General Cycling Discussion - bike abuse

here's yet another rant from saturnsc2. it seems like i'm doing a lot of that here lately eh? anyway it annoys me to kingdom come to see how bicycles are just abused. i'm a person who will spend a day polishing every spoke, & every piece of metal on my bike. i wax all the paint & use armor all on the rubber parts. i'm a detailing freak. nothing's to good for my babies. anyway, i see people just throw their bikes down even though they have a kickstand. i see bikes standing in the rain all rusty. bikes just smashed together on carrying racks all banged up. i see people pickup bikes & throw them over fences. i know that a lot of these bikes might be just cheap ones, but they still are nice when they were new. why treat them in this fashion? anybody else annoyed by this too? it almost gets to me as much as idiot drivers do...

I felt the same way when the idiots on Monster Garage cut a 64 Lincoln in half to make it a desert racer. More aggravating was all the parts they just ripped out and threw away. AHHHHHHHHHH! That'll teach me not to channel surf!

I felt the same way when the idiots on Monster Garage cut a 64 Lincoln in half to make it a desert racer. More aggravating was all the parts they just ripped out and threw away. AHHHHHHHHHH! That'll teach me not to channel surf! especially if it wss a nice car, a classic. bike abuse almost reminds me of animal abuse, i despise both & hate the people who perform these hideous actions....

i see people just throw their bikes down even though they have a kickstand. i see bikes standing in the rain all rusty. bikes just smashed together on carrying racks all banged up. i see people pickup bikes & throw them over fences.
Some of these bikes last a lifetime.
Many bikes get worse damage from crashes, which they will see in a lifetime.
I keep my bike mechanically clean (clean & lubed drive chain, bearings, hubs, brakes in good order, etc.) but not always aesthetically clean (scratches, dirt, grime, etc.)

Al

Some of these bikes last a lifetime.
Many bikes get worse damage from crashes, which they will see in a lifetime.
I keep my bike mechanically clean (clean & lubed drive chain, bearings, hubs, brakes in good order, etc.) but not always aesthetically clean (scratches, dirt, grime, etc.)

Al ya, i'm a perfectionist what can i say. keeping your bike mechanically sound is a job in it's own too which i also do, but it just makes no sense to see a person just let his bike fall down when they have a kickstand! as far as those bike racks go, most of them are of bad design as they just let the bikes hit each other & also the car causing nicks, scratches, ect. the only way i would transport a bike is if i had a van where i could put it inside. you also got to take into consideration is flying debris on the freeway. it would suck to see stone ships on the bike's frame. there bad enough on the front of my car!

Different people want different things from their bikes. To me, a bike is a tool that lets me do stuff.

Nicks and scrathes don't damage the underlying functionality of a bike. And if the underlying functionality is important, who cares what it looks like? My mountain bike has been strapped onto bus tops in Ghana and left for a week in the rain in Chile when I've been off hiking. Is it scratched up? Sure. Is it in great mechanical condition? Sure.

> the only way i would transport a bike is if i had a van where i could put it inside.

If you're going to let transport conditions stop you from moving your bike around, you're really limiting your riding experiences.

Edit: It occurs to me that you must be talking about road bikes or something. I can't imagine anyone who commutes, mountain bikes, or tours regularly could really be that obsessive about appearances.

Different people want different things from their bikes. To me, a bike is a tool that lets me do stuff.

Nicks and scrathes don't damage the underlying functionality of a bike. And if the underlying functionality is important, who cares what it looks like? My mountain bike has been strapped onto bus tops in Ghana and left for a week in the rain in Chile when I've been off hiking. Is it scratched up? Sure. Is it in great mechanical condition? Sure.

> the only way i would transport a bike is if i had a van where i could put it inside.

If you're going to let transport conditions stop you from moving your bike around, you're really limiting your riding experiences.

Edit: It occurs to me that you must be talking about road bikes or something. I can't imagine anyone who commutes, mountain bikes, or tours regularly could really be that obsessive about appearances.

I really don't have much to add to this, but needed to point out that I agree strongly.

Nicks and scrathes don't damage the underlying functionality of a bike. And if the underlying functionality is important, who cares what it looks like?....
A bike with no scratches, dents or rust is a bike that hasn't lived yet. Hasn't earned its battlescars. Has no character.
I protect my bike to the extent needed to keep it in good working order. Wipe it down after a ride when it gets wet or muddy, lube the drivetrain, keep the tires pumped, etc. If you get obssesive about it, the bike becomes a fetish instead of a tool. That'll suck the fun out of riding real fast.

