Cleaning your bike... - Cycling Mob: Road Cycling, Mountain Biking and More

06-29-2004, 04:32 PM

I take my hybrid on a lot of gravel/dirt roads. What is the best way to
clean the bike? I found hundreds of websites on this topic but each one
seems to have different opinions. Here's what I've gathered so far:

- spray the gears+drivetrain with a degreaser and let it sit for a while
- hose down the whole bike with low-power waterhose
- with a sponge and brush, use bucket of water+dishwashing liquid to clean
every part of the bike
- apply lube to gears+drivetrain

Some people say not to use lube but to use grease. Then there's dry grease
and wet grease. Some people say not to use WD-40 because it is not a true
degreaser (but a water displacer) while other think it's the best. Some
people say that dishwashing liquid can permanently damage the bike's
coating.

So I thought I'd ask the pros. Any feedback would be welcome.