Global Sports: Quick Tips On How To Clean A Bike Today

Friday, October 5, 2012

Quick Tips On How To Clean A Bike Today

By Jimmy Cox


Learning how to clean a bike on your own is crucial especially when it comes to keeping your hobby for a lifetime. If you cannot find time for it, there are stores which offer reasonable cleaning and repair packages.

A bicycle that is used frequently needs to be cleaned frequently as well. Dirt, sand and mud can destroy its parts sooner than you expect. This is especially true for the bottom bracket tube, spindle, rear freewheel, brakes, calipers and pads. This is because they acquire heavy grime more quickly than other parts.

Moving forward, brake pads are one of the parts which need not only to be cleaned right away but also to be replaced right away as soon as they get torn. This is because typical bike cleaning cannot get it back to functioning well once more. Brake pads rub against the wheel to cause the bike to stop. When they are damaged just like the other biking accessories, the rims get damaged as well and the brakes malfunction. Thus, they must be replaced in a regular basis to avoid further damage on the other parts.

If you are in to traversing long distances, you must be ready with the skills that prompt and intensive bike washing will require from you. Right after a long distance trip, prepare a washing mixture. This washing mixture has to be a pail of warm water and a handful of detergent powder. After stirring the two ingredients well, you will be able to come up with a soapy solution. Use a clean rag to apply this soapy solution on the front and back derailers, cables, wheel rims and brakes, chain and sprockets. For scrubbing the chains, use brushes with hard bristles.

Learning how to clean a bike goes with the right knowledge of what kind of cleansing materials to use. This is, of course, to ensure that no trace of grime would be left to destroy any part of your bike. Paying a visit to a local bike store will introduce you to varied scrubbing tools. If you are environmentalist, you will definitely find delight in using green detergent for the frequent rinsing of your bike. As you enjoy your washing task, remember to get the water off your gear shift levers, wheel bearings and crank bearings. Water can cause these parts to wear out prematurely.

As you scrub the tires, feel whether they need to be re-inflated. Keep in mind that tires need to be re-inflated often so as to keep the proper volume of air that will give you a safe drive. Use an air pump with a gauge that can measure the amount of air infused on the tires. Check the sides of the tires for the required air pressure.

To complete your lessons on how to clean a bike, specifically women's bicycles, observe when to lube your chains aside from plainly cleaning them. Properly lubed chains allow smooth movement of the pedals and shifting of the gears. As lube the chains, turn the pedals counterclockwise with your hand. Clean excess lube with a clean rag.




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