A clean bike is a fast bike. We can’t stress this enough, keeping your bike clean is not only beneficial to your components lifespan and performance, it’s also good for morale. A clean bike will ride better, for longer.

Rinsing or even wiping your bike down after every ride will go a long way. This is even more important in winter or after wet, muddy or dirty rides. Having all that grime and dirt from your last ride sitting on the surfaces of your bike will do it no good.

In this article we will give you an insight on a quick yet efficient washing technique. The tools needed for the job are: garden hose or water bucket, bike cleaning agents or a mild detergent, sponges and brushes, clean towels, chain and spray lubricant, and if you want to go the extra mile, silicone spray or some other type of after-wash spray appropriate for your bike's finish.

BIKE WASHING GUIDE

To cover the basics we want to keep our bikes clean and running smoothly, to achieve that simply follow this step-by-step guide on how to wash your bike:

1. Find an open outside area where you can make a bit of a mess and prep the bike for it’s shower. If you have a bike stand you should use it, as it’ll make it easier to reach tight spots.

2. Rinse the bike down with clean water. Pro tip: If you don’t have a hose you can use your water bottle for that. If you want to go deeper into the cleaning, you may find our Cleaning & Maintaining your Drivetrain article useful at this point.

3. Spray the bike cleaner onto the entire bike, with attention to the most dirty areas and leave it for 3-5 minutes to do it’s thing.

4. Scrub the bike down using the sponge on the delicate areas and brushes on the most stubborn areas like your drivetrain.

5. Rinse down all the soap and use the clean towels to dry the bike the best you can. At this point we recommend letting the bike sit (in the sun if possible) for 15-20m just so it dries completely.

6. Once you have a clean and dry bike, it is time to lubricate your chain with the specific bike chain lube and wipe down the excess. A bit of lubricant on all moving parts can go a long way. Be aware of your brake components such as pads, rotors or rims - these should NOT be lubed at any circumstances, otherwise they can get noisy and inefficient.

7. Last step is to use a bit of silicone spray on your frame to help maintain the finish. If you ride a MTB it’s also good to use that on all your stanchions, including the dropper post, to lubricate and condition the seals.

8. Last but not least it is always good to check your tire pressure at this point, inflate if necessary.

And by now you have all the information needed to keep your pride and joy in tip-top conditions. Feel free to contact us in case you have any questions or concerns and happy riding!

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Bikes Online endeavours to ensure the quality of information contained in this Help Center is accurate however does not guarantee. Inadequate professional knowledge can lead to serious accidents to self and product, Bikes Online are not liable for any damage or injury resulting from these attempts. This applies particularly to damage resulting from incorrect repairs, adjustments or services. If in any doubt you should send your bike to a professional store, mechanic or qualified specialist. Bikes Online gives no guarantee or accepts liability for any of the information contained in this Help Center.