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Clean

Wash the frame

Rinse, wash with soapy water, dry, and use the moment to spot cracks, deep scratches and loose bolts. A clean bike shows its faults better.

Difficulty
Easy
Time
30 minutes

This guide is still being written: only the main steps are described for now.

Tools you need

  • Brush

    Otherwise: Clean rags

  • Clean rags

Step 2Wash with soapy water

First rinse off the mud with gentle water, never a pressure washer, which drives grease out of the bearings. Then wash the frame from top to bottom with warm water and a little washing-up liquid, using a sponge or a Brush (or else Clean rags), and keep a separate sponge for the drivetrain.

Dry with Clean rags and look closely at the welds, the underside of the down tube and the rear dropouts: a hairline crack or cracked paint needs a workshop's opinion.

See it on my bike

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