There are many opinions on what the best practice is for washing and cleaning your bike. Everyone has to develop a method that works for them and their bike. Below we have outlined some guidelines that we follow. We recommend bike cleaning to be a part of your at-home bike maintenance. Having cleaner bike components (especially your drivetrain) will allow for better performance on the trails and typically give your components a longer life.
Weekly or Biweekly Cleaning
This largely depends on how often you are riding. But typically after a week or two of use, take some time to clean your bike. Make it simple, quick and easy. Here is our process.
Grab your garden hose and gently rinse off any dirt, mud or grime that has collected. Never use a pressure washer as that can hurt the ball bearings and joints of your bike. Many prefer to stand back as they rinse with their hose and then reduce pressure as they move closer. Then take time to dry off your bike. It is really important to dry your bike thoroughly, especially on areas such as your chain to prevent rust. Use an automotive microfiber cloth as it is great at picking up moisture.
Skip the bike wash (product) and save that for more in-depth cleaning days, which will be discussed below.
Once your bike is dry, give your chain some proper care. The simplified version consists of taking a rag, wrapping it around your chain, then holding it in place while pedaling your cranks backwards. This will dry your chain and also remove loose dirt or grime that has built up. For a more in-depth cleaning use a Chain Cleaning Tool. Before cleaning your chain, lay out some old newspaper or some type of covering on the ground because the grease from the chain and the degreaser can stain concrete and other surfaces. When you are ready, add chain cleaning degreaser to your cleaning tool then attach the cleaning device to the lower section of your chain. While holding the tool in place, pedal your cranks backwards. The chain runs through the tool which loosens up dirt and grime. Afterwards, you will want to grab a clean dry rag, wrap it around your chain and pedal your cranks backwards. This will remove the remaining grime and dirt that was loosened up by the chain cleaner. Now that your chain is clean, it is ready for lube. This step is very important and should not be skipped, ever! For dry conditions, you will want to use a dry lube, but it will need to be applied more regularly than a wax or wet lube. Overall, caring for your chain is extremely important and should be done frequently. A dirty chain can be noisy, shifts poorly and wears out your drivetrain more quickly.
In-Depth Bike Clean
Give your bike an in-depth clean at least 2 times per season. We prefer to do a more thorough cleaning at the beginning of the season and then closer to the end of season for winterizing. If you ride consistently all year long, you may want to consider giving your bike an in-depth clean more frequently. Often, cleaning your bike will solve issues you are experiencing with shifting and braking as dirt and grime can affect the performance of your bike. Below we have outlined the methods we use when we execute the deeper, more extensive cleaning.
Bike Wash Station
Start by setting up a wash station for your bike. Whether that is using a bike repair stand (most convenient), a DIY built bike wash station in your backyard or just leaning your bike against a tree or nearby wall.
Rinse
We like to start with a good rinse. As we stated above never use a pressure washer as that can hurt the ball bearings and joints of your bike. If your bike is not particularly muddy or caked in clay you can always skip this step and move straight to washing.
Wash
We recommend using bike specific washes over dish soap. Here are some of our favorites:
Muc-Off Waterless Wash - Skip the hose and rinse with this bike wash. This is a great option for those living in apartments or areas without access to a hose for rinsing.
Muc-Off Nano Tech Bike Cleaner - This bike wash is biodegradable and can even be applied to bike rotors and pads.
Finish Line Super Bike Wash - This is another great eco-friendly cleaner that really gets that tough residue, grime, clay and dirt off your bike.
Whatever you use, be sure it is compatible with your frame type (i.e carbon, aluminum, steel, etc.). Before applying your favorite bike wash, dry off your bike and frame. We recommend to dry after the initial rinse since applying bike wash to a wet frame will dilute the bike wash. Once dry, start applying your bike cleaner to your frame. We outline a good, better and best way to clean specific areas of your bike below. Grab some bike specific brushes (safer for frames and special finishes) to help clean thoroughly and get in tight spaces. You can also use clean rags and floss areas that are hard to get to. Another tip is to dedicate some old toothbrushes to your bike washing kit. We like to separate brushes used to clean the bike frame and brushes used with heavy bike degreasers intended for your drivetrain. It is best to avoid using heavy bike degreasers on your frame.
After washing, some prefer to give their bike an additional rinse to rid any excess cleaner. Remember to wipe down. Some may wait to rinse until after the drivetrain is also completed.
