How to clean and maintain your bike？
03-07-22, 01:40 AM
#1
Full Member
Thread Starter
How to clean and maintain your bike？
When you buy a nice bike, taking it to a professional bike store regularly for inspection and maintenance is a must.
But that's not all there is to maintaining your bike. Every little while, a simple cleaning should be done, especially after riding through some muddy roads, and a simple wipe down with a hose and towel is fine, but there's more you can do beyond that.
(1) When to clean
If you've just finished a ride and your bike looks pretty clean, you don't need to do a thorough cleaning. But if you can, wipe the chain clean, put fresh lube on it, and wipe it down.
If your bike looks dirty, say with a layer of mud on it. Then you better clean it up before you put it away. Grit can get into places you wouldn't believe, like the bike's bearings or rear shock, and thus affect your riding experience. Cleaning your bike promptly can extend the life of your bike.
A bucket of clean water can also be used for cleaning when you don't have a hose while you are on the go.
(2) Cleaning tools
It would be nice if you had a professional bike repair stand that could turn your bike over at multiple angles. But it doesn't matter if you don't have one. If you don't have one, you can clean it by standing on it with a foot brace. If you don't have a foot brace, you need to find a place for your bike to lean against or turn it over.
Then prepare a bucket of clean water, a regular hose, and a few rags that you don't mind getting dirty. You'll also need a couple of brushes, and you'll usually have three different styles of brushes. The first is a soft-bristled brush that can be used on metal parts such as on the frame. You can buy a special soft-bristled brush for cleaning, but a paintbrush will also work. The second is a stiffer brush for cleaning overly dirty areas like your tires or cranks with a special bike brush, or you can use a new toilet brush. The third is a smaller stiff-bristled brush for cleaning chains and gears. If you don't have a special chain brush, you can use a stiff-bristled toothbrush instead.
As for cleaners, you can buy special bike cleaners, or if you don't have one, a common detergent will work, it will remove oil and dirt and is easy to clean. You also need some degreaser to clean the chain quickly and thoroughly.
(3) Cleaning process
Step 1: Use the hose to wet the bike
Don't use a high-pressure water gun, you don't need too much water flow. Only a water flow as large as watering plants is needed. Too large a flow will allow water to rush into the various links, which will then rust.
Step 2: Clean the drive train
Start by spraying and wetting the chain and gears with a degreaser. Then use a small, stiff bristle brush to scrub each part of the drivetrain cleanly and vigorously. After brushing a section, rinse the brush in a bucket of water and then continue brushing, repeating as many times as necessary. When the drivetrain is clean, it will shine like silverware.
Step 3: Clean the wheels and tires
Put a large stiff brush in a bucket of water, squeeze down the detergent, and brush the wheels and tires vigorously. If there are holes in the tires, the soapy water will suds up. Wait until the cleaning is complete, then patch the tire.
Step 4: Clean the frame
Use the same bucket of soapy water as above, and a soft brush ready to clean the dirt off the frame. If there is nasty dirt on top of the frame, don't increase the water pressure to rinse it off, use the soft brush to sweep it off. Treat it just like you would your car.
Step 5: Rinse the whole car off
Use the hose to rinse the foam off the car, don't miss a spot. When the cleaning is done, you'll notice any scratches or wear on the frame. If you care, get a little topical alcohol on a rag and wipe slowly and gently to remove the lighter wear.
(4) After cleaning
After washing, dry the bike with a clean towel and put it in the sun to dry thoroughly. When it is dry, give the chain service with chain lube. Rotate the chain while slowly dripping the lube. Spin it a few times to make it more even, next let it soak in for three to five minutes, then wipe off the lube, most importantly. Because the vast majority of people drip too much lube, that's not good for the bike. And wiping with a towel will not wipe off all the lube, it will only wipe off the excess.
(5) Summary
No matter what kind of bike it is, road, mountain, touring, or electric, they are all cleaned in the same way. However, there are a few things to remember.
If the bike has leather on it (maybe the seat or grips), try not to get those areas wet. You can wrap them up in a dry rag to avoid the hose spraying that area.
But if your bike comes with any electronic parts, such as a battery, they are not much of a problem, and these parts are usually designed to be protected from getting wet.
