Cleaning your bike doesn’t have to be an all-day event, but one thing is for sure – you’ll always feel accomplished when it’s done. While it may be tempting to leave it in the shed until your next cycle, a few minutes of love and care on a regular basis will vastly improve your riding comfort and more importantly, your bike's longevity. If left for a long time, dirt can start to build up and wear through moving parts so it’s always important to clean your bike – whether you’ve returned from a wet, muddy ride, or a dry, dusty one.
Step 1: Clean the drivetrain
If you have a specialised chain cleaning product, like Fenwick's chain cleaner, use it to clean the chain. If not, you can simply apply degreaser and use a brush. However, it’s important that you have a specific brush for your drivetrain – avoid using it on any other parts of the bike, especially the brakes. Contaminating your braking surface with chain grime can diminish performance and may even result in needing a brake pad replacement.
If you need something to dislodge some stubborn grime, some brushes have a hooked handle - the Muc-off claw brush would also be perfect for the job. If you don't have any specialist tools, don't worry, instead we recommend using a flat-headed screwdriver and awl.
Step 2: Wipe the discs or braking surface
It doesn’t matter how careful you are cleaning the chain, there’s always a chance muck oil or grease has found its way onto your rotors. There’s a fair chance you’ll pick up oil from the road as well, so we suggest spraying Fenwick's Disc Brake Cleaner into a clean paper towel and wiping around the rotors. Similarly, use a degreaser on rims if you ride on rim brakes.
Step 3: Rinse and apply detergent
Use a hose or a bucket and sponge to wet your bike and remove any dirt that has built up. As tempting as it may be, don't use a pressure washer to clean it because this will force water into the bearings. Grab a hose and begin from the top of the bike so that the mud drips down on the dirty parts of the bicycle. You can then pick up your favourite bike spray bike cleaner and target the main tubes and areas most affected by dirt.
Step 4: Brush clean
The brushes combined with the detergent will loosen most of the remaining dirt from the bike. Remember, pay attention to moving parts and use a smaller brush to get into narrower spaces if you need to. A brush like this Fenwick's flow through brush will allow you to clean those difficult areas with ease, with the added bonus of a water-feed to speed up the rinsing process.
Step 5: Rinse
Once again, use your hose or bucket to rinse off your bike. Spin each wheel to rinse all the detergent out of the tread and make sure all the dirt has been lifted off. If you need to, you can always revisit with the brush, then rinse again.
Step 6: Dry
Waxing your frame will protect your paint in the long run and stop so much dirt sticking to it in the future. If you have a work stand, now is a good time to move the bike into it. If not, no problem, just remember to take extra care to avoid the braking surfaces when using polish and wax.
After using a cloth to dry the bike, give it a polish with a silicone or PTFE spray like Hycote Bike Maintenance Spray and rub it in with a soft cloth or a paper towel. This will give your bike a nice, shiny finish – remember, if your bike is a matte colour, make sure you use a matte-specific spray finish.
Step 7: Lube
Apply lube to the chain while turning the pedals slowly. Always keep manufacturer recommendations in mind because it’s very easy to overdo it with lube.
If the bike is not in a workstand, you’ll need to turn the pedals backwards. Use a moisture dispersant lube on your derailleur pivots, taking extreme care to avoid your braking surfaces.
Step 8: Drying
The more relaxed option would be to leave your freshly washed bicycle out to dry in the warm air before re-lubing it. However, if you're on a mission to get the job done and dusted, then grab a cloth and wipe away the remaining water.
Bonus points
The part no one talks about is cleaning your crash helmet. You can do this by soaking the helmet for half an hour in the sink then waiting for it slowly dry, or alternatively, you could use our Muc-Off Helmet Foam Fresh.
Foam Fresh bubbles up instantly, gently agitating filth and grime away from the surface while leaving a fresh citric scent. This specially developed product benefits even the cleanest-looking riding gear. It's fantastic for padding, gloves, footwear, liners, and body armour, too.
In conclusion...
Yes, we’re fully aware that cleaning your bike isn’t quite as exciting as riding it, but if you don’t give it some love and attention, you may end up with rust and wear concerns. Make sure you don’t leave water, soap or degreaser on your bike for an extended period of time, and thoroughly dry it before you store it away.
There are plenty of tips and tricks to help you – so, use our handy guide to clean your ride, and let us know how you get on!
Fancy a new bike? We have an extensive range of bikes to choose from - make sure you know how to choose the right size of bike for you.
Image credit: Header image by Razvan Chisu via Unsplash
