Drivetrain Maintenance in Summer

The drivetrain is one of the most important parts of your bike because it’s where your human power connects to your vehicle, whether you ride a road bike or have recently replaced your mountain bike chainrings ready for hitting the trails under the summer sun. Our stock of Middleburn chainrings are made from 7075 aluminium alloy for superior strength and durability so you can get fully stuck into biking in summer. Dry Lube Make sure you use a dry lube rather than a wet lube as it stops dust getting stuck in your drivetrain and compromising your rides. An excess of dust from kicking up dirt on the trails will otherwise increase friction on your bike parts and contribute towards the overall wear & tear. Disastrously, you would have to replace the parts of a drivetrain sooner (mountain bike chain rings, cassettes, chains, etc). Once you have arrived home from a particularly eventful ride, make getting the chain clean your priority by using your preferred de-greaser, and once dry, complete the mandatory step of running lube along the chain to each roller along the chain. The easiest way is still the best way: by having the bottle on the chain and then turning the pedals backwards before making sure to wipe off any excess. Keep It Clean Since we are on the topic of cleaning, drivetrain maintenance in summer involves ridding your mtb parts of dust in order to preserve the longevity of your parts. Dusty roads - especially if you are mountain biking, can become a real threat to the longevity of your bike parts if you skip out on regular cleaning duties. While winter dirties your bike more overtly, fine dust can lead to the dreaded premature wear and tear, whereby the only saving grace is how well-stocked our online shop is for replacement components like mountain bike chain rings, etc! Double Check Essentials If you didn’t use your bike over the winter months, make sure you carry out a full inspection before heading out on your bike again: check the following: are your brake and gear cables are moving smoothly? Consider replacing if not. Check that your derailleur hangers are well-adjusted in case they have slipped over the winter or come loose. Also, you will obviously want to check your brakes and pads are working optimally. The importance of maintaining your drivetrain cannot be overstated so while we know our customers are bike aficionados, sometimes it pays to go back to basics! If you have any questions or want to enquire about any of our products, from the mountain bike chainrings mentioned to the frame bearing kits we have in stock, please contact us via our website.