# Should I wash or not wash my Bike



## hmcbean

I am a clean freak and use to wash my Trek Madone 5.2 until I was told that I should never wash a bike, but instead wipe it down. It turns out that I ruined my Bottom Bracket bearing because of this washing. What do you guys do to clean your bikes? I have read about others washing there bikes with no problems. Buying a new Cervelo S2 today and wanted to know how to keep it prestine without causing any problems.


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## PJ352

hmcbean said:


> I am a clean freak and use to wash my Trek Madone 5.2 until I was told that I should never wash a bike, but instead wipe it down. It turns out that I ruined my Bottom Bracket bearing because of this washing. What do you guys do to clean your bikes? I have read about others washing there bikes with no problems. Buying a new Cervelo S2 today and wanted to know how to keep it prestine without causing any problems.


I wouldn't expose the bike to any water pressure, because water and lube/ grease aren't a good combo. Also, the pressure has the potential to push dirt/ grit into component parts that can't be cleaned without disassembling (as you found out).

I keep it simple. Use a damp, soft cloth (or paper towels) with a small amount of soap (diswashing liquid will do) and wipe the bike down. You'll probably have to repeat the process, then wipe any ressidue off with another damp cloth or paper towel (sans soap). Key is to keep using a new section of cloth/ towel so that you're not rubbing the dirt/ grit into the paint/ clear coat. When done, dry and apply wax. Some use Pledge, I use Mequiars, but anything that'll protect will work.

I've done this for the better part of 25 years on both steel and CF bikes, without a problem.


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## mikeharper123

wash and wax

use no pressure when washing. Soap that bad boy up and rinse with a hose with NO pressure.......

Wax to make it keep looking pretty


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## j-man

i just use cheap paper towls. takes a while put they will definitly pick up the dirt


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## mohair_chair

I have always washed my bikes with soap and water and a rag or soft brush. I wash my bikes just like I wash my car. As long as you aren't directing a high pressure stream of water at your bottom bracket, headset, or hubs, you're just fine using a hose. I've been doing it this way for 15 years now and I've never had any issues.


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## Jett

hmcbean said:


> I am a clean freak and use to wash my Trek Madone 5.2 until I was told that I should never wash a bike, but instead wipe it down. It turns out that I ruined my Bottom Bracket bearing because of this washing. What do you guys do to clean your bikes? I have read about others washing there bikes with no problems. Buying a new Cervelo S2 today and wanted to know how to keep it prestine without causing any problems.


I used Pedro Bike Lust. Just spray it on and whip it off. No need for water.


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## TWB8s

Garden hose and a bucket of hot water with dish soap. Unless you used a high pressure washer like at a DIY car wash, you did not ruin your BB. For cleaning the chain I use Gunk Engine Cleaner. It isn't eco-friendly but it works.


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## bahueh

just be sure to dry it off afterwards and relube the chain, remove the cassette, etc.
avoids rust. 

good idea to disassemble the entire thing twice a year and relube the BB, headset (if applicable). wheel cleaning should be done much more often.


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## Mr. Versatile

I keep my bikes very clean, but I never "wash" them. If the bike is exceptionally dirty I'll take a wet or soaked rag and wipe it down. After it's been wiped down I use my secret weapon...Pledge furniture polish. If it's just dirty and dusty from riding a week or so in dry conditions, I start with the Pledge.

When I clean my bikes I always start with the running gear. I do the chain 1st. I take a rag wet with WD40 or odorless mineral spirits, and wipe the chain down while rotating the cranks. When it's pretty clean I use "home brew" mixed 3 parts odorless min. spirits to 1 part oil. What kind of oil? Pretty much whatever I happen to have on hand. We're not lubing parts on the space shuttle y'know. Motor oil 5W-20 usually, because that's what my car takes. Using an old catsup squeeze bottle, I drizzle it on the chain, aiming for the middle where the rollers are. Then, while that's drying I'll do the cassette, chain rings and derailleurs. I clean them using the odorless mineral spirits (OMS).
Park's cog cleaning brush is good for doing the cassette. For the chain rings, I just use a rag with OMS and wipe them down while I'm turning the cranks. I do the same to the rear derailleur pulleys and any other parts of the derailleurs or brakes that are grungy. Park's brush is useful here too.

