How To Cleaning Your Bike

1. One of the most important items of maintenance involves taking excellent care of your bicycle after riding it by cleaning off any mud, dirt, or debris accumulated in the work of your ride. Sometimes in case you are riding in neat and dry conditions the bicycle can be cleaned basically. More often, however, the bicycle will need a more time consuming and tedious cleaning. This is true in case you have ridden in muddy or wet conditions, through water, in the rain, or in wet creek beds or bog areas. The Wrecking Crew believes it is most important to neat your bicycle directly after a ride before it is put away. Some preliminary cleaning can be done before loading up your bicycle in your vehicle. This may be necessary if your bicycle is muddy. Use any obtainable water source (stream, creek, water fountain, river, etc.) and try to rinse off as much mud as feasible. Be cautious to not to make use of water from an environmentally sensitive area and let it runoff back in to the stream. The lubricants on your chain can be damaging to the stream ecology. Use a water bottle filled with water to spray down any difficult areas such as the brake pads, freewheel, underside, etc. . . Use a stick to remove chunks of mud and wipe off any hard to reach areas. In case you have a towel you can dry your bicycle. Don't get extensive as you will neat the bicycle when you return back to your camp or home after you unload it from the automobile.

2. When you get back from riding is the time to take action!! Although you may be fatigued from your ride (they hope it was a lovely!) it is important to neat your bicycle ASAP so it does not stay dirty and wet. If it doesn't get cleaned now it will only be more difficult later and lead to other issues! If your bicycle is not wet, muddy, or very dirty, a lovely process involves wiping it down with a dry towel. Sometimes they use Armor All which is an automotive interior dash cleaner and protector! Spray a tiny on a dry towel and wipe down the frame, crank arms, handlebars, fork tubes after the bicycle is cleaned. Do not apply to the rims however, as it will adversely affect the braking. While you do this you will even be inspecting your bicycle and noticing any issue areas (loose cables or bolts, debris in freewheel, dirt on derailleurs, etc.) You can then neat and lube your chain. Never leave a chain wet as it will promote rust and lead to chain failure in the future. Other maintenance steps can be completed after your bicycle has been cleaned.

3. If your bicycle was muddy or wet & requires a more extensive cleaning, here is how to do it. First, you need to make use of a hose as well as a bucket with a sponge or cloth & some soap. You can use bicycle soap or automotive soap you would use to neat your automobile or vehicle. Dampen your bicycle while holding it upright with hand. You can roll it to neat the wheels or lay it down & let the hose spray spin the wheels to rinse them off. It is also helpful to make use of a scotch pad to neat dirt & grease off of the rims to permit for lovely braking. They like the use of Simple Green cleaner on your bicycle, the rims, & the drivetrain. The treads will probably be the worst area for mud. Avoid alot of high pressure spray in the area of the crank bearings or wheel hub bearings if feasible. Direct the hose spray in to the front & rear brake shoes, the chainrings & freewheel (rear gear cluster), & other areas as needed. Turn the bicycle upside down & rest it on the stool & handlebars to dampen the underside. Then use your soapy water & neat the underneath. Next, upright the bicycle or lay it on it's side & soap down the remainder of the bicycle. Rinse off with the hose & then towel dry everything.

4. It is important to now neat the chain and lube it. Also, it is a lovely suggestion to remove any sticks, leaves, or other debris from the inside of the rear gear cluster (the freewheel) with a narrow, long tool such as a screwdriver, tableknife, or tool which is designed to get between the gears and take out debris. It is as well as a lovely suggestion to make use of a regular screwdriver or cloth to neat off the pulleys on the rear derailleur. These are the "gears" which the chain rides over and are usually are dirty. You ought to neat the inside and out of doors surface while moving the chain through the pulleys. Very always there is a build up of dirt, grease, etc. which ought to be removed. Keep in mind to oil your chain after washing and cleaning it so that it repels water... You will feel lovely to know that you are putting your bicycle away CLEAN and now you can RELAX and enjoy your post ride festivities!