Tips for a Clean Bike

Tips for a Clean Bike

When I see or even worse hear a dirty bike it makes me cringe. Keeping a clean bike will ultimately keep it running better and longer. It is important to keep all of your bikes clean, especially your cyclocross bike. A cyclocross bike takes more abuse and gets dirtier than any other bike, but cleaning your road and mountain bike is just as important. After almost every ride I do some simple things to keep my bike out of the shop longer. The dirtier your bike gets during a ride, the more important it is to clean it immediately after.

    If my bike is muddy or dusty I spray it off with water. It is helpful to have a nozzle to make the water stream stronger, a sponge, and a soft bristle brush. I usually can get all of the mud off the bike without soap or a brush, but if you want a great way to clean the bike fast the WD-40 foaming wash is the best (http://www.wd40bike.com/). WD-40 also makes a great degreaser to clean a dirty chain. Power washers also get mud off a bike super fast, but it can damage components and take stickers off the frame. If you are using a power washer try not to spray bearings directly, and spray the bottom bracket and headset from the top not the bottom.

After I get most of the mud off, I take it inside and give it a quick tune. First I clean the chain again with degreaser and a rag to make sure all the grime is out of the links. Most of the time the dirty grinding sound is just the chain with some dirt or sand still in between the links. Probably the most effective and easiest way to prolong the life of your drivetrain is to lube the chain. It will also keep the noise down, and will make shifting faster and smoother. I personally think that WD-40 makes the best lube for muddy conditions, and the best lube for dusty dry conditions. Then I make sure the shifting is working well and adjust the derailleur, but most of the time I do not need to adjust it. Every three weeks I put more sealant in my tires to make sure I still have enough. Using rubbing alcohol to clean your rims or rotors will make them quieter, and brake better. I use Pledge furniture spray to shine my bike and make it look like new. There are also many bike specific cleaning and shining products such as Bike Lust. Cleaning your bike with more than just water is one of the secrets that bike shops use to make bikes look like new after a tune up.

There are a couple of small upgrades that can make your bike work better in adverse conditions. Sealed cables are super nice when racing cyclocross. It keeps mud, water, and sand out of the housing, resulting in smooth shifting no matter what the conditions. There are a couple of companies out there that offer cable upgrade kits. Jagwire and Gore cable upgrade kits are both very good. Better or new brake pads can make braking performance much better, especially when in wet or muddy conditions. Lizard Skins grip tape is also another great upgrade for cyclocross. It grips better than any other grip tape I have used, and it will stay grippy the in wet conditions. These upgrades along with taking good care of your bike will keep it running better and longer without going to the bike shop.