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If you raced the Muddy Buddy duathlon down
in Plymouth, MA, or the Bear Brook mtb race in Allenstown,
NH, you definitely came back covered in mud. Even if you
don't race, chances are, given the spring and summer we've
had, you've been caught out in the wet stuff and come back
from the road or trails with a dirty, muddy, grimy bike.
A dirty bike can look cool, and people
may think you are hardcore, but the reality is that dirt
and sand and grit can shred brake pads, ruin shifting and
destroy drivetrains. It will also mess up just about any
bearing surface it contacts, and if there is enough dirt
on your bike, it can even mean extra weight. Add it all
up and you've got a slow bike.
The smart thing to do is to clean your
bike after any muddy or messy ride. For some rides it can
be as simple as wiping your rig down with a rag and cleaning/re-lubing
the chain. Other times, you have to do a little more.
"If your bike is really a mess, the
first thing to would do would be to remove any large debris,
like sticks, leaves or clumps of mud," says bike cleaning
expert, Karl Weidemann, of Pedro's, a cycling tool, lube
and accessory company right here in MA. "Then spay
the whole thing down with a good cleaner/degreaser."
"Make sure it is a degreaser that
is approved for plastic and rubber," warns Weidemann,
as some citrus-based degreasers can eat though parts of
your bike.
It's helps if you can put your bike in
a work stand (if you've got one) and take your wheels off
while cleaning the bike. This will let you get at some areas
that you might not be able to with the wheels on.
Use rags, sponges or scrub brushes to gently
remove any stubborn areas of mud. Don't scrub too hard because
sand is just sandpaper without the paper, and it can ruin
a paint job.
It's important to get your chain and your
rear cassette clean, as grit will wear these parts down
fast. Several companies make chain cleaning machines that
clamp down around the chain and use little scrub brushes
and cleaner to get the chain looking like new. They are
definitely worth the money. And regular scrub brushes are
good for cleaning the cassette.
Once the bike is all soapy and clean, you
can rinse it down with a hose.
"Use a very gentle shower of water,"
says Weidemann. Do NOT to use high-pressure hoses like the
ones found at car washes, or even your home, "and be
careful not to spray directly into your bearings,"
he adds.
If you spray water into bearings, even
"sealed bearings," it can force some of the grit
that you are trying to get rid of into the bearing surfaces.
Soon after that you can say "bye, bye, bearings."
If you hear any crunching sounds in your headset, hubs or
any bearing surface, it probably means you've got to do
a more detailed cleaning with more disassembly.
With all of the gunk gone, it's time to
dry the bike and apply some lube to all of the moving parts.
"Be sure to lube your chain, pivot
points, derailleur pulleys, brake bosses, cables, levers
and shifters." Wipe off any excess lube, otherwise
it will attract more dirt and grit.
During the drying and lubing part of this
process, take time to inspect your bike. Finding frayed
cables, loose bolts or even a cracked frame now is much
better than finding it when you are out on a ride.
Taking a little bit of time to take care
of your bike will make it ride better, last longer, and
in the end, be faster.
 Bike
cleaning checklist:
- Hose
- Rags
- Cleaner/Degreaser
- Chain cleaner
- Various scrub brushes
- Bucket
- Lube
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