How often do you clean your air filter? What do you use when you clean it? Perhaps gasoline or WD40 or Dish Soap? Well, I just tried ProClean ProFilter air filter cleaner on one of my bikes that I had left the summer without cleaning (Yes, shame on me!).

I have to say I was pretty amazed that dirt just came right off without doing any work at all! Unlike gasoline which is toxic and hard to dispose of this is a biodegradable water based cleaner so it is easy to dispose.

When I get done riding I'm pretty tired from the tight and technical to having to hold up the bike after failing a hill climb. Now The last thing I want to do when I get home is wash the bike however it is completely nessecary if I want my bike to last. A clean bike will prevent dirt and grime from getting into your business when you are working on the bike. Mud can also hide problems that need to be fixed from a visual inspection. The worst thing is to take your bike out only for it to break down after 10 minutes of riding.

The easiest thing to do is to use a power washer and wash the bike with an intense stream of water. There are problems with this approach because the high pressure can actually move a seal, force water and dirt through a seal, scratch up your plastics or rip off your graphics. I was power washing my bikes for a while and I learned that it's not the best approach to washing your bike. There is also dirt in the water so once your bike dries there will still be a layer of dirt covering a lot of the most hard to reach places.