Spring sprang a couple weeks back. The occasional April
shower is going about bringing the random May flower, and as such, the shop is
brimming with bikes rescued from a winter of non-use. We’re busy and it feels
good. With all of this repair work
though, I have become increasingly aware of an epidemic in cycling. One that should be taken care of—nipped in
the butt, as it were, before our city’s mechanics are sent to therapy, driven
to the brink by the endless stream of sugar coated tri-spaceships, muck-covered
MTBs, and road bikes covered in some kind of black road sludge I don’t even
want to talk about. Clean your bikes!
There was a time when a clean, well-maintained bicycle wasn’t a rare bird, but
a badge of honor that most would be embarrassed to be without.
Maybe it’s our fault.
Maybe the bike mechanics of the world haven’t done a good job explaining
it to people. Well if that is the case
let me be clear beyond any doubt: Keeping your bike clean is the single most
important thing you can do in maintaining your ride. So many issues—from slow shifting or bad
bearings to creaks and rusted cables—can be wholly avoided by keeping your bike
clean and dry. It’s not hard. It doesn’t take any special tools. It doesn’t take any special skills—in fact,
if you can operate a spray bottle and move your hands back and forth in a basic
wiping motion, then I’m gonna go out on a limb and say you would probably make
a good bike cleaner.
So that’s our soup de jour: Dirt, mud, sports drink, and
road grime and how to rid your ride of them.
