How to clean my bike

[jpkulusic]

I'm new to cycling and just got a felt f75x. I got it a little dirty, which is an understatement. I called the bike shop and asked what I should use to clean it. They said get some "409" so I did. When I got home the neighbor had his pressure washer out, so I asked him to spray it down thinking it would get most of the junk off of it then I would use the 409.
The pressure washer got all the dirt and stuff off the bike, and I didn't even have to use the 409.

This may be a stupid question, but should I put some wd40 on the chain every time I do this? Should I also spray some wd40 (or something else?) on the chain and gears occasionally regardless of my spraying the bike down?

I'm guessing the 409 was to clean the main part of the bike but not the gears, chain, etc.?

 

[Paulus]

Some people would say not to use WD40, others use it all the time. Do not use a pressure washer on or around the bottom bracket or wheel bearings, as it can force water into the bearing shell and wash the grease out causing corrosion and damage. I personally use car shampoo as it has no salt in it ( washing up liquid does) and a sponge and a brush to get the worst of the crud off and then a hose down.

 

[smokeysmoo]

Re: your chain - learn to MICKLE and then do it regularly, simple

 

[morrisman]

The general consensus is that pressure washers are bad as they can put water, under pressure, where water does not belong, ie bearings etc. WD40 is not a lubricant, the clue is in the full name Water Displacement Formula 40, so good for getting rid of water and all sorts of other things (I use it a lot for removing sticky label residue) but it is hopeless as a proper lubricant.

My cleaning regime is wipe down with baby wipes to remove dirt etc, polish up with Mr Sheen, to make removing the dirt next time really easy. Then Mickle the chain, more baby wipes and, my preference, dry lube.

 

[Rickshaw Phil]

Bucket, sponge, car shampoo and an old tooth brush for the fiddly bits. Use a proper oil for the chain (specialist chain lubes from a bike shop or chainsaw oil works well and is inexpensive, but use sparingly - just one drop in each link otherwise it gets messy).

Having been shown a selection of bearings wrecked by pressure washers when qualifying as a Cytech 2 mechanic recently I will not be letting one of those devices near my bikes. They force water and dirt into places it shouldn't be, which can't then escape because of the seals on the bearings (not to mention suspension systems on bikes so equipped).

 

[jpkulusic]

Wow, thank you everyone for the responses. I will never use a pressure washer on the bike again. Hopefully this one time didn't do any damage

 

[Bryony]

Baby wipes!! I wipe down the bike after every ride with baby wipes, and then use muck off protect and shine to give it a lovely shine (just make sure you don't get the spray on any braking surfaces!!! I've also used GT85 and Mr Sheen to polish the bike, all three make it easier to keep the bike clean, the dirt wipes off really easy! I also use the mickle method on my chain!

 

[Ticktockmy]

I use a garden backpack spray unit, it has enough pressure to remove most mud and dirt but not enough to mess up the bearings. I mix washing up liquid with warm water for the first pass, the spray the suds off using plain warm water. For heavy grease or oil around the BB and Cassette I stipple the area with Jizer before starting the first spray wash.

 

[numbnuts]

Some people would say not to use WD40, others use it all the time.

 

[MickeyBlueEyes]

Hot water, car shampoo, sponge. Simple but effective.
And Jizer, the degreasing stuff that Gods use. Awesome stuff.
Apply Mr Sheen via a soft cloth after drying and your bike will look bootiful once more.
Please, don't put a pressure washer near a bike. They were designed for things other than a bike.

 

[Peter Cairns]

I tended to use a chain cleaning device filled with solvent, then wash down the bike using detergent/soap powder, then hose down using fine spray. I may try the 'mickle' method although I do wonder how much dirt and grit will be left behind on the inside of the chain where mating parts meet.

 

[Big Nick]

If it's really dirty I spray mine with Muc-Off leave it a couple of minutes to soak into the grime then rinse off with the garden hose set on the spray setting. Gets the bulk of the grime off and then I use wd-40 to clean oil marks off the rear frame and chainstays. If I've used this method I use GT-85 on pivot points as a lubricant

Every half dozen rides or so I also degrease and scrub the cassette and chain prior to the rest of the bike and then relube (I do lube the chain in between as well if it needs it)

If it's not that bad then the baby wipes option is a quick and easy way to clean it up

 

[Custom24]

http://www.feltbicycles.com/International/2014/Bikes/Cyclo-X/FX-Series/f75x.aspx
I guess that's it? Nice bike.

Did you direct the water at the hubs or headset or bottom bracket? If not, you might be OK. If yes, then you probably did get water in there.

Either way, what to do depends on what type of bearings you have in headset and hubs. It's not clear (at least to me) from the page above.

Loose or caged bearings can be removed and cleaned / regreased. On the downside, if you don't do this, you'll eventually write off the hub/headset if there's water in there. Writing off a hub might also write off a wheel economically.

Cartridge bearings I don't know too much about. I don't know if there's much to be gained from disassembly and regreasing with those unless you can actually disassemble the cartridge. On the plus side, if they eventually give problems, you just replace the cartridge (although like lots of things on a bike, you need special tools). This applies for bottom bracket too.

Since the bike is new, it would be worth having a Bike Shop check this if you are not comfortable. They MIGHT do it for you as part of the bike's first service.

I've learned the hard way to avoid not just pressure washers, but water under any kind of pressure (e.g. hose) on or near any part of the bike that contains bearings or grease.

 

[Custom24]

Actually, just reading your initial post above more carefully, you say

the neighbor had his pressure washer out, so I asked him to spray it down

So you probably don't know if he directed the water at certain areas. In which case, get it checked out as per my post above.