They invested in a good bike and brought it to the store for regular repair and maintenance. But is it cleaned properly after each use to ensure smooth operation? A towel or a water pipe is a good start, but that's not all. Make it at home to avoid dirt, grime and rust. I asked Wayne Smith, a mechanic at the Olympic Bike Shop, for advice near my home in Tahoe City, California. "My general rule: A clean bike is a happy bike," he says.
When should I wash my bike?
If you go for a ride and your bike stays a little clean, you do not have to wash yourself thoroughly afterwards. "At least you should always clean the chain, apply a new lubricant and clean it," says Smith.
For example, if your bike looks visibly dirty and covered with mud, it's best to clean it before stowing it. "The sand gets into places where this is not expected, such as on bearings or on the rear shock absorber, and this can affect performance," says Smith. "Cleaning extends the life of your bike."
If you are traveling and do not have access to a garden hose, use a bucket of clean water. Or visit a local bike shop and see if you have a bike cleaning station that you can use (many do). In some bicycle-friendly hotels you can also clean bicycles.
The tools you need
You do not need a real bike carrier, such. For example, the Sports Feedback Pro Elite repair bike rack ($ 243), but it's nice to have it. "You need a place where you can lean on your bike," says Smith. "If it lies on the ground, you will turn your bike a lot." If you do not have support, you can hang it on a tree or a piece of wood next to your house. Take a bucket of clean water (good weather), a normal garden hose and a pair of rags that will make you dirty or greasy.
You also need brushes and Smith likes to use three different styles. The first is a brush with soft bristles, which is used exclusively for the frame, z. As the Muc-Off brush (14 US dollars). However, a brush can also be used. The second is a more aggressive dirty brush designed to clean very wet areas such as tires or cranks, a tire brush and a cassette (9 USD), or a new brush to clean toilet bowls. Finally, a thread brush and stiff bristles, such as the Finish Line Grunge ($ 13), are useful to clean your transfer. You can also buy a pre-filled kit, eg. Park Tool Bike Cleaning Brush Set (22 USD) or Pedro Pro Brush Set (22 USD). For soap, you can use certain machines to clean bicycles, for example: Pedro's Green Fizz ($ 15), but Smith swears by Dawn dishwashing detergent ($ 15), which cuts the sludge and is environmentally friendly. You also want a degreaser, such as Muc-Off Bio Degreaser (15 USD) or Simple Green Bike Cleaner (13 USD).
The process
Step 1: Spray your bike with a hose.
Never use a high-pressure cleaner or an ultra-heavy jet in your hose. "You do not need a strong jet of water, you want the same radiance you would use to water your plants," says Smith. "Use a pressure washer and you could put water in the bearings and rust them."
Step 2: Rub the gear.
Smith vaporizes and soaks the area with a degreaser. then Take your transfer brush and rub the chain, plates and cassette vigorously and replace them. Throw the brush into the bucket to rinse it out and repeat as needed, possibly three or four times. "If it's clean, it will shine like silver jewelry," he says.
Step 3: Clean the wheels and tires.
Dip your dirty brush into the water bucket with a few soap brushes and then polish the tires. "The soapy water bubbles and foams when the tire has a hole," says Smith. "You'll find problems with your bike much easier if it's clean, I'll wait until I finish cleaning, and then repair or repair the holes I need.
Step 4: Bathe the frame.
Use the same bucket of soapy water and the soft brush you have reserved for cleaning a frame. "If you have perturbing gravel and dirt particles, the problem is not to increase water pressure, use your brush to get into corners and cracks," says Smith. "Treat it like your car." Rinse the foam with the hose. Now that it's clean, you'll notice some bumps or scratches on the frame on the road. For more credit, put some alcohol on a cloth to remove the shoe marks from the frame.
Once clean
Let the bike dry in the sun. If you are in a hurry, use a clean towel or cloth to dry it. Once the chain has dried in the fresh air, get your favorite lubricant: Smith recommends the original bicycle chain lubricant Dumonde Tech ($ 17). Run a constant flow of lubricant in the chain (or you can lubricate the links on each chain) and let it work for a minute before cleaning. "The most important thing is to cleanse the fat," says Smith.
To pay attention to things
No matter what kind of bike you use (road, mountain, cruise or electric), they are all washed the same way. However, there are two things to keep in mind. If you have leather parts on your bike (such as a saddle, handles, or a bottle cage), do your best to keep it from getting wet. You can wrap them with a cloth or simply avoid spraying this area with the hose. However, if your bike is damaged by electronic components, such as B. is equipped with an electric battery, they are usually wet.
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