[Closed] Cleaning a bike for New Zealand

then clean it like it's factory fresh...

You'll not be wanting ANY dirt on it what so ever. It'll need a real good going over. I imported a car once and had that steam cleaned externally.

Very.
Probably worth putting fresh tyres on.
And don't forget to clean your shoes too!

Clean it with boiling water and an agent?

I put new tyres on for Oz.
They loved me for it.

Mate at work went with new tyres for taking his bike over. It's a complete strip down and it needs to be completely dirt free.

And don't forget to clean your shoes too!

Good tip, thanks! I'm taking a tent so I'll be checking that too..

A friend of mine got new tyres and kept them in the packaging to make it obvious. He took the chain off and left it at home - bought a new one out there. Possibly overkill but if it’s not too much hassle then that’s what I’d do.

When I took mine, they opened the box and could see how clean the tyres and the soles of my riding shoes were do were happy at that. Under the saddle and inside the bottom of the steerer tube should also be cleaned.

Thanks for all the help! I've also read online that I need to go through the red channel- is that right?

I once did a valeting/derailing job On a car that was being taken over to New Zealand as the owners were moving there.

The level of clean they required was basically “new”

It took four days to clean every single thing, carpets and seats out, dash vents out etc. under the car was a challenge, stripped everything off to clean and reassemble, suspension, exhaust etc

For a bike though, it would only take an hour or so to do the same.

We packaged up my mates bikes when he was emigrating. Cleaned, scrubbed, and then cleaned again with disinfectant.

As far as I know, no problems at customs. We did use a lot of disinfectant - full families worth of bikes (along with all the outdoor kit)

Scrub so you could eat off it
New tyres or v v clean
Make it smell clean
Shoes etc as well
Go through red, quicker anyway 😉

We had to clean our tyres again before they let us through - that was a few bits of sawdust from our garage floor which they said could be seeds.

I'd now go with new tyres.

Or if you aren't bike touring, I'd just take shoes, helmet etc and hire bikes out there as / when needed. Dragging our bikes round in a camper van for a month became a pain.

At one point in my job I was involved with taking trucks in a container between various parts of the world.
The trucks often went from Argentina / Indonesia into New Zealand or Australia.

We used to have jet was the vehicles for hours to try to get them clean enough. Sadly at one point we failed to meet the required level of cleanliness.
They had the trucks in a pit and ran their fingers along the chassis top with white cotton gloves on!

They rewashed the trucks and all the waste is collected then incinerated and you pay!

When your landing you will be given an imigration card. You are required to tell them if you work on or have visited a farm.

Jet washing the bike should be fine just be extra sure there is no dry mud anywhere, so yes under seat steerer tube as mentioned. They know where to look!

The thing they are worried about is soil / seeds entering their eco system. There is a big problem in Australia called die back where huge areas of plant life simply die as they have been exposed to bacteria never found there for thousands of years then imported unwittingly by travelers.

https://www.dwg.org.au/what-is-phytophthora-dieback

what they all said, and then once youve done that rag it down with detol and throw the rag in the box, they like that smell 😉

and new unused tyres

tents, boots etc also need to be spotless, I took and new tent still in the packaging, was glad I did as the person in front of me in the que had his removed, and was given a hefty bill for disposal

it was so much effort that I now keep a bike over there at my daughters place, along with a set of bikepacking bags and riding gear

I took some mtb shoes there recently (was borrowing a bike) said I'd down through farmland but they didn't want to see the shoes.

I took my bike and all my bikepacking kit last year. Wasn't really aware of it til I got on the plane to Auckland from Melbourne. I went to the "I've brought a load of muddy stuff bit" and the nice ladies went through my bike bag and decided it was best to clean my (fairly muddy) tyres just in case, so they went off to be steam cleaned. They weren't fussed about the frame (fairly clean but not spotless) or my bivvy kit. Didn't seem a big deal. Maybe I got lucky. They did a nice job on the tyres - I wish they'd done the whole bike.

