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Bike cleaning recommendations?

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 Martin W 02 Jun 2014
The weather we've had up here so far this year has meant that quite a few of my local off-tarmac trails have become filthy quagmires. The result is that my usual practice of rinsing the bike down with the hose and running the chain through a chain cleaning bath every so often just isn't quite cutting it.

So a couple of questions:
1) What would people recommend as a cleaning product to augment plain old water plus sponge, brush and a bit of old towel?
2) Is it worth putting the bike up on the work stand to give it a proper clean, rather than grovelling on the floor and having to squint at the underside of the BB etc to see how much muck has accumulated there? Or is it better to work on the bike upside-down to clean it?

I'm not looking to get the thing in showroom condition but I think it is worth trying to get rid of most of the fine grit that our local mud seems to dry in to.
 Bob 02 Jun 2014
In reply to Martin W:

Depending on whether the mud/muck has dried on:

1. Use dry cloth or brush to brush off any dried dirt.
2. quick wash down to get remaining muck damp so that clean will work better
3. We use Fenwick's bike cleaner, spray that on then leave it a while
4. Wash off using a brush to help remove the stubborn bit.
5. Hose down (low pressure) and leave to dry.
6. Apply lubricant where necessary.
 dale1968 02 Jun 2014
In reply to Martin W:

The guy in Ayr might help out..
 IMA 02 Jun 2014
In reply to Martin W:

My routine for a winter ride-

1. Bar towel to get rid of dried mud if done a day or so later.
2.Hot water and fairy liquid over the bike with a car sponge or something. Use a different sponge/rag for the chain.
3.If chain and Cassette is really bad then I'll use some chain cleaner from which ever brand was last on offer.
4.More hot water to rinse the bike off, leaving the chain until last.
5.I run the chain with an old t-shirt/rag/ towel and hot water, sometimes using a toothbrush to get inside the links and cassette.

Leave to dry / use some GT85 then lube up.

I will also clean my rims and remove give the brake pads a quick clean using only hot water to help the life of my wheels.

If you use a hose pipe avoid pressure on any areas with a bearing (headset, BB)


Don't put the bike upside down, water can run up rather than down (not sure it really matters but I am told it does). Recently I got an aldi/lild works tand which saved me crawling around/turning the bike over and general back ache. £30 well invested.
 Oujmik 02 Jun 2014
In reply to Martin W:

After hosing give it a wash with some hot soapy water. Good tip here is to use a big soft brush rather than a sponge as it's much easier to dislodge all the dirt that way and sponges just degenerate to nothing. You can even have an array of different brushes for different areas if you fancy.

For my 'soap' I use supermarket car-washing stuff. You an also use a spray on bike cleaner first and then just use warm water. Or do both.

After soaping, hose down again to remove soap. If you want to degrease the chain, do this after the first hosing so the subsequent stages wash away the degreaser.
 Alun 02 Jun 2014
In reply to Oujmik:

These days there is some debate as to whether degreasing the chain is a good idea or not. Certainly I've noticed that after degreasing it it takes several oilings and rides before getting back to being really smooth.

The alternative is to wash with water to remove mud and then use a water displacer such as GT85 or WD40 to remove the grime. It works reasonably well but certainly degreaser gets the chain cleaner quicker.
 blurty 02 Jun 2014
In reply to Martin W:

Another vote for Fenwick's bike cleaner
 Oujmik 02 Jun 2014
In reply to Alun:

My preferred option is to occasionally re-lube with teflon based lube and avoid degreasing for as long as possible. Problem is as soon as you get really filthy or (for some reason) apply an oil based lube the gunk on the chain gets beyond redemption and a light degrease seems the only solution. I suspect obsessive degreasing does more harm than good.

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