Just participated in a trials event and now have a very dirty bike sitting in your garage that requires some much-needed attention?
Well get to it, as cleaning your bike sooner rather than later will lead to less mechanical headaches later down the track.
Removing the fun made out on the track
When you get detergent buy truck wash!
Not car wash, yes, truck wash.
Many car wash detergents use wax, which can cause problems with your brakes.
Our hot tip: add a small scoop of clothes washing powder to your bucket or sprayer, as this will really help move some of the stubborn clay stains.
Also avoid pressure washers. As quick and easy this option may seem, pressure washers can damage the stickers and other small parts on your bike and push water past seals in bearings.
Once the bike is shiny and clean, allow it to drip dry or speed it up with a leaf blower. Then get your hands on an air compressor and spend some valuable time blowing out all the water that may have become trapped in the bolt heads and other parts of the bike. Trust us, it is worth the time and energy. You will be amazed at how much water ends up on the floor!
Lastly, cover your brake discs and spray the entire bike with a water dispersant product like WD-40. Just make sure you don't spray onto your brake disks so cover them up, and avoid your grips also.
Just make sure you DO NOT use CRC 2.26 as this shrinks rubbers such as the covers on your brake and clutch pistons.
And your work here is done
And voilà, just like that the dirt and mud gathered from your weekend fun has disappeared (well you may still need to hose down your working area).
It may seem like a lot of effort but if you put in the time immediately after your trials event your bike will continue to look competition ready for a long time to come, at least until you decide you deserve an upgrade.