Riding is a lot more pleasant on a well-maintained bike, and keeping a bicycle clean and lubricated is the essence of preventive maintenance.
There’s a saying that ‘an ounce of prevention is worth a ton of cure’. It’s certainly true for bikes. Keeping a bike clean reduces wear and tear, cuts down on remedial maintenance and can also make your riding safer.
It’s also easy to do. The only snag is that the best time to clean a bike is straight after a ride, when you’re probably much more interested in having a shower yourself. However, cleaning is both easier and more effective when it’s done straight away.
This is especially true if the ride has been wet and muddy, so this applies particularly to mountain bikes (though here in the UK some of the country lanes can leave a road bike pretty mucky too). Mud is much easier to shift before it dries, and if you put your bike away wet there’s a risk of rust and corrosion.
There’s no need for expensive special equipment; a bucket of soapy water, a sponge and a few rags will do the job pretty well. Dedicated brushes, available cheaply from any bike shop, help to reach awkward spots.
A hosepipe is also helpful, but jet- or pressure- washers can be rather too powerful; under pressure water can force its way into sealed bearings. These should be virtually maintenance-free, but can be ruined if water gets in.
Mountain-bike centres often provide pressure washers and it’s certainly a good idea to clean the bike before throwing it onto a car or train to get home. Make sure that the jet is never aimed too directly at bearings: hubs, bottom bracket, headset and pedals. Take care around suspension shocks and forks too.
This issue does not arise when cleaning a bike at home with an ordinary hosepipe. The problem here may be finding a suitable place to work. And what do you do if you live in an apartment? Put the bike in the shower? If anyone has any tips for dealing with this issue, they would be welcome on the discussion forum.
The basic procedure for cleaning a bike is like many other forms of cleaning: Wash. Rinse. Dry. Don’t neglect the drying part, as chains in particular can go rusty very quickly if left wet. A swift but thorough wipe is also essential after a ride in the rain - even if it was clean rain.
