VIDEO: How to clean a Gravel Bike – WorldTour Style by Team Katusha Alpecin

The professional mechanics from Team Katusha Alpecin clean the extremely dirty Litespeed T5G gravel review bike at the 2017 Tour Down Under. Chris from the team thoroughly cleans the bike in the same manner as the team’s race bikes.

Following the cleaning, the mechanic uses his bare hands to thoroughly work in the lubrication until all rollers are well oiled.

Thank you Chris and Team Katusha Alpecin!

Thanks for watching!

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8 Comments

  1. Avatar Ryan R

    Most annoying music I’ve ever heard. I’m a big fan of compressed air over excessive amounts of water, especially on the shift levers where moisture is going to creep into the cable housing.

    • JOM JOM

      Rather than criticizing the music choice, it would helpful to make a suggestion.

      Those shifters are electronic, brakes are hydraulic, so water isn’t really an issue for that setup.

      • Avatar Bobk

        Yes – but bottom brackets and headsets do suffer from a blast from a hose. I did notice that the mechanic used relatively mild spray with the hose. None the less, you would still be surprised how much pressure this spray can exert at critical points like delicate bearings. In fact, Stages Power Meter suggests using no water spray of any sort on their crank arm power meter, citing some surprisingly hight pressure that can occur at critical seals. Of course, pro mech’s don’t have time to worry too much about this. Too many bikes to clean in too little time. Besides, they get replacement parts from their sponsors, who are much more interested in race results. I feel that the rest of us should be somewhat more careful. Just saying ….

        • Avatar Bobk

          I should also add that the mech. wasn’t wearing protective gloves, and applied lubricant to the chain with a bare finger. Again, not a good idea. Many of the chemicals used to clean and lubricate bikes are both toxic and possibly carcinogenic. But, I’m a 74 year old fart who worries about stuff like this. But then again, I’m 74 years old and I did worry about these things when I was younger.

  2. The music is really not corresponding with the video. After all he did a great job on cleaning the chain, that brushing was good. Thanks for the video!

    • JOM JOM

      Picking music is difficult and sometimes I don’t get it right. I try and avoid using commercial music these days – it is nice making a few $ here and there off Youtube as a small token of my efforts. Thanks for the feedback!

  3. Avatar Chris King

    Looks like pretty low pressure water to me. This guy’s a pro. He’s worked more drivetrains than a hundred American bike nerds on the internet combined.

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