Blog

To Wash or Not to Wash: That is the Question

Should I wash my bike? The answer is a resounding “yes.” A clean bike operates better and prolongs the life of wear parts, plus it eliminates excess noise. Cleaning your ElliptiGO bike before having it serviced also helps make your mechanic’s day better! It’s not just dirt and road debris that collect on your bike, but sport drinks, sweat and moisture. Cleaning your frame and components will help prevent build-up or wearing down of materials.

Adding lubrication to the chain, cables and quick releases will also help prevent stickiness and rust as well as help keep those parts operating the way they are designed. Housing can collect dirt and moisture, so adding a few drops of chain lube into the access points of the housing will help keep the cables sliding when engaged. Lubing your chain and maintaining proper tension will prolong the life of not only your chain but also your chain ring and cog/cassette.

Many ask the best way to clean their GOs. A hose is not a great solution. Direct water pressure will penetrate your load wheel bearings, bottom bracket, drive arm bearings and even your hub. This can then lead to drying and rusting of those bearings, which can cause them to seize. Ideally, you use only as much liquid as needed to clean. If you like using a light amount of dish soap in a bucket and a rag, that is fine, so long as clean water is used afterwards to wipe down. Simple Green slightly diluted in water with a rag also works well. Be sure not submerge any sealed bearing part in water. The tracks and load wheels of the long stride products can be removed for a more thorough clean, but again, do not soak them in water or degreaser.

Cleaning once a month is recommended, but really, if the bike has a lot of dirt, sweat and sticky juices, cleaning twice a month may be your best bet!

Leave a Reply