Wise Words - Cleaning your Bike
Unless all of your cycling takes place indoors, sooner or later you're going to find yourself face-to-face with a dirty bike situation. While we all like that 'I've just been mountain biking' look, a clean bike will look better, work better and last longer, plus you won't get caked in grime if you have to fix it. Good news is that it doesn't take long and you don't need much in the way of dedicated kit to do the job properly.
Before we start a word of warning: Go easy with the jet washer! Jet washers proliferate at MTB trail centres and get your muddy bike clean PDQ after a fun day on the trails. Jet washers are great and driving grease of our bikes bearings (even 'sealed' bearings are defenceless against the Karcher!) If you do use a jet wash, take care around the hubs and the bottom bracket areas and don't hold the nozzle too close to the bike. I've seen paint removed from a frame with a jetwash! Instead take the Bucket-shaped route to happiness! It might be low-fi and old-skool, but you can't beat a good old bucket of hot water with a mild detergent (washing up liquid) and a selection of brushes and sponges to get the job done.
What you'll need
1.A large bucket.
2.A large sponge/soft bristle brush for frame and forks.
3.A stiff bristled brush for rims and tyres.
4.An old paintbrush - great for getting into your bike's awkward nooks and crannies.
5.A chain cleaning device (available at all good bike shops) not totally necessary but does such a good job you'd be a fool not to use one.
6.Some mild detergent. You can get special bike wash that's claimed to be kinder to your delicate steed, but I've found that washing up liquid works rather well! A general rule of thumb is that if it doesn't melt your hands when you wash the dishes, it's not going to cause your bike too much trauma.
7.Some biodegradable degreaser (again, bike specific stuff is available but there are plenty of generic degreasers available)
8.About 20 mins and a small amount of patience.
9.Lube for afterwards
10.A cup of tea for that 'stand back and admire your handiwork' moment.
How to do it
The general principle here is start off with the cleanest bits and finish with the dirtiest.
Using a soft brush, hot water and mild detergent, clean the frame, forks handlebars etc - i.e. all the cleanish bits, before tackling the grimy end.
- Clean your tyres and wheels. Use a stiff bristled brush to clean your tyres and rims, pay attention to the braking surfaces, which accumulate dark grey braking sludge of the most persistent variety. Keeping your tyres and rims clean will mean better braking performance and cleaner hands when the inevitable puncture occurs.
Chain and Drivetrain Cleaning. Nothing cleans a chain like a dedicated chain bath. There are a number of models available but they all work on the same principle. A plastic degreaser reservoir with an assortment of rotating brushes which attaches to your chain and anchors on your rear derailleur (see right). Fill the chain bath with degreaser (biodegradable please!) and pedal backwards until your arm hurts. Then all you have to do is rinse the chain, wipe down and your chain should shine like a piece of costume jewellery. While you're cleaning the chain, get an old paintbrush, wet it and dunk it in degreaser and use it to degrease your sprockets, jockey wheels (the little wheels on your rear derailleur) and your chainrings, plus 'those hard to reach areas' around the gear mechanisms, brakes etc. After cleaning and rinsing the rest of the bike, finish off with SPARING relube and thorough wipe down with a rag.
- Dry the whole lot off with an old towel or rag and sparingly lube all moving parts, taking extra care not to get any lube on the braking surfaces of your rims or brake discs.
- Stand back and admire your 'as new' bike. Ride, enjoy, get dirty again.
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