How to Wash a Bike Properly: Tips From a Pro Bike Mechanic 

Make sure to use this code JUSTRIDEBIKES20 for 20% off Muc-Off products at muc-off now (if it wasn't working for US viewers before it should be now)

I have to admit I laughed at the seamless transition between, "read the instructions on the back in terms of how much you should be using", and the random pour of concentrated cleaner and "that's good for me".

I’d like to see an in depth video as to how Jim cleans the drivetrain.

I love these videos "let me show you how to take a clean bike and turn it into a clean bike" 😄😄😄😄😄

This video wasn't just sponsored by Muc-off they made the whole thing for you.

This bloke is a proper legend. The series of videos featuring Jim has been top class with some great tips in. I could watch him all day.

Always do drivetrains first. And I bought the park tool dummy hub and install it every time i clean my bike. Makes it so much easier (only if you have a bikestand). More thorough chain cleaning and easier to get to all corners. Plus i like cleaning the wheel and drying it separately.

Jim is my favorite part of this channel. I'm sure I'm fifteen years older than he, but he's who I want to be when I grow up.

I just love this British blend of dedicated professionalism and tradition! havin been stuck in Berlin devoid of any culture I think I will move to the UK. unintended consequences of yountube videos...thank you so much!!

I really enjoy the fact the you take your time to explain all this stuff for proper bike cleaning your advice is most appreciated I enjoy bike riding and wanna have my bike performing at the highest level so thanks for this very informative video and keep ‘em coming

Lovely clear demonstration, with humour - like the workshop layout too - there is a lot of hidden efficiency there.

Clean your drive train first.. that way you really lessen the chance of spreading grit and oil from it anywhere else with your wonder brush 👍🏻

I wouldn’t use the same brush for the tyre and frame, if there’s small stone stuck on the brush then use it on the frame again it will just scratch it

Jim - the Bob Ross of Bike Care & Mechanics 😀

Jim is an absolute LEGEND!!!!

If you can afford it, use a bike stand (my cheap Aldi one is still going strong), and take wheels and chain off. If you use parafin wax then you don't even need to degreaser on the chain, just boiling water and wipe down with a rag! Don't forget to pick all the bits of metal/glass out of your tyres and rim brake pads every few months/weeks (mileage dependant). Using car wash on my bikes with no issue (BH carbon bike 9 years old, Avanti carbon bike 8 years old, Cannondale CAAD10 8 years old)

He is like the Bob Ross of bike cleaning, very nice and calm. Thanks Jim!

as a car detailer i recommend these products: Garage therapy Zero/decon shampoo ( can be diluted more then 1 ratio) 2 Garage therapy microfiber wheel mitts (one for the frame and one for the wheels) A toothbrush for the chainring and that’s it

Loving Jim The Bike Man. Another great and very helpful vid. Thanks 🙏

Brilliant informative video. After a few years riding bikes, I now know how to clean my bike properly.

I love your delivery. Glad I found your channel!

Thanks Jim great pace clearly explained and demonstrated very helpful thank you. Reassuring that I do quite a bit of that but also helpful and there’s a couple of other things that I can usefully now do as well

Love your humour and delivery! Infotainment at is best! 😂👍🏾🙏🏾

..I'd a got my moneys worth,from that bucket,and gave that meter box a going over,while i was at it...thanks for the video,enjoyed it...

I absolutely love your Videos. Apart from being incredibly useful, the way you explain is so … soothing is perhaps the right word. I would watch you explain drying paint.

very good video, thanks for the info about low pressures

Great video as always Jim, love to watch you work. But after washing my bike, I will give the frame a nice drying first with a soft microfiber cloth to get rid of excess water because water spots are a thing, especially with the horribly hard water I have where I live, and then I'll use my computer duster to blow out any more water still lingering on the bike in those hard to reach areas. Definitely have to try some of those products though...

Awesome bike...love the bar tape color

Jim really is the Bob Ross of washing bikes. What an exceptionally relaxing video.

Jim is so relaxing and calming to listen to.

Great video! Very helpful!

I love this guy etiquette

Brilliant video tutorial Jim! Thanks so much. Appreciate it. Namaste.

