How to clean your bike

With the wetter weather your mountain bike rides on off road and on trails are becoming muddier than ever. Cleaning your bike, just for it to get muddy again may not make a lot of sense but it’s certainly the best thing to do, if you want your mountain bike to stay in a good condition and run smoothly.

Get prepared for a dirty job with the correct cleaning supplies

To clean your bike, there are a few supplies that you will need:

• 1 bucket
• Hot water
• Washing up liquid
• Sponges, brushes and cloths
• Chain scrubber
• toothbrush
• Chain lubricant
• Degreasing solvent
• Repair stand (if you have one, makes cleaning the bike much easier)

Time to clean? Where to start?

Clean

The first thing you should do is remove items such as leaves that may have gotten caught in your bike. Wipe down the entire bike with soapy water and apply a degreaser to the drivetrain. Gently use your sponges, brushes and cloths to get rid of any mud and grit. Scrubbing too hard could damage your bikes paintwork. If you have a repair stand, use this to remove the wheels and clean these separately.

Use a toothbrush to scrub the chain and rear cassette, use a rag to wipe the chain clean and remove any excess dirt. Once you have done this backpedal the chain through a rag covered in degreaser.

Wash the rest of your bike with a soap and water mix and rinse it down with an ordinary garden hose. Do not use a high pressure hose or power washer on your bike, as water may push itself past the bearing seal and this may cause corrosion.

Lubricate

When your bike has dried, you will need to lubricate the chain, cables, levers, shifters, derail pulleys and pivot points. Never use an ordinary household lubricant on your bike, you should always use a lubricant purposely made for bike chains. In autumn weather a wet condition lubricant would be the best choice for your bike, due to the amount of rainfall that usually occurs. Make sure any excess lubricant is wiped off the bike as this can attract dirt.

While you are cleaning your bike, it’s a good idea to check for signs of damage on wheel rims, spokes, spoke holes and tyres. Now is a good time to give your bike a general inspection and feel free to give the bike frame a good buff, to get it shining. Once you’ve cleaned your bike, you’ll be surprised at how good it feels to get back on it, not only will it look great, it will certainly feel it too.

The perfect place to carry out that necessary bike maintenance

You will need to have a decent amount of outdoor space to clean your bike and doing this inside obviously isn’t an option, unless you like mud coloured carpets! Having somewhere to store all of these bike cleaning and maintenance items is also a good idea. A garage is a good place to store all of your bike maintenance equipment, accessories and of course your bikes. If you don’t have a garage, there are a variety of garden bike sheds and cycle storage units available on the market. The bike maintenance garage by Asgard has been designed to do just that! This is a large cycle garage that can hold up to 6 bikes, with shelves and hooks to maximise storage space and it is large enough to carry out necessary bike maintenance. The cycle garage is made from strong weatherproof steel, so your stored items will be safe and dry. Having all of your bike items stored under one roof is a lot less hassle than traipsing in and out of the house every other minute for items you’ve forgotten.

How to prepare your bike for the winter

How to protect your bike from the snow

Asgard have been producing the best in cycle storage for many years.  The recent bad weather holds no fear for the owners of Asgard bike stores!!!   Here are some tips on how to prepare your bike for long term winter storage.

How to prepare your cycle for winter storage.

When it comes to bike maintenance, there are two kinds of cyclists—those intimate with their bikes, who lovingly wash, lubricate and maintain their trusty steed throughout the cycling season—and the normal people.

Do you need to lubricate the cables or chain before storing the bike?

My tip is if you are not using your bike for a while – Keep everything lubricated.

If you are not planning to use your bike for some months, make sure you clean your bike thoroughly! 

Get ALL the dirt off, dirt will rust your bike, if it becomes damp through the winter.

Then, lubricate the chain and other mechanisms.  DO NOT USE WD40,

You should always use bike specific lubricants such as GT85 and Finish line oils.  These are not expensive (£7.00 for both). WD40 attracts all sorts of yukky stuff and will soon clog up your mechanism one you start cycling again.

I use paint thinner (meths) to clean my chain right down, then thoroughly oil it up.  This prevents any of the links from rusting or becoming stiff.  You can buy a chain cleaner from ebay for around £5 that clamps to your bike and brushes your chain clean in seconds.  Use plenty of oil after, then lightly rub the excess off.

