Post-Ride Rituals: The Bike Clean
Post-Ride Rituals: The Bike Clean
A clean, well-maintained bike will always function better than one still caked in the dirt of the last big day out – there’s no getting away from it. That clean bike is more fun to ride, and cheaper to run! As road grit or sandy mud builds up on your components, they will wear out faster and before you know it, it’s time for a new chain again. Plus, regularly eyeballing the whole bike in detail helps you to identify areas that may need mechanical attention before they cause a problem.
Keeping on top of cleaning and lubrication is less of a chore with a decent post-ride routine, and that can be broken down into three steps: cleaning, lubricating, and protecting. Let’s walk it through:
Clean
It’s a little obvious but we’ll say it anyway: all the mud, road dust, miscellaneous grime on your frame and wheels need to come off. While it’s tempting to stand back and blast the thing with a pressure washer, please refrain from doing this unless you’re up for pulling every sealed bearing out and re-greasing it! Our pro-tip at this point is to not just remove the wheels, but pull out disc brake pads too, and set them to one side where they won’t come into contact with any cleaning products or lubricants.
If the bike is dry, kick things off with a brush and dust off as much as you can. The big one from this Park Tool set is ideal. To lift off some of the more baked-on muck, you’ll need to enlist some light chemical assistance. Dirt Juice by Juice Lubes is a fantastic eco-friendly option, and it’s kind to your frame and components too. If you don’t fancy whipping your cranks off, be sure to use a brush to dig the dirt out of all the nooks and crannies around the bottom bracket. Scrubbing tyres may be a bridge too far for some people, but it is very much worth taking the time to inspect your tyres and wheels for damage at this point – particularly those of you running rim brakes. Check the braking surface for wear, and the brake blocks for any foreign objects that might cause issues in the future.
The chain and cassette deserve a bit of extra attention, as they can really benefit from a good clean. Those of you using dry lube in good conditions may get away with running the chain through a rag, but even then it’s worth properly degreasing every few rides. If you want to keep things simple, the Fenwicks Chain Cleaning Sponge is great – but the in-depth option we recommend is the Juice Lubes Dirty Little Scrubber. Load it up with a concentrated degreaser, run the chain through with the pedals and watch the clean links pop out the other side. Suspension linkage joints are worth brushing down to reduce the rate of wear too.
If you’re up for getting right into the details, or you’ve been riding in some particularly bad conditions, pop the fork out too. It’s easy for the headset to accumulate abrasive crud, and wiping the bearings down will prevent as much of that from working its way past the seals. Be careful to follow the relevant guidance for your headset when reassembling.
Relubricate
Filth removed, we want some fresh clean lubricant on the drivetrain. A squirt or two of water-displacing spray, such as JL69, is handy to get rid of any remaining degreaser – just allow this to evaporate before applying a dedicated chain lube. Our pro-tip for riding round our way is Juice Lubes Viking Juice. British summertime isnt the dry and dusty affair we see in so many brand’s inspirational lifestyle photos, and Viking Juice is spot on for those unpredictable sudden showers that punctuate our barbecue season as well as right into winter. Apply a drop to each chain roller, run the chain through the cassette a few times and then wipe away the excess with a rag.
Suspension and dropper-posts benefit from some lubrication as well. Dedicated sprays like this one from Fenwicks reduce friction on the stanchion, and help prolong the life of the seals.
Prepare and Protect
A little extra work can make this job easier next time around: try a frame polish and you’ll be amazed at how much less that mud and road dirt manages to stick. Simply spray on and buff off before refitting your wheels.
Re-lubed and reassembled (don’t forget to pop those brake pads back in), your bike is nearly ready to ride again. We always save the disc brake cleaner till last: once the job is done, you don’t want to risk any overspray of JL69 or polish getting anywhere near your disc rotors. This stuff is pretty potent, so there’s no need to wipe away. Just let it evaporate, and you’re all set.
And there we have it: a post-ride ritual to keep your pride and joy working to the best of its abilities. For more advice give us a call, or if you spot something untoward as you go our workshops are available for servicing and repair work.
