Tip of the week – bike washing

One of the most important ways to keep your bike running smoothly is to wash it often . It will save both money and frustration as it will improve chain wear and show up most minor problems before they develop into major ones . Here’s how to do it properly !

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A medium sized bucket filled with luke warm water if possible and a good squeeze of washing up liquid .A set of brushes.

Water soluble degreaser such as finish line citrus degreaser or the 5 litre tin of Jizer which is great value and will last for ages.

A tin of water displacement spray oil such as GT85 or WD40

A large car wash sponge

A bottle of chain lube

A number of old towels ( not new clean white ones from the bathroom which may cause a period of all picture and no sound)

 

 

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Remove all extra items such as pump , saddle bag and computer .

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Fill a small container such as half a water bottle with degreaser and proceed to use a stiff bristled brush to agitate the dirt on the chain , cassette and chainrings and derailleurs .

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Also use a small amount of degreaser on the brakes and around the headset area to remove any stubborn dirt . It must be a water soluble degreaser as petrol or any other non water soluble degreaser will leave a film of oil which will be dangerous on the brakes and messy on the chain .

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Now use a loose bristled brush to wash all of the areas which have been degreased with the soapy water . The water and degreaser mix will often turn pink and you will be able to see it all along with the dirt just melt from the bike.

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Next use a larger brush all over the bike to remove any large bits  of dirt .

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Now beginning with the saddle and working down along the bike use the car sponge to clean the whole bike with liberal amounts of soapy water .

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When cleaning the wheels pay particular attention to the tyres to spot any cuts or pieces of glass in the tyre .

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The chain should now be nice and clean from the degreasing and brushing but be sure to run it through the soapy sponge with plenty of water also .

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Now use a hose or a few buckets of clean water to rinse the bike .

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Again beginning with the saddle dry the bike completely .

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When drying the wheels and tyres  again check for glass or cuts . Glass can be removed using a sharp pointed object and any holes or cuts may be filled with super glue .

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After drying off the chain spray it with the water displacement lubricant and dry off again .

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The chain will now be very clean and dry so the lube should now be applied whilst rotating the chain . Any excess should be wiped off using a rag .

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Spray some gt85 or wd40 on to the derailleurs and a small amount on the brake pivots . Also spray into any bolt heads which contain water . Wipe off any excess .

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Refit the wheels and run through the gears to check that they are working correctly . Also pump tyres to desired pressure and refit pump etc .

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Now your good to go on a cleaner smoother running machine which you will enjoy all the more . The whole process only takes twenty to thirty minutes and should be done once per week if possible .

18 COMMENTS

  • Pat Quirke

    Hey Barry,
    How much is the bike rack??

  • worldwidecycles

    Hi Pat,

    The one that I use is the tacx workstand which we sell for €120 .

  • fernandof

    Great tips and pics, good job!

  • Peter

    Hi,

    I was just wondering what is the part you screwed to the dropout the clean the chain and do you have it in the shop?

  • B Dolan

    Just found your site and think it’s great, well done on the good work. I just have a query on the use of WD40 on the bike chain etc as some websites advise to avoid WD40 at all costs, perhaps you could advise further.
    Best regards,
    Bren

    • worldwidecycles

      Hi Brendan,

      WD40 is fine to use as a water dispersant when washing the bike but is too light to use as a chain lube. You will find a can in many a pro mechanics toolbox .

      Hope this answers your question.

      Barry

      • B Dolan

        Thanks Barry, keep up the good work,
        B.

  • Gerard Hourigan

    does jizzer affect the paint work ?

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