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Bike wash: a brilliant shine in just five minutes
The mechanic from the T-Mobile women’s team, Wolfgang Wölke, explains the perfect bike wash. It not only leaves the bike looking like new, it also helps save money. “The cleaner the bike is, the less parts like gear rims, sprockets and chain wear out”, says Wolfgang Wölke.
The best place to wash a bike is a car wash complex. The grease and grime that's washed off is disposed of correctly on the spot.
First of all, clean the chain, gear rims, sprockets, rear and front derailleur with a special chain cleaner. This quickly removes dirty oil and grease. To do this, shift to the small ring at the front and a medium sprocket to the rear. Then oil the entire drivetrain with a brush. Press the bristles against the cassette and turn the pedal forwards.
The next thing to do is place the brush on the chain (below) and pedal backwards. The chain is now clean inside and out: then spray the chain, sprocket and gear rim with a medium jet of water.
Now the bike gets a proper foam wash. Add a few drops of washing up liquid to a bucket or dish pan.
Shift to the smallest sprocket and remove the wheels so that you can access the brakes as well as the inside of the forks and dropouts.
Use a sponge to give the frame, handlebars, saddle and brake levers a good soaping.
Use a brush to clean the wheel surfaces and the spokes as well as the pedals and brake sets. Finally, rinse off any remaining foam with clear water.
The next thing is to “rub” the bike dry. With the rear wheel removed, place a clean cloth on the chain and turn the crank. Dry the rest of the bike. Then spray special Teflon polish on the frame and wipe off: this makes the bike sparkle and seals the surface.
Now fit the rear wheel again. As the derailleur – as explained above – is set to the smallest sprocket, the wheel only needs to be pulled upwards – it clicks right into place. Apply a couple of drops of oil from behind to the chain, change through the gears and wipe the chain with a cloth. Then apply a couple of dashes of spray oil to the rear and front derailleur.
Then it´s the pedal’s turn. Apply a bit of grease to the toe and the click mechanism.
Finally, line up the brakes again, either carefully by hand or with the Allen key – that's it! A worthwhile investment.
