Keep It Clean!

This means you need to clean your bike.

So you and your loved one decide it would be romantic to take your bikes to the coast for a nice ride on the beach. You may think nothing of this decision other than looking forward to the quality time, however, your bike is screaming "What have I done to deserve this?!?! I thought we were friends!"

Another Scenario: On a routine road ride you are submerged in one of the many flash storms that plague our state. For a second you think about finding cover, ducking out until it passes. Then your inner-roadie kicks in and you decide to push through, solidifying your all condition prowess. Your bike, on the other hand, is about excited as being snowed in at a cabin shared with your in laws.

In a round about way, I am trying to say, ride your bike where ever and when ever you would like. But if you don't keep it clean, you might be looking at hospital sized bills from your local wrench. To fend off a 2nd mortgage to get your bike rolling, here are some tips on keeping your bike clean!

Drive Train

This chain needs some love.

While the whole bike does need attention after a ride, the drive train (crank, chain, cassette, derailleurs) is very important. With the small bolts, pullies, and pivots, it is very easy to gum up the works.
Also, like oil to a car, a chain needs a good glaze of lube on it to run properly and reduce wear on the rest of the parts. When the chain goes through rain or dirt, too much grime can become caked on.
The trick is cleaning and lubing your chain. Many of us here in the shop are pretty impressed with Globalbike Chain Wipes and VeloShine. They simplifies the process to a few wipes each time. And let's be honest, it needs to be easy for us to do it as often as we should.
For more info about Globalbike wipes, click here or VeloShine, click here.

Not sure how to lube your chain? I could give you a detailed play-by-play but Amy Shreve does a much better job:

Another great product to keep the drive train happy is Finish Line Bike Floss. Just like floss for your teeth, Finish Line knows there are nooks and crannies that dirt can setup shop. And you need more than a rag to get in and kick dirt out. Bike Floss makes it easy to do a thorough job.

For more info on some bike floss, click here

The Rest of the Bike

To make your bike shine like it deserves a rotating platform and a Vanna-style model standing beside it. There's a little more involved than a rag and good intentions. Find a bike wash that you like. Having a bike-specific cleaner not only guarantees no harm to your precious as well as cutting down time spent cleaning. Simple Green has made a great cleaner that is not only safe for the environment but has degreaser properties to help cut through dirt and grime.
For more info on Simple Green, click here

What Not to Do
Sometimes less is more, and bike maintenance is no exception. There are many situations where not doing something could save you more money than being overly proactive. Here are a couple pointers:

• Do NOT use a hose on your bike. While it may make sense to wash off your bike, hosing the components often time pushes dirt further into very serious points like bottom brackets and headsets. 
• Do NOT mistreat your chain. Lubing one's chain is an art. If you've never done it, there will be a little bit of a learning curve. Come into the shop and we can go over it a little bit. Until then, here are a couple of points. Always clean the chain off before lubing. Do not over lube the chain. Always wipe off all excess lube. After you've lubed your chain, let the bike sit for at least a matter of hours, preferably over night.
• Leave your discs alone. If you are a mountain bike or CX rider, there is a good chance you have disc brakes. There is also a good chance that you don't know there is a very temperamental coating on the discs themselves and any sort of lube, degreaser, even grease from your fingers can do serious damage. Best to just leave them alone. 
• No WD40! If you love buying a new bike every year and constantly losing a battle to rust and failing parts, by all means, cover your bike in WD40. But it is not meant as a lubricant and is inappropriate for any part of your bike. Don't do it. 

If you have any questions or comments please leave them below and we will try to answer them as soon as possible!