Regular bike maintenance is very important. Not only does it keep your bike running smoothly, it also prevents bike parts to wear out quickly.
A greasy chain attracts mud and sand which will make your bike squeaky and wears out your gears.

So, it's a good idea to clean your chain and gears regularly. How regular? Just do a visual check and you'll see it soon enough.
When your chain looks like mine in the photo below, it is time to clean it!

What do you need?

There are a lot of specialized tools and liquids to clean your bike with. I've used a special bike chain cleaner, but I'm using an old washing-up brush and toothbrushes now.
Apart from that you need a degreaser. I'm using a environment-friendly degreaser, but you can also make your own.
Finally I have an old dry cloth and some fresh lubricant. Your chain does need some grease to work properly.

First I put my bike upside down on some rubber tiles. Then I use a hose to spray off most of the dirt. I'm using the brushes to get the sand from the frame.
If you're also using a hose then don't use it with too much pressure as you don't want the water to end up inside your frame. Just gently sprinkle your bike with water.

Then I spray the complete chain and gears with the degreaser and brush them off so all the grease comes off.

I also run the chain through the two toothbrushes so I can get rid of the dirt in between the chains.

After that is done I use the hose again to spray the complete bike clean again.

Now take the dry clothes and run the chain through the cloth a couple of rounds to make it dry.
Your chain should be as clean as mine in the picture below.

Finally you need to apply new lubricant. I'm using wet lube since I clsometimes cycle in wet conditions.
I'm using one drop for every chain link. Be sure not to use too much.
After you have had all the chain links you grab the dry cloth again and run your chain through it again. This way you remove the excessive lubricant.

And now your bike is ready to hit the road again!

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FriendlyMoose

Creating blogs about photography, cycling, gardening, craft beer and more...

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Check out the posts with the #pobphotocontest tag.

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