The phrase goes, “A clean bike is a happy bike”. Clean bikes work better: chains are less likely to suffer premature wear (so are less likely to damage your gears), brakes work better, and so on.
There’s a culture among off-road cyclists of leaving the bike dirty, and that’s fine… but you should still clean up your bike periodically. In addition to the bike’s working better, this gives you a chance to look at the controls and systems, and make sure nothing is cracked, out of place, or otherwise looking wrong.
When Ramblin’ Wrench does a bike service, you can count on the following:
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Complete wash and wipe. I’ll use a hose and detergent if they’re available; if not, I’ll use a spray cleaner. Braking surfaces will get a special rinse.
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Wipe with an organic-solvent cleaner, to take off the road tar and other grime that the detergent didn’t remove.
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Polish of all the metal and glossy plastic surfaces.
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Silicon-based surface sealant on all the rubber and matte plastic (shifter hoods, plastic saddles, etc.).
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Tire polish on tires.
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Alcohol wipe of disk rotors.
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As a last step, a lubrication of the chain, because the cleaning process probably removed some of your lubrication. (If the chain needs it, I’ll give that a separate cleaning first.)
Your bike will be as close to bike-show ready as it will ever be!
Ramblin’ Wrench brings bicycle maintenance to you, if you’re in or near Mercer, Middlesex, or Somerset counties in NJ. Go see the menu at the top to learn more about Ramblin’ Wrench, or to contact for information.