What is the best way to clean derailer cogs?

[Guest]

I have a mountain bike that in collecting lots of mud in the front and rear derailer cogs what is the best way to clean them? Also sometimes when I change to a lower gear it waits 4/5 seconds before doing it or does not change unless I change down another gear. Thanks. Mike

[Alex Ramon]

Hi Mike,

You can hold a flathead screwdriver sideways against the side of the pulleys and basically scrape the dirt off as you turn them. If you want to make things even easier you could invest in a cleaning tool like the Park GearClean Brush.

As for the shifting problem, if it eventually shifts sometimes I would say your shift cables are either dry or dirty. Try flushing them with some light lubricant (like Tri-Flow) inside the shift cable housing. Let me know if that works.