The problem with having a shiny new bike is that you want to keep it that way. Which means that when I squelched into the kitchen this afternoon, having been caught in an epic downpour, my first call was not for new clothes, nor even a reviving whisky, but a dry tea-towel … for my bike. And then I squelched back out in the rain to the bike shed so I could dry off the chain. First things first.
And then second things second. I think that whisky might be calling me now…
June 18, 2009 at 10:16 pm |
My bike wouldn’t start this evening. Could not get the lock off. Nice Romanian cleaner tried to help me. No joy. Broke the key in the lock. V. bitter. The fact that this is national cycle week makes me laugh hollowly. Sorry, but when I have bike trauma, you are the first person I think of.
June 19, 2009 at 7:17 am |
Keep yer bike shiny – cotton wool buds (whatever happened to Q-Tips?) are great for cleaning around the base of spokes.
June 19, 2009 at 7:18 am |
The novelty of doing that will soon wear off! xx
June 19, 2009 at 8:07 am |
Anne – oh no! Can you find a nice bicycle thief locally who could steal it for you?
Simon – I’m still hunting for cotton wool buds which don’t have a plastic stick. They don’t seem to be made any more
Flighty – probably, but it would be nice not to neglect this one into the ground
June 19, 2009 at 4:20 pm |
Give it a good bath in WD40 and it’ll be reet.
June 19, 2009 at 6:31 pm |
soap and water (all but the chain unless you want to re-oil it ever time) works nicely, get an ol used toothbrush out and its a good time. its funny, i get pissed when its raining, not because i am getting wet, but because i am going to have to clean the spray/dirt off the bike when i am done with the day.
June 20, 2009 at 10:40 am |
I usually keep a lightly oiled rag in a can in the shed(don’t want spontaneous combustion fires) to wipe the bike down after a nasty ride. Especially on the old all steel black Raleighs it keeps the finish fresh and the rust to a minimum, not sure it would work on the newer finishes or not, but surely wouldn’t hurt.
Aaron
June 22, 2009 at 1:26 pm |
At the risk of your other half’s wrath… it’s in the bike shed? I thought you loved this new bike – surely it should be in the front room and the TV moved out to the bike shed?
June 22, 2009 at 3:26 pm |
frankly, it’s warmer in the bike shed
June 24, 2009 at 5:27 pm |
(Been on holiday and just catching up with the Town Mouse!)
Tea towel?! This is a prime opportunity for recycling old clothes that aren’t good enough for charity shops. Cut them into rags and use them to wipe down your beloved steed after a day in the rain.
Spray the chain with WD40/GT85 and wipe it after to keep it clean (too much grease will attract dirt, which is the real problem).
June 24, 2009 at 5:40 pm |
our recyclable clothes have all been hijacked by the other half as rags. And we have some very dodgy looking tea towels…