Bike cleaning
07-05-18, 07:51 AM
#26
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2010
Posts: 39,229
Mentioned: 211 Post(s)
Tagged: 1 Thread(s)
Quoted: 18409 Post(s)
Liked 15,520 Times
in
7,324 Posts
This was answered definitively many threads ago: You take your bike in the shower with you.
And I have also power washed my bike while on your. Sank more than spoke deep while moving. Mud was flung everywhere. Even my cantilever brakes were coated. Fortunately, there was a car wash in a town maybe 10 miles away. I even had to use the sprayer to completely clean out my cleat wells.
And I have also power washed my bike while on your. Sank more than spoke deep while moving. Mud was flung everywhere. Even my cantilever brakes were coated. Fortunately, there was a car wash in a town maybe 10 miles away. I even had to use the sprayer to completely clean out my cleat wells.
07-05-18, 08:01 AM
#27
Senior Member
07-05-18, 08:42 AM
#28
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: 37°22′17″N 122°8′15″W
Posts: 59
Bikes: Softride (Classic & RockeTT), Griffen Vulcan, Litech Magnesium rigid bike, Raleigh FS MTB, Lemond Zurich
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
07-05-18, 08:46 AM
#29
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: 37°22′17″N 122°8′15″W
Posts: 59
Bikes: Softride (Classic & RockeTT), Griffen Vulcan, Litech Magnesium rigid bike, Raleigh FS MTB, Lemond Zurich
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
I've never hose or pressure wash my bike either. I'll either use a blue shop towel or a microfiber towel to remove dirt from the frame. For the derailleurs, I'll use heavy duty cleaning wipes which I'll sometime use on the frame if the paints looks dull. I once used those cleaning wipes on the rims and that was a bad idea. For several kilometres, I couldn't brake without the brake pad skipping and squealing. Made it hard to stop.
Sounds like it's scratched.
07-06-18, 10:09 AM
#30
Senior Member
Why? If you have bearings from the 1980s, I can see why. They weren't sealed at all. But most modern bearings are well sealed against dirt, dust and water. This GCN video looks at using a pressure washer on bicycles and their conclusions align fairly well with my experience of using car washes for cleaning bikes for decades. It won't hurt them.
Who said rub? Dirt can be removed without 'rubbing'. Dirt doesn't cling to the bike. A simple gentle wipe is enough, The only scratches on my paint were caused by me falling down on gravel
07-06-18, 10:21 AM
#31
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: 37°22′17″N 122°8′15″W
Posts: 59
Bikes: Softride (Classic & RockeTT), Griffen Vulcan, Litech Magnesium rigid bike, Raleigh FS MTB, Lemond Zurich
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
I have black cars and the bike paint is no different.
07-06-18, 10:51 AM
#32
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: Highlands Ranch, CO
Posts: 1,221
Bikes: '13 Diamondback Hybrid Commuter, '17 Spec Roubaix Di2, '17 Spec Camber 29'er, '19 CDale Topstone Gravel
Mentioned: 5 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 590 Post(s)
Liked 445 Times
in
260 Posts
I wash with water only. No detergents, which will potentially wash away some of the beneficial greases and lubes . And then wipe all braking surfaces (rims or rotors) down with IPA (the alcohol, not the beer).
07-06-18, 07:57 PM
#33
Senior Member
07-06-18, 08:51 PM
#34
Member
Join Date: Jul 2018
Posts: 32
Bikes: Bianchi Oltre XR2 DA9000, ICAN SN04
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 13 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
After flushing the bike, dry all the wet parts of the bicycle with a dry rag, remember to lubricate the transmission pivot and chain, etc.
07-07-18, 02:02 PM
#35
Newbie
Join Date: Jul 2015
Posts: 54
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 16 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 4 Times
in
3 Posts
Cut up t shirts pieces are the best. They don't leave any fibers. I have a spray bottle with simple Green and spray the piece of t shirt and use that.
For the greasy parts VM&P Naphth is great to get the grease of fthe drivetrain and clean your hands too (or spots on legs after a ride).
Then for a deeper job, gear floss wet with Naptha, for the hard to get to spots.
For the greasy parts VM&P Naphth is great to get the grease of fthe drivetrain and clean your hands too (or spots on legs after a ride).
Then for a deeper job, gear floss wet with Naptha, for the hard to get to spots.
