Ok, so you have a bike...how often do you need to clean it, and what kind of cleaning do you need to do?
After a wet or rainy ride: turn the bike upside down so it rests on the saddle and handlebars. This will let the water that has gotten into frame tubes to drain off, and it also makes it easier to get the bottom of your frame clean. Dry everything off, and oil your cables to fight rust. After you have wiped the bike down, clean and oil the chain and also spray some lube at the pedal bearings and the front and read derailleurs. Wipe away any excess lube
After a winter ride: There are salts on the roads in winter (unless you live in Arizona or some Godforsaken place like that) so use a bike cleaner and clean EVERYTHING just like it was a rain ride.
Lube everything mechanical and clean the chain
How to clean your chain: use a rag. old clothes, old socks, anything like that makes great bike cleaning rags. I like to use spray lube because I hate hippies and spray lube pisses them off because they're too stupid to control their own spraying (hippies are so stupid ). So you take the rag and then you spray your chain and wipe it clean. Then turn the pedals to advance the chain and repeat until you get back to the clean links. Cloth rags work best! there is no substitute!
I clean my chain after almost every ride, but its your bike, you can do what you want
The point is that it is a whole lot easier to maintain something than to restore something, so keep your bikes clean kiddies! My all day riding bike is 10 years old and has been nearly 50,000 miles. Now granted the only original parts left are the frame and fork, but you just don't get a lot of miles out of a bike if you let it go to rust
so take care of your bike and it will take care of you!
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Nate
Ok, so you have a bike...how often do you need to clean it, and what kind of cleaning do you need to do?
After a wet or rainy ride: turn the bike upside down so it rests on the saddle and handlebars. This will let the water that has gotten into frame tubes to drain off, and it also makes it easier to get the bottom of your frame clean. Dry everything off, and oil your cables to fight rust. After you have wiped the bike down, clean and oil the chain and also spray some lube at the pedal bearings and the front and read derailleurs. Wipe away any excess lube
After a winter ride: There are salts on the roads in winter (unless you live in Arizona or some Godforsaken place like that) so use a bike cleaner and clean EVERYTHING just like it was a rain ride.
Lube everything mechanical and clean the chain
How to clean your chain: use a rag. old clothes, old socks, anything like that makes great bike cleaning rags. I like to use spray lube because I hate hippies and spray lube pisses them off because they're too stupid to control their own spraying (hippies are so stupid
). So you take the rag and then you spray your chain and wipe it clean. Then turn the pedals to advance the chain and repeat until you get back to the clean links. Cloth rags work best! there is no substitute!
I clean my chain after almost every ride, but its your bike, you can do what you want
The point is that it is a whole lot easier to maintain something than to restore something, so keep your bikes clean kiddies! My all day riding bike is 10 years old and has been nearly 50,000 miles. Now granted the only original parts left are the frame and fork, but you just don't get a lot of miles out of a bike if you let it go to rust
so take care of your bike and it will take care of you!
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