On another occasion we explained how to maintain the bicycle, which you can take a look at this link.
1. Hose cleaning
The first thing to keep in mind is that if we use the hose to clean the dirt, there are several places where we should avoid spraying the jet of dirt directly with it. water:
- Wheel axles.
- Pedalier.
- The steering bearing area.
- Shift levers and brakes.
Before starting to clean, it is good to use diesel gasoline to clean the chain. With this you will be able to eliminate traces of degraded oil and dirt that may have lodged in the chain, and can damage it. The oil and earth, when mixed, form a kind of mud that degrades the chain. You can check this in a very simple way: run your fingers through it when it is dirty and rub them together. You will notice as if it scratches, and in fact that is what it does, scratch your chainrings and crowns when the chain passes over them.
Use a brush to apply the diesel gasoline, but be careful not to stain the other parts of the bike, and especially the tires and paint. They could degrade.
2. Remove traces of water
After washing it will be advisable to remove any traces of water that may remain in the chain, suspension dust covers, gaps in the chain heads. screw, etc. We will dry all areas where we see that there may be remains of water with a rag, although the ideal would be to use pressurized air. We will also use the saddle, if it is made of leather, a little hand cream or horse grease. This is especially good after it has rained, to always have a saddle ready.
3. Grease
Once everything is clean and dry, we will move on to greasing. To do this we will use a syringe, which can be purchased at any pharmacy. You have to make sure to put the chain in the most stretched position possible, the rear sprocket, the largest and the chainring strong>the biggest too. Be careful when stretching, as something may break. After placing it in this position, and without moving the wheels or the chainring, we will place the changes in the crown and smaller chainring.
With this we ensure that the shift cables are completely released. Now we will add the corresponding oil using the syringe. When the oil passes through the tubes with the proper amount, it pushes out all the water that may remain inside after a wash. It is a very useful method.
With the brake cables, we will remove the brake bridge at the top, so that the cables remain loose, so we can clean them with the syringe . Special care must be taken during this operation, so as not to break the fork. You must ensure that the tip of the syringe is rounded. If it scratches, you have to sand it until it is smooth, so as not to damage the bottles or the retainers. Use a thicker needle than normal, otherwise we can damage the seals and maybe the bottle as well. If you are not sure, it is better that you do not do it.
The needle indicated for this operation would be like those used to refill printer ink cartridges. They are wider and longer than normal. The fork manufacturer recommends not using anything metal on the bottles, otherwise they could be damaged. Theoretically, the seals (dust seals) can be easily removed to lubricate the interior of the suspension, but sometimes this operation is more difficult than expected.
It depends greatly measurement of the bicycle model. The alternative would be the following: when inserting the needle, once we pass the upper stop, we continue down and find a second stop. We press it a little and that's it. Let's discharge a few drops, (three or four at most), and lubrication is guaranteed. Be careful when doing this. You have to be very tactful, and not force the seals (dust covers).
It is also very important to use a good oil, which is specific for this. It can be purchased at any specialized bicycle store.
It can also be used for other uses: pedal bearings, bottom bracket, wheel bearings etc. We must always remember one thing: we must not force, or we will break the seals, and we must always use good oil. Do not use 3 in 1, nor sprays, as they usually contain solvents that could damage rubber, plastics and paint on your bicycle.
To grease the chain, we have two options, depending on whether we use grease or oil:
- If we use grease we will put it on the side that meshes with the teeth of the plate and we will help ourselves with an old toothbrush, which will help us to Put the grease into the bolts and inner sides of the chain. Then, centrifugal force will do the rest.
- If we use oil we will do it in the same way but without the brush and soaking the entire chain well. Then we will remove the excess with a cloth so that it does not dirty the entire bike with oil splashes. If we do not clean it, the grit will stick and we will accelerate wear.
With this series of tips, we hope that you will be able to keep your bike in good condition, and enjoy this fantastic adventure sport more every day.
Can you think of more tips?
