Cleaning rims

What is the best way to clean rims? Thanks.

 

Hi

I am not sure what you mean, is it cleaning the rim like in washing or cleaning the braking surface. I will discuss both, here goes:-

1. Alway use low pressure water. Water that enters your bearings WILL cause eventual damage that can be expensive. (this includes the headset, bottom bracket and wheel bearings) Use a long handled brush and a sponge or cloth with youe car wash or bike wash detergent in hot water. Wash the rims and then the spokes and hubs. Dry with a cloth or blowdry with your vacuum cleaner blow function (this works very well)
2. The braking surfaces of your rim are normally machined and should run true. Use a 3M plastic sourer sponge and clean the aluminium lightly with this. It will remove all the accumulated rubber form the rim. At the same time inspect for dents, burrs and other defects. Contact your LBS for work on these defects. Mavic also makea a hard rubber eraser that you can use.

Hope this helps and keep those wheels spinning!!!
Big H

 

Geno,

I always clean my rims with an alcohol or citrus degreaser solution and very fine steel wool... wipe the rims clean with a cloth towel. That's how we do it at the bike shop!

Good luck.

Cyclist

 

Use a rag soaked in gasoline, gasoline cuts all grease and dirt and anything on your rims.
Don't sniff to much though its got benzene in it.

 

Hi

Do you mean you wash the bicycle,And the wheels such as 700C wheels are not easy to wash clean?

I suggest you can use water cannons to wash,because of Mud stuck wheels.

 

"Use a rag soaked in gasoline, gasoline cuts all grease and dirt and anything on your rims.
Don't sniff to much though its got benzene in it."

It's probably best if you smoke a cigarette while cleaning. That will mask the smell of the gasoline.

 

Hey thats a great idea!

cleaning your lungs while cleaning your bike is a great way to save time and be more efficient

 

oldest.....thread......ever

 

It is old. Maybe now that it has been bumped Cyclist will make that magical 2nd post.

 

Got to love these ancient threads, where the OP asks a short question, we get into long and heated debates for pages and years, and he never comes back. Alcohol seems to work just fine for me for the infrequent cleaning of the rim sidewalls. But I like the updates here.....gasoline and water cannons are both great suggestions for cleaning bikes.