I believe that good bike maintenance starts with keeping your bike clean.
I clean my bike after every ride and always before I clean myself. I find that if I go into the house and have a hot shower and a cup of tea it feels really hard to go back outside and clean the bike in the cold (obviously in the winter months)
It usually only takes about 20 minutes but does depend on your set up. I use a cheap bike stand that I bought from Aldi for £30. I never use a pressure washer but opt for a hose.
Give it a good clean then apply some lube and you are good to go for the next ride.
I have made a video that goes into more detail which is on my YouTube channel, there is a link below.
The Pre Wash – Use a hose with a good spray gun attached and clean off all the big clumps of mud making sure you start at the top of the bike and work your way down.
The Detailed Wash – I use an environmentally friendly cleaner and a paint brush. This allows me to get into the small areas on the bike and also to examine the bike components and frame as I go to make sure everything is as good as it can be.
The Rinse – Back on the hose and use a fine spray to rinse off all the soap.
The Wheels – remove the wheels and go through the same process of cleaning with them.
The Chain – I have a digital ultrasonic cleaner, that agitates the chain to remove all those fine particles that the naked eye cannot see. This prolongs the life of the chain and makes the chain drive run smoother.
The Lube – Spray on GT-85 to repel water and coat everything in a PTFE coat, follow this with some good lube making sure just to lube the rollers of the chain. Then wipe off any excess.