Once clean, use lube only on the chain, not anywhere else where it looks like you should but don't have to use lube.
But that's not all there is to maintaining your bike. Every little while, a simple cleaning should be done, especially after riding through some muddy roads, and a simple wipe down with a hose and towel is fine, but there's more you can do beyond that.
(1) When to clean
If you've just finished a ride and your bike looks pretty clean, you don't need to do a thorough cleaning. But if you can, wipe the chain clean, put fresh lube on it, and wipe it down.
If your bike looks dirty, say with a layer of mud on it. Then you better clean it up before you put it away. Grit can get into places you wouldn't believe, like the bike's bearings or rear shock, and thus affect your riding experience. Cleaning your bike promptly can extend the life of your bike.
A bucket of clean water can also be used for cleaning when you don't have a hose while you are on the go.
(2) Cleaning tools
It would be nice if you had a professional bike repair stand that could turn your bike over at multiple angles. But it doesn't matter if you don't have one. If you don't have one, you can clean it by standing on it with a foot brace. If you don't have a foot brace, you need to find a place for your bike to lean against or turn it over.
Then prepare a bucket of clean water, a regular hose, and a few rags that you don't mind getting dirty. You'll also need a couple of brushes, and you'll usually have three different styles of brushes. The first is a soft-bristled brush that can be used on metal parts such as on the frame. You can buy a special soft-bristled brush for cleaning, but a paintbrush will also work. The second is a stiffer brush for cleaning overly dirty areas like your tires or cranks with a special bike brush, or you can use a new toilet brush. The third is a smaller stiff-bristled brush for cleaning chains and gears. If you don't have a special chain brush, you can use a stiff-bristled toothbrush instead.
As for cleaners, you can buy special bike cleaners, or if you don't have one, a common detergent will work, it will remove oil and dirt and is easy to clean. You also need some degreaser to clean the chain quickly and thoroughly.
(3) Cleaning process
Step 1: Use the hose to wet the bike
Don't use a high-pressure water gun, you don't need too much water flow. Only a water flow as large as watering plants is needed. Too large a flow will allow water to rush into the various links, which will then rust.
Step 2: Clean the drive train
Start by spraying and wetting the chain and gears with a degreaser. Then use a small, stiff bristle brush to scrub each part of the drivetrain cleanly and vigorously. After brushing a section, rinse the brush in a bucket of water and then continue brushing, repeating as many times as necessary. When the drivetrain is clean, it will shine like silverware.
Step 3: Clean the wheels and tires
Put a large stiff brush in a bucket of water, squeeze down the detergent, and brush the wheels and tires vigorously. If there are holes in the tires, the soapy water will suds up. Wait until the cleaning is complete, then patch the tire.
Step 4: Clean the frame
Use the same bucket of soapy water as above, and a soft brush ready to clean the dirt off the frame. If there is nasty dirt on top of the frame, don't increase the water pressure to rinse it off, use the soft brush to sweep it off. Treat it just like you would your car.
Step 5: Rinse the whole car off
Use the hose to rinse the foam off the car, don't miss a spot. When the cleaning is done, you'll notice any scratches or wear on the frame. If you care, get a little topical alcohol on a rag and wipe slowly and gently to remove the lighter wear.
(4) After cleaning
After washing, dry the bike with a clean towel and put it in the sun to dry thoroughly. When it is dry, give the chain service with chain lube. Rotate the chain while slowly dripping the lube. Spin it a few times to make it more even, next let it soak in for three to five minutes, then wipe off the lube, most importantly. Because the vast majority of people drip too much lube, that's not good for the bike. And wiping with a towel will not wipe off all the lube, it will only wipe off the excess.
(5) Summary
No matter what kind of bike it is, road, mountain, touring, or electric, they are all cleaned in the same way. However, there are a few things to remember.
If the bike has leather on it (maybe the seat or grips), try not to get those areas wet. You can wrap them up in a dry rag to avoid the hose spraying that area.
But if your bike comes with any electronic parts, such as a battery, they are not much of a problem, and these parts are usually designed to be protected from getting wet.
Once clean, use lube only on the chain, not anywhere else where it looks like you should but don't have to use lube.
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