Cleaning is the first step when maintaining your bike. Its a lot easier to perform simple maintenance tasks on the bike without grime and dirt getting in the way. Your components will also be working smoother and more efficiently when they are free of dirt. Lastly, riding a clean bike just feels better!
Difficulty: Easy - Time Spent: 15mins - Equipment Required: Bike cleaner spray, set of brushes, bucket of water, cloth rag
Equipment you will need to get started
1. Bike - obviously, you will need your bike!
2. Bucket - any standard bucket or pail that can hold up to 3-5L of water
3. Cloth Rag - no need for fancy microfiber washcloths, an old cotton t-shirt or towel works just fine. Bonus points awarded for recycling!
4. Brush Kit - a set of different brushes is recommended, as different parts of your bike will require a different brush shape and bristle type to clean efficiently
5. Bike Cleaner Spray - we recommend an environmentally-friendly solution that protects your bike frame.
Step #1: Rinse the bike thoroughly
Fill the bucket with water, soak a clean rag, and rinse your bike, making sure not to miss any spots.
Alternatively, if you have access to a hose, you can rinse the bike by spraying it.
Don't forget to rinse the underside of the bike frame, and underneath the saddle too.
Step #2: Spray the bike cleaner solution
While the bike is still wet, start spraying bike cleaning solution onto the bike.
Hold the nozzle about a foot away to get good surface coverage area without wasting too much solution.
You may spray more liberally on the drivetrain parts (rear derailleur, cassette, chain, crankset) as the grime & dirt on this area is a lot more stubborn.
Let the solution remain on the bike for about 5 minutes.
Step #3: Clean the frame
We'll start with the easy part of the bike first - the frame!
Soak a rag with water and wipe the frame down gently.
For this step, you're focusing on the easily accessible, flatter areas of the bike.
Step #4: Brush the drivetrain and other inaccessible areas
With your set of brushes, start scrubbing the drivetrain.
Cassette & chainrings: Use the specially shaped brush (with the curved handle with teeth) to brush hard-to-reach areas. Feel free to scrub vigorously – you will need to do so in order to free up the grime and dirt. Use the curved handle with teeth to clean the gaps between the cassette sprockets.
Crankset & derailleurs: Use the conical brush to clean the rest of the drivetrain
Other inaccessible areas: With the conical brush, continue to scrub other parts of the bike like the chainstay-bottom bracket junction, underneath the saddle, tyres, etc
Step #5: Rinse the bike again
If you are using a hose, spray the bike with water to rinse off the lather.
If you are using a bucket of water, soak the rag with water and rinse the bike down.
When the rag is full of lather, squeeze it out, soak it with water again and continue to rinse the bike until it's free of any cleaning solution.
Step #6: Drying the Bike
Once the bike is clean, you may let it air-dry.
If you can't wait, grab a dry rag and wipe it down.
Stand back and admire your sparkling clean bike!
