Cleaning your bike?

[UseItOrLooseIt]

I looked online, and I looked through alllllllllllllll the workshop forum threads, but I just cannot find any definitive place which tells you how to clean your mountain bike. Can someone help me out on this? Is it ok to use car wash soap to wash your mountain bike?

 

[El Contador]

General advice: Start from the top and work your way down. Clean the wheels...removing them makes it easier to clean the frame. Drivetrain is the last part of the job.

Best to wash by hand. From Zinn's Art of Mountain Bike Maintance, "Avoid using the high-pressure sprayers you find at pay car washes to clean your bike. The soaps are corrosive, and the high pressure forces them into bearings, pivots and frame tubes, causing extensive damage over time."

Regarding Soaps and Detergents: Most of the time I use plain H20 except for the chain and cogs. For the chain, I use citrus degreaser in a chain cleaning tool. If you don't have one, you should get one. Best thing since sliced bread. After that I use Bike Lust polish on the frame and a dry lube for the chain (which suits riding in my area).

Regarding "car wash soap", here's a quote from Guy Andrews Mountain Bike Maintenance, "Use a bike-wash detergent on all but the most stubborn muck. You can use car shampoo or washing up liquid, but be careful as this can be corrosive and damage the paint. [agrees with Zinn] The concentrated and stronger degreasers...are based saved for the chains, chainrings and cassettes."

Disclaimer: Opinions may vary on this topic.

Cheers!

 

[UseItOrLooseIt]

okay, thanks!

 

[FyrFytrRyn]

heres a few things i have done...
i always use a scotchbrite pad, i rub it between the rings with simple green to make sure my drive train is top notch (parallel with rings, in between like)..
an old tooth brush is never bad for getting in the tight areas. also, i use the "shower" setting on one of the nozzles so that theres no high pressure at all goin at the bike, but i do use my pressure washer to get the tires back to new...

 

[Pain Freak]

Clean your bike????

What do they mean???

 

[PHAT TIRE]

I never use water on my bike. Bad on cables and brakes. I use citrus cleaner and rags on dirvetrain first b/c you'll drip cleaner on the frame etc. Remove wheels and then clean with simple green or pledge. Pledge makes it shine like a pretty new bike.

 

[pshloss]

Clean your bike????

What do they mean???

Hmm...I think I did that after a mud ride once...

 

[TURNERob]

I find that using compressed air is the way to go, gets the dirt out of all the nooks and crannies. Everybody always asks me how I keep my bikes so clean....and that is my secret. Only time I use water is when there is mud stuck to things, I just dampen a rag sometimes with a little bit of soap also. Another thing I do is use car wax on the frame, why not eh :?:

 

[gurp13]

I use diluted Simple Green. Very diluted. Like 10:1. That's for the frame and whatnot. On the cogs and chain I use a citrus degreaser and with a chain cleaner (I just got the Park Tools one and haven't used it yet) and a cog cleaning brush between the cogs. No high pressure water, especially anywhere near the hubs or bottom bracket.

 

[dstepper]

I am with Rob, for a good cleaning, compressed air is the way to go. Before each ride, I use a paint brush on the drive train to get the dust off...lube and go. I hate wax based chain lubes and prefer the light oil lubes like Pro Link. Using Pro Link I never have to use a degreaser to get my bike clean.

I think using a degeaser on a bike is a bad idea, it can get into bottom bracket, derailuer, and other components and degrade the grease in the bearings. If you need to use a degreaser to get you chain clean, get a power link and take the chain off the bike. Put the chain and degreaser in a plastic coke bottle, soak overnight, shake the bottle, dry the chain, and lube the chain.

I don't like water on bike either, it mostly gets wet from water crossings, even that I try to avoid. I don't spend money on expensive parts to waste them by improper care/abuse. Water is not a bikes friend. The first place I start having problems with water is with hydro brakes, the pistons start getting corroded/rusty, then I start getting brake pads rubbing.

 

[killa Cali Kid]

i rarely clean except drive train (before ride-quick run of degreaser on brush for chain and scrape out shi!t in cogs) and re-lube and go!. But in addition to the good feedback above if/when i clean bike I have also used Bike Lust for some shine. Seems to work well on paint but didn't seem as nice on ano.

 

[roadkillross]

yeah im gonna start tryin compressed air

 

[Sprockethead]

Here's a pretty detailed post on mtbr.

http://forums.mtbr.com/showpost.php?p=2077541&postcount=1

 

[spookydave]

How is compressed air any better then a high pressure hose? Seems to me both could get dirt where you don't want it.
I know cleaning machine tools with compressed air is not recomended.

Most of the time I just use one of those Park brushes on the drive train and lube the chain. When I get frisky I wipe the frame down with a rag. If it's real bad I'll use a damp rag and follow with a dry one.

 

[TURNERob]

How is compressed air any better then a high pressure hose? Seems to me both could get dirt where you don't want it.
I know cleaning machine tools with compressed air is not recomended.

True you can blow dirt into places you don't want it, but at least you aren't getting water into places where you don't want it!!! Really the only place you need to be carefull with the compressed air is around the fork/shock seals......but I've been blowing mine off for years and have had no problems at all. I'm very anti-water when cleaning my bikes, only water I use is in my chain cleaner with some soap or degreaser. Sometimes during winter though if the bike is caked with mud then water becomes necessary but I try and avoid it at all costs.

 

[cru jones]

Air compressor, pledge, and a quality lube(ive been using rock n roll) is all you pretty much need granted your on top of your regular maintenance.

 

[Evel Knievel]

I follow the Spooky method. Although I can't remember the last time I did it.

 

[soul rider]

pretty much I only clean moving parts. clean fine bristle brush for pivots, fork wipers. stiff brush for chain/cassette/ring(s). if pulling apart degrease wipe down grease re-assemble.

 

[b-rad!]

How is compressed air any better then a high pressure hose? Seems to me both could get dirt where you don't want it.
I know cleaning machine tools with compressed air is not recomended.

Exactly! you need to be very careful when using the air, so as not to point it directly at seals and bearings, etc. as Rob has already stated. Can force dirt particles in, just as high pressure does..

 

[El Contador]

Clarification on the use of H20

I use H20 in a spray bottle (on the "mist" setting), and clean a small part of the frame at a time. I do not glop water indiscrimantely on the bike with a garden hose, and have already posted my opinion of pressure washers.

This is an exceedingly conservative approach to cleaning the bike.

I think Spooky Dave and I are of the same philosophy.

I stay away from riding in mud, but on the two occasions where I have had to deal with it recently, I used warm water and Dawn soap (not the best, but it was the least offending cleaner I had) and *carefully*, section by section, removed the mud with a soapy sponge, rinsed with H20 in small container and wiped dry. Please keep in mind that this is a rare occurence. I seldom need to do more than remove some "trail dust" and clean the drivetrain.