basic cleaning?

[JLZimrmn]

So how often should I clean my bike? Once a week?

[li10up]

You never need to remove your chain to clean it. It only needs to be removed if you are replacing it. I'd recommend looking at your bike at the end of each ride. Wipe it down with a wet rag if it got dirty. Only hose it with NO pressure if it is REALLY dirty. Wipe with Pledge when done to protect the finish. I read an article recently, I think it was Bicycling Magazine, that said to just put a lot of lube on the chain. It will work out the gunk without stripping away the lube within the links. Just wipe down the chain really good afterwards. Clean the rear cassette with a brush and degreaser when you see gunk building up on it. That's my recommendation.

[Grog]

So how often should I clean my bike? Once a week?

It depends on how much you ride, in what condition, etc.

[indysteel]

Assuming I'm riding in relatively clean, dry conditions, I wipe my chain off and relube it every few hundred miles. I clean it with degreaser or a chain cleaner every thousand miles or so. The point that Bicycling Magazine made is that you run the risk of overcleaning a chain if you take it off the bike in that you remove the grease between the pins. Once that's gone, there's no way to replace it. The magazine also pointed out that the newer lubes on the market are actually self cleaning in that they force dirt and grit out of the links. By using one of these lubes and periodically wiping the chain off, I think you should be good to go.

If and when you do use a degreaser, remember to rinse it off the chain and components as best you can with water. Degreasers and cleaners are themselves abrasive.

[Kalidurga]

I started using a self-cleaning lube last summer (RockNRoll Gold) and gradually stopped using a degreaser on my chain. At the beginning of this year, I had a new chain installed and it's never been touched by degreaser, only lube. So far, it's been running nice and smooth and I've spent way less time cleaning it.

As far as when to clean: I listen to my bike as I'm riding. If the chain seems to make any squeaking noises, it's time to lube. I also look at my bike when I get home. I usually take a rag and freewheel the chain through it a few times to take off any dust or light gunk. If the frame's dirty, I wipe it off. If the components (brakes, derailleurs, etc) have dust or gunk in them, I'll wipe them more carefully and use a bit of lube on pivot points.

If the bike's muddy or the components are gunky, I'll take both wheels off and do the following:
- Wipe down the frame with rags and cleaning solution (Pedro's Bike Lust, Pledge and Armour All wipes are all quick'n'easy possibilities).
- Take a rag and "shoe-shine" between each of the rear cogs.
- Run a cotton ball moistened with rubbing alcohol around the rims of my wheels, being careful to avoid the tires.
- Use a spray degreaser (Finish Line, White Lightning, etc) on the brakes (not the pads), derailleurs, etc., then wipe the degreaser off thoroughly.
- Put the rear wheel back on and use my RockNRoll lube to clean/lube the chain. Tip: With any lube, self-cleaning or not, wipe it off until you think you've wiped too much. The more that's left on the chain, the more gunk it'll pick up.
- Apply lube to the other components.

Since I ride both on- and off-road, sometimes I need to clean every week, other times I can go a month on just a single lube treatment. It all depends on the type of riding I've been doing, weather conditions, etc. Last summer, I had plans to try to wash my frame in my bathtub, but I've found that I really haven't needed to resort to that.

Basically what it comes down to is: Just pay attention to your baby and it'll tell you when it needs to be taken care of.

[Darby361]

This is great advice! Thanks so much! I wonder if I am over lubing my hybrid? After muddy rides, I hose it off (no pressure) hold a rag to the chain to clean off gunk, re-lube, and wipe off the excess. Is there such a thing as too much lube? Another question - my road bike has a matte finish - is it still a good thing to use pledge? I assume pledge wipes are what you all are using.

Trish

[Kalidurga]

It's definitely possible to over-lube. It's not an issue of how often, though, but how much. I'd think that you could get away with lubing every day, as long as you totally remove the excess. If you run your finger across the chain when you're done, you should get barely any lube on your finger.

[li10up]

This is great advice! Thanks so much! I wonder if I am over lubing my hybrid? After muddy rides, I hose it off (no pressure) hold a rag to the chain to clean off gunk, re-lube, and wipe off the excess. Is there such a thing as too much lube? Another question - my road bike has a matte finish - is it still a good thing to use pledge? I assume pledge wipes are what you all are using.Trish

I just spray some pledge on a clean, soft cloth and use that.

[Jolt]

On a related note, what's the best way to clean a chain that has picked up a lot of sand/grit? During the winter the city spreads sand on the roads when there's snow and ice, and then this stuff often doesn't get swept up in the spring. This results in riding through a lot of sand and gravel, and I have noticed (when putting it back on the other day after it got thrown off the chainring when shifting to the lowest gear in front) that my chain is rather gritty which is probably not such a good thing. What's a good, easy way to get most of the sand out?