How to Clean a Race Bike

Words by Simon Whiten

This ‘How to Clean a Race Bike’ article was inspired by our use of Fenwick’s cleaning products over the summer; we thought why not combine a review of their products with a guide on how to clean your precious race bike?

Then of course we realised that exactly how you clean your race bike is a very personal thing, so this article is more about how ‘I’ clean my race bike, as opposed to the way that everyone here at CycleTechReview.com cleans their bikes. Everyone on the team has their own method of doing it and if there’s one thing that’s true about cleaning your bike, it’s that you need to find a method that works for you and stick to it. Like riding, practise makes perfect.

 

Most riders understand that in order to enjoy riding and racing your bike, without being plagued by constant mechanical issues, you have got to have a regular bike cleaning routine. Once a week is a sensible approach for a well used road race bike, even in summer, and for a winter bike, a mountain bike or a cyclocross bike you may have to accept that you are going to be cleaning it a bit more often than that if you want to enjoy miles of problem free riding. And remember that Summer cleaning is just as important as in winter; sticky energy drinks and fine dust can play as much havoc as winter mud and road salt. Regular cleaning helps you spot potential issues or damage, and a clean bike before a ride or race makes you feel so much better than turning up on what looks like a mud splattered hack… Read More >