May not be a smart thing to do,but it is their bike and I really don't care what they do with it.

Oh, I'm with you! I'm very nit-picky about my (ahem) MOUNTAIN bike. I clean and lube the drive train after every ride. I wash and wax it as well. Granted, it has nicks and chips but I've got touch up paint, too! I paid way too much to let it rot. Gotta love that bike!

I tend to be more worried about the mechanical aspects of my bikes. I do ride in most all weather and they do get dirty. I do hate to see bikes (of any kind) neglected. I was at UCF awhile back and was amazed at the number of bikes locked to bike racks that had obviously been there a long time. There were a few vintage makes I would have loved to "rescue"!

Different people want different things from their bikes. To me, a bike is a tool that lets me do stuff.

Nicks and scrathes don't damage the underlying functionality of a bike. And if the underlying functionality is important, who cares what it looks like? My mountain bike has been strapped onto bus tops in Ghana and left for a week in the rain in Chile when I've been off hiking. Is it scratched up? Sure. Is it in great mechanical condition? Sure.

> the only way i would transport a bike is if i had a van where i could put it inside.

If you're going to let transport conditions stop you from moving your bike around, you're really limiting your riding experiences.

Edit: It occurs to me that you must be talking about road bikes or something. I can't imagine anyone who commutes, mountain bikes, or tours regularly could really be that obsessive about appearances. well, then you don't know me. actually one is a mountain bike & the other is an old road bike. i'm just that way period. i'm depressed for a month when a new stone chip appears on my car. what can i say, that's just the way i am. i wish i could change that, i think life would be a lot less stressful...

Oh, I'm with you! I'm very nit-picky about my (ahem) MOUNTAIN bike. I clean and lube the drive train after every ride. I wash and wax it as well. Granted, it has nicks and chips but I've got touch up paint, too! I paid way too much to let it rot. Gotta love that bike! yikes! another person like me! i didn't think you existed! i actually feel good about this post! everybody else is making me feel like a freak!

My bike isn't very clean and has stcratches, etc. I keep it rust free, and lubed. It's good enough for me.

ykies! another person like me! i didn't think you existed! i actually feel good about this post! everybody else is making me feel like a freak!

Well, if it makes you feel any better, I just spent the last hour cleaning my road bike :D

It's still far from spotless though- it's secondhand and from the 80s.

well, then you don't know me. actually one is a mountain bike & the other is an old road bike. i'm just that way period. i'm depressed for a month when a new stone chip appears on my car. what can i say, that's just the way i am. i wish i could change that, i think life would be a lot less stressful...


Ackkk! Another one like ME!! :eek: Ask any one of my friends....I am verrry anal about my car, too! I was actually told to put my car in a glass case so that everybody can see it but not touch it :p !

Ackkk! Another one like ME!! :eek: Ask any one of my friends....I am verrry anal about my car, too! I was actually told to put my car in a glass case so that everybody can see it but not touch it :p ! ye-haaa! rock & roll! lol! actualy people say something similer to me. they say i should shrink-wrap my car! bastards!

Well, if it makes you feel any better, I just spent the last hour cleaning my road bike :D

It's still far from spotless though- it's secondhand and from the 80s. very good my son! actually my old road bike is a 1982 & spotless! ha ha! i wouldn't have it no other way! it only takes you an hour to clean your bike? you must not have spoked rims or something...

this thread is starting to go off course just like the jupiter 2. this thread was originally about people who really abuse their bikes. like people who just let them fall down when they have a kickstand--no reason for that. or about people who just don't take care of them at all. just the other day i seen a nice mountain bike laying in a field with a bent front wheel. it looks like it got ran over by a car. the rest of the bike looked to be in very good condition. the bike was just left there--that's abuse! i thought about "rescueing" it, but i already have 2 of my own. i don't think i could handle 2 more wheels that need their spokes polished! lol! i see a lot of bikes thrown away that seem to be nice. go figure...

Spend more time riding and less time polishing.

As far as the MTB that looked thrown away - they don't usually take your bike with you to the emergency room...

I have a very pretty bike. It also has a lot of scars. I've been to busy riding it right now to bother with wiping it down after every ride. I'd be cleaning her 3 or 4 times a day. There has to be a point where you're bike is your ride, and not some pretty thing...

