I have two bikes and I confess I have never washed either of them. Now I'm riding both regularly I feel like I should probably look after them a bit better but I've no idea where to start.
Is it just a case of chucking some water and washing up liquid over it? Is it more complicated than that?
Do I really need loads of different products and specific bike cleaning brushes like the internet would have me believe?
Any advice gratefully received!
Comments
About the only exception if you want to be particularly fastidious, is a proper chain cleaner, but even that is far far from necessary.
Just don't forget to put a little oil on the chain, cassette and derailleurs afterwards... and best to try and get it reasonably dry too, as some component, despite the prices can rust if left wet and in a shed!
I used car shampoo and a sponge for years and it works well. What you do need to do in winter is get any salt off the bike or it will corrode any shiny alloy surfaces you have. Not cool at all !
If your chain is oily and gritty it will wear your chainring and sprockets faster - so you may want to try to keep on top of that.
My new favourite shortcut is GT85 on a rag and run the chain through that. It will clean it up and lube it. It doesn't last that long though but that means you arent running an oily dirty chain for weeks on end.
And don't forget that cleaning it is when you can spot potential problems.
But I'm another fan of the chain cleaner, then spray with GT85 then a touch of lube. You can buy all three for less than 15 quid and they'll last for months, if not years.
So clean it with soap and water or babywipes, then spray GT85 just on the chain? Is that the lube or is that something else? Is it instead of oil or as well? Or is it all the same thing?! God, I'm so thick!
Also, the guy in the bike shop said I need a stand to clean it as you can't turn bikes upside down. Surely that's madness. Why would I have to turn it upside down to clean it? Why can't you turn a bike upside down, or is he just trying to sell me more stuff?
As for the bike stand... the guy in your bike shop is pushing his luck with that one.... not only is it entirely possible to clean a bike without turning it upside down, even if you do so, about the only job you shouldn't do with the bike upside down is set up the gears (indexing the rear derailleur to be all bike poncy about it)... other than that, well....
Thanks MC for explaining. It's like a whole new language. I'm off to find a cycling-English dictionary.