The Perfectionists Guide to Bicycle Cleaning

Their are a thousand way to clean a bicycle this is my method.

Step 1, Getting The Dirt Of The Bicycle.

Whether you are at a home or on the road traveling the first order of business is getting the mud and road grime of the bicycle. The preferred method is to pre-soak the bike with the hose and try remove as much mud as possible.

Tip 1.1: It is much easier to clean a bicycle if you can clamp into a bicycle stand.

Tip 1.2: Try to avoid spraying the hose directly as bottom bracket bearing, hub bearing, freewheel bearings, headset bearings shock and fork seals. You also want to avoid the handle bar area where your expensive shifters and brake levers are too.For this reason we recommend against using the use of high pressure washers and suggest aiming "very carefully" with the garden hose.

Step 2, Soaping it Down.

Using a bucket full of hot water with a touch Blue Dawn dish soap, take a clean wash rag and wipe the frame down. Be sure to dunk and wring the wash rag frequently as you go so as not to scratch the frame finish with dirt.

Tip 2.1: Clean worn out cotton socks make excellent rags for cleaning and lubing your bicycle.

Tip 2.2: The two most popular products for washing bicycles are Blue Dawn dish soap and Simple Green. I recommend Blue Dawn because it has a mild PH of 7.3 vs a higher alkaline PH of 9.35 for Simple Green. Bicycle Engineer Scott Nicole of Ibis Cycles also specifically recommends against the use of Simple Green and Pedro's Bike Lust as these two products are know to harm the paint finish and clear coat of bicycles. Engineer Scott recommends just using mild and soap water.(Ie. Blue Dawn)

Step 3, Rinsing it Down

You can either gently wipe the bicycle down with a clean rag and rinse water from a bucket or just gently rinse it down with the garden hose. I usually use a combination of two as bicycle tires aren't the easiest thing to wipe down.

Step 4, Wiping The Bicycle Dry

With a clean dry cloth wipe the bicycle down.

Step 5, Chain Maintenance

Using a chain cleaner and "Bio Cycle Chain Cleaning Solution" run the dirty chain through until chain is clean then repeat with rinse water until clean has been flushed clean. Next wipe chain as dry as possible with with clean rag.

Tip 5.1: Cleaning the chain is a dirty job. If the chain isn't due for a full mechanical cleaning with the mechanical chain cleaner then it can be given a quick soapy wipe, rinse and towel dry during the bicycle washing process. Don't forget to give it a proper lubing with chain lube as soon as it is dry in order to prevent chain rust and deterioration.

Tip 5.2: As a general rule of thumb bicycle chain manufacter KMC recommends inspecting your chain every 100 KM for off road use and evey 250 KM for road use.

Tip 5.3: Both KMC and SRAM recommend against the use of grease-dissolving solvents or acidic agents as they are harmful to the environment but they also remove lubricant from the chain's bearing. The idea when cleaning the chain is to remove all the dirt but try to leave some of the existing lubricant intact. I personally use MEC Bio-Cycle as it is heavy duty biodegradable water-soluble degreaser containing organic solvent and mild alkalis. It contains no petroleum distillates, acids or silicones, and will not harm painted or expoxy surfaces if used as directed.

Tip 5.4: KMC recommends checking for chain stretch every 500 KM for road riding in dry weather and 150 KM for off road depending riding conditions.

Tip 5.5: Avoid all chain lubricants that have to be "shaken" before use. These lubricants have suspened solids that can't be absorbed by the capilary action of the chain and end up just being wiped off the chain before use. Or if you don't manage to wipe it off it will make an awful grinding noise as you pedal.

Step 6, Waxing the Frame with Lemon Pledge

Spray Lemon Pledge onto a clean rag and apply to the bits of the frame the need waxing. Be sure to wipe off the excess Lemon Pledge. Lemon Pledge contains 5-10% Silicon Oil which makes your frame finish look slick, feel slippery, and smell lemony fresh. It will also make your bike easier to clean next time as the dirt will have a hard time bonding to the silicon oil.

Tip 6.1: Try to avoid spaying any lubricants or waxs directly to your bicyle as this can contaminate brake pads and rims as well as disc brake rotors and pads. If possible apply it a rag first then apply it to the bike.

Tip 6.2: Admittedly there are times where this is not possible such as applying a spray on dry Teflon lube to a chain. In these cases use a rag to absorb as much over spray as possible and degrease the rotors or braking surface of the rim with a product like brake clean or acetone as per the brake manufactures technical instructions. (If in doubt always check with the manufacture!)

Step 7.1, Lubing the Chain

Apply Finish Line Wet Lube also called Cross Country to each link of the chain. Spin the chain to work the oil in.If possible let the oil soak over night before wiping as much excess oil off the chain as possible. For dry summer dusty conditions I will additionally apply a coat of Finish Line "Dry Teflon Lube" to lock the wet lube in to the chain and prevent it from collecting road and trail dust. Be sure to wipe of the excess Dry Teflon lube. This may seem like an extra step but it will keep the bicycle chain running slick and silent for a longer period of time.

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