How To Wash Your Bike Like A Pro Mechanic

How should you wash your bike? Dirt build-up on your bicycle causes costly damage so cleaning your bike is essential for a smooth ride and bike longevity. Manon is at the UAE World Tour and joins an expert bike mechanic as he cleans the World Tour pro bikes.

00:00 Intro
00:31 Uno-X Mobility pro bike mechanic: Mike Jenner
01:08 What do you need to wash your bike?
02:00 Are pro bikes washed after every race?
02:38 What components do you wash first?
03:36 What type of degreaser do pro mechanics use?
05:47 How long should you leave the degreaser on?
06:14 What should you clean your bike frame with?
06:47 What order should you wash your frame in?
08:17 How to wash bike wheels
09:05 How to dry and lube your bike

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[gcntech]

What was your favourite tip from this video? 🧼

[vanessawei]

I get chills from hearing the chain rattle on that rear axle 🫠

[stevemawer]

One really good thing in these videos is they only put "music" on when no-one is talking! Small thing but makes a massive difference to my enjoyment. Alex Dowsett, if you're reading this, please take note and I might watch yours again.

[emanuele]

As a bike mechanic I see a lot of damage from washing, especially as nowadays bearings have become thinner and are often more exposed to make room for larger thru axles and all that on bottom brackets and hubs. If you are not a pro and plan on keeping your bike for a few years go easy with the washing, never use pressure hoses, and better remove the rear sprockets if you have to clean them (you don't want degreaser entering the freehub body bearings).

[sfss]

Manon is always polite and a good presenter

[kenlua]

4:16
Suggest putting something over the thru-axle so it wont get scratched when you rotate and clean your chain

[massimoserafini]

Next video: “Why you shouldn’t wash your bike like a pro mechanic”

[morganhill]

We now need Ollie reacts to this video. Fairy liquid, degreaser in all sorts of unholy places, not removing the chain and cassette to simply submerge them in degreaser (or melt the wax off them), spraying water up the bike, using a sponge and there was even mention of a pressure washer.

[stevebassett]

It was a good video. Mike was quick but very systematic, very detailed. One question though. What about protecting the brake rotors, calipers and pads, with all this degreaser being applied and water spray going across wheel from cassette to rotor. Seems to be asking for contaminated brakes.

[bikeskimawk]

GCN has done several how to clean your bike, this one is the best of them.😊

[rkost_]

What I always wondered about: It is generally not recommended to wash a bike with a pressure washer. However, I have never seen somebody say something against compressed air for drying the bike after washing it. Wouldn't compressed air also push water into all the bits an pieces that we don't want water in - bearings and stuff like that? What am I missing?

[yeonghonoh]

To wash a bike like pro mechanic you need pink crocs like Mike!

[ronnygoei]

For me, i cover the metal part near the brush with some cloth tape to avoid any scratches while brushing, just like fellow car detailer do 🙂

[guest_informant]

First bike cleaning video I've ever seen on GCN or anywhere in which they talk about *drying* the bike. More detail would have been appreciated but at least it got a mention. Thanks. And I've been watching since before Si's WD-40 video :-)

[treyquattro]

looks like the pro peloton isn't so big on chain waxing (don't tell Ollie!). I pretty much follow Mike's strategy, except don't remove the wheels after every ride, unless it's been particularly gritty out, and don't degrease the drivetrain because wax (Silca drip-on currently). Always dry the bike before storing it, lovingly, inside the house 🙂

[songofyesterday]

Checked my pulley and it’s gunked up. Never thought about washing that bit. Great video

[tombartlett]

Great video as always. Just a thought anyone had any bad experiences using washing up liquid on the tyres? It naturally gives off an oily sheen so thought it could become slippy over wet surfaces. Not exactly what you want at 40mph!

[JnFTff]

Thanks for this. Can you do a video on smart trainer maintenance, if any is necessary. Thanks again!!

[bladesman]

Always take your rear cassette off before degreasing it. Never get degreaser near your rear wheel hub. Learned that lesson the hard way in the past as always cleaned rear cassette like the guy in the video, which ensured water and degreaser got into the freehub eventually.

[da]

Theres loads of degreasers out there. My tip is Elbow Grease from Poundland. £2 a bottle lasts for ages. Great for complete strip down cleaning and when used diluted is brill for general degreasing whilst components are on the bike.