Contaminating disc rotors with muc off the rest of the bike? Hmmm…. Did I miss the chain and cassette being cleaned?

Another bike cleaning video of a guy that starts with a clean bike... The chain he starts with is cleaner than mine after washing... :D

What a legend this guy is!!

Super cool video!

compared to other videos from others, this is a very detailed with showed how to's and very useful on the spot advices on how to properly wash your bicycles!! congratulations !!

Great ad for muc-off, but when does the video start?

Excellent tip regards spraying frame protection product onto the cloth to avoid brakes contamination. When I wash my bike I put the rear end on a cheap basic bike stand, the sort that suports the bike via the chain stay and seat stay, this holds the bike upright and allows me to move around the bike and not be worried about dropping my bike. It also lets you spin the rear wheel so you have better access to all parts of the rear wheel and cassette. I also use a dedicated half inch paint brush to agitate around the disc brake callipers and pads and I use toothbrushes to clean inbetween the cables under the bars, the hubs and where the spokes secure in the hubs and also underneath the saddle in the nooks and crannies hidden by the seatrails.

Another great video. Yeah there are many “how to wash your bike” videos on RU-vid but this is one of the best. Detailed but also not making a mountain out of it. Washing your bike is not complicated and can be done pretty thoroughly in a little time. Thank you Jim. And you have a wonderful voice.

I’m glad you mentioned not needing the jet washer. Hose does the job for me.

Pro tip: an inexpensive hand-pumped garden sprayer with sufficient capacity is perfect for washing bikes.

I like the hanging box!

Great tutorial, please do allow me to share my washing routine, i use the muc off c3 dry lube (dish soap soluble no need for degreaser AT ALL) So i blast water into the chain links and spray dish washing liquid on the chain and brush all of the chain + pulley + chain rings and i once again blast it. By this stage the only thing on the bike is dirt on the frame and totally oil free. I then spray dish washing liquid all over the bike without any care for rotors because if you can eat off your plates, your rotors will not be contaminated. I then sponge wash the whole bike and proceed to drying/protection. Since i have used Turtlewax ice seal and shine on the frame and wheels, dishwashing liquid will NOT remove any hydrophobic coating at all (proof on youtube video on the turtlewax) all i have to do is use a portable air blower to blast off the water and since it is hydrophobic it just slides off. I blast all bolts as well as FD and FD as well as chain. By this time the bike is 100% dry and chain is 80% dry. I feel comfortable to relube the FD, RD and chain with 0% chance of contaminating the brake rotor. I bought the muc off protect but i have never found it to be a good idea to spray any aerosol anywhere within 50m radius of my pads and rotors. I wash my bike once every week and they are absolutely pristine.

Watching the bike cleaning is kinda satisfaction for me. I dropped by to watch the video but hooked up with the brilliant clean accent 😂😂

Many thanks

Great video! I'd personally like a follow up video aimed at people living in apartments. Although I might give this video's technique a shot on the street with a pump sprayer.

Another top tip - ensure your bike is clean before you start 🙂

Muc-off products cost more than my bike.

Jim is so cool!

Thorough job. Quality microfibre cloths are a good investment. I get mine from a car detailing products supplier, packs of 10 work out cheaper.

Builder's tea, spot on. 👍☕

Looks easy when the bike is clean already.

My favourite cuppa is a Julie Andrews......White Nun!!!! Great video 👍

I live in a second floor flat.....erm, everything is done by hand very slowly....it works....Wheels off etc and some of those Muc Off rubber gloves with the bristles on !!!!

Anyone that times things by drinking tea gets my attention

Muc off is like sticking glue on the chain!

what a nice clean bike you had just before starting ..... 😅 how exactly do you do this when the bike is actually dirty ? 😄 thx for the detailing ideas!

Jim, you never came back with a different brush to show me how to clean the cassette. I am gutted!

Nice! But wouldn't you advise degreasing the chain and related areas first before the clean.....and should you really not use the brush on the wheels and then switch to the frame i.e. clean the wheels last?

