Introduction: Cleaning Your Bike

After a while of riding your bike, you probably notice how dirty it can get.

This instructable will show you how to clean your bike safely, without rusting.

Step 1: Materials

These area the basic materials you will need for cleaning your bike.

- Leaf blower (optional)

- rags (old, clean socks and shirts work well)

- WD-40 or any good oil

- brake parts cleaner (optional)

- hose (with water in in it)

- grease

Step 2: Washing

Now it's time to spray your bike off. Be sure to spray every part off. If your seat is old and falling apart, you might not want to spray it. This is a list of the following places you might want to clean.

- Chain

- sprockets

- under side

- rims, if rim brakes

- disks, if disk brakes

- pretty much everything

Just blast away. DON'T USE A POWER SPRAYER. You might peel the paint off.
Also, the grease on the chain picks up a lot of dust and dirt, so be sure to spray it off.

Step 3: Drying

Now that you gave your bike a nice shower, my guess is that it's wet.

Start the leaf blower, and blow as much water of the bike as you can. Be sure to include the chain, sprockets, and anything that contains moving parts. Also, if your bike has scratches on it, be sure to remove any water from around it. Other wise, it may start to rust.

If you don't have a blower, than you can use a rag. Make sure the rag has no sand or dirt in it, or you will scratch the bike up.

Step 4: Oiling

Now that it is dry, it's time to oil it. Oil places that have moving parts in them.
Use grease on:

- chain

- sprockets

- shifting gears (on the back of the bike)

- peddle bar axle

- wheel axles

Use WD-40 for:

- shifter box

- Brake handle axle

- do not oil your brakes, disks, or rims. Otherwise, you lose some of your braking power.

- peddles


The oil helps make less friction, like micro ball bearings. WD-40 stands for water displacement, and the 40 is because the person who invented it, perfected it by the 40th time

Step 5: More Cleaning

Just in case the the oil got on the disk or rim, you might want to clean it with brake parts cleaner.

Spray on the disk or rim, and wash of with the rag. Be sure not to get any of the cleaner on the paint; it might melt it away.

Step 6: Done

Now you can ride a nice clean and oiled bike.

Have fun!

WEAR A HELMET

and good luck

creator 1

Step 7:

guys, i get the picture that you think wd is bad for a chain, so there is no reason to keep telling me that.  my dad is a millwright, and he works with machinery with chains and other stuff all the time.  he's been doing it for over 30 years.  and we've been oiling our bike with wd, and  never had a problem!