One of the ways you can keep your titanium bike in pristine condition and at the highest value is to clean it. It's best for you to regularly clean your bike so that you can get it shining like when you first purchased the bike.
If you are someone who enjoys going on adventures in different types of conditions you may find that your bike has started to get a bit muddy or has some dirt on it then you’ll need to scrub it up but it’s best to know how to clean a titanium bike.
Our titanium bikes are custom built for every body to Mark Reilly's exquisite geometries, hailed for beauty, comfort and speed. Something this beautiful needs care and attention. And - let’s be honest, no one likes a dirty bike, so it’s best that you scrub up and get your bike looking the best it can be to take you on a lifetime of rides.
We recommend that you clean your titanium bike after 20 - 30 rides if you are going mostly on the road but if you are someone who takes your bikes into the mountains then it may require more frequent cleaning.
If you need some guidance so that you get the perfect clean on your titanium bike to get that beautiful shine on it, then keep reading on as we’ve created ‘our guide to cleaning a titanium bike’. This should be able to help you understand and make the process a whole lot easier and hassle-free on your end!
Clean
First of all, fill a washing bowl with hot water that you can handle and then add a few squirts of thick washing-up liquid but don’t go too overboard with it.
When the bowl is full and has washing liquid in, then you can begin to start cleaning any visible dirt or mud that you’ve acquired on your rides - starting with the top tube, saddle frame and post-frame. You can either use a sponge or a hand cloth.
Then you start to work down your way on the bike. Make sure you pay extra attention to seams, welds and the components that make up the titanium bike.
When cleaning the bike, you’ll notice that there is a heavy soap build-up due to cleaning - so be sure to have an extra cloth on hand that is clean, and wipe it with clean and warm water without washing up liquid.
Even with something as simple as this, you’ll notice that your bike condition is already looking a hundred times better just with a quick clean with warm water and soap.
Polishing And Getting Rid Of Scratches
Once your bike has dried after cleaning it, the next step is polishing and removing any scratches that have occurred in your travels.
You should know that titanium bikes are extremely durable and rarely pick up any scratches - but like anything in the world, if you use something regularly, especially something as intense as cycling, then you do run the risk of picking up the odd scratch along the way. However, it can be taken care of.
Over time, make sure that you are checking your titanium bike frame for any surface scratches or marks. There is no need to worry as you will be able to polish these out by using a small pad like Scotch-Brite which is the most famous brand - although anything close to this will work just as efficiently.
Rub the area that has been affected in kind of a ‘shoe-shine style’ until the frame spoken about has now a ‘uniform finish. You may have noticed that the area is a little bit brighter than others.
This is to be expected, and will begin to fade over a certain period of time - so rest assured it will look the same as the rest of the bike.
Finish And Taking Care Of Fingerprints
When working on cleaning your titanium bike, you may see on your frames that there is a good amount of fingerprints from where you’ve been cleaning. Take care of this by removing them with a kitchen towel or cloth, just buff up the frame.
Now that you’ve cleaned the whole of the bike, you can ride it and people will think you’ve only just recently purchased it!
Conclusion
Titanium bikes are quite a hefty investment so it’s only natural that you’d want to get your full money's worth out of them and a great way to do this is by making sure you are regularly cleaning your bike.
It can be difficult - especially if you are a busy person on a tight schedule - to find the time to regularly do this cleaning method, so it may be easier for you to look into finding a local bike cleaning shop that can take care of your bike with no hassle or stress on your end.
We’ve got a fine selection of high-quality titanium bikes available for purchase here at Reilly's Cycleworks at an affordable price. We plan to set the bar by creating the best titanium bikes available so you are ready for anything with truly next-level, cutting-edge bicycle frames.