Drivetrain
It is time to give some attention to your drivetrain. The drivetrain is composed of all the parts or components of your bike that “drive” your bike forward - cranks, cassette, derailleur, chain, chainrings. These components will typically need some heavier bike degreasers than the bike washes listed above. Here are some of the bike degreasers we recommend:
Muc Off Bio Drivetrain Cleaner - This cleaner can be used in your chain cleaning tool and sprayed directly on your drivetrain components. This cleaner does require a quick rinsing after use.
Finish Line Bike Degreaser - We love using this product as it does not leave a residue and no water rinsing is required. This allows for very quick cleaning!
Finish Line Citrus Bike Chain Degreaser- This is a favorite to use in our chain cleaning tools. This can also be used directly on drivetrains. Rinse with water for a residue free finish.
Cleaning Your Rear Cassette
We like to start with cleaning the rear cassette. Remove your rear wheel and place it with the cassette facing upwards between you and a workbench, wall, or other convenient surface. One end of the tire should be pressing against this surface and the other against you, freeing up your hands. Spray some degreaser on your cassette and use a cassette brush or toothbrush to scrub the cassette. After loosening up the grease and grime in your cassette, take the edge of your cloth and insert it between each chainring on the cassette and floss it. If you do this and move the cloth from left to right you should be able to clean the entire cassette without having to reposition the wheel. It may be a little tricky the first time you attempt. Pro tip, make sure you hold the rag tight, with no slack as you floss. This will allow you to floss more efficiently and prevent the rag from breaking loose on you. Be mindful of the rotor on the other side of the wheel, be sure to not let any degreaser drip.
Clean Derailleur
While your rear wheel is removed, you may want to take the opportunity to clean your derailleur and any spots on the frame you couldn’t access as easily before. Put some bike degreaser on a rag and simply wipe down the cogs on your derailleur. After applying degreaser, wipe away any excess degreaser on or around the external housing of the derailleur.
Cleaning Your Chain
Reattach your rear wheel. Now it’s time to focus on your chain. We recommend using a chain cleaning tool. Lay out some old newspaper or some type of covering on the ground. The grease on the chain and degreaser can stain concrete and other surfaces. Fill the cleaning device with your degreaser of choice and attach it to the lower section of your chain. Pedal your cranks backwards running your chain through the bike cleaner. After removing the chain tool, grab a clean cloth and wrap it around the chain holding it in place and again pedal the crank backwards. This will remove the remaining degreaser and grime on the chain. To finish the job, take your favorite chain lube and apply it to your chain.
At this point your drivetrain should be looking really nice. There is one last area we always touch on before we are done with the bike cleaning process - brake rotors.
Cleaning Your Brake Rotor
You will need some rubbing alcohol to clean your brake rotors. Find a brand new rag, paper towel, or cotton swab and douse it with alcohol. Then spin your tire and wipe down your rotor, specifically the area that comes in contact with your brake pads. Benefits of cleaning your rotors include: prolonged life of brake pads, better performance and brake squeal prevention. Remember to never touch a brake rotor without gloves on. The oil from your fingers leaves a residue that collects dust and dirt.
Bike Polish
While not essential you can give your bike a nice shine with some bike specific polish. Not only does it leave your bike nice and shiny, but can repel dirt and act as an outer protective layer.
Now your bike is ready to roll and will be much happier out on the trails. Remember that cleaning does not replace a seasonal tuning. Cleaning is only part of maintaining your bike. After a good cleaning we still recommend taking your bike to your local bike mechanic to look over the performance and identify needed service on your components. However, a mechanic’s job will be much easier if you bring them a clean bike. Mechanics want to fix your bike, not necessarily clean them.
Bike Cleaning Guide
It is optimal to use bike wash on:
Top tube
Downtube and undercarriage of downtube (this one is easy to miss)
Fork (be careful of seals if cleaning stanchions)
Rear Triangle
Cranks
Rims
Handlebars
You can start with bike wash, but should end using a heavier degreaser like Citrus Finish Line or others listed above. It will cut through the harder grime and dirt that is found on these bike components:
Drivetrain (chain, front chainrings, cassette, derailleurs)
DO NOT USE degreaser on the parts listed in the prior section especially if you have a carbon frame.
You should use a isopropyl alcohol on:
Brake rotors
Fork stanchions (We did not cover suspension cleaning in this article).