And, yeah, I've thrown her over fences, left her out in snow, smashed her into the ground (along with me) at 20mph... She still rides nicer than any other bike I've ridden.

[QUOTE=HereNT]Spend more time riding and less time polishing. WHAAAAAT!!
As far as the MTB that looked thrown away - they don't usually take your bike with you to the emergency room... WELL...I DON'T KNOW REALLY WHAT HAPPENED TO IT. THAT WAS JUST MY GUESS.

I have a very pretty bike. It also has a lot of scars. I've been to busy riding it right now to bother with wiping it down after every ride. I'd be cleaning her 3 or 4 times a day. There has to be a point where you're bike is your ride, and not some pretty thing... MY BIKES HAVE SENTIMENTAL VALUE I GUESS. ESPECIALLY THE 1982 ROAD BIKE. I BOUGHT IT BRAND NEW & IT'S PART OF MY LIFE...

And, yeah, I've thrown her over fences, left her out in snow, smashed her into the ground (along with me) at 20mph... She still rides nicer than any other bike I've ridden. I HATE YOU

In 1993 I bought a rigid hardtail GT (back when they WERE GTs) and the same year my nephew won a bike at the raffle booth I worked at. This year, when I decided to ride again, I pulled down the GT and dusted it off a little. LBS checked it out and said no adjustments were needed, tires were still good (yes, you read that right) and he lubed it. Then he asked if I even rode it at all (he sold the bike to me years ago). Asked my nephew about that old bike and he gave it to me (for my friends to use when they ride with me). I couldn't believe the difference! My bike looked new - no lie - and although the other bike was stored in a shed, it was rusty, out of adjustment, tires were cracked and rotted, seat cover separted, spokes and cables had corrosion, seals in BB leaking and steering tube had ooze. The funny thing is, my nephew tried to ride it but since it was too big, he just put it away. Took me 3 days to get that bike in decent condition.

Unfortunately folks, some of us squeeze in a ride when we have precious time. We don't have hours to sit and polish every spoke. Some of you must have much more free time than I do. I try to take good care of my bike by making sure things are cleaned and oiled, but the bike is a tool, not a living human being. The bike left by the side of the road is purely littering and not "abused."

I try to keep my bikes clean and cared for, although I do expect that since they're tools that are used, they're not going to remain pristine. I just try to take a decent amount of care. Although I got some laughs on a group ride when we were at a stop at a cafe and people were parking their bikes all over, I picked mine up and tossed it on a bed of lantana, saying "Oops, I dropped it". Didn't hurt the bike at all, and afterward it smelled like lantana - kinda nice.

[QUOTE=saturnsc2]ye-haaa! rock & roll! lol! actualy people say something similer to me. they say i should shrink-wrap my car! bastards![/Q

I thought Saturns were made of shrink wrap or some such sort of plastic.

here's yet another rant from saturnsc2. it seems like i'm doing a lot of that here lately eh? anyway it annoys me to kingdom come to see how bicycles are just abused. i'm a person who will spend a day polishing every spoke, & every piece of metal on my bike. i wax all the paint & use armor all on the rubber parts. i'm a detailing freak. nothing's to good for my babies. anyway, i see people just throw their bikes down even though they have a kickstand. i see bikes standing in the rain all rusty. bikes just smashed together on carrying racks all banged up. i see people pickup bikes & throw them over fences. i know that a lot of these bikes might be just cheap ones, but they still are nice when they were new. why treat them in this fashion? anybody else annoyed by this too? it almost gets to me as much as idiot drivers do...

Wow, you have a lot of time to worry about what other people do with their stuff. If you want to detail every peice of you bike,fine.You need to get a life and not worry about everyone else. :rolleyes:I have my bikes to ride.I keep them in good working order and good and dirty most of the time. Here is the cool thing, Its none of your flippin beeswax.Nosy people annoy me!

[QUOTE=saturnsc2]ye-haaa! rock & roll! lol! actualy people say something similer to me. they say i should shrink-wrap my car! bastards![/Q

I thought Saturns were made of shrink wrap or some such sort of plastic. hell ya! what else would you want your car made out of?