The muc-off pressure wash has a lot and i mean lot of over spray. My whole garden looked like we had a snow storm. I now realise i dont need the pressure washer. I do like the snow foam it gets the bike clean

Nice one Jim. Video shot at a nice pace, I even had a brew myself! These quite simple things are what 'we' easily forget to do. Cheers

Nice video! We saw the cloth can be washed in the washing machine, but what about the brushes? Is there any specific tip for them?

That bike looked spotless before the wash pity it wasn't a proper dirty bike but some good tips on the timing have a cuppa and biscuits 🤣🤣 atvb Jimmy 😎😎👍👍

Cleaning the drivetrain (and avoiding contaminating the discs) is like 90% of the time it takes me to clean my bike.

Great video, how long do you leave it outside to dry? Do you then put any oil or grease on chain etc?

you forgat to show us how to properly clean the casette which you avoided in rhe first go. maybe you could edit this recording and add that too in the video!!

Did anyone catch what brand of cleaning products he is using?

I thought this was QVC for Mucoff for a moment!

Thank you. Is all this also valid for ebikes?

this video was like Muc-Off advertising and he started with cleaning the whole bike before doing the drivetrain first. The bike was also clean when he started. Nevertheless it seems like a good product to try. Good job.

Gunk bio degreaser and car shampoo, used for years, works fine

Hi Jim what's your thought on low pressure air compressors to aid in the drying process.

I don’t think anyone in America cleans their bikes. Maybe just no one where I live 😂

What are your thoughts on using a compressor to dry the bike with an air gun? Obviously don’t blast compressed air into bearings etc but is it ok to blow the moisture off with it?

If I don't have that concentrate cleaner that he mixed in the bucket of water, what else can I use?

The bike was clean before you started?

Great video ! Can you explain Bike Protect vs Blue can silicone polish on the frame ? I realise silicone good for dropper seatpost and F and R shock stansion but what is major difference between the two once on the frame ? Thanks heaps

Hopefully this doesnt come across as a silly question, but what is the best way of cleaning the cleaning products? In particular i have a drive train cleaner that clamps over the chain and through a series of cogs and brushes it cleans the chai . However, the amount of oil, grease and grime that comes off the chain ultimately ends up on those brushes. How can you properly clean them for the next wash?

My tea has gone cold 1/2 way through the snow foam……

Can you dry it with a pressurized air?

Is it important to keep the label attached to your brush? 😬 cheers/ 👍🏽 vid enjoyed it ta

JIM!

You dont need Mucoff Products to clean your bike.

How come when you first prewashed with just water you didn't flip the bike then? I would hose the whole bike down first to get rid of any crud. I guess yours was pretty clean to start with though! Nice vid though.

Would normal pure beeswax be a good material to polish a frame?

Does the muc off drivetrain cleaner ruin all disc brakes or just mine?

What about a power leaf blower to dry the bike?

sponsored by muc off and advocating to not use car cleaner. Car cleaner is perfectly adequate for washing cars. Its a degreaser, its not got any salts (really important to prevent galvanic corrosion), and it won't ruin paint work. Muc-off has done a really good job of getting us to ignore cheaper options because they aren't "bike specific"

Any time an apron wearing mechanic starts talking.. you better listen. You’re about to get schooled. I always enjoy his talks. Killer mustache too

I like everything about the video except for the fact that you didnt cover cleaning the casette, I was looking specifically for that and if I had to pay attention to anything while doing it

What type of bike wash is safe for matte black?

Is it ok to ride the bike home from a cleaning station on a dry day for drying it off? About 2km

"The clue, is in the name", a Britishism that we really need in the States

I definitely wouldn't recommend pressure washing your house like that dude! Accelerated deterioration of bricks through Freeze/thaw. The TCR is epic though, the same as mine ; )

i need that brush lol

Lüv it!! 'TETLEY MAKE TEA' Make Tea" 🍵😊 BUT, a great way to clean your bike. Luv the approach no fuzz just in & out... in a professional way. Keep up the good 👍 work mate.

What about bike cleaning wipes?

More of Jim please, it's so relaxing and informative.. And he's a thoroughly solid bloke .... We all need to chip in and buy him a leather stetson to go with that moustache.. 🤠