How To Clean A Bicycle

charliew87
charliew87 Posts: 371
edited April 2012 in Road beginners
Quite frankly if you don't do this after each outing you are just plain lazy.

http://www.teamsky.com/gallery/0,27401, ... ml#photo=0
Canyon AL Ultimate 9.0

Comments

  • desweller
    desweller Posts: 5,175
    Call me a coward but mucking about with jet wash and compressed air around bearings seems a bit silly to me. Still, I suppose they've got the budget to turf bits out all the time.
    - - - - - - - - - -
    On Strava.{/url}
  • alihisgreat
    alihisgreat Posts: 3,872
    DesWeller wrote:
    Call me a coward but mucking about with jet wash and compressed air around bearings seems a bit silly to me. Still, I suppose they've got the budget to turf bits out all the time.


    Yep, for those of use who pay for our bikes and components... its worth being a little gentler.

    A normal hosepipe, then a bucket with soap and a soft brush should do it.

    +whatever you want to clean your drive-train with.
  • centimani
    centimani Posts: 467
    I stood watching the mechanics at the TdeF prologue in London...thats when i saw the benefit of the compressed air and thought...i use compressed air at work :) It works very well.
    The only thing i'd say regarding the amount of water is...
    I used a spray bottle with a water/detergent mix, paper towelled off the dirt and moisture, then compressed air to blast it all dry and clean. I got it down to a fine art, i could clean my winter commuter daily and it only took a few minutes.
    BUT....i use that same method on my summer bike. Ive just been doing some work to it, readying it for selling and found the downtube cable adjusters siezed solid in the bosses and the seatpost is stuck. I only had the seatpost out late last year. Its not unreasonable to assume water residue may be causing the problems.
    New bike...i've been working my way round it applying copperslip to just about every screw, adjuster etc etc.

    I wont do it to a bike i intend keeping without taking added steps to prevent water getting into area's you don't want it to. Its the long term implications you need to consider.

Categories