I too have a shrink wrap car... it's hard to 'fess up, but sooner or later you have to face reality :) My bike gets cleaned when I have the time, but the working bits get babied. I don't worry about scratches and scrapes, I call those character marks. Then again, come to think of it I may not be the best example, I stopped and fished an old lawn mower off someone's front lawn on the way to work today. Tomorrow's garbage day, so I figured they must be throwing it out, right?

especially if it wss a nice car, a classic. bike abuse almost reminds me of animal abuse, i despise both & hate the people who perform these hideous actions....

Dukes of Hazard + Dodge Chargers = :(

Ackkk! Another one like ME!! :eek: Ask any one of my friends....I am verrry anal about my car, too! I was actually told to put my car in a glass case so that everybody can see it but not touch it :p !


Just realized that I sound like a fanatic. My every day driver I treat normal. The car that I am talking about above is a 1970 Chevelle SS (yes, it's true) 396 original stock matching numbers car with build sheet. (Phew) NOW I feel better.....

Just realized that I sound like a fanatic. My every day driver I treat normal. The car that I am talking about above is a 1970 Chevelle SS (yes, it's true) 396 original stock matching numbers car with build sheet. (Phew) NOW I feel better.....

396 SS........mmmmmmmmmmmmmm........post pic.......mmmmmmmmm :love:

396 SS........mmmmmmmmmmmmmm........post pic.......mmmmmmmmm :love:

So now I've goten myself in a situation. I open my big mouth and now I can't find the pictures. Which means that now I have to take more. I leave for work in a little while so I will have to do that later. Besides, I think that would be threadjacking. I will take pics later and if Saturnsc2 doesn't mind, I will post them or else I could PM to you later. What do you think? :)

So now I've goten myself in a situation. I open my big mouth and now I can't find the pictures. Which means that now I have to take more. I leave for work in a little while so I will have to do that later. Besides, I think that would be threadjacking. I will take pics later and if Saturnsc2 doesn't mind, I will post them or else I could PM to you later. What do you think? :)

Yes its a hijack,but if you show me yours(pics) I might be able to find a pic of my 69'camaro.

Yes its a hijack,but if you show me yours(pics) I might be able to find a pic of my 69'camaro.

I work tomorrow as well and will try to take pics. Try to find your Camaro pics and we can PM each other. Sound like a plan?

A sizable portion of my repair dollars are made from the abuse folks put their bikes through. As a merchant, I love bike abuse. It puts food on the table. As a rider and owner of quite a few nice rides, I abhor the neglect I see on a daily basis. I long ago gave up worrying about dingers and scratches in my mountain bikes. They are meant to be ridden and ride them I do. But keeping them spotless after every ride is absolutely the right thing to do. A bike kept clean, lubed and tuned is going to last twice as long as one ridden hard and put away wet.

My road bikes on the other hand are my fashion plates. My day was ruined last year when some bonehead in my shop put the first scratch in my new FUJI custom build. You could hardly see it. But I heard it when he caught it with that BMX pedal. I almost went ballistic. The scratch was bad enough, but he was riding in my shop. That has been a no-no ever since I did it and took out the glass chi-chi parts case when I did a wheelie and got out of control.

Being anal about my own rides has made me a much better mechanic for others. I understand and cater to the mentality that a bike is more than transportation. It is a thing of simple beauty and should be treated with respect.

Your not a nut. You have nice bikes and you want them to stay that way, what's wrong with that? I do the same thing you do except I won't put Armor All on the tires because this stuff could get on the rims hindering your stopping ability, and besides I go through a set of tires in about 6 months anyways so the tires never have time to start cracking. My bike is an older bike from the mid 80's with over 140,000 miles on it and it looks far better then most bikes I see on the road!

I also own a 67 Ford Galaxy 500 Convertible I treat the same way. And those yuks at Monster Garage make me cringe when I see what they do to some of those cars.

It annoys me to kingdom come how some bikes are pampered. Those people that waste a whole day polishing every spoke, & every piece of metal on their bike when they could be riding instead. They wax all the paint & use armor all on the rubber parts - what a monumental waste of time and resources. They're detailing freaks. nothing's to pedantic for their babies. anyway, i see people carefully standing up their bikes on the kickstand intead of just throwing them down like normal people do. i see bikes standing in the middle of the living room like some sort of table centerpiece. i see people pickup bikes & carrythem like newborn babies. i know that a lot of these bikes are just cheap ones, but they still carry on like they were custom one-off carbon framed time trial machines. why treat them in this fashion? anybody else annoyed by this too? it almost gets to me as much as idiot drivers do...





