bike cleaning?
 

I am a bike newbie. I need to know what maintenance I should perform on my bike after I ride. Do you all wash your bikes down with water and soap after each ride? Also, I have heard to put car wax on the frame-- is this an old wives tale? Any information you can provide would be greatly appreciated.

Unless I road through a big puddle, I never cleaned my bike after a ride. I'd clean in once a month or so but didn't have the time nor felt it necessary to clean it everytime I got off it.

This doesn't mean that I don't do necessary things like cleaning the chain, rims and components.

After each ride I take a soft, damp rag and wipe off any loose dirt or mud. I also take a rag and wipe down the chain, then lube it back up with a good chain lube.

You can use car wash like Turtle Wax to polish up the bike, but I don't do that after every ride. You can also use Pedro's Bike Lust. Every week or two I put the bike on a stand and give it a good washing.

Check out http://www.parktool.com/repair_help/BCB4.shtml for some washing tips.

Have fun!

All good advice. Clean the bike when it gets dirty; clean the chain at least every 400 miles; use the hose sparingly, but use brushes (paint brushes work) to get into the nooks and crannies. Wipe down your rims after every ride. Wipe down your cranks with a damp cloth after evbery ride wo prevent pitting from sweat and body acid.

My cleaning is oriented more toward functional than cosmetic purposes.

I sweat pretty heavily, so I'll often rinse my bike with water after a hard ride... no soap or scrubbing, just hose off the salty stuff (it ruined my first good bike... a steel frame). I mostly focus on h-bars, top tube, down tube and BB... the places that get the sweat. I spin the wheels and dry the chain with a paper towel, don't worry about the rest.

If I've been riding in the rain, fairly common this year, I hose it off good, including knocking off all the red worms that splash up and dry on the fork and down tube. I also spray through the chain while rotating the cranks. Then I clean the chain using one of those quickie chain cleaners, and hose it again to get off the cleaner. Dry as above, and when the chain has dried completely, like after 12 hrs or so, re-lube.

When spraying the bike, use care not to shoot a stream into hubs or the headset where it might get into the bearings.

Hey Cindy. Road or mountain?

A road bike requires less cleaning unless riding in the rain.

A mountain bike however, usually requires a good rinse after every ride. I fill a bucket with a squirt of dishwashing soap (Dawn)and water. I have a big sponge for the frame, rims, seat, handlebars...etc. and a seperate sponge for the drivetrain. I rinse off the big chunks of dirt (not spraying directly into any bearings) and then use the sponge to wipe down the bike.

I have a routine where I start at the handlebars and work down then back to the rear wheel.

I let everything dry overnight and apply some lightweight lube to all my moving parts. Chain, suspension pivots, derailleur springs and links...etc.

L8R

Thank you for all your replies. I really appreciate the info. To respond to a2psyklnut -- I was referring to my road bike. However, two situations have caused my bike cleaning concern---

1. I have been riding in some crazy rain conditions so it seems like my bike is either in the rain or dealing with puddles.

2. I use my bike for Triathlons-- which means I jump onto my bike wet as can be from my hair all the way to my toes. Plus, by the end of the ride I have usually sweat all over my poor baby.

What kind of lube should I put on my bike chain?

triathlon?

that sport is tough on the bike.. (corrosion i mean)..

Since you get your bike gets wet with saltwater, sweat, rain, and everything else, your bike needs to be protected on the outside as well as in the inside..

You can spray frame savers(an anti corrossion agent) inside the frame through holes on your frame..(seattube--take off the seatpost, chainstays, downtube--through bottle cage screw holes, etc.). This will save your frame from rust eating it from the inside..

You also need to wax your bike more often since you need that extra protection since the is wax sprayed-off often by ...

If ever your bike gets into contact with saltwater, spray it with water and wipe dry.. Apply wax when necessary..

Aluminum corrodes too, so make sure your bike components get the same care..