain mountain bikes. When using mountain bikes, there are still many details that need to be paid attention to, such as the usual riding habits, and the frequency of maintenance, etc., so that the mountain bikes can be maintained more. The following details Come and have a look.


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Maintenance frequency


Generally speaking, mountain bikes should be wiped once a week, and the sprocket, chain and flywheel of the transmission assembly should be wiped after each ride. Oiling should be carried out every 50-100 kilometers or once a week; pay attention to check and tighten the screws of each part, and adjust the spokes of the rim. The axial swing and radial runout of the rim are controlled within 0.5 mm, and the spoke tension is basically the same.


Clean once every 300 kilometers (using chain cleaner or kerosene), and perform oil maintenance after cleaning; when driving 3000~5000 kilometers, the front, middle, and rear axles, head tube and pedal axles are completely disassembled. After wiping clean and checking for defects, add lithium-based grease for maintenance; in addition, pay attention to the humid and muddy riding environment, whose maintenance frequency is higher than that of dry and asphalt roads.


Before each ride, check whether the transmission structure, wheel set, bottom bracket, and brake mechanism are normal. If any abnormality is found, remove it in time before riding.


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Good riding habits


When encountering uneven roads where there are pits, ride at a low speed to avoid loosening of screws and sliding buckles under severe vibration. Do not ride at high speeds or in curves during daily riding. Try to avoid rushes during riding. Brake, avoid riding on the ground with iron filings or glass, and avoid puncturing the inner and outer tires.


Another thing to note is that the tires of mountain bikes must be inflated properly, because if the tires are not inflated enough, it will increase the resistance of riding, it will be more laborious to ride, and the outer tire wall is also prone to cracking.


If the mountain bike is inflated too much, the wheels will lose their elasticity. They will feel violent bumps during riding, which will reduce the riding experience. Moreover, the tires will be stressed too much, causing the inner cord layer of the tires to be swollen and shortened. Service life.


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Develop the habit of cleaning and maintaining the mountain bike, so as to ensure its service life. It should be noted that the water on the mountain bike must be dry before it can be operated, especially the water on some parts such as chains and chainrings. Carry out maintenance after all dry.


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