I then remove both wheels, set one wheel flat on my work bench. Using a Scotchbrite pad soaked with Simple Green I scrub the braking surfaces of the rim clean - both sides - both wheels. I then spray the rim, spokes, and hub with my secret weapon...Pledge furniture polish. Goes on & comes off easily. Spray on - wipe off with a clean rag. I do every spoke, the entire rim and hub. When finished, I hit the braking surface of the rim lightly with the Scotchbrite pad to clean any slippery stuff from the braking surfaces. I do both wheels like this, and then set them aside.

Next I go to work on the frame. Turning it upside down in the repair stand, I spray it with Pledge and wipe it down. Anything the Pledge won't take off gets the OMS treatment, and then gets sprayed with Pledge. I try to get every bit of dirt off that I can see. I put the rag between the brake arms; use Qtips to reach hard to get at places. I also do the bars, stem, etc., etc. I don't clean the bar tape, because I always use black. I never do anything to the seat, except to wipe it off if it needs it. I lightly spray all the pivot points on the derailleurs, pulleys, brake levers, brake arms with WD40. After that I take a piece of 60-100 grit sandpaper and lightly sand all 4 brake pads. When doing this I look carefully for grit, tiny stones, or small pieces of metal that may have become embedded in the pad. If I find any I remove them using an awl.

By now the chain is dry enough to wipe down. I put the wheels back on the bike, and while it's still on the repair stand, I turn the cranks slowly with one hand while the chain runs through a clean rag held by my other hand. I keep turning the cranks, and the rag until no more black residue comes off on the rag.

I'm done!

Notice that the only bike specific thing I use, besides the repair stand, was Park's gear brush. IMO, IME bike specific chemicals, waxes, cleaners, lubes, etc. are a complete rip off - a total waste of $$$.



DETAILING YOUR BIKE


EQUIPMENT & SUPPLIES




1. Chain Lube (Home Brew = 1:3 motor oil and odorless mineral spirits.)
2. Clear Fingernail Polish
3. Cog/Chain Brush
4. Needle Nose Pliers
5. Odorless Mineral Spirits and/or Simple Green 
6. Plastic Garbage Bag (use as drop cloth)
7. Pledge
8. Q-Tips
9. Rags (3 or 4)
10. Repair Stand
11. Scotch Brite Pad
12. WD 40 

ORDER OF CLEANING



1. Drive Train

A. Chain

B. Crank, Chain Rings & front Derailleur

C. Cogs & Rear Derailleur

2. Wheels

3. Lube All Moving Parts

A. Derailleur pulleys and pivots
B. Cables Guides
C. Brakes and Levers
D. Seat (squeaks)
E. Cleats and Pedals

4. Underside of Frame and Rear Triangle

5. Main Triangle

6. Forks, Head Tube, and Bars

How To
Work in clean, well lighted, well ventilated area
If possible put bike on repair stand

