I think that there are a lot of cyclists and casual riders that let their bicycles sit in the garage or, god forbid, out in the snow over the winter. It's a big challenge that can seem overwhelming to clean out and prepare your bike for a ride in the spring, and there are a lot of things to think about.
That being said, it's quite possible to spring clean your bike all by yourself, with only household tools and some elbow grease.
You'll likely need a few different things, I usually gather together a good plastic brush, some detergent, a few rags, and a clean container of water. I start out by trying to run the chain through the gears, and if the chain doesn't bind on any of the links there is no need to replace it. After running the chain through, clean it up by running the chain through a soapy rag. Scrub the gears and the sprockets with the brush and make sure to wash and rinse with soap and water.
Finally, you should rinse through the chain and the gears, and run the chain until it and the gears dry up.
Once the drivetrain is clean, you can hose down the rest of the bike and give it a quick wipe with a clean rag.
After your bike is all clean, you need to decide how you want to lubricate the chain and gears. I use used motor oil as lubricant, because I have a surplus and it's essentially free since I have a car. Other options include gear oil, graphite, WD-40, and petroleum jelly. It really doesn't matter what you use to lubricate so long as you clean regularly and lubricate regularly.
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