:p

Some people are fanatical true, but some people just take care of what they have regardless of what it is. Because sweat can corrode parts I wash it about every other week and wax and polish my bike, components, and spokes only about once every 3 months, it takes only about an 2 hours to wash AND wax...I don't think an 2 hours is wasting any riding time. In 30+ years of riding with other devoted cyclist I cannot recall anyone, including those when I use to race, that would just "throw their bikes on the ground" and treat them like some piece of trash; there's been riders I've ridden with that didn't have expensive bikes and still not throw them on the ground. I detail my older car about once every 6 months, but my other cars I just wash and go and maybe detail them once every 3 years! But I don't plan on keeping the newer cars longer then 10 years while the older is going to be around till I die. I also cannot recall anyone carrying their bikes like "newborn children" but I'm sure you were just exaggerating that to make your point. The kickstand thing-again I rode with devoted cyclist and none of us even had a kickstand, the kickstand is a Walmart thing and those type of "cyclist" probably do just throw their bikes on the ground since they really are not devoted cyclist anyway.

I learned in the Army to always take good care of your gear and equipment at all times because your well-being depends on it. My bike is both a tool and a recreational item and although I am not a perfectionist when it comes to care and maintenance I never go out of my way to abuse it. Some people are idiots, they end up trashing their rides due to negligence and stupidity and then cry about it later. It does irk me to see people leaving their bikes parked all season out in the rain, or just tossing it down when they finish a ride.

Too be honest I've never cleaned my bike since I bought it. I keep it well maintained and check the tyres, chain, gears etc. each week but that's about it.

I learned in the Army to always take good care of your gear and equipment at all times because your well-being depends on it.
.

Exactly; and THANKS FOR SERVING OUR COUNTRY!!

I HATE YOU

Really? You've never even met me...

It annoys me to kingdom come how some bikes are pampered...

:D Just LOVE your sense of humor! Thanks.

My take: Different strokes for different folks. I'm in the middle. I might hose my bike down after a ride if it got muddy, but normally, I just park it and leave. About once a month, I bring the bike in for a shot of Pledge and a quick lube drip on all the moving parts that can use it. In general, though, I'm just not interested in spending my time detailing a bike. I'd rather ride one.

I'm not looking to detail my bike, but what are some of the things people use to clean and lubricate bikes? What parts should be lubed?

here's yet another rant from saturnsc2. it seems like i'm doing a lot of that here lately eh? anyway it annoys me to kingdom come to see how bicycles are just abused. i'm a person who will spend a day polishing every spoke, & every piece of metal on my bike. i wax all the paint & use armor all on the rubber parts. i'm a detailing freak. nothing's to good for my babies. anyway, i see people just throw their bikes down even though they have a kickstand. i see bikes standing in the rain all rusty. bikes just smashed together on carrying racks all banged up. i see people pickup bikes & throw them over fences. i know that a lot of these bikes might be just cheap ones, but they still are nice when they were new. why treat them in this fashion? anybody else annoyed by this too? it almost gets to me as much as idiot drivers do...


Well, I won't spend *all day* polishing my bike but I spend enough time it looks as close to new as possible. Chain gets cleaned as soon as I see any gunk on it - maybe every 5 or ten rides. (strictly road use and usually not in rain or on damp roads - I obviously don't live in Seattle :)

I see people abusing things they own all the time. It's not just bikes. Cars - houses - toaster ovens ... whatever.

You can tell a lot about a person by how they treat their stuff.

To me, that's what seperates the haves from the have-nots. I'm not rich but what I have is nice because I keep it that way and I don't spend money twice because I keep what I have a long time.

*shrug*

Let people wreck their stuff if they want. Saves me time: I can tell pretty quickly if I'm going to get along with someone by the condition they keep their stuff in.

First, a quick note... If anyone is contemplating using a 'treatment' on their tires. DON'T. All treatments make rubber more slippery, and slippery is not what you want on a tire. Even things that claim they are for tires are only for car tire sidewalls, and cars don't drive on their sidewalls like you do.

Also, ArmorAll has this nasty reputation for speeding degredation of rubber products. It makes them look pretty for a while, but they die sooner. If you really want to protect vinyl and rubber, look into 303 protectant, which is used by classic car owners to want to protect things for longer than a few years.