1. Spray rag w/WD40 & wipe chain holding rag around chain & pedaling backward
2. Using “home brew” spray or drip lube/cleaner on chain. Try to get lube on the inside of chain on the roller links. Let this sit for 10 min. 
3. Remove front wheel –
Clean rim braking surfaces with Simple Green & Scotch Brite pad then wipe clean
Spray wheel (spokes, hub & rim) with pledge & polish
Set wheel aside
4. Wipe off chain with rag while pedaling – top/bottom – inside/outside.
5. Using the same rag wipe off the teeth on all the chain rings
6. Lube all moving & hinged parts with WD40 (front/rear derailleur, brakes, pulley wheels, levers, cable guides. Wipe off excess lube.
7. Remove rear wheel & clean same as front wheel
8. Spray a rag lightly with WD40. Holding rag taut, slip between rear wheel cogs & clean.
Set wheel aside
9. Lightly sand brake pads with med. fine sandpaper. Wipe off with rag or finger.
10. Turn bike upside down on stand. Depending on how dirty the bike is, either spray with Pledge or use Simple Green to remove dirt, then spray with Pledge and polish. Don’t forget to shine and clean the front/rear derailleurs, crank arms and chain rings. You’ll hurt their feelings if your whole bike looks like a million bucks except for them. You don’t want them to seek revenge against you when you’re riding in South Chababaland, do you? Use Q tips, toothbrush, or toothpicks to dig out dirt in crevices and tight spots. Be thorough. Don’t leave any grunge behind. If you do it’ll attract more grunge. It should look like a brand new bike except for any scratches and chips.
11. Rotate bike until right side up and clean all top tubes by spraying & polishing with Pledge. Again: it pays to be very thorough. Use Q tips, toothpicks, do one section at a time to avoid missing spots. Be sure to clean under water bottle brackets, pumps, remove bags and clean behind them, and then clean the bags themselves using a damp rag and/or a brush.
12. Reinstall wheels.
13. Clean & polish handlebars and stem using Pledge.
14. Inspect nuts, bolts & fasteners for tightness and rust. 
15. If you find rust, apply Naval Jelly or similar to the rust and leave it on for 10 min. Wipe it off paint immediately. After 10 min. wipe thoroughly and apply clear, matte fingernail polish to prevent rust.
16. One last hint...this goes MUCH FASTER & EASIER if you don’t go too long before cleanings. Think about not cleaning your house at all for 6 months. WoW! Now you’ve got a real big job. The more you clean it, the easier & faster it is.
This is important stuff
By cleaning your bike regularly it’s easy to find any safety issues like tires with threads showing through or a small piece of glass stuck in the tread. Loose spokes, nuts, bolts, frayed cables are other things that are actually hard to miss when doing a thorough cleaning and polishing. Finding things that need adjusting or repairing like those mentioned could end up “saving your bacon.”

OK! We’re done. Treat yourself to a soft drink, a good hand wash using Simple Green and a nail brush, then regular soap, and get ready to ride. Of course...you know what’s going to happen don’t you? The next time you take the bike out on a ride ...

There’s nothing that rides like a nice, clean, great looking bike!

(and don’t forget that nice, lemony smell)


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## PJ352

FWIW here's what Specialized recommends:
How to clean my bike 

Question 
I just purchased a Specialized bike,and would like to know how you recommend cleaning it?What should be lubed and with what,after the cleaning? Thank you! 

Answer 
Thanks for your message, and congrats on your new bike! We'd suggest keeping it clean with water only, or a very mild soap and water solution. Clean with a sponge or soft cloth rag. Do not spray directly with a pressure hose, as water under pressure can potentially penetrate into bearings.

Some people use a glass cleaner like Windex for carbon bike frames. 

After cleaning your bike, you need to relube your chain. Keeping your chain clean and lubricated will result in better shifting performance and longer life of your drivetrain. There are probably hundreds of bicycle chain lubes available. Check with your local Specialized Dealer for sound advice on which might work best for the riding conditions in your area, as different kinds of chain lubes are favored in different parts of the USA. What works great in Phoenix is not what works in Portland.


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## zriggle

I put my bike in the shower. Rinse it off, use a shop towel or whatever to wipe the stuff that won't just rinse off. Water and some gentle scrubbing is all that's needed.

After that, wipe everything down with a dry shop towel -- especially the chain. If the chain is particularly dirty, run the wet chain through the shop towel to try to pull off some of the surface-gunk. Run it through a chain-scrubber-tool if it's particularly bad and re-lube.

Some people will warn you about the dangers of high-pressure water and all of your bearings. It's true that using a pressure washer is a bad idea, however the water pressure from a shower head isn't very high -- I don't sweat it.

NOTE:
Don't attempt this if there are women in your house.


