Bicycle Mechanics - cycling in the rain

Hi,

My parents just bought me a new mountain bike. It is really cool but I want to make sure that it lasts a long time. I am 12 years old so I havent had tons of experinence in fixing bikes or whatever.

What is the best way to take care of the bike when you have been out cycling in the pouring rain ?

Can it get damaged if you just let it sit and dry off by itself ?
Should I be wiping down the chain or something ?

Reece

Make sure the chain stays clean. Wipe it down as well as the rest of the bike, after you get in from the rain. Then, go to you local bike shop, ask for some good chain lube, go home & apply some lightly. Don't let the chain get too dry (don't want to hear any sqeaking), and you should be good!

It's good practice to wash the mud and dirt off the bike and the gears. It will help to make them last longer. And, as VELO says lubricate the chain with a good quality chainlube.

Don't use regular oil because it allows dirt to stick to the parts, and that will cause them to wear out very quickly.

Chain needs care. i wipe down the paintwork of the bike with a rag and WD 40, but don't let any get near bearings etc.

(That's when I remember--I often don't bother)

O.k.

After riding in mud or rain or both (usually the case!). Fill a bucket with dishwashing detergent (I use Dawn) and water. Use a hose to spray down the big chunks of dirt from the tires and the frame tubes, but DON'T spray need the bearings including the headset, bottom brackett and hubs. If you have quick releases for you wheels, take both wheels off. This requires a bike stand or leave the bike on a car rack. If you don't have a rack, just leave the wheel on! Use a sponge to wipe down the bike completely. I start at the handlebars and work top to bottom front to back. After I've soaped the bike down, I rinse with water, but just let the water flow out of the hose without spraying anything at this point! I wipe down the bike with a clean rag and spray all my bolts with Silicone Lubricant (found at Home Depot - Yellow Can w/Red & Black writing!)

Once I've dried the bike, I take an old rag and hold the chain with the rag in one hand and backpedal the cranks with the other! This gets the grime off your chain. I then use a bike chain specific lube (White Lightning, Krythech, Ice Wax, Tri-Tech, GT-85.....) and drop some lube on each roller (where the two links come together) on the chain. After I've worked my way all around I backpedal the bike for about a minute to let the lube work it's way into the middle of the roller/links. I then take another clean rag and hold the chain and backpedal to remove all the excess lube.

Clean Bike = Fast Bike = Happy Me!:D

Clean all oil, grease and dirt off the frame. Apply a few layers of car wax. Mud can then be rinsed off with a little water. NB detergent and solvents will remove the wax layers.

Ensure all your cables are greased inside thir coverings. I wax the exposed section, so as not to attract dirt.

WD40 can be sprayed inside the frame tubing to avoid rust (some tubes have small pin-holes). Any other use is to be discouraged. It is a solvent, not a lube.

Grease the seatpost and stem to avoid it sticking (Threadless/Aheadset stems may need different treatment).

Keep the chain well lubed.
Consider fitting fenders if you ride in the rain or mud. This will keep alot of dirt off you and the bike.

Braking surfaces on the wheels can get dirty in the rain. Wipe them with detergent/water to maintain a good surface. Keep any wax/oil/lube off the braking surfaces!!

Seeing Dawn's effectiveness with kitchen grease, I would be nervous about getting it too close to the bearings or the chain. Automotive washing and waxing products are probably appropriate for your paint and chrome.

why shouldn't one use WD-40 on a bike?

Because it is a solvent, not a lubricant, that's why

If it was exposed to a pretty good drenching, after you've cleaned it off, take the tires off to see if any moisture got into the rims. If so, leave the tires off and let the rims dry. If there isn't, your wheels don't leak around the spoke eyelets, so you don't need to worry about it again.