Bike Cleaning Routine

i normally get a dry cloth and wipe the dust off, but for dirt/mud stuck on, i wipe it off w/ a damp cloth, then dry it with a dry cloth. no hose! not on my road bike...😄

Only ride road, and last night was a good long cleaning session after a thawing-out riding day with lots of puddles and sand.

Started by removing the wheels and wiping down the rims, spokes and tires
Remove bottle cage and wipe down
Wipe down brakes and stem/handlebars
Clean crankset, only removing it from the frame about once a month
Derailleurs
Frame
Cassette, always remove when cleaning
Put bike back together
Lube chain

I dont know enough about the headset or hubs to take them apart and clean them yet. Still have to make trips to the LBS for those.

Thanks for the reply's, they were very helpful.

Simon

I lean it up against the garage door and blast it with the pressure washer. Then I blow dry it with compressed air. Then I wipe it down to remove water spots and then I rub in a coat of water repellent in the frame. Finally, I scrub and lube the chain and put a coat of light oil on the exposed cables. It takes about an hour and the more rain we get the more the bike gets cleaned.

I probably don't clean my gears enough, I usually just wipe down the outside of the bike with water and paper towels and then use a rag and cleaner / greaser on the gears. I'm too lazy to pull them off. Maybe if my groupset was better than a 105 i would care more.

i wonder if it's okay to wash it like with do with a car 🙄

I tend to clean my bike( the working/shifting parts) with petrol/diesel/parrafin. It works really good! just spray off before it get dry. For the rest , use some soap and luke warm water and a spunge.

Frame and wheels: non pressure water through garden hose. Soaped up with sponge, wiped down, and then hosed off with water. If necessary I will carefully clean rims following rainstorms and the like.

Drive train: chain cleaning gizmo filled with white spirit or biodegradable degreaser. Bit of elbow grease with a rag on the cranks, derailleur, cassette and other bits. Oil on chain.

No stripping down or taking things apart unless necessary (stripping down and regreasing of everything done once a year, by the shop!).

Grazie arrivederci. About 10~15 minutes, once a week.

Why clean it? Bikes are cheap. If it gets dirty, throw it away and buy a new one.😄

Now that the dreaming is over, wipe it down with a damp rag. For built up dirt, I use a soft brush and lightly brush the dirt away. I use soap very sparingly. I dry the bike after washing it, lightly lube the exposed cables with a film of white lithium grease, and lube any component pivot points with silicon spray. If it is time for it, I will clean and lube the chain, otherwise it just gets wiped. There is a more thorough cleaning procedure that I do each spring and fall where the bike is basically rebuilt.