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## hmcbean

I think I got into trouble with ruining my bottom bracket by washing the bike upside down to clean the under carriage, chain, Dérailleur etc. Another mistake I think I was making was by air drying my bike using the Wet Vac. This gets the bike very dry quickly, but in hind site, I might have been blowing water into areas that shouldn't be getting wet. My dealer told me the other day that the cleanest bikes that come into the shop are the ones with the most amount of problems.

I need to buy some tools to be able to pull the Chain and Chain Ring off so I can clean and lube them properly. Is it hard to get the chain and Chain Ring off and reassemble and what tools would i need to do this?

Thanks guys for all the suggestions.


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## PJ352

hmcbean said:


> I think I got into trouble with ruining my bottom bracket by washing the bike upside down to clean the under carriage, chain, Dérailleur etc. Another mistake I think I was making was by air drying my bike using the Wet Vac. This gets the bike very dry quickly, but in hind site, I might have been blowing water into areas that shouldn't be getting wet. My dealer told me the other day that the cleanest bikes that come into the shop are the ones with the most amount of problems.
> 
> *I need to buy some tools to be able to pull the Chain and Chain Ring off so I can clean and lube them properly. Is it hard to get the chain and Chain Ring off and reassemble and what tools would i need to do this?*
> 
> Thanks guys for all the suggestions.


It's not necessary to remove your chain to clean it. I used to subscribe to this method until I realized the payback was minimal. Now the chain stays on the bike until it's time to replace it, and in between gets regular degreasing/ lubing while on the bike. There are several fairly recent posts addressing the details of chain cleaning. You shouldn't have trouble finding them using the search function.

No need to remove the chainrings, either. Clean the teeth with a cloth, rag or paper towel and degreaser.

But to answer your question re: tools needed, depending on the brand, you may need a chain tool to 'break' it (push a pin out) and a replacement pin to reinstall (Shimano) or if it's SRAM it uses a master link that's one time use only, so once removed, it has to be replaced with a new one. You can also install a master link on another brand chain, if you so desire. For the chainrings, a 5mm allen wrench and a large slotted screwdriver (or similar) are used to remove most that I've encountered. 

BTW, if you had a new Madone and the BB bearings went, there's a distinct possibility it wasn't anything you did. If you browse the Trek forum you'll see an ongiong thread about BB play and bearing problems.


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## hmcbean

"BTW, if you had a new Madone and the BB bearings went, there's a distinct possibility it wasn't anything you did. If you browse the Trek forum you'll see an ongiong thread about BB play and bearing problems."

The LBS Trek dealer made me pay for the bottom bracket replacement


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## MerlinAma

For the past year or so, I've been using ProGold Bike Wash, made by same company that makes Prolink chain lube. Works great! Seems to melt everything so just a little wiping and rinsing is all that is needed.


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## SkiRacer55

*Ditto...*



mikeharper123 said:


> wash and wax
> 
> use no pressure when washing. Soap that bad boy up and rinse with a hose with NO pressure.......
> 
> Wax to make it keep looking pretty


...low pressure, and using something mild like car wash detergent, is the key. I want my bike to be clean, but I don't want to spend the time wiping down each piece with a rag....


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## hmcbean

What is the best device available to clean a chain?


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## PJ352

hmcbean said:


> What is the best device available to clean a chain?


No device needed. A couple of rags (I use paper towels) and ProLink chain lube is all you need.
http://www.progoldmfr.com/products/prolink.html


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## Mr. Versatile

hmcbean said:


> What is the best device available to clean a chain?


Your hands, a couple of rags, and maybe a brush. I like Parks cog brush.


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## logbiter

hmcbean said:


> What is the best device available to clean a chain?


Yeah, the 'devices' like the park chain scrubbers don't work very well and are a pain to use. 

Follow the others advice (rags, old toothbrush, etc...) 
Taking the chain off and using solvents/degreasers seem like overkill for road bikes, though some OCD people will use devices like ultrasonic cleaners.


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## filly

the only time my bike sees water for cleaning is if i get stuck out in the rain during a ride. while the bikes still wet, i'll just hit it with a hose to get all the crap off. the other 99% of the time, i use Pledge and an old t-shirt. i see no reason to wash a bike.


