cleaning

dmitch1987

Just wondering what process you all go through when cleaning your bike.

How often and what products you all like you use.

ravey1981

Depends what the road conditions have been like really. If its dry then usually just wipe the chain down and relube if necessary. If its been wet and lots of road crap has got onto the bike I hose it down to get the most of it off, then the above. Once a week I use a bucket of hot water with a bit of washing up liquid in and a sponge and give it thorough clean.

Winter bike gets hosed off after every ride to get rid of any salt that might have been on the road.

mmacavity

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jt5D5SsqBc4

trailflow

Any mud i let dry then i brush it off. Then i use a rag towel and go round the chainset and derailleurs and remove the gunk that builds up. Then i lightly spray all over the frame and parts with cheap engine degreaser. Then just use a sponge scourer and soapy water to clean everything. Avoiding getting any water in the pressfit bb and headset.

For the wheels i remove them from the frame and scrub the tyres,rims,spokes,hub,skewers with a scourer and more soapy water. Carbon wheels are alot quicker to clean. Aluminium rims can take a while to scrub the brake track. I then scrub the brake pads whilst they are still on the bike. Then i dry everything with a rag towel and inspect the tread and sidewalls for cuts. And remove any embedded glass with a needle.

For the chain i just run it through a dirty rag ,then a plastic chain cleaning box with degreaser. Then dry. Then re-lube the chain with a 50:50 mix of chainsaw oil and white spirit.

Then i lightly sand the brake pads to remove any crap or metal shards. Occasionally i will remove them and inspect them properly.

Every few months i remove the cassette and clean each individual cog with degreaser and a brush. And also service the freehub and wheel bearings.

I don't use a pressure washer or any hose to rinse the bike.

i use washing up liquid because its cheap and im cheap.
Chainsaw oil is a fiver for 1 ltr.
Engine degreaser is £12.50 for 5 ltr off Ebay.

I do this cleaning routine every week or 2,3 or 4 depends how much its been used.

I dont buy bike cleaning products. I'd rather save my money to buy components,clothing,bits etc.

feisty

This is basically what I do (without bothering with the cables)

http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/article/h ... deo-18259/

iron-clover

Mine's easy- use muc-off chain tool with their degreaser (the ordinary can is larger than their chain degreaser but works as well) and then get a bucket, fill with warm water and washing up liquid just like I'm about to to the washing up, and use a j-cloth to clean the bike with it, doing both sides seperately and working front to back, paying special attention to the wheels.
Drivetrain always done last as this wrecks the water.

Then I either fill the bucket with regular water or get a hose on a gentle setting and gently rinse the bike to make sure there's no salt from the washing up liquid and get rid of any remaining grit.

I then leave to dry and re-lube the chain, and occasionally use GT-85 to spray onto the moving parts of the drivetrain and also the exposed cable with help of a rag, and then sometimes polish the bike with GT-85 on a rag to give it the 'shop new paint' look.

It's all simple really and you don't need fancy cleaning products, and after a little practice you can do the whole routine in half an hour- a sunny day helps too!

964cup

Remove wheels and chain (I use a quick link). Spray the bike with bike cleaner (or 50/50 non-bio laundry liquid and water if I don't have bike cleaner to hand). Rinse clean with hose. Dry with clean micro-fibre cloth. If carbon bike, apply Mr Sheen and buff with fresh cloth. If steel, apply automotive wax and similarly buff clean once wax has dried. (Have yet to work out what to do with matt finish on latest carbon frame...). Remove cassette. Wash cassette and chain in warm water with laundry detergent, using scrubbing brush first, then sponge. Dry with microfibre. Clean wheels, mechs with damp cloth, with careful use of degreaser applied to cloth first if needed (to avoid degreaser in bearings). Check brake pads for grit/metal particles (if alloy rims); clean with cloth or sandpaper as appropriate. Refit cassette, refit wheels, refit chain. Lube chain. JDMAEH.

sloppyschleckonds

Take it to your LBS for a service once a month, ask them to clean it.

dmitch1987

cheers for the replies all!

Gave my road bike a good clean today looks like new....now for the mountain bike next weekend.....I may need a power washer!

bob6397

Run the chain through a chain cleaner.. Re-lube well. Lubricate things that need lubricating (Freehub, jockey wheels, bottom bracket). Done. Works on my mtb as well..

Don't bother cleaning anything else.. not point really - unless you have a steel frame and it will rust away if you don't..

iron-clover

dmitch1987 wrote:

cheers for the replies all!

Gave my road bike a good clean today looks like new....now for the mountain bike next weekend.....I may need a power washer!

Don't use a power washer on the bike!
You're likely to force water into bearings if you do. Use a hose on a sprinkling setting instead.

step83

Sounds anal but this works well for my MTB

Remove chain (quick link)
Remove wheels
hand pump sprayer to wet the bike and wheels
spray on a bike cleaner
using a soft brush take off the worst of the mud (bike should be all foamy now)
rinse
Dry
Apply car polish/car wax or both (helps mud stick less and makes everything shiney)
Lube jockeys and derailler spring
Use a water dispersing spray on the cassette
Clean rotors and/or pads
Re add chain and lube

doesnt take as long as it sounds to be honest. I use one of these its got enough power to move the gunk but not enough to damage anything.

seanorawe

Go to you tube and type in GCN Bike clean. Great video.

dmitch1987

iron-clover wrote:

dmitch1987 wrote:

cheers for the replies all!

Gave my road bike a good clean today looks like new....now for the mountain bike next weekend.....I may need a power washer!

Don't use a power washer on the bike!
You're likely to force water into bearings if you do. Use a hose on a sprinkling setting instead.

Wouldnt actually do that..... even though it is a state. Got some muc off to see what all the fuss is about!

CYCLESPORT1

Do you go on a car forum to ask how to was a car ?

dmitch1987

CYCLESPORT1 wrote:

Do you go on a car forum to ask how to was a car ?

Yup I also go on smart a** comment forums for all my smart a**ed comment needs

dwanes

SloppySchleckonds wrote:

Take it to your LBS for a service once a month, ask them to clean it.

You've either got a good disposable income, lazy, or stupid.
(or all of the above)

For me its simply hosepipe, Soapy (car wash) water and plenty of microfibre cloths and the odd wetwipe to get in the difficult to reach areas.
No cleaners, chemicals, degreaser etc required, even on a chain.

debeli

There's cleaning and there's lubing.

I use lubes of various kinds in the lubing (cables, mechs, chain and so on).

In the washing, I use a bucket of water, a sponge, a scrubbing brush, a toothbrush and an old rag for drying the bike. For detergent, I use a thin solution of washing-up liquid or (if close to hand) car washing detergent. Sometimes I whip the wheels off, sometimes not.

I have no time frame; I wash it when it's very dirty. When it's clean, I let it stay clean until it isn't. Then I might wash it.

I've been told for decades that this method is bad for several reasons, but I seem to live outside the world where washing-up liquid damages painted aluminium, steel, carbon or moving parts. I am lucky.

I've been following this routine since childhood and it has always worked.

After a particularly claggy MTB ride, I might put a brush attachment on a hose.