PaulSB
Legendary Member
- Location
- Chorley, Lancashire
Welcome Matt. We all ride machines in the form of beautiful bikes but they are still machines. All machinery benefits from and works better as a result of good maintenance. I’m retired now and have plenty of time for bike cleaning but when I worked my routine after a ride is below.
My top tip is to spend some time getting your chain, rear cassette, chain rings and jockey wheels spotlessly clean. Get off every bit of dirt. Invest in a quality lube suitable for the conditions and apply very sparingly. If you do this and clean as below your drive chain will run very smoothly, last longer and be simple to keep clean. Check the “Mickle method” and adapt to your own situation. Quality lubes are great value if used correctly and sparingly - my current bottles are 2-3 years old.
1. Wipe chain thoroughly to remove dirt
2. Spray bike with hose or garden sprayer.
3. Bucket of hot, soapy water. I use car shampoo but anything will do - it’s not in contact with the bike long enough to do harm.
4. Rinse thoroughly
5. Bounce bike gently a few times to shake off water
6. Have shower myself then back to bike
6. Wipe down with dry cloth
7. Lube as needed
8. Clean rims with small amount of white spirit. You’ll be amazed at the oil gunk which comes off!!
The actual bike cleaning shouldn’t take more than 15-20 minutes or less. I always did the washing before getting changed myself. If I showered first I tended to ignore the bike.
Every 4-6 weeks spend a couple of hours on a very thorough degrease and clean. At this point make sure the drive chain is spotless again. Polish the bike carefully. I use Mr Sheen but many other products work.
Start with a clean bike and it’s quick and easy to keep it clean.
My top tip is to spend some time getting your chain, rear cassette, chain rings and jockey wheels spotlessly clean. Get off every bit of dirt. Invest in a quality lube suitable for the conditions and apply very sparingly. If you do this and clean as below your drive chain will run very smoothly, last longer and be simple to keep clean. Check the “Mickle method” and adapt to your own situation. Quality lubes are great value if used correctly and sparingly - my current bottles are 2-3 years old.
1. Wipe chain thoroughly to remove dirt
2. Spray bike with hose or garden sprayer.
3. Bucket of hot, soapy water. I use car shampoo but anything will do - it’s not in contact with the bike long enough to do harm.
4. Rinse thoroughly
5. Bounce bike gently a few times to shake off water
6. Have shower myself then back to bike
6. Wipe down with dry cloth
7. Lube as needed
8. Clean rims with small amount of white spirit. You’ll be amazed at the oil gunk which comes off!!
The actual bike cleaning shouldn’t take more than 15-20 minutes or less. I always did the washing before getting changed myself. If I showered first I tended to ignore the bike.
Every 4-6 weeks spend a couple of hours on a very thorough degrease and clean. At this point make sure the drive chain is spotless again. Polish the bike carefully. I use Mr Sheen but many other products work.
Start with a clean bike and it’s quick and easy to keep it clean.
