Preparing for Winter: MTB Parts

October marks the turnoff Autumn and with wetter and colder conditions, even the most enthusiastic riders find themselves reducing their rides in favour of more fair-weather conditions. Whether you’re retiring your bike to the garage for the winter, or getting out and braving the cold autumn is a good time to make sure your mountain bike is in tip-top shape and ready to ride when you need it. Read our guide below for preparing your mountain bike for winter and head our tips for getting the best from individual MTB Parts. Pedals One of the most important MTB parts to check up on is the pedals as they endure most of the direct force, even during a less intense ride. Metal and water rarely mix, but during mountain biking, this is impossible to avoid, couple that with a bit of road salt and the gritty, muddy and often acidic sludge that forms on trails can start to degenerate the pedals at a rather rapid rate. Start by removing the pedals and cleaning them with a gentle solution to remove any degenerative contaminants, before either lubing them and refitting or, if the wear is significant, fitting a replacement MTB Part. Chainring Bolts Drivetrain wear is a given consequence of riding bikes and at some point, the chainring and chainring bolts will require a replacement MTB Part. Wear rates increase during the winter, so if you’re planning on riding over the colder months, assessing the chainring bolts is an absolute must for safe riding. We recommend cleaning and adding some anti-seize solution to chainring bolts as well as cleaning the chainring of any dirt build-up. Once reinstalled, ensure that they are mounted the correct way round and replace any worn or rusting bolts. These are two of the most pertinent jobs to complete when preparing your bike for winter but if you’re looking to fully service your bike, we stock a huge range of MTB parts here.