Cleaning road bike

[ChrisF]

I cleaned my full carbon road bicycle yesterday with something similar to clean green. I was told not to use soap and water. I just saw a YouTube video with a guy using soap and water and a sponge. I have to give my bike another clean because it was so dirty. Can I use soap and water? Thanks

Kate so by now you know this topic has its "followers" ....

 

 

My bike shop recommended the Namgear cycling products.

 

1. Polish the frame ... it really helps to stop grime "sticking" to the frame. Spray onto a cloth and wipe onto the frame, quick and easy.

EDIT - Kate be careful of spraying cleaning products onto braking surfaces, especially if your road bike has disc brakes.

 

2. Brush, then wipe down the bike after dusty ride. With a layer of polish it cleans up very quickly

 

 

Small splashes of mud is rinsed off easily with water.

 

Only after muddy rides (more aMTB thing than road bikes) do I have to wash the bike. Bit of Namgear bike wash, low pressure water   A rainy road ride may also require a wash with your preferred "soap"....

 

 

Cleaning the chain .... YES !! Topic on its own .... for now, CAREFUL, dont get degreaser near the bearings .... expensive mistake ....

 

 

 

Kate this is just another cycling topic with many different answers .... you need to find what works for you.   

 

Things to avoid on this search :

. High pressure jets near bearings

. Where you use degreaser ... watch where the water washes it into ...

. Harsh or abrasive cleaners. (Very often due incorrect dilusion of concentrated products)

Edited March 19, 2021 by ChrisF

[Vetseun]

You're gonna get loads of comments and should search these forums for (many) previous discussions...

You know that Cleen Green is corrosive...!! Has Sodium Hydroxide, caustic soda, and another acid with a name to long to type and shouldn't be allowed within 10m of a bicycle...

As always, my suggestion is ecologic - non toxic, non corrosive & food safe - that kinda says it all...

It's even a registered disinfectant so you can even use it in your kitchens and bathroomshttps://stealthhealth.co.za/ecologic/

And now to address the next 20 people who are going to recommend either dish washing liquid or only water :

Why the hard headed approach for "Dishwashing Liquid for everything"..? I get it that we're all annoyed with Marketing mumbo jumbo, especially suppliers selling the same thing with different names for different pricing. But Dishwashing Liquid is exactly that.! Dish Washing Liquid.! That's what they call it and that's the purpose for which they market and sell it. They don't advertise it as a general purpose cleaner, do they.? So why use it as such.?

We've moved on as a civilisation and have specific products that are better for some things than other things.

I also get the "I don't need to wash my bike" story but I don't really understand it.! Why have only an 80% clean bike.?

I confess that when I do a relatively short (mid week) ride where my bike gets only a bit dusty and one or two splashes of mud, I will come home and just gently spray it off with a gentle hose whilst rubbing the frame, rims, etc gently with the soft inside of my riding gloves. But I will always give the drivetrain either a wipe down or a good clean - with the cost of chains and 12 speed cassette's these days, you don't want to cause dirt to reduce your product lifespan by 50%.!

But this doesn't leave my pride and joy looking like it did when it was new.! Hence a proper wash after the weekend riding or at most every second week. Drive train gets wiped down with a very diluted degreaser sprayed onto a cloth or when cleaned, sprayed directly onto the drivetrain.

I use ECOLOGIC and have been doing so for a few years already. It's cheap as chips, non-toxic, non-corrosive, non-abrasive and works a charm on everything bike, car and in and around the house.

Let's look at the numbers : ecoLogic is R230 for a very concentrated 5L bottle - I use a ratio of 1:100 for washing bikes, cars and floors in the house. So 30ml to 3L water in a bucket - so R 1.38 per wash cycle. I also premix into a spray bottle at a ratio of 1:6.5 (100ml to 650ml Water into a 750ml spray bottle), so R 4.60 and about 30-40ml of this to spray the drivetrain, so 25c per wash. With a total of R 1.63 to wash my bike and make it look like new. Is it really worth holding fast to dishwashing liquid.?

I do agree that other 'pre diluted' bike wash brands on the shelf are absurdly priced where the cost per wash will be about R30 - R40.

It works so well and is so cost effective and a registered disinfectant that ecoLogic has now replaced 90% of all other cleaning products in our home and we're saving a fortune.! Yes, we do still use dishwashing liquid for the dishes and Stasoft / Omo etc for the clothes but a tiny bit of ecoLogic also works wonders to clean soap-sud grime out the pipes of washing machines.

And to be clear...

* Use at very low concentrations for general washing (cars, bikes, floors, etc) - rinse, wash, rinse, dry do not leave to stand in between. Typically 1:100 / 1:150

* Use at mild concentrations for drivetrain - spray on cassette and chain whilst turning crank - enough to cover, don't drench such that it will settle into bearings - leave for a few minutes then clean with a small brush (I use a nail brush), rinse, done, dry, apply lube. Typically 100ml : 650ml in a 750ml spray bottle.

* You should never leave your bike standing with any cleaning agent applied

* Use also at mild concentrations to remove mud stains from your riding kit

* Use also at mild concentrations to clean and disinfect cycling shoes (with a soft brush). Once dry, spray with Viromist to freshen, fragrance and keep germ free.

I once rode an Argus in the same time that it took me to read this post.

[JBK]

I once rode an Argus in the same time that it took me to read this post.

You didn't have to read it BTW... but I'm glad you did and hope that you're more enlightened now than you were 3 hours ago (see I'm giving you kudos there for a great argus time)...

[Vetseun]

You didn't have to read it BTW... but I'm glad you did and hope that you're more enlightened now than you were 3 hours ago (see I'm giving you kudos there for a great argus time)...

Thanks man. But just for the record, I didnt do well at school. It took me 8 hours to read the post.

 

Jokes aside.

Lekker post. Covering all aspects.

[The Ouzo]

Water Gets in Everywhere when under pressure.

Not So Much When Not

if your hosepipe is pushing water into places it should not go either the seals in those places are stuffed or your hosepipe is producing pressure washer rivaling levels of pressure.

 

Even a pressure washer used properly is not going to push water into the wrong places.

Dust/dirt on the paintwork simply just wiped off is going to result in fine scratches, you want to get this dust/dirt off first, so rinse off with water. And if you live/ride along the coast or ride in the rain you want to rinse the salt and other natural chemicals off.

 

 

Bikes are not made out of tissue paper, and the moving bits should all have at minimum some grease or a seal to protect them. Its only when using silly chemicals that breaks down this grease that you need to start worrying.