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## zriggle

logbiter said:


> Yeah, the 'devices' like the park chain scrubbers don't work very well and are a pain to use.
> 
> Follow the others advice (rags, old toothbrush, etc...)
> Taking the chain off and using solvents/degreasers seem like overkill for road bikes, though some OCD people will use devices like ultrasonic cleaners.


But I like my clean shiny chain!


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## imhockey

+1 on shower
+1 on cleaning chain often - and using OMS --find they really get the crap out of the rollers, though the dry time is somewhat of a problem - but oil well after it has time to dry - i usually doi a bit right after then re-oil 10+hours later
+1 on pledge/windex


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## PlatyPius

Jett said:


> I used Pedro Bike Lust. Just spray it on and whip it off. No need for water.


^ this.

It amuses me that people destroy their bikes by being too anal about not destroying their bikes.


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## PlatyPius

PJ352 said:


> No device needed. A couple of rags (I use paper towels) and Chain-L chain lube is all you need.


FIFY...


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## ronbo613

My Cervelo doesn't get that dirty so usually I just clean the chain and drivetrain once and awhile with some old rags and Prolink it. Maybe once or twice a year I'll wash it with the garden hose and Simple Green; full strength on the chain and drivetrain, diluted about 25-75 for everything else.
Heck, I don't even wash my mountain bike unless something is broken, and I live on a farm in the Washington hills.


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## alias33

zriggle said:


> I put my bike in the shower. Rinse it off, use a shop towel or whatever to wipe the stuff that won't just rinse off. Water and some gentle scrubbing is all that's needed.
> 
> After that, wipe everything down with a dry shop towel -- especially the chain. If the chain is particularly dirty, run the wet chain through the shop towel to try to pull off some of the surface-gunk. Run it through a chain-scrubber-tool if it's particularly bad and re-lube.
> 
> Some people will warn you about the dangers of high-pressure water and all of your bearings. It's true that using a pressure washer is a bad idea, however the water pressure from a shower head isn't very high -- I don't sweat it.
> 
> NOTE:
> Don't attempt this if there are women in your house.



hey great minds think alike! we even has the same shampoo


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## Opus51569

Regarding chain cleaning, I have tried the WD-40 on a rag idea and maybe I just don't clean my chain often enough, but when I do the rags never seem to run clean no matter how much time I spend running the chain through it. I keep the rag moving to different clean spots and swap it out when there are no spots left, but it never truly gets "clean". Tell me, clean-freaks, what am I doing wrong?


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## PJ352

Opus51569 said:


> Regarding chain cleaning, I have tried the WD-40 on a rag idea and maybe I just don't clean my chain often enough, but when I do the rags never seem to run clean no matter how much time I spend running the chain through it. I keep the rag moving to different clean spots and swap it out when there are no spots left, but it never truly gets "clean". * Tell me, clean-freaks, what am I doing wrong*?


Worrying about it.


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## Export A

Unlike my butthole my bikes only get a wiping no washing.


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## Opus51569

PJ352 said:


> Worrying about it.


And it's PJ352 FTW!


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## Mr. Versatile

A chain that has been cleaned and lubed is going to leave a black mark when it touches something. Having a clean, shiny chain that is properly lubed and doesn't leave a mark when you touch it is just not possible.


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## herbn

weekly ,papertowels and a bit of kerosene for the chain,very little is needed. Kerosene has oil in it so it doesn't strip the chain dry(causing oxidation) while removing the dirt/dirty lube. I relube with teflon based oil,sometimes pedros' or left over motorcycle grade engine oil. Windex and a sham wow for the rest of the bike,removing the wheels and or cranks every now and then gets things a lot cleaner.Every couple of months ;removing pullyes from the rear deraileur makes chain cleaning much more thorough, as does taking off the chainrings. Fresh new oil on the chain turns black and ugly very quickly if contaminants are left on the parts that contact it. Oh yeah soaking the cassette parts is a big one too.


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