[Old_Dude]

I realize it's a simple thing "everybody knows how to do wash a mountain bike properly" but there might be some newbies out there who should know some of the more important tips & suggestions when cleaning a mountain bike properly.

Tip #1 - if you use a degreasing agent (like when cleaning the chain with a chain cleaning machine) don't get degreaser near the bottom bracket

Okay gang, more comments?

 

[spincrazy]

Just the normal stuff...

No high pressure washing, especially near headset, hubs, bb, linkage, forks, etc.

I lube my cables and shifters after every wash and wipe the bike dry with a soft, lint free rag.
It's also a good idea to do a check of spoke tension, chainring bolts, etc. - the things that require regular maintenance always get a good once over while I clean.
Make sure that if your fork has boots on it that no dirt and grime is left on the stanchions so it doesn't get the opportunity to get past the seals.
I use a hub spanner, because it's thin, to get in between the cogs of my cassette and get out the dirt and gunk. Old toothbrushes with a little degreaser work great for hard to reach places.

 

[Squeak]

Originally posted by spincrazy
Just the normal stuff...

Old toothbrushes with a little degreaser work great for hard to reach places.

They work good on my teeth too. For those really plaquey days...

 

[spincrazy]

chuckle (squeak)

OD, you might want to check out Pedro's site as well. I don't know the URL, but a simple search would find it.

Happy washing.

 

[alex spencer]

clean bike? i think not, dirt has style and stops you looking like a spoilt kid who uses a $2000 bike to get around on.

 

[gravity]

yeah maybe alex, true when you're just riding around, but I wouldnt try and sell my bike if it was really dirty. i'd wash it first.

 

[KonaDude]

Even without any spray pressure, hosing it down is likely to get water past or at least sitting by seals or close-tolerance assemblies. It CAN get past seals. It WILL make things rusty if left there. I like to wash my bike with a bucket of warm water and two rags. One wet, one dry. Wipe it down, get dirt off with the wet rag, then polish it up with the dry rag. Sometimes I'll get in there with a Q-Tip to clean the tight spots, or I'll even pull my cranks or headset apart to make sure they're clean and dry. After the bike's all clean, I check mechanical stuff, lube cables, chain, any derailleur pivots, etc. Then I'm done.

Hope this helps.

 

[Shibby]

use not the hose.

i prefer a wee bit of windex on a clean rag to wipe down the frame/cranks/pedals/bars/stem/seat/post/wheels/cablehousing, then a plain dry rag (slightly damp if necessary) to clean off deraileurs/shifters/brakes/levers/cables. clean dry rag for the disc brake components.

since i (exclusively) run marzocchi forks, after an especially dirty/muddy ride, i use a little bit of fork oil on a rag (Spectro, or the more $$$ Marzocchi Factory Fork Oil) on the fork stanchions, then cycle the fork a couple of times to get out the little particles that slipped by the seals. wipe all oil/dirt off the stanchions. for RockShox forks, do the same with Judy Butter. Manitous: use the MicroLube. older Manitous don't have the port, and i don't know about that.

lube all cables, deraileur pivots, pulleys, brake levers with the tri-flow drip bottle. run the chain through a dry rag to get gunk off, and if it's bad, a chain cleaning machine with some biodegreaser. lube chain with dry wax lube (Ice Wax or White Lightning), and go get it dirty again

 

[WillP]

Simple Green rocks

First - use it to wash your chain, bike, etc.
Second - use it to wash your hands off after you are done with the bike
Third - use it to wash that grease stain off your nice white shirt

buy it at the super market

 

[NRSracer]

i just wash off my frame, is that a bad thing?