Steps to Wash Your Bike
1) Spray Bike With Water
Start by spraying the bike down with your hose. You don’t need pressure-washer aggression to get most of the dirt off your frame. A slow stream and gravity will do most of your work. However, be careful around bearings and suspension seals if you use a high-pressure stream. Your bike was designed to be water-resistant, but it’s not waterproof. Full submersion or ingress through seals can lead to problems down the road.
2) Scrub-a-dub-dub!
Wash your bike. Really, it’s that simple. Get behind its ears and between its toes. Often, all you’ll need to do is clean the drivetrain and wipe your fork stanchions. Other times it may take some elbow grease. The minimum goal is to remove grit from moving parts, but you can zen out and spend an hour with a toothbrush if you like.
Pay attention to your drivetrain: that’s where the magic happens, and often that’s all that really needs cleaning. Try taking off your wheels to get to those hard-to-reach spots, too. There are great bike-specific brushes and cleaning tools, but old toothbrushes and cheap sponges work too. A bucket and a couple of different brushes can be just as effective as anything.
3) Rinse Bike
Get rid of the soap, dirt, and grime. Same deal as the initial wet-down: don’t go overboard. Just wash your bike clean of dirt and soap.
4) Wipe / Dry Bike
Wipe any excess water from your bike with a shop towel or rag. Wiggle it and bounce your tires on the ground a few times. Turn it upside down and sip a beer or your alternate beverage of choice for a minute. Then, ride around the block, shifting gears for a bit of blow-dry action.
Whatever you do, ensure your bike isn’t “put away wet,” as it can lead to rusting.
5) Lube Drivetrain
Now is the time to reapply any lubes you may have stripped during the cleaning process. A little bit of chain lube (
see guide), a dollop of suspension oil on a fork stanchion, and your bike is comfy and ready for storage.
Hopefully your next ride is sooner than later!