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How to clean the fork / shock absorber of your bike – TUTORIAL

This is a basic but important maintenance to be done at every outing or after every washing of the bicycle. Let's see in detail.


Why clean suspension? Cleaning the suspension is a simple operation that greatly extends the life and performance of our fork and/or shock absorber. Basically we have to remove excess dirt on the stems, dry and lubricate the surfaces.

EQUIPMENT

  • paper cloth;
  • Non-aggressive specific detergent;
  • Rag (cotton);
  • Specific product to spread a protective veil.

1. REMOVE DIRT FROM THE FORK

After returning from an outing or after washing the bike, take a cotton rag (impregnated with water and a non-aggressive detergent) and wipe it over the stems. Do not use kitchen Chanteclair.

cloth to clean mtb fork

Go gently the rag around the stems: the goal is to remove traces of dirt, which can be mud, dust and more. Once thoroughly cleaned, compress the shock absorber and/or fork, in order to carry out a second, more thorough cleaning step.

2. CLEAN THE DUST COVERS

Pass the rag around the perimeter of the dust covers, to remove the dirt that has clung to it (as it is the last filter, it is probable that some dirt remains there). Do not use blunt instruments, scissors, electrician's ties or anything else, always go with delicacy: rag or, for the more fussy, cotton swabs.

3. DRY AND LUBRICATE/PROTECT

With a paper towel, dry everything. Take a specific protective product and spray it on the stem (not too much, just a splash). There are many specific products for lubricating the fork.

You buy the suspension several times, and then, with a clean rag, remove the excess. The silicone increases the smoothness of the stem and, at the same time, creates a protective layer.

juice lubes fork

These products are used a lot, in the racing field, in muddy races to create a protective layer that protects the fork at least in the first phase of the race.

CONCLUSION

It is very important to clean and maintain the suspensions: we see too many suspensions that are not overhauled and then changed for more recent models, when a well-done overhaul would be enough to end up with a practically new fork. As you can see, it's a simple operation because you don't go and act inside the sheaths: that's a practice to be done only by experts.



Written by

[email protected] I am a fan of everything that has 2 wheels: at a young age I practiced road and track cycling (Italian Allievi champion). At the age of 18 I passed into the cross country competing at national/international level as an Under23. Past Elite, I made the choice to take things more lightly from a training point of view, and my love for gravity disciplines was born, training me as an FCI MTB instructor and guide. Now I have made passion my profession by managing 2 MTB centers on the island of Elba (Bike Center Elba and Elba MTB), creating the FANTAmtb and telling in an ironic but professional way everything that revolves around MTB thanks to 365mountainbike and 365TV (YouTube'PULITI dentro BIKER fuori').

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