How is it this time of year again already? Not that we are complaining. It’s about time the sun made an appearance. It’s clearly spring cleaning season so…..
GO AND TIDY YOUR BIKE!
Sometimes I wish there was a carwash for bikes where you ride through and jets clean all the muck off. Then I remember we do have one of those, it’s called rain.
While rain might give your steed a good surface clean, it’s important to give it a deep clean every now and then.
Cleaning your bike will prevent rusting, help it run smoothly, leave less marks on you and your clothes (and your corridors), if you need to make some roadside repairs your hands won’t get filthy and most importantly, your bike will look its best shiny self.
How often you should clean and lube your bike depends on how often you ride and the type of riding you do. As a general rule of thumb, if you are a regular rider you should aim to give it a once over once a month, if you are more recreational you could stretch it to every two months.
What you’ll need:
- A bucket of warm water,
- a sponge,
- some clean rags,
- bike cleaner – We recommend Green Oil Bike Cleaner £7.99
- Chain degreaser – Try Green Oil Chain Degreaser £3.99
- Chain lube – Green Oil Chain Lube £5.99
We lve the Green Oil products because they are eco and they smell LOVELY! We also met Simon, the man behind the Green Oil products, and were inspired by his story, see a little video about his company below.
CC Top tip: Don’t throw away old toothbrushes
You can buy loads of different sized brushes specifically for cleaning your bike but we find an old toothbrush does the job of getting in all the nooks and crannies just as well.
Step one
Make some space
You want the dirt off your bike but not on your carpet so ideally do it outside. If that is not an option make sure you clear a space and put some newspaper down.
Step two
If you don’t have a bike stand turn your bike upside down so it is stable and not leaning against anything. This will give you the best access to move the pedals around and really get to your chain. See Pic above.
Step three
Sponge down your bike with warm water to soften and remove mud and dirt. Don’t forget to sponge along the wheel rims to get rid of dirt and build-up that may prevent the brakes from working efficiently. Then also run the sponge along the tyre itself, checking for glass or any other sharp bits that could cause a puncture.
Step four
Spray with bike cleaner , leave it for a few minutes then wipe down with a clean rag. Remember to clean the pedals, under the saddle, the spokes and reflectors.
Step five
Pay special attention to your chain and sprockets (these are the cog like things that your chain goes round). It’s the grubbiest, most fiddly part but once it’s cleaned and lubed it will make all the difference to your ride and will prevent any unhealthy grinding noises you might be getting if you have a dirty chain.
It’s important to take off all the old Lube and dirt before you apply any new. For this you will need Chain degreaser. Apply to the chain, derailleur and sprockets. The Green Oil degreaser has a nozzle so you can run it along the chain and get it into the gaps in the sprockets.
Now this is where that old toothbrush comes in handy, get it out and give a good old scrub along the chain and in all the nooks and crannies around the sprockets. Your toothbrush will very soon turn form white to black!
Next up you need to get your dry rag and clean off all the oily dirt. Turn the pedal and run the rag along the chain. Do this until your rag is satisfyingly black and your chian is satisfyingly clean. You may need to dappen the rag and give it another once over just to make sure you’ve got it all off.
Leave to dry for an hour or so. My trusty Collie, Polly has agreed to watch over my bike while I pop inside for a cup of tea and biscuit!
Step six
Next step is to drip some bike chain lube along the whole chain and derailleur. Hold a cloth underneath the chain to prevent dripping as you go along. Make sure you get the lube’s long nozzle right inside those hard to reach places. Wind the pedal round a few time and let it sink in for 5 minutes or so.
Step seven
Wipe the excess lube off the chain with a clean rag. This will prevent you ruining the right legs of all your trousers with oily marks. And hey presto an a gleaming, happy chain!
Step eight
Don’t forget about your accessories. Give your helmet and pannier bag a regular once over with a damp cloth or makeup wipe.
And you are done! Not only will your bike look wonderful and can take it’s position in whitest of hallways but you will really notice the difference to your ride!
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