It's important to clean & inspect the bike monthly - catching issues early while they're still small can save big $$$ and keep you riding safely! Keeping the bike clean & well lubed will significantly increase the lifetime of all your components & frame!
This quick clean & inspection should also be done after any wet or muddy ride!
If the bike is kept nominally clean & in good repair, the monthly clean & inspection should take less than 30 minutes.
Do the cleaning & inspection methodically to be sure not to miss anything important.
Lay out your cleaning equipment before starting work:
Old washcloth rags (for wet wipe & dry)
Old t-shirt rags (old t-shirt cut into 10-15cm wide strips
Old bottle brush & wooden skewer for cleaning
Any other brushes
Tools as needed (allen wrenches, star wrenches, etc.)
Bike oil (Triflow, ParkTools, etc.) for the mechanical parts
Chain oil (dry lube for the dry months, wet lube for the wet months) The wet lube stays oily & sticks to the chain to protect it from water - but if used in the dry months, it will really attract dust & make a mess!
Old large rag to put under chain during lube to catch drips
Silicone spray
Broom & dust pan :)
Cleaning & Inspection Procedure:
Start at the rear of the bike & wipe down the chainstays & seat stays with a wet rag & dry with dry rag. (Don't break off caked on mud - the clay here sticks to the paint & causes damage. Soak the mud with the wet rag until it dissolves & comes off)
use the bottle brush to clean those hard to get places & the derailleur mechanism
inspect all hoses, cables, etc. for damage & fraying
Check the rim & tires; ensure the wheel rotates freely and smoothly & no grinding noise from the hub
Pluck all the spokes & ensure none are loose
Check that the cassette is in good working order & snug on the hub (no play)
Check the suspension bearings & bolts (check all bolts are tight)
Clean the crank arms & pedals - get out any dirt from inside the pedals (especially the clip mechanism, if you have) a. if you have flats, inspect and tighten/replace pins as necessary b. check that the crank spins freely (without chain), or reasonably with chain - make sure no unusual grinding noises or friction
Clean & inspect the seat tube, down tube & top tube
Make sure bottle cage / pump cage, etc. are all tight & in good order
Clean & check that the front fork is in good order & inspect front wheel and all hoses & cables
Check the rim & tires a. ensure the wheel rotates freely and smoothly & no grinding noise from the hub b. Pluck all the spokes & ensure none are loose
Check the cockpit a. Check handlebars & stem b. Check that all the hoses & cables up at the handlebars are in good condition c. Check that the grips are in good conditions & bars have bar-end plugs (important safety note) d. Check the shifters & brake levers
Clean all suspension stanchions (front fork, rear shock, dropper post) stanchions with the rag. Be especially careful to gently clean at the seal area to remove any dirt & dust. Wrap the rag once around the stanchion & floss to get it nice & clean (if there's stuck on dirt, just spray some silicone spray on the rag before flossing, it'll loosen the dirt & keep your shock in good condition)
Clean your drivetrain: a. Clean the chain with a chain brush (put the chain in the bristles & backpedal)
b. Clean the derailleur jockey wheels by pinching them with a rag & backpedaling c. Clean the mech with a bottle brush to get out the dust & dirt d. Brush the cassette with a stiff bristled brush
e. Bush the chainring with a stiff bristled brush
f. Floss the cassette with a clean rag between each set of sprockets
Now that the drivetrain is clean, it's time to lube a. Oil all the joints on the mech with a drop of bike oil b. Oil the chain with a drop of chain lube on each roller c. Run the chain through all the gears to get the oil on all the relevant surfaces d. In the summer, wipe off excess oil from the chain & jockeywheels by grabbing them gently with a rag & backpedaling a few times. e. In the winter, leave on this film of oil to help protect the chain
Check that the axles (QR, Thru-axle, etc.) are all in tight & in good working order
Check that the goo in the tires is in good shape (should be less than 6mo old) and is sloshing around (if the tire is dry, add - 120ml per 29" wheel, 60ml per 26" wheel)
If you used any tools or repair consumables (worms, etc.) on the ride, replace the stock in your kit
Clean up & sweep up!
Semi-annual inspection
Tires
Inspect the tread -
if any knobbies are torn off & the under layer is exposed, it's time for a new tire
if the tread is well worn, also time for a new tire (especially if you feel you've been having a hard time getting a grip on it lately)
Inspect the sidewall for cracking - inspect carefully, if the sidewall is cracked, this is a good indicator that it's high time for a new tire!
Tire Goo
Both tubes & tubeless need good, fresh "goo"...so here's a few thoughts... I happen to like Joe's goo, but YMMV - use whatever works for you!
Goo needs to be fresh - it our desert conditions, it'll last about 6 months (less, if you store your bike outside or in a hot shed)
Before putting in new goo, good practice to take out the old goo (use a syringe with tube, or take the tire off a bit & wipe/scoop out the old, watery stuff).
If there's goobers in the tire (dried goo) take off the tire & clean them out - they only make more of a mess & destroy the fresh goo
When putting in new goo, make sure it's compatible with the old stuff - if not, be sure to either clean out the tire very well or put on a new tire!
Shake the goo bottle very well before putting the new goo in the tire - those little particles that tend to settle at the bottom of the bottle are critical to sealing the holes. Turn the bottle over - if you see the particles on the bottom, keep shaking (you may want to toss a small pebble into the bottle to help mix - like a ball bearing in a spray can!)
If you get a big puncture & need to use a "worm", the goo is critical to seal around the worm - so keep the goo fresh!
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