A drop of thin oil inside the brake lever mechanism will help to keep them in tip top shape. Preventing seizure.

I then spray some GT85 on a rag and rub all the body work down, GT85 acts as a cleaning/polishing agent AND will give your bike an extra bit of protection.

Should the tires be inflated or deflated?

They should be inflated. They will deflate over the winter months. If you store your bike in an unheated garage you can take the tires off and bring them inside to a heated area. This will protect the rubber on the tires.

Should I hang the bike up?

You can hang your bike on a wall or ceiling, or just turn it upside down so there’s no weight on the tires.

Will direct sunlight harm the bike?

Don’t store your bike in direct sunlight. Unless your windows are new and UV protected, sunlight can dry and split the side walls of the tires.

Do steel-frame bikes need any special attention in the winter months?

If steel-frame bicycles are left in an unheated garage the metal can get cold enough for condensation to build up inside the tubing. This causes rusting. It’s best to store these bikes in a heated area, or pre-treat the steel frame with rust-proofing oil.  Should you use an Asgard bike store you can be sure that condensation will be kept to a minimum, due to the hidden roof vents and spacious design.  If in doubt, a bag of salt left in the shed/garage will absorb any moisture in the air.

What about other bike bits?

Take the batteries out of any lights, a little squirt of GT85 in any bike tools will keep them in good order.

Make sure you wash the liner of your bike helmet to remove any bacteria (Milton Fluid is great for this) this will stop the helmet from smelling.

Wash your riding shoes well.  Again, any dry mud mixed with light dampness will just rot the shoes through the winter.

 

Keep It Simple

If you are lazy or don’t have the time to do the above, simply take the bike to your local bike shop.  For around £30 they will prepare your bike ready for winter, then lock it up in your bike shed and wait for the sun!

 

Keep your bike dry and safe through the winter.

 

The effect of rain on your bike

I think we can all agree that the weather this summer has so far been pretty glorious. The temperatures are soaring and the sun is shining. However, we have had the occasional torrential downpour with thunder and lightning. With heavy downpours like the ones we have seen recently, it is important to make sure your bike is protected from the wet weather.

What happens when bikes get wet?

Many bikes just simply aren’t designed for outdoor living and need protecting from the elements when they aren’t in use. If you leave your bike out in the rain for long periods of time, without giving it any love, care or attention, your bike will start to suffer and this could end up costing you a pretty penny. When your bike is constantly exposed to wet weather conditions and you don’t keep on top of your bike maintenance, you may find that your bike begins to rust and have mechanical faults.  This is because when it rains, water will find its way into every little crevice.  If your bike doesn’t have stainless steel parts, this process will be accelerated further.

Clean your bike after heavy rain.

If your bike happens to get wet what should you do?

Whenever your bike gets rained on you should do the following to keep it in tip top condition:

• Dry your bike.
• Clean the chain, chain rings and cassette.
• Lubricate the drivetrain, brakes and cables.
• Store your bike somewhere dry!

How can you store a bike out of the rain?

If you need somewhere to store your bike and keep it protected from harsh weather conditions, there are two options that will keep your bike protected.

1. Bring it inside.
2. Get a secure bike shed.

Depending on the space you have available, one of these options may be better for you than the other.

Storing a bike inside the home isn’t ideal for many people as this could mean dragging dirt throughout your home or tackling stair cases. You may think that keeping your bike inside your home won’t take up much space, but what about all of the cycling gear and equipment? However if you don’t have any outdoor space, this could be your only option.

Alternatively you can store your bike outside and still keep it protected from the weather. There are many different bike storage units available on the market today, but Asgard metal storage units are weatherproof and have been proven to keep the rain out.  What’s even better is that these steel bike sheds are available in a number of sizes, so even if you only have minimal space you’ll be able to find the perfect bike storage unit for you. With outdoor storage, security may be your other concern.

Garden security bike shed

The Asgard range of storage units offer fantastic garden security, as pick resistant locks and a variety of locking mechanisms have been used on these units to help keep your bikes and accessories safe.  With help from Asgard you can now keep your bike outside, leaving it safe and dry until your next ride.