Cleaning bike...

[Glover Fan]

Hi,

Really silly question, I have cleaned bikes since a very young age, but i'm scared to actually wash my road bike because I have a fear of damaging something. I don't have access to a hosepipe. I have literally a bucket, sponges, toothbrushes and some bicycle degreaser.

I have a fully carbon road bike, is there anything I can damage with water/need to watch out for? What areas are typically neglected by most people when cleaning their bikes?

Am I missing any essential cleaning products? I will of course lube up afterwards (the bike, that is).

Thanks,

Jon.

 

[2Loose]

Am I missing any essential cleaning products? I will of course lube up afterwards (the bike, that is).

Baby wipes! Great for cleaning eveything from rims to chains and so cheap and convenient.

 

[Moodyman]

Hi,

Really silly question, I have cleaned bikes since a very young age, but i'm scared to actually wash my road bike because I have a fear of damaging something. I don't have access to a hosepipe. I have literally a bucket, sponges, toothbrushes and some bicycle degreaser.

I have a fully carbon road bike, is there anything I can damage with water/need to watch out for? What areas are typically neglected by most people when cleaning their bikes?

Am I missing any essential cleaning products? I will of course lube up afterwards (the bike, that is).

Thanks,

Jon.

Bucket,sponge and brush are fine. Baby wipes are also great. For once cheap is actually better as you only want the alcohol in the baby wipes - bike won't benefit from the more expensive moisturising wipes.

 

[Glover Fan]

Baby wipes before or after general water based cleaning?

 

[Moodyman]

Baby wipes before or after general water based cleaning?

If the bike was clean when you took it for a ride and it got dirty then the wipes straight after the ride will be fine.

If you’ve done multiple rides and the bike got dirty each time and you simply put it away, then you’ll need soap and warm water to remove the built up crud.

If you use your brush on the frame, make sure it's soft bristles. Don't use same brush on your drivetrain as you use on your frame.

 

[BSRU]

I read on here a while ago car shampoo is good for cleaning bikes, I use it, in fact I use it more on my bike than my car.

 

[ianrauk]

Washy up liquid and water and elbow grease will clean you bike fine. Then a spray down with the hose. Then rag dry followed by Mr Sheen for a nice sparkel.

 

[potsy]

Washy up liquid and water and elbow grease will clean you bike fine. Then a spray down with the hose. Then rag dry followed by Mr Sheen for a nice sparkel.

Wondered where you were Ian, almost 5 hours into a bike cleaning thread and you were nowhere to be seen, now where's Fossy?

 

[BSRU]

Washy up liquid and water and elbow grease will clean you bike fine. Then a spray down with the hose. Then rag dry followed by Mr Sheen for a nice sparkel.

My memory is vague about the previous thread about washing bikes, but I am sure that it was stated that washing up liquid was bad due to the salt in it, although I do not know how true that is.

 

[benb]

How particular do you need to be about drying. The chain for example I would imagine you don't want to leave it wet, but I can't see me drying each link individually. Or do you take the chain off before cleaning?

Should I use a degreaser? Also, once it's clean, what is the best technique for lubing the chain and gears? Should I be lubing anywhere else?

Thanks in advance for the advice.

 

[ianrauk]

My memory is vague about the previous thread about washing bikes, but I am sure that it was stated that washing up liquid was bad due to the salt in it, although I do not know how true that is.

Depends how much you use. Just a little liquid and a good rinse and it's fine.

 

[ianrauk]

How particular do you need to be about drying. The chain for example I would imagine you don't want to leave it wet, but I can't see me drying each link individually. Or do you take the chain off before cleaning?

Should I use a degreaser? Also, once it's clean, what is the best technique for lubing the chain and gears? Should I be lubing anywhere else?

Thanks in advance for the advice.

I take the chain off before cleaning.
Wipe down chain and relube using the Mickle method. You shouldn't need a degreaser unless the chain is absolutely caked in crud

 

[slowmotion]

In case you don't know about the Mickle method of chain cleaning, here it is.....

http://www.cyclorama.net/blog/advice/51/

 

[mickle]

If I had a pound for every time .......






















...I'd have four pounds.

 

[mickle]

Actually there is a 'method' for bike cleaning too, I just haven't written it down yet....