Australian Cycling Forums - Bicycles Network Australia

Hi,

How on earth do I clean my new road bike? Do I use water or will that cause rust?
Does anyone have a method that works and doesnt harm the bike?

Thanks

Some equipment I have:
- Citrus Degreaser
- Shimano PFTE Lube (Dry)
- Cleaning Sprocket Tool/Brush
- Muc-Off Bike Cleaner Spray (Is this safe to spray on all parts of the bike including the chain?)

The bike doesnt get all that dirty as I generally ride on cleanish roads.

i will let you in on my best secret................................. baby wipes you can clean the frame with baby wipes - it's very quick and easy.

then when i go my big wash, i wipe down thew frame with a chucks cloth and degrease the chain, crank and cassette

Here is what I do:

1. Hose the bike down
2. Put some kerosene in a container and with an old paint brush use that on the chain, sprockets and any grease/oil patches on the bike.
3. Hose the bike down (again)
4. Use a sponge and some car wash to wash the entire bike down
5. Hose it off
6. Put it in a shady spot to dry

jacks1071 wrote:Here is what I do:

1. Hose the bike down
2. Put some kerosene in a container and with an old paint brush use that on the chain, sprockets and any grease/oil patches on the bike.
3. Hose the bike down (again)
4. Use a sponge and some car wash to wash the entire bike down
5. Hose it off
6. Put it in a shady spot to dry

All that hosing won't cause rusting on the chain?

And once you degrease the chain, do you hose that down or just dry it and then apply lubrication

1. hose bike down
2. spray Muc-Off everywhere
3. let sit for a minute or two
4. sponge/ brush off
5. rinse bike down
6. let air dry
7. apply Muc-Off silcone spray (this is the magic part)

enjoy your clean, sparkly & awesome smelling frame

I take off my chain, scrub it with brushes/de-greaser, take off the cassette and scrub it clean
Then just wash the bike down with quick detailer or car wash

I go to the jetwash ... Blast everything really well, especially the drive chain. Then at home I lube what ever needs it.
My bikes get too dirty to do anything else and I am so stuffed anyway the last thing I want to do is go outside with a hose and bucket in the snow!.
Compared to the abuse it gets in a race a jet wash must feel like a gentle sauna .

BarryTas wrote:i will let you in on my best secret................................. baby wipes you can clean the frame with baby wipes - it's very quick and easy.

then when i go my big wash, i wipe down thew frame with a chucks cloth and degrease the chain, crank and cassette

+1

But.... Huggies leave cotton fibres around the frame coles brand the same. The best baby wipes i have found are the Aldi brand, they are not as soft as the huggies and dont leave any fibres. But... dont use them on babys bum as they are to rough!
Aldi has a speacial on them now ad then were you can get 6 packs for around 6 bucks.

I can't remember the brand, but I got some no-name type wipes from Big W. they are specific cleaning wipes, not baby wipes. Cheaper and works just as well.

Babies are like weddings, any product targetted at either gets price jacked something shocking!

I just use low pressure water and a dustpan brush to rub the mud and muck off the MTB. Bounce it a few times to get excess water off and leave it outside (backyard) to dry. Lube the chain after a wash. Roadie isn't worth washing, it's a commuter.

TZ2102 wrote:

jacks1071 wrote:Here is what I do:

1. Hose the bike down
2. Put some kerosene in a container and with an old paint brush use that on the chain, sprockets and any grease/oil patches on the bike.
3. Hose the bike down (again)
4. Use a sponge and some car wash to wash the entire bike down
5. Hose it off
6. Put it in a shady spot to dry

All that hosing won't cause rusting on the chain?

And once you degrease the chain, do you hose that down or just dry it and then apply lubrication

Once you clean the chain with the kero, wash it off propper. Let it dry for a few hours then lube it.

I was told never to use high pressure hoses to wash the bike down with, otherwise you can force dirt and grit into areas you cannot get to. Instead using low pressure from the hose is fine.

I use a bucket of warm water with a cap full of Bowdens Own Auto Gel body wash. Suds up the bucket, use a microfibre sponge and gently wash down the frame. For the more intricate areas I use a nylon brush and dip it into the bucket and gently remove any grit. Hosing down the lot with low pressure hose.

As far as the chain/cranks are concerned I use White Lightning wax as its self cleaning and lubricating.

