Everyone loves a clean and shiny bike. But how long does a bike stay clean? What’s your attitude or your kids attitude to bike cleaning? Do you ride and expect your bike to perform well every time you jump on? Cleaning is a big part of preventing any unwanted breaks or squeaks from happening.
Bike cleaning is heaps of fun but it will also open up an opportunity to teach the kids & you so much more.
Responsibility Respect for equipment Moving/lifting/handling a bike Understanding how a bike works Discovering what damages a bike Identifying problems & solving them Appreciating costs/money Environment to ask questions & learn Another opportunity to get wet!
You will need – your bike, a cleaning kit, bucket of water/hose
Although this is targeted at kids, if you are new to riding or getting back into it after a long break, this is a great way to get to know your bike. So feel free to do this without any kids. I recommend you read through this story and the answers to the questions before you begin cleaning. That way armed with fresh knowledge you can just get to the water and fun.
Depending on the age of your child/children and how into it or inquisitive they are start to work your way through this list which includes what part of the bike to work on/how to work on it/questions you could answer together when bike cleaning.
Most of these things are easiest to work with when your bike is upside down (exception – points of contact), so begin with this skill, turn the bike or bikes you want to clean upside down. Now grab a cleaning kit and apply a general bike cleaner then lather up with your brush.
Tyres – so easy for a child of any age to clean and satisfying if they are muddy. Use a brush and lather and rinse while checking for tread wear, splits, cracking. What is a tyre made of? What can damage a tyre? What is tread? What is written on the sidewall of your tyre? What do these things mean? Do you need to pump up your tyres?
Spokes – it is good for anyone to spin their back bike wheel and have a look at how the pedal/chain/back wheel work to give you motion. Do this by cranking the pedals (I am assuming your bike is upside down). View the wheel, as it spins in the plane that it moves, look for wobbling. Stop the spinning wheel with your brakes not your hand – which brake controls which wheel? When the wheel is still inspect your spokes by giving them a tweak – do they move? Where’s the nipple? (On your wheel rim). Should it be tight? How many spokes do you have in your front wheel?
Cables – follow the cables from the handlebars – where do they go? What do the cables on your bike do? You are looking for cracks in the casing, loose cables, splitting, are they sitting in their tracks/taped down?
Chain – your chain is oily so dirt, grit, sand, fine gravel gets stuck to it. A quick way to give it a clean is to run a soapy brush over it. A good trick for your cog set is to use the side of a cloth and run it between the sprockets – see photo below. How are the teeth of the sprockets looking, where do they wear down? How many gears do you have on your bike? It is really important that once dry, your clean chain needs to have lube applied to it.
Points of contact – seat, hand grips, pedals. Again easy for all ages to find these things, clean them, rinse and search for wear & tear – rips, cracking. Spin the pedals… are the handlebar grips sticky? What kind of things can damage your seat/grips/pedals?
A bike brush will quickly clean the larger parts of your bike and get into some of the strange spaces.
A simple way to clean between your sprockets is with a cloth.
Cleaning tips & how to solve problems you have discovered…
Be gentle with water, use a light spray if you have a hose. Dry in the shade. Why should you dry your bike in the shade? Why should we keep our bikes in a garage/shed/covered up?
Did you find any problems? Are they easily fixed? Do you need to pump up your tyres? If you discovered something that needs work have a go at fixing it yourself (look through our resources), ask a friend to help or take the bike to a bike mechanic.
Do you have some things to keep an eye on for next time? Have some of the questions got you puzzled…
Now that your bike is clean YOU can relax knowing that your pre-ride safety check will be simple and you will be able to have a great time next time you ride your bike…
Please note that this bike cleaning check does not replace a more comprehensive bike assessment or bike maintenance that should be completed on your bike. How often this is done depends on how often you ride your bike. We recommend a thorough check at least once a month. It is also a good idea to do a comprehensive check before you go on longer duration bike rides like a bike tour or multi day riding holiday. It reduces the risk for any mechanical surprises.
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