Bike Cleaning for the Kids & You

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!

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?

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.