Dusty bikes: how to clean
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cutiger95 posted 8 weeks ago.
Would advise against the hosing off of the bikes. If it is simply dust that you have an issue with I like to use my compressor and an air hose to dust off the bikes. With the hose you will knock off the dirt but any water that gets on the screw heads will turn to rust or anywhere else that doesn't get completely dry.
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ChunkyB posted 8 weeks ago.
You don't have to worry about rust unless you have a steel bike. Aluminum technically gets a small layer of oxidation, but it's clear, and it forms even when it's completely dry just from the air. So, if your bike's aluminum or carbon, then don't worry about rust.
I like to take a lot of my bike apart periodically to clean it all off. I take off the cassette and degrease the whole thing. That might be the way to go.
So, if you're saying that water is going to make it worse because it will turn the dirt to mud, then that may be true. But if you're worrying about using water on your bike, then I wouldn't really. Even if you have a steel bike, then just make sure you dry it off and you'll be fine.
"The melting point of wax means nothing to me": Thrice
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TryScott posted 8 weeks ago.
air compressor or canned air, and a tooth brush and rag are enough for me.
Once I had my bike laying the bed of my truck when I went though a car wash. You can imagine my surprise when I looked in the rear view mirror and saw the bike being tossed around like a rag doll. It was a junker bike, so I was a lot more worried about damage to the truck than the bike.
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kylie posted 8 weeks ago.
If you do hose it off, make sure you are careful not to put a direct stream of water into the hubs of the wheels or the bottom bracket -- those have barrings that can get gunked up and the water won't escape easily. I hose down my mtn bike all the time -- I just make sure it is more of a drizzle that falls over the bike than a high powered stream directly into it.
I tend to just wipe it down with a damp rag for dust.
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beads1985 posted 8 weeks ago.
I use the air compressor sometimes but if I have time I will hose it off and wipe it down and then use the air compressor to dry the nooks and crannies, and then leave it outside in the sun for a while. Then I will give it the jiffy lube treatment.
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thebeatcatcher posted 8 weeks ago.
here's some good info from the park tool website:
http://www.parktool.com/repair/readhowto.asp?id=85
i don't use all the fancy brushes and such, but you'll get the idea. i just use regular dish soap as it acts as a degreaser. but as it was mentioned, don't get it inside the BB, hubs, or freewheel. using water and a hose won't hurt it.
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Ultrarunner posted 8 weeks ago.
kylie wrote:
If you do hose it off, make sure you are careful not to put a direct stream of water into the hubs of the wheels or the bottom bracket -- those have barrings that can get gunked up and the water won't escape easily. I hose down my mtn bike all the time -- I just make sure it is more of a drizzle that falls over the bike than a high powered stream directly into it.I tend to just wipe it down with a damp rag for dust.
I agree. I have hosed down (low pressure) my tri bike and mountain bike for the last 4 years with no problems at all. I usually combine it with the relubing process and everything works great. Remember, a clean bike is a fast bike!
How do you guys go about removing dust/cleaning your tri bikes? We just got back from a trip to the parents cabin. There is a 3 mile strip of dirt road to the cabin, so the bikes have a thick layer of dust/dirt from the transport.
I like to do my own work on the bikes, so I thought I start disassembling them and clean each component. Also thought of just hosing the bikes off, but that seems like it would make things worse. What do you think?