“A Clean Bike Is A Fast Bike” - Olympic Silver Medalist, Brian Walton  

A few years ago, I decided to get my bike tuned at Cadency Cycling and Multisport.  Pushing my stuttering, mud-caked Specialized through the door--and past all the new, pristine, and well oiled machines--I saw the mechanic’s eyes bulge. “Jon, have you been off roading with that thing?” asked the mechanic, “road bikes are made for the road.” Laughing in shame, I glance the other way only to see the larger than life, Brian Walton, descending the stairs. Walton’s impressive resume as a 3 time Olympian has always made him seem tall to me—although, standing on level ground, his head barely reaches my shoulder.  Smiling, he cracked a joke about my bike which didn't register in my star-struck mind. Then Walton states: “Jon, you want to race fast? You’ve got to have a fast bike. A clean bike is a fast bike.” This may be the most influential advice that the Olympian ever divulged to me. As athletes, we always want to perform to the best of our ability. We wish to achieve our absolute potential in that fleeting moment. With that said, we never want to be limited by our equipment. We never want to find ourselves distracted in a race because of a weird sound, malfunctioning gears, and the like. Any such distraction takes our focus off of racing, finishing, and achieving absolute potential.   

Now, the phrase “a clean bike is a fast bike” is slightly misleading because it suggests that a clean bike is a well maintained bike. Of course, this may not be the case. But in the act of cleaning, a rider explores the bike. It provides time to look for loose screws, a worn down break/cable/ chain, irregular sounds, ect. Cleaning one’s bike weekly—and in special detail the week before a race—allows time for the rider to replace components and/or make an appointment at the local bike shop if more extensive work is required. It also allows time to understand how the machine works. The goal is not only to prevent the chance of a break down or loss of power transfer, but to also gain a working knowledge of the machine so you are  prepared to fix it in a race-emergency situation.

So how might you go about cleaning your bike?

1.) Hose the bike down with water, washing off any loose dirt. Be careful on the water pressure, especially around any electronic containers like a bike computer or power meter.

2.) Wipe the bike down with a towel.

3.) Spray the bike with a watered down degreaser such as Simple Green. Wipe off the grease with a towel. I usually begin with the least dirty parts of the bike (the seat and frame) and move toward the components. Any dark grease spot should be cleaned off, even on the crank, derailleur, derailleur pulleys, break leavers, and chain. Allow that metal to shine.  

4.) Take off the wheels and be sure to get the grease off of the sides, spokes, hub, breaks and fork. Flip the bike over and clean the bottom of the bike, including the cables.

5.) To clean the rear cassette, spray degreaser on the edge of a towel. Next, place that edge between each of the cogs and wipe away the grease.

6.) For other hard to get areas, a toothbrush may help.

7.) Put back on the wheels and tighten the screws and bolts with a bike tool. It’s best not to mess with the derailleur screws, leave those up to the mechanic at your local bike shop.

8.) Reapply grease on the chain. Then wipe all excess grease off.

9.) Pick up your bike and run it through the gears to make sure the cables are working well.

10.) Pick up your bike about an inch from the ground and drop it on the wheels—hold on, of course! Address any rattling you hear.

11.) Examine all other gear including your helmet, cleats, shoes, race wheels, and tires for deterioration. Replace anything needed. Be sure to sure to try anything new before racing—especially if you adjust your bike cleats.

Now, take your bike for a test ride. Your clean, screw tightened, well oiled machine should feel like adding another smooth, frictionless joint to the body. This connection provides a sense of assurance; the confidence that you are getting the best power transfer, and that your bike won’t break down and cause a crash. DO NOT question whether your bike will hold up throughout training or racing. Clean it, maintain it, and know that you have done everything possible to ensure that it does not limit you from achieving your potential.   

Let me know of any questions

Jon Fecik

USAT Coach

jafecik@gmail.com

Images: Derailleur: http://www.trinewbies.com/tno_bikeclean/Deraileurs.asp

             Clean Bike Fast Bike: http://www.sydneytosurfers.org.au/2012/05/01/day-4-laurieton-to-nambucca/clean-bike-fast-bike-2/