Clean your bike regularly to help prevent build-up of dirt and grease in the wrong areas, which can chew into your drivetrain and other mechanical parts. This will accelerate corrosion and result in potentially costly damage, which is why you should always clean your bike after riding in muddy or wet conditions.

Giving your road bike a thorough cleaning only takes only a few minutes to accomplish, and helps you find any wear and tear on your bicycle components before they become a larger problem. A little bit of mud speckling here and there may not do much harm, but if your bike has been through a muddy ride, you're pulling it out for the first time this season, or it's simply been a while since you've given your bike a little TLC, you'll want to get out the brushes and give it a good, thorough cleaning.

A common mistake riders make when washing their bike is praying highly-pressurized water into sealed bearings. You should use the shower setting on your hose, and avoid high-powered settings that could cause unwanted damage. Don't forget to lubricate your chain and drivetrain after cleaning, to avoid costly damages.

Not all bike cleaners are created equal, however. Simple Green Bike Cleaner & Degreaser is specially formulated to cut through tough, caked-on mud, dirt, grease, grime, and other road and trail soils. The pH-neutral formula breaks down dirt, grease and grime while being non-corrosive to delicate parts and paint.

Directions for Cleaning a Road Bike:

1. Rinse down your bike with hose, sponge or wet cloth - Use a hose or bucket of water and a sponge or cloth to wet the entire surface of your bike.
2. Clean the drivetrain - Spray Simple Green Bike Cleaner & Degreaser directly into your drivetrain, and use a toothbrush to work into smaller areas and penetrate tough grime, dirt & grease.
3. Clean the chain – Spray a cloth with Simple Green and loosely wrap around the chain, and run the pedal so the chain moves through the cloth. For dirtier chains, you'll need to use a scrub brush or toothbrush to work out the grime, being careful to work out any buildup between the gears.
4. Rinse - Rinse the bike with fresh water, then check to make sure you've shifted all the grime off the bike, gently brushing again before rinsing where necessary.
5. Lube the chain - Slowly pedal the bike, dripping the lubricant onto the links as they move. Wipe off any excess lubricant.