Mr Sheen, or Woolworths Home Brand Furniture polish (same thing).
Spray it on
It dissolves grease, drink spills, roadkill deposits.
Wipe it off with a clean rag.

Job done.

Got some of those aldi wipes and gave it a go tonight... Worked wonderfully!!!

No good for the chain degreasing of course, but for everything else they were just magic... Clean Merida now...

Chain degreaser on the Christmas list...

master6 wrote:Mr Sheen, or Woolworths Home Brand Furniture polish (same thing).
Spray it on
It dissolves grease, drink spills, roadkill deposits.
Wipe it off with a clean rag.

Job done.

That's the way I clean mine also. If its really dirty I'll use a few baby wipes first.

I dont want to sound like a g e e e k, but does anyone wax and polish there carbonfibre frames? That would help protect the frame eg water would just beed off, easier to clean. Magquires car products are quite good.Things like Quick Detail work well on my cars,why not the bike?

I would go easy on the polish as it will eventually wear away the clear coat which protects the carbon. I use Magquires gold class wax every 3 months on all my bikes to keep the frame gunk free. It is also easy to wipe away minor road grime with the Quick detail spray.

Another handy hint if you regularly wax your car, don't chuck your application cloth (i use a cheesecloth roll form Supercheap) as it is great to use on the bike as it will be impregnated with wax. great for a quick buffing.

Cheers.

bardygrub wrote:

BarryTas wrote:i will let you in on my best secret................................. baby wipes you can clean the frame with baby wipes - it's very quick and easy.

then when i go my big wash, i wipe down thew frame with a chucks cloth and degrease the chain, crank and cassette

+1

But.... Huggies leave cotton fibres around the frame coles brand the same. The best baby wipes i have found are the Aldi brand, they are not as soft as the huggies and dont leave any fibres. But... dont use them on babys bum as they are to rough!
Aldi has a speacial on them now ad then were you can get 6 packs for around 6 bucks.

+1 to the aldi baby wipes. then a dry rag to get rid of the residue.
kero for degreasing (with wife's toothbrush, and chain cleaning tool). don't forget to put your wife's toothbrush back

I actually just use some warm water with a bit of dishwashing detergent on the frame and some old cloth, then just wipe it off.

The chain and cassette gets degreaser on them. I use Rock 'n' Roll gold on the chain after that. But you could also use a detergent on the chain if I remember right according to the Shimano instruction paper. Detergent has little effect on some of the grime though.

Baby wipes are also good for cleaning the frame.

g-boaf wrote:...warm water with a bit of dishwashing detergent...

Ensure you rinse very well if used near any steel parts, that stuff commonly uses salt as a thickening agent.

They are bikes, hunks of metal and plastic... not babies .

What's the best way to clean? I have rock n roll gold as lube, but I want to get all the junk off first.

I'm thinking just degreaser & brush. Any particular brand of degreaser I should use?

swon38 wrote:What's the best way to clean? I have rock n roll gold as lube, but I want to get all the junk off first.

I'm thinking just degreaser & brush. Any particular brand of degreaser I should use?

rock n roll, you just put it on till its dripping off the chain then wipe the chain down. According to the manufacturer you can't wipe it too much - this serves to clean the chain.

If you really need to clean it seperately don't use degreaser. Use kero and a paint brush, wash it off with water when done.

I've found if you use the rock n roll regularly you almost never will need to use any other method to clean the chain.

toolonglegs wrote:They are bikes, hunks of metal and plastic... not babies .

Dunno what it is about babies, they can get get pretty grubby tho' I photographed a jolly big shiny Scania prime mover a few weeks back. I commented on its apparent newness and was stunned to learn that it was a year old and had done I don't know how many k's.The driver's secret? Baby shampoo

jacks1071 wrote:

swon38 wrote:What's the best way to clean? I have rock n roll gold as lube, but I want to get all the junk off first.

I'm thinking just degreaser & brush. Any particular brand of degreaser I should use?

rock n roll, you just put it on till its dripping off the chain then wipe the chain down. According to the manufacturer you can't wipe it too much - this serves to clean the chain.

If you really need to clean it seperately don't use degreaser. Use kero and a paint brush, wash it off with water when done.

I've found if you use the rock n roll regularly you almost never will need to use any other method to clean the chain.

For the chain that's fair enough but in between the gears and with the junk on the jockey gears I think I need something more thorough.

Is kerosene ok for these parts? Won't water cause rust?

Sorry for all the noobie questions.