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 !
What you will need : 
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)
Remove all extra items such as pump , saddle bag and computer .
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 .
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 .
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.
Next use a larger brush all over the bike to remove any large bits of dirt .
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 .
When cleaning the wheels pay particular attention to the tyres to spot any cuts or pieces of glass in the tyre .
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 .
Now use a hose or a few buckets of clean water to rinse the bike .
Again beginning with the saddle dry the bike completely .
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 .
After drying off the chain spray it with the water displacement lubricant and dry off again .
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 .
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 .
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 .
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?
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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.
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Gerard Hourigan
does jizzer affect the paint work ?
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