 Tools: Hose
(optional), Clean Rags, Bike Brushes,
Bike Cleaner,
Spray
Lubricant, Chain Cleaner (optional),
Chain
Tool
Time: an hour...ish
More often then not you'll just want to collapse
after a ride but it's important to clean your bike
before you forget about it. Not only will it save
you having to do it later but it could also save
you money. It won't take long for rust to find
your bike if it's not properly cleaned and
lubricated and the build up of dirt, grit and
grease will shorten the life of components.
Hosing
The easy
option! But care should be taken when using a hose
or jetwash, as a high-pressure spray is too
powerful for the seals on your bearings to
withstand. Areas to avoid would be the seals
around the bottom bracket, hubs and headset.
However, using a hose to remove the heavy surface
muck from your bike before you start cleaning it
by hand can be a great time saver.
The Ol' Bucket And Brush
The cheaper,
safer and more effective cleaning method. Plus
it's better for the environment. If
you haven't used a hose to clean off the surface
muck, fill a bucket with warm soapy water. Use a
stiff brush (it's definitely worth investing in a
decent set of bike brushes as they are specially
made to get into all the nooks and crannies) to remove the surface muck from the
frame, forks, handlebars and saddle (You shouldn't have to work too
hard to get the these parts clean). Once
you've given it a good scrub down and
rinsed it off with a hose or warm water, place it
upside down (using a towel to prevent scuffs) and
remove the wheels.
Using soapy
water is one of the best ways to effectively clean
a bike. You can use a bike cleaner such as Muc-Off
(which you usually spray on and then rinse off) or
just plain old washing up liquid, which is pretty
good too (Just don't use oven cleaner!).
Wheels
Easy to
clean, just scrub away the muck from the rims,
tyres and spokes and then rinse off the soap or
bike cleaner. On the rear wheel, use a stiff brush
to clean out all the cack that's caught in the
cassette. Do this thoroughly and it'll improve
your shifting and increase the life of your
drivetrain. Plus if you spend ages cleaning your
chain and don't clean the cassette, the chain
will get dirty again pretty quick. Don't forget to
clean the chain rings and the jockey wheels too.
Chain
You can
clean the chain while it's still on the bike,
using a chain cleaner is
one way of doing this - Just fill the chain
cleaner with a solvent such as Finish
Line Ecotech Degreaser and then turn the pedals to drive the chain
through the cleaner. Repeat until the chain is
clean - you may have to replace the solvent a few
times.
If you want
to give the chain a proper cleaning, remove it
from the bike using a chain tool. (this type of
treatment is not recommended for Shimano
Hyperglide Chains, see Chain
Maintenance) Use a stiff
brush (an old toothbrush can be great for this) and
some soapy water to clean the worst of the grime
and then place it in a shallow tin with some white
spirit. Leave it to soak for a while and then
replace the dirty white spirit with clean spirit.
Repeat until you have a nice, clean chain (let the
chain dry before replacing it on the bike).
Brakes
The brake
blocks don't require that much cleaning, as they
don't really get that dirty. Give the pads a scrub
with a stiff brush, ensuring no grit is caught in
the pads, as this will adversely effect braking.
Lubrication
Once you've
dried off the bike using the clean rags (includes
wiping down the wheels, frame and forks) you'll
need to re-lube all the relevant parts. Spray
lubricant on the chain, gears and brake pivots
(avoiding the brake blocks and rims). Remember,
you don't
need to spray gallons over everything as it will
attract more dirt (and you'll spends loads on bike
lube). A good quality bike lube such as Finish
Line is recommended for the chain,
something like GT-85
is better for the pivots but is too thin to use on
it's own as chain lube.
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