How to Clean and Care For Your Bicycle

If you have recently bought a bicycle, whether a roadto get these too wet.
or mountain bike, you will have no doubt already3) For the chain and sprockets you will need an old
discovered how much fun it is. However, if you wanttoothbrush and some specific bicycle degreaser. Spray
to maintain those levels of enjoyment for many yearsthe degreaser over the chain and sprockets and then
to come you have to carefully maintain your bike. Thework over them with the toothbrush until all the grime
last thing you want to happen is for something toand grease has been removed. By doing this you
break (especially the chain!) when you are out andremove any stubborn dirt and grime that would cause
about far away from home. Here is a brief guide onthe chain to degrade. When it is all clean check the
how to clean, and therefore maintain, your bike. Thiscondition of the chain, you are looking for rust and any
routine should be carried out at least once every sixwear and tear.
weeks if you use your bike regularly.4) Now dry off the whole bike using a chamois leather
1) No power washing! Don't even think of getting a jetcloth. Ensure you get right into all the nooks and joins
wash or power wash out to clean your bike. Althoughso that water doesn't settle anywhere. Then we need
it is both fun and easy, if it is too powerful it couldto add new grease / oil to the chain. Ensure you cover
damage the bike and it doesn't provide the kind of duethe whole chain. You should also add some grease to
care and attention needed. If you want to spray thethe braking pivots. Ensure the brake pads are dry and
mud and grime off then use a basic hose with normalthat the brakes work effectively. Finally you may,
water pressure. After that, you need a bucket ofdepending on the conditions in which you normally take
warm water and some bicycle cleaner.your bike out in, want to add some special water
2) Use the warm water and bicycle cleaner and with adispersal spray to the cables on the bike. This will
medium to soft brush gently clean over the whole bikeprevent corrosion in the long term is you regularly take
except for the chain and sprockets. Take care aroundyour bike out in the wet.
the handlebars, brakes and cables as we don't want