Washing my bike || Lavando mi bicicleta

Among so many things to do, I must admit that washing my bike is not among the most important in my routine. I know it's important but I need to be more disciplined about it. A clean bike contributes to our good looks when we are out of the house. Just as we try to wear clothes that are in good condition and clean, our bike should be that way too. I'm not talking about always having a clean bike, but that it shows that we put it to good use.

In addition, maintaining good hygiene helps to better preserve the materials it is made of. We know that rust, mud, dust and moisture can wreak havoc on all metal parts. At the same time, it helps us keep our clothes clean. Maybe it has happened to you, but you leave the house well dressed, but just because you pinked a dirty part of the bike you stained your pants, and now you have to spend the rest of the evening trying to hide that stain. We would have avoided it if our bike was clean.

So, this week I put it on my to-do lists to force myself to wash my bike. I think this is a good key to make room in our routines for this necessary activity. That morning I positioned myself near a faucet and prepared liquid soap (the one for washing clothes), sponge, brush and a hose. I usually place the bike upside down, since it's more comfortable for me and also the dirtiest areas of the bike are more noticeable, since a lot of the dirt comes from the ground, dirt splashes and puddles.

I try to do it at times when the water pressure is stronger. So with the hose I can reach all the difficult areas of the bike. I take my time and have no problem splashing water all over myself as well. After spraying plenty of water on the bike, I proceed to brush the chain, and its entire system to remove excess grease and all the dirt that sticks to the system. I like to do this first because it is usually the part that has the most dirt on it. Then I rinse.

I then proceed to clean the entire body of the bike with a sponge and that soapy solution. The hardest part is at the joints, or behind the derailleur plates. There is a lot of dirt there. That's why, with patience, I dedicate myself to wipe all those areas with a sponge.

Finally, I clean the wheels. I usually brush the rim and the tires, everything. Maybe some people don't see much sense in cleaning the tires, because it's the first thing that gets dirty. And maybe they are right. However, at car washes they also clean the vehicles, so why not do it with our bikes? I think it adds good looks and, who knows? It might even last for many days well cleaned in dry seasons and we don't take it out much.

So I had an entertaining morning, washing my bike. I'm glad to see it clean again. I feel safer visiting other people in their homes, and especially those where I am invited to keep it indoors because of insecurity. Can you imagine parking our dirty bike in someone else's tidy living room? How embarrassing! When it's clean, it's better.

Now that the rainy season has started in the area where I live, some people suggest that after an outing on our bike and it gets dirty with puddles and mud, we rinse it immediately with just water, to remove most of that dirt, preventing it from solidifying on the surfaces of our vehicle. This is a suggestion that I plan to apply this year, and maybe it will be useful to you as well.

How are you doing trying to keep your bike clean? How often do you wash it? Do you have any suggestions on this subject? I'll read them in the comments. Thanks for stopping by, see you next time!

De seguro estarás interesado en dar una buena impresión a los demás. Por eso mantenemos una buena higiene y la mejor presencia que podemos. Y eso también incluye nuestro medio de transporte: la bicicleta, por eso estamos en ésta comunidad. Para lograrlo, es razonable lavarla periódicamente. ¿Cómo me va con eso? Pues, aquí les va mi confesión.