Bath Time...for the bike, not me!--Update

Updated with a pic of the cleaning tools used in the bike bath.


Hello my friends and Happy May 1st! 

After a few hundred miles on the road collecting dirt and grime, it was high time for a thorough wash that went well beyond the simple wipe down after each ride and the scheduled chain cleaning. After removing the wheels, the frame was mounted on the repair stand. I used car wash soap in a bucket, a soft bristle & rough bristle brush as well as a wash mitt along with a chain brush and a sprocket brush/comb.  The repair stand allows me to maneuver around the bike and clean all the parts without crouching down and frees up both hands rather than balance the bike with one while washing with the other.

The Spray Down

Using a gentle spray from the water hose, proceed to hose off the bike from the top down to loosen the dirt and wash off any large chunks of mud and grime.  Do not use a forceful stream if using a water nozzle as it may get water and dirt into delicate parts of the bike which will lad to some serious issues. 

Washing

Spray degreaser on the chainrings, chain, cassette, and front and rear derailleurs and let it soak in while using the wash mitt to wash down the frame.  Start at the handle bars, toptube and seat, then move on to the fork and seat tube, then finally wash the downtube, seatstays, and chainstays.  This top down method, similar to washing a car, keeps the mitt from picking up the heaviest grime and moving it around to the other parts of the bike.  Rinse in the same manner, remembering to use a gentle stream.

Wheel Washing

Using the rough bristle brush, scrub the tires and use the soft bristle brush to scrub the hubs, spokes and rims.  Use the sprocket brush/comb to clean the cassette, rewetting with sopay water if needed.  Rinse.

Scrubbing the Drivetrain
Now that the frame is clean, I scrubbed the drivetrain using the different brushes listed earlier.  The soft bristle and rough bristle brushes were used to clean the front and rear derailleur, chainrings, cranks and pedals.  The chain brush, was obviously used to clean the chain.  To scrub the chain while preventing damage to the paint finish, I placed the brush underneath the chain with my hand resting on the chainstay while turning the pedals (illustration below is during the drying process, but the technique is the same). Rinse.     

Drying

Drip dry and hand dry with a terry towel, car chamois or in my case, an absorber towel that you can pick up at your local auto parts store.  Refrain from using compressed air to keep water from entering areas of the bike that are to remain dry, such as wheel hubs and the bottom bracket.

Truing and lubing

I hit a few potholes while dodging tire debris and the like on the last ride, so before mounting the tires back on, I checked each tire for trueness and luckily, it only required minimal adjustment.  With both tires mounted back on the frame, it's time to grease the pedals, oil the drivetrain including all the small swivel points as well as adding a few drops of oil into the brake and shifter cable sheaths using a teflon lube. 

Ta Da...All Cleaned and Ready to Roll!

Let me know what you folks think of these types of How To's/DIY's and share any techniques you use.  I'm always looking for ways to improve as well as looking for different ways to keep y'all engaged in my journey to be a stronger cyclist.

Send comments to mindbodyandbike@gmail.com, or follow on twitter @mindbodybike

Until the next time, 

 Keep your mind sharp, body fit, and pedal hard 

MB&B