Three days of racing at Mogo Trails, plus a lap of the sand at Batemans Bay Marine Park for the Muc-Off Ottercross crew, here’s how to stay in race shape throughout!

A bit of a plan means you spend the weekend riding, not fixing. We sat down with the experts at Muc-Off, naming rights sponsor of the Muc-Off Ottercross, to put together this guide, from what to do before you leave home, to every night at the campsite, and the big clean when you get back.

Before you leave home

Do the big clean now, not the night before you drive. Degrease and wash the drivetrain, check pads and rotors, check your tyre sealant is still liquid, and re-lube with the right lube for the forecast.

Step 1: Clean

Start with a rinse to clear grime and knock off loose crud, keeping the spray wide and moving rather than blasting one spot. Cover the frame and components with Muc-Off Nano Tech Bike Cleaner and give it time to work through the grime, grease and dirt. Use the Muc-Off range of cleaning brushes on the frame, cockpit, wheels and components to get into the spots where dirt likes to hide.

Give the chain a proper clean with Muc-Off Bio Degreaser and the X-3 Dirty Chain Machine, running it through until the drivetrain is ready for fresh lube. Rinse again, then dry the bike with a microfibre cloth or the Muc-Off It Blows Precision Air Blaster to clear hidden droplets from bolts, pivots and hard-to-reach areas.

Step 2: Protect

Fit Muc-Off Disc Brake Covers before applying any protectant, so rotors and braking surfaces stay guarded from overspray. Add a light coating of Muc-Off Bike Protect to the frame and components (avoiding braking surfaces), then buff it back. It leaves a protective layer that helps repel water, grime and dirt, ideal for a big Sea Otter Australia weekend.

Remove the Disc Brake Covers before you roll. If your brakes chirp after washing or applying frame protection, clean the braking surfaces with Muc-Off Disc Brake Cleaner.

Step 3: Lube

For dry, dusty or sandy trails, use Muc-Off Dark Energy Chain Wax or one of the Muc-Off Dry Lubes. For wet and gritty conditions, reach for a Muc-Off All Weather Lube or Ludicrous Lube. To apply: back-pedal while dripping lube onto the rollers, run through the gears, then wipe away the excess. Less mess, more speed.

Riding an e-bike? Use the Muc-Off eBike lube range, designed for the extra torque and formulated to last longer. The eBike Drivetrain Tool makes applying it a lot easier.

Pro tips

• Work from the top down, mud falls, don’t chase it back up the bike.
• Use different brushes for the drivetrain and frame so you’re not dragging greasy streaks across clean surfaces.
• And sweat salts are corrosion magnets, so wipe down handlebars, stem and bolts after hot, intense rides.
• A clean bike is also much easier to spot problems on.
• Absolutely, a clean bike is a fast bike.

Tubeless puncture protection

Check your tyres before you travel. If the tread is running low, replace them before Sea Otter Australia rather than hoping they’ll last the weekend. If they’re in good shape, check the sealant before you pack the bike, use the Muc-Off Dipstick through the valve to check levels, or unseat the tyre from the rim if needed.

If the sealant has dried out or is low: remove the tyre, clean out the old sealant with Muc-Off Sealant Remover, remount the tyre, add fresh Muc-Off MTB sealant, inflate to your preferred pressure, and you’re ready to hit the trails.

Wax or lube

If you run a waxed chain, top it up before you travel and carry what you need for the weekend. If you run a wet or dry lube, bring the bottle. Either way, always have your preferred lube or drip wax with you at the event so you can reapply after a hard day of riding.

For dry, dusty conditions like Sea Otter Australia, Muc-Off Dark Energy Chain Wax and the Dry Lube range are both built to keep contaminants off the chain and drivetrain.

If the forecast looks more variable, pack a Muc-Off All Weather Lube.

If rain looks likely on race day, reach for Muc-Off Ludicrous Lube for peak performance when the weather turns.

Give your drivetrain a once-over at the end of each day. Wipe the chain clean, then reapply your lube or drip wax of choice so the bike rolls smoothly and efficiently every time you head back onto the trails. If conditions are wet, allow a little extra time for a more thorough clean and reapplication.

Daily, at the campsite

Two minutes a night beats an hour on Sunday. Knock the dust off, wipe the chain, check it’s not bone dry, spin the wheels and look at the pads. If it rained, deal with it that night.

After a dry, dusty day, a microfibre wipe of the chain before reapplying lube or wax is enough. After a wet day, allow time for a more thorough clean with Muc-Off Nano Tech Bike Cleaner and Muc-Off Bio Drivetrain Cleaner before reapplying frame protection and chain lube.

The sand factor: Muc-Off Ottercross

Sand gets everywhere, and it grinds. If you’re racing the Muc-Off Ottercross on Sunday, plan to strip and re-lube the drivetrain properly afterwards, not just wipe it down.

After riding in sandy, and potentially wet or salty, conditions, a full post-race wash and service is worth doing. Disassemble, clean and service key components thoroughly to make sure any salt water or sand is out of the hard-to-reach areas, then reapply frame protection and a fresh coat of lube or wax to the chain. Check your tyres and wheels for damage while you’re at it, and make sure sealant levels are still where they should be.

At the event

Muc-Off will have a plumbed-in wash bay at Hanging Rock, showcasing Muc-Off Nano Tech Bike Cleaner with pressure washers supplied so your bike is clean and ready for the next ride. There’s a tent next to the wash bay with products available to buy, plus the full Muc-Off range on show in the event expo area.

Wash Bay Hours: Friday and Saturday: 10.00am to 5.00pm* Sunday: 10.00am to 3.00pm*

No workshop on site, just the Wash Bay and Expo Tents, where Muc-Off staff will be on hand throughout the event to talk tubeless setups, bike protection and which chain lube suits the conditions you ride in. There will be competitions running throughout the event too (times TBC).

When you get home

The proper clean. Everything four days of coast and trail has put on your bike comes off now, before it sets.

Whether you rode the MTB trails all weekend or only raced the Ottercross on Sunday, after an event in dry, dusty, sandy or salty conditions, a full post-race wash and service is worth doing. Disassemble, clean and service key components thoroughly, so dirt, grime, salt water or sand hasn’t worked its way into the hard-to-reach spots.

Then protect your frame and components with Muc-Off Bike Protect or Silicone Shine, followed by a fresh application of your lube or wax of choice. Finally, check your wheels and tyres, top up sealant if needed, and check tread, so you’re ready for your next adventure.

Thanks to the team at Muc-Off for sharing their know-how so you can spend the weekend riding, not fixing.