winter clean bike

A Clean Bike Is A Fast Bike




Triathletes are notorious for having filthy bikes. I used to be one of the worst offenders. But I’m reformed now—mainly because I learned a quick and easy way to clean my bike and its drivetrain.

The key ingredients are dishwashing soap (I prefer Dawn) and Simple Green (found at most grocery or home improvements stores). First, clean the drive-train with straight Simple Green applied with a small paint-brush (natural bristles work best). Second, clean the frame with diluted dishwashing soap applied with a sponge or soft brush.

The entire process shouldn’t take longer than 20 minutes. Once you initially get the drive-train clean, subsequent cleanings shouldn’t take longer than 10 minutes if done two to three times per month.

My children and I made a video to show you how easy it is to keep your bike clean. And remember, a clean bike is a fast bike.

Read more: Video: Bike Cleaning 101 : LAVA Magazine
http://lavamagazine.com/features/video-bike-cleaning-101/#ixzz1jCbfzTPl


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Winter-Proof Your Bike

By Aaron Hersh

Table of Contents

Greasy Chain
Sticky Housing
Stained Bar Tape
Road Salt
Stretched Chain
Dirty Frame
Worn Tires

A guide to defending your ride through the icy months.

Keeping your bike pristinely clean through a “real” winter is a little unrealistic. Simply maintain the parts that suffer most from messy roads and wait until spring for the non-essentials. Here’s what to fix—or forget—when it comes to winter maintenance.
Greasy Chain

Fix it: Clean the chain before grease starts to clump. Scrubbing it after every ride, though, is overkill.

Sticky Housing

Forget it: Road grime is going to seep into your housing and degrade shifting accuracy, so save your new set of housing until the roads clear.


Stained Bar Tape

Forget it: It’s just going to get filthy again. Wait till spring.

Road Salt

Fix it: Road salt is corrosive, and bearings are particularly sensitive. Wash it off with water.

Stretched Chain

Fix it: Use a chain-checker to measure its wear and swap it after it reaches its limit to preserve your cassette, chainrings and shift quality.

Dirty Frame

Forget it: Dirt will collect on your bike nearly every time you ride outside through the winter. It’s unsightly, but a little dirt won’t hurt.

Worn Tires

Fix it: Riding on wet, sandy and icy roads is difficult enough with fresh rubber. Swapping tires will help maintain traction and prevent flats.

http://triathlon.competitor.com/2012/01/gear-tech/winter-proof-your-bike_45997/1