How to wash your road bike...!?
- Thread starter Sando
- Start date
As Alienator said, it's pretty simple. But let's do it logically.
1) Degrease those oily drivetrain parts ie. Cogs, chain, derailleurs.
2) Water (no jet), dish washing detergent, sponge.
3) Dry rag.
4) Car wax to polish the frame.
5) Re-lube.
Don't forget to turn your bike upside down to let out those water in the frame. Also, fully deflate the tyres and loosen those valve stems from the rim and let the wheels sit with the valve hole at the bottom. You'll find that water collected within the rims would drain out slowly.
1) Degrease those oily drivetrain parts ie. Cogs, chain, derailleurs.
2) Water (no jet), dish washing detergent, sponge.
3) Dry rag.
4) Car wax to polish the frame.
5) Re-lube.
Don't forget to turn your bike upside down to let out those water in the frame. Also, fully deflate the tyres and loosen those valve stems from the rim and let the wheels sit with the valve hole at the bottom. You'll find that water collected within the rims would drain out slowly.
Fair enough. I understand that Dawn, a well known liquid detergent in the US is often the preferred product for washing bikes and cars (before the next wax job).Lama said:
For me, I am less concerned as after you've diluted it in a bucket, the concentration is so low. By the time you've rinsed it with your hose, you've effectively taken it down to environmental levels.
Or if you’re slightly more ambitious…Sando said:Anyone know of a good website that shows you how to wash your road bike (REALLY) well?!?!
Any help would be appreciated!
I highly recommend learning how to disassemble and reassemble your bike. Most parts are much easier to clean off the bike than on. And a frame is dead easy to clean when all the parts are off! You can even use a little water pressure. Surprisingly, to me at least, most of the mechanical tasks on a road bike are quite simple to do!
It’s a little more work but it’s a labour of love! I do a full cleaning once or twice a season and it makes the regular periodic cleaning much easier. After a particularly wet or dirty ride, I won’t hesitate to remove the chain and cassette to properly degrease and re-lube them. I find this actually a lot easier and less messy than trying to clean the chain and cassette while they are still on the bike. There’s something very rewarding about having a smooth shifting, clean machine - all from your own work.
If you decide to take this on, there are a few good manuals out there to help you along the way. I would highly recommend 'Zinn, and the Art of Road Bike Maintenance.'
Good luck!
Pad
I just use these kitchen wipe thingsfrom Costco. It's clean and easy. I never use a hose. My road bike is never really that dirty.
Oh, and I wipe it down about once a week, depending on how much or where I've been riding.
Oh, and I wipe it down about once a week, depending on how much or where I've been riding.
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