New Bike: Cleaning & Maintenance

[alp1950]

Need advice/links on basic cleaning & maintenance of a new bike.

Just taken delivery of my shiny new Kinesis Racelight TK.

I'm considering putting it in a display case & looking at it occasionally, but if it does find its way out onto winter roads how do I keep it looking & working as new for as long as possible?

 

[longers]

Save it for next year? Possibly the middle week of May.

Other than that, the glass case is the best way.

 

[Chris James]

If you do a search I am pretty sure that we have had a number of threads about this topic. Normally the link from Flandria bikes gets posted up too.

If you have mudguards (as I think your bike will have) then the amount of crap you get on the bike will be limited over winter. After wet rides then rinse off the worst of the muck with a hosepipe on gentle setting.

Occasionally wash the bike, including the chain, over with car shampoo. Rinse off. Use a water resitsnat lube over winter (eg Finish Line Cross Country). If no, then after washing make sure you use a water dispersant (WD40, TF2 etc) to prevent the chain from rusing and when dry aply the lube of your choice.

Remember to also rinse the crud out of your brake blocks and clean the rims regularly. Also check the brake block surface in case they have picked up slivers of aluminium rim material. Do this if your brakes sound crunchier than normal.

 

[jimboalee]

Grease ALL brake and gear adjusters, brake pivots and clamp bolts.

For the rest of it, I use a good furniture polish.