And finally... I keep my bikes in great mechanical condition, but I care not for scratches and dings. My vehicles are my tools, and I refuse to let their appearance make choices for me. I'll keep them as clean as possible, given that I won't change any of my plans or actions based purely on an asthetic choice. Hence, most of my vehicles have scratches and dings (which I'll dab a touch up on if rust may be an issue), and they have grime on them, and dust, and water spots and stuff.

When I see someone on a pristine, shiny bike I think, "Noob! They must have just gotten that bike out for the first time this season." And when I see someone on a bike that has obviously been well maintained, but is a bit dirty and well used, I think, "Ahh, someone who actually RIDES! Excellent!" its a flash judgement, but usually pretty accurate. Normally I look at gloves first, dirty or worn gloves are a good indicator of a regular rider.

Just for some interesting perspective, people who ride offroad motorcycles have the exact opposite opinion of appearance as you. Get onto a KTM or BMW offroad forum, post a picture of your clean, shiny bike, and watch as the comments roll in, "You've gotta get that thing out of the garage!" "Garage queen!" "Try riding it!" "Get that poor thing into some dirt!" etc. But go offroading, and then post a picture of your bike covered in mud, grass and weeds stuck in the chain, a branch trailing behind the rear fender, and a pair of unidentifiable goggles dangling from the broken turn signal, and everyone will praise your bike, and tell you how good it looks.

Use = wear 'n' tear = good.

peace,
sam

I own two bikes that are 3k+, Full DA10, blah blah...

I ride 5 - 6 days a week, bike sits in my office at work, I have a few hours to train and ride everyday and I do not spend that time "polishing my bikes". This is particuarly true for my road bike. When you put 150 - 200 miles a week on a bike it is just going to get dirty the next time you go on you half century, training ride, etc.

I wash my bikes about once a week at the most, maybe once every 2 weeks. For me washing means taking the wheels off, drivetrain cleaning, etc. If the bike gets particularly dirty then I will give it a quick wash after the ride. The only time I really clean my bike well though is before a organized ride (i.e. century) or a race, because cleanliness in a pride thing.

Bikes that are used WILL get scratched, dented, crashed, dropped, etc. On my trek there are a few big scratches on the crankset, a few on the deraileur, etc. These things will happen and over 4k of riding this year I see it as a minor thing. That said I do not abuse my bikes, purposly drop them, etc. It really bugs me when the bike is not operating properly, expecially with shifting.

The reason I am like this is I see the crap that the patrol bikes go through at work. These things are dropped, thrown in corners, never cleaned, lubed, etc. Unfortunitly since I do not do bikes too often I do nto get to watch what the officers do to the bikes. Due to dirt accumilation in one the BB got destroyed, the chain is rusted, etc.

It is a pride thing... and if you want to obsess about every peice of dirt fine, but do not cry when your bike gets dirty...

I own two bikes that are 3k+, Full DA10, blah blah...
...snipped...
Bikes that are used WILL get scratched, dented, crashed, dropped, etc. On my trek there are a few big scratches on the crankset, a few on the deraileur, etc. These things will happen and over 4k of riding this year I see it as a minor thing. That said I do not abuse my bikes, purposly drop them, etc. It really bugs me when the bike is not operating properly, expecially with shifting.

The reason I am like this is I see the crap that the patrol bikes go through at work. These things are dropped, thrown in corners, never cleaned, lubed, etc. Unfortunitly since I do not do bikes too often I do nto get to watch what the officers do to the bikes. Due to dirt accumilation in one the BB got destroyed, the chain is rusted, etc.

It is a pride thing... and if you want to obsess about every peice of dirt fine, but do not cry when your bike gets dirty...


Very true. And well said.

Certainly a difference between "use" and "abuse."

There's an honesty about dirt. Letting things fall into disrepair is sad. :\

Certainly if bikes are used they will get scratched, dinged whatever. But I own a steel bike and if steel gets scratched and unattended to then it will rust, so I use touch up paint as soon as I see a scratch to prevent rust from forming. A bike does get dirty with use, but just like a car when it gets dirty you wash it, thus is the same with a bike.

But just as Urban Shooter said: "I learned in the Army to always take good care of your gear and equipment at all times because your well-being depends on it." is true of anything you own. But there are plenty of people who don't have the discipline that either your parents never taught you or didn't belong to the military to learn discipline who don't care about the stuff they own...and it's their choice.