Road Bike Maintenance

Whether you are a sunshine cyclist or all-weather warrior, you’ll need to take care of your bike. This will keep your components in optimal condition and prevent excessive wear. Every cyclist has his or her own routine for cleaning and repair jobs. So what can you do to make sure your bike remains in top condition? Check out our tips below.

Give your bike a wash

If your bike is dirty with mud or salt in the winter, then first give your bike a shower before you hop in yourself. Use a garden hose or mobile bike cleaner.

Don’t use a high pressure washer: this also washes away the grease in the bearings and that can cause wear and rust. Use lukewarm water with, for example, Morgan Blue Bike Wash or Morgan Blue Mud Off.

Without a wash, dirt will dry up on your frame and bike parts. Remove dirt with a soft brush that won’t scratch the frame.

 

Cleaning the bike

If you ride during the season, it’s best to just simply lather the bike with a simple rinse. A cleaning glove makes this extremely easy. The advantage of washing your bike with a glove is that you won’t scratch the bike.

This way, you’re better able to reach certain spots of the bike, as well as “feel” it better.

Clean the chain

If you’ve been out riding in dry weather, a simple wipe with a dry cloth will do. Most of the dust stuck to the oil will let go.

If you were out in the rain, then the chain will need a little extra love. Sand and other dirt will have worked their way into the chain. You can degrease it, but be careful not to use too much!

If you do, it might also remove any lubricant on the internal parts of the chain, which can’t be applied again once it has been removed. Rinse off the degreaser with water afterwards.

 

Clean the drivetrain

If you’ve gotten dirt on your chain, then you’ve probably gotten dirt on the rest of the drivetrain too. The cassette and jockey wheels need to be cleaned as well, otherwise the chain will just get dirty again. These parts are difficult to reach without a brush. Rinse with water.

Lubricate the chain

Lubricate the chain at least every two rides with chain oil, preferably the night before you ride so the oil can work its way into the links.

Choose the right oil based on the weather; dry or wet. WD40, Teflon, or silicone spray are not sufficient to grease chains.

Oil for dry weather is less sticky and prevents dust from sticking to your chain. Oil for wet weather is thicker and doesn’t wash off easily.

However, if you were to use it in dry weather, dust will stick to the grease and your chain will be dirty again in no time.

Finishing touch: wax the frame

Dry off your bike with a soft cloth. Don’t use the same cloth for both the frame and the chain, as you probably don’t want chain grease on your frame. Make your bike look shiny and new again, by giving it a wax!

It will also make the next cleanup easier. The wax ensures dirt has less of a chance to stick to the frame or components. Make sure not to get any wax on your brake rotors though!

 

Check the brake pads

Check the brake pads before you store your bike. Road bikes: if you can’t see the wear indicators anymore or if they are worn unevenly, you’ll have to replace them.

Mountain bikes: If there’s only a millimeter of brake surface left on your pads, replace them.

Check the bolts

Check the bolts on your bike regularly. The vibrations during your ride can loosen the bolts. Use a torque wrench to tighten them.

Almost all bolts have an indication of the required torque specification, denoted by a number and the abbreviation “NM”. If you’ve installed new pedals or a seat post for instance, it is wise to do so with some assembly paste.

This ensures you can loosen the bolts later and prevents creaking and crunching while at the same time keeping dirt from sticking between the bolts and frame.

Check the tyres

Check if they are not worn down, and if they show rips or cuts. A worn tyre not only increases the chance of punctures, it also provides considerably less grip. Road grit tends to stick to the tyres on wet roads as well. Regularly check the tyre pressure.

The maximum pressure is denoted on the side of the tyre. Usually, a road bike tyre is inflated to between 7 and 8.5 Bar. In order to set the tyres at the right pressure, you can use a simple rule of thumb. Take 10% of your bodyweight with a maximum of 8.5 Bar. You can check this by using a pressure gauge. You can also just inflate your tyres every other ride using a sturdy pump fitted with a built-in pressure gauge. 

Do I need to clean the bike after every ride?

It depends on the conditions. If there is a lot of salt on the roads or the trails are muddy, it is wise to clean every week.

Depending on how experienced you are, it can all be done in 30 minutes. If it is only freezing or raining, then cleaning and greasing the drivetrain should suffice.