Knowing how to clean a bike is part and parcel of the responsibility that comes with owning one. Having the right skills for this is essential most especially when outside help or service is no where in sight. Moreover, it is always great to have more than one thing that you can do on your own.
The common elements which cause a bike and its parts to wear out easily are dirt, sand and mud. You will have a hard time scraping them off your equipment once you fail to clean them at earlier time. Thus, it is always best that you have them attended to as soon as they build up. Check on the bottom bracket tube, spindle, rear freewheel, brakes, calipers and pads for traces of excessive dirt.
Moving forward, brake pads are one of the parts which need not only to be cleaned right away but also to be replaced right away as soon as they get torn. This is because typical bike cleaning cannot get it back to functioning well once more. Brake pads rub against the wheel to cause the bike to stop. When they are damaged just like the other biking accessories, the rims get damaged as well and the brakes malfunction. Thus, they must be replaced in a regular basis to avoid further damage on the other parts.
If you are in to traversing long distances, you must be ready with the skills that prompt and intensive bike washing will require from you. Right after a long distance trip, prepare a washing mixture. This washing mixture has to be a pail of warm water and a handful of detergent powder. After stirring the two ingredients well, you will be able to come up with a soapy solution. Use a clean rag to apply this soapy solution on the front and back derailers, cables, wheel rims and brakes, chain and sprockets. For scrubbing the chains, use brushes with hard bristles.
Learning how to clean a bike also includes knowing the right cleaning materials to use for each part concerned. As mentioned above, there are scrubbing tools which must be utilized as far as effective cleaning is concerned. Apart from that, there are different kinds of soap which can be purchased depending on the preference of the cyclists themselves. For example, there are green soaps available in stores for cyclists who are passionate about protecting the environment. While you can clean your bike in any style you want, there is one thing to remember here. That is to keep water from reaching the gear shift levers, wheel bearings and crank bearings as it can destroy these parts easily.
Moving forward, scrub the tires carefully. Check whether they need to be inflated. Tires need to be re-inflated every now and then for them to achieve the proper volume it needs. If you have soft tires, you will have a hard time pedaling. What's worse is it can pop anytime while you are on the road. Thus, you will be prone to danger. Before hitting the road, infuse air into the tires using a pump with gauge. Take a look at the recommended air pressure imprinted on the sides of the tires. As you pump air, inspect each of the tires for cuts.
Lastly, your lessons on learning how to clean a bike, specifically women's bicycles would be incomplete if you do not know how to lube your bicycle chains. This does not only keep your chains clean. It also makes your chains glide smoothly as you push the pedals with your feet and shift gears. Apply some lube on to the chain directly. Turn the pedals using your hands while applying the lube. Use a clean rag when removing the excess lube. Dirt will stick easily to lube-stained chains and other parts.
The common elements which cause a bike and its parts to wear out easily are dirt, sand and mud. You will have a hard time scraping them off your equipment once you fail to clean them at earlier time. Thus, it is always best that you have them attended to as soon as they build up. Check on the bottom bracket tube, spindle, rear freewheel, brakes, calipers and pads for traces of excessive dirt.
Moving forward, brake pads are one of the parts which need not only to be cleaned right away but also to be replaced right away as soon as they get torn. This is because typical bike cleaning cannot get it back to functioning well once more. Brake pads rub against the wheel to cause the bike to stop. When they are damaged just like the other biking accessories, the rims get damaged as well and the brakes malfunction. Thus, they must be replaced in a regular basis to avoid further damage on the other parts.
If you are in to traversing long distances, you must be ready with the skills that prompt and intensive bike washing will require from you. Right after a long distance trip, prepare a washing mixture. This washing mixture has to be a pail of warm water and a handful of detergent powder. After stirring the two ingredients well, you will be able to come up with a soapy solution. Use a clean rag to apply this soapy solution on the front and back derailers, cables, wheel rims and brakes, chain and sprockets. For scrubbing the chains, use brushes with hard bristles.
Learning how to clean a bike also includes knowing the right cleaning materials to use for each part concerned. As mentioned above, there are scrubbing tools which must be utilized as far as effective cleaning is concerned. Apart from that, there are different kinds of soap which can be purchased depending on the preference of the cyclists themselves. For example, there are green soaps available in stores for cyclists who are passionate about protecting the environment. While you can clean your bike in any style you want, there is one thing to remember here. That is to keep water from reaching the gear shift levers, wheel bearings and crank bearings as it can destroy these parts easily.
Moving forward, scrub the tires carefully. Check whether they need to be inflated. Tires need to be re-inflated every now and then for them to achieve the proper volume it needs. If you have soft tires, you will have a hard time pedaling. What's worse is it can pop anytime while you are on the road. Thus, you will be prone to danger. Before hitting the road, infuse air into the tires using a pump with gauge. Take a look at the recommended air pressure imprinted on the sides of the tires. As you pump air, inspect each of the tires for cuts.
Lastly, your lessons on learning how to clean a bike, specifically women's bicycles would be incomplete if you do not know how to lube your bicycle chains. This does not only keep your chains clean. It also makes your chains glide smoothly as you push the pedals with your feet and shift gears. Apply some lube on to the chain directly. Turn the pedals using your hands while applying the lube. Use a clean rag when removing the excess lube. Dirt will stick easily to lube-stained chains and other parts.
About the Author:
Get The Best Biking Accessories For A Safer Biking Experience. Visit This Website For Tips On How To Bike Like A Pro.
No comments:
Post a Comment