Whenever I buy a new bike, I always promise myself that I will always keep it spotlessly clean. In practise, my good intentions last for a few weeks. After a hard 3 hour training ride, giving your bike a proper clean never seems that appealing.
Nevertheless, since I keep one bike in my dining room, there is a good incentive to try and keep the bike clean. What I try and do is always give it a quick wipe to get the worst off. The problem is once you start, you want to get every bit of dirt off. Then it can become quite time consuming because it is really difficult to access all parts. But, you never regret cleaning a bike.
Some Tips for Cleaning the bike
- Use mudguards on winter bike, to reduce the amount of mud to clean.
- Washing up liquid is great for removing oil.
- Don’t use a brush which is too harsh, as it may damage paintwork, especially on racing bikes with thin paint.
- For an impressive display, use a bit of WD-40 spray and then wipe with paper towel. This will help give it an impressive polish / finish.
- The best time to clean the bike is as soon as you return and in are in your cycling gear. Otherwise, it takes more effort to go back to the bike.
- I always clean a bike before taking it into a shop for repairs. I think shops dislike having to mend dirty bikes. If you clean it you are more likely to get a better service. It is also more respectful.
- You never regret cleaning your bike, because it does look good and will inspire you to go riding. A clean bike makes it easier to spot problems such as cracks in a frame, worn bolts e.t.c.
- Use special brushes for getting to awkward places.
- Turning the bike upside down, helps reach inaccessible places.
- If you have to hose down the bike, you will need to re lubricate the bike afterwards.
- At various times, you want to clean the chain with a degreaser machine.
Cleaning kits at Evans Cycles
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