When we went, we didn't take bikes but we did have filthy hiking boots. On arrival at Christchurch they took them away from us and told us to wait.

And then they cheerfully handed them back all cleaned up beautifully: D

We've been with old but spotless kit and it's fine. Once my Mrs had slightly dirty shoes so they got dunked in cleaning stuff.

A mate put his tyres though the dishwasher before making that trip...

You'll be fine, make sure the bike (and your shoes, backpack etc) have a thorough clean, no need to buy new tyres just scrub them clean and make sure there is no visible mud or dirt.

Also, just as important, make sure you declare it on the landing/immigration card (says something about being on farm land or something in the last X days) and be willing to let them give the bike a good check over.

They get very frustrated with the number of people who try and bring fruit, nuts, seeds, dirty shoes etc into the country, (I've witnessed this several times) so if you are clued up and prepared they will likely thank you for it.

Washing machine for tyres (assumed folding) as a bonus it brings back the grip. I did it to take my bike to Tennessee, I didn’t need to but it seems sensible to clean your bike if taking it to the other side of the world. Same before returning.

Very stringent. I took a tent over, only been used once, groundsheet cleaned but there was a moment of discussion over seeds in seams. I told them I'd cleaned my walking boot soles with my ex boyfriend's toothbrush which seemed to receive approval. Clean like you've never cleaned before. Toothbrushes do a good job.

Great advice people thanks!! 🙂

Just spent the day cleaning the bike, I think I'll get some disinfectant too just to make sure!

I regularly fly to NZ with my mt bike. You don't need to put the tyres in the washing machine!
Give the bike a hose and a a wash and remove any obvious dirt and you'll be fine. Generally they'll just open the bike bag and if you say yes I washed it and there is not 3kg of obvious mud on the tire staring at the agricultural inspector they'll send you to the green channel.

The officials at the border seem to have relaxed a bit in terms of bike dirt in the last few years and sure everyone you ask will bust out some horror stories, but in my experience its pretty painless. Not once have I had to take the whole bike out of its box or bag

I regularly fly to NZ

Ummm, didn't you use to be PM?!?! 😉

Only time I've heard of bit stress was in the run up to Crankworx where loads of pro's managed to forget to get their bikes cleaned.
After that, it's mostly been tyres, under saddle and steerer then a look at the shoes. Then a run through the scanner, it looks like the key factors are time of day/how busy, your attitude, where you came from and what passport you had.

Coming from Oz was more relaxed as you were coming form a place that expects being clean.

you'll be fine, maybe put a new set of tyres

the only problem I had at CHC was about the pitch of my tent

@shermer75 yer, now I just swan about as ex-PM....being meaning to change that user name for ages

that PM was a tool

I was told to use Jeyes fluid. 5 bikes straight though. The smell did hang around though.

Off to there in Feb so this is useful stuff.
Probably give the bike a full strip down wash the day before and get some new rubber at the same time.

uphillcursing - Member
I was told to use Jeyes fluid.

mikewsmith - Member

uphillcursing - Member
I was told to use Jeyes fluid.

Who by and why? No need for any of that. I've stripped it down once but not any good of the other times.

Don't recal TBH. Years ago now and it may have just been for the smell. Certainly smells sterile.

Yeah and truly pointless, just got the mud and stuff off. 6 or 7 trips no issues.

just got the mud and stuff off

This. I've been through Aus and NZ biosecurity a dozen times with a bike, just a regular clean and completely free of mud+dust, no Dettol or new tyres needed IME.

Tents and shoes have been a bigger problem - they've wanted to see the groundsheet of the tent if it's not brand new, which meant trying to remember how to collapse a Decathlon popup tent in the airport after a 27 hour journey... 😥 Bike shoes and hiking shoes have been checked nearly every time.

Good to know thanks! Just been over the tent with a fine toothed comb! (Actually a damp sponge, obvs 😉 )