Commuting - Am I just a sloppy pig?

When I see pics of commuter bikes here, they're all so clean and shiny. My bike doesn't look anything like that! It's usually kind of dusty in the summer and muddy in the winter. I've had it for 3 1/2 years now and I've ridden it almost every day since, even through our Michigan winters. I have never washed it with soap and water, but sometimes in the winter I wipe it down with a rag and some WD-40. Otherwise, it gets washed when it rains, as it sits waiting for me outside work or the store. (It is garaged indoors when I'm at home.)

It doesn't seem to have any corrosion anywhere, even on the steel frame. I've needed a new bottom bracket, and I've had the hubs overhauled a couple times. No problem with the gears or brakes, which I do lube once in a while. And I'm actually pretty good about lubing the chain, but I never clean the chain. I'm on my second chain now.

What I'm wondering is do most of you always keep your bikes so nice and shiny, or do you just wax and buff them before you take photos? Is it really important to the bike to be kept clean, or is it just that most people think a clean bike looks nicer?

You can be honest....remember we don't know your real name!

My commuter bike is usually clean because as I've gotten more into bike mechanics I've gotten more and more uptight about keeping it clean. Sometimes it gets caked in dried mud, but usually that causes the chain to get noisy, so I clean it pretty quickly after that and take the time to wipe down the frame with a rag soaked in Simple Green. I suppose I ought to try a different kind of chain lube. Soap and water seems like overkill to me and probably not that good for a steel frame. I definitely only take photos of my bike when it's clean :D

I ride through the winter too, but Maryland winter is a pathetic 2-week joke compared to Michigan winter. I grew up in East Lansing, and I very much miss the permanent coat of white covering the "beautiful peninsula" from December through March. Here it snows and I get all excited, then by the time I go outside it's a slushy mess and everyone's whining about it and there's gridlock because no one knows how to drive in 2 inches of snow. Happy riding :)

I think the color of the bike may have something to do with it too. My beater (silver/grey), which I pretty much neglected, never looked as bad as my new commuter (black) which I clean every weekend. Something about the mixture of sweat, sunscreen and a little dust that just shows up on a black bike frame.

I squirt/ clean my chain with a toofbrush and WD-40
and if I run down a farm road in the rain Ill blow the cow chunks
off with a hose but thats about all.

I've been cleaning mine weekly to help out with the drought. It has not let me down yet. The day of or after I wash it we get a decent rainstorm. :p
It is clean all of a day or less.

I am an obsessive bike and car clean freak. That’s why my bikes always look so clean. Funny thing is that I’d rather ride my bike in the rain than take my car out if it is clean…drives my wife and kids nuts. If my wife were to crash her van into a snow bank , she and the girls could survive for a week on the food lying around on the floor…

As with most machinery: If it's not clean, it's not well maintained.

I now work with a guy who is a bike mechanic, among other things, and I swear, he spends more time cleaning his bike than riding it! He also keeps trying to get me and another coworker to clean our bikes more often. :D His bike is always super-duper shiny and I mean it: your hands won't get a smudge of dirt no matter what part of the bike you decide to mess with! It's really quite amazing. In fact, to me it's just mind-boggling.

Now, keep in mind that he is only an occasional bike commuter. I, on the other hand, ride my bike every day. And I ain't prepared to clean it every day; I have better things to do with life. I try to keep the moving parts lubed and only partially hidden under a sticky greasy gooey mess. :D I wipe the frame when I am in the mood, which is not often.

But the bike actually looks the same on pictures regardless of whether I cleaned it recently or not. Maybe it's just the camera. :)

The picture I posted of my commuter makes it look clean and shiny, but that's a trick of the camera. You should see the grunge and gunk on the chain/cogs/rings. And from riding in the rain, I have this weird build up on the rim from the brake pads. I'd get rid of it if I knew how, or, more accurately, if I remembered about it any time other than when I'm on the bike.

And I live in Michigan, too. This will (hopefully) be my first winter of bike commuting. Any tips?

I don't clean anything- Just ask my wife.

... And from riding in the rain, I have this weird build up on the rim from the brake pads. I'd get rid of it if I knew how, or, more accurately, if I remembered about it any time other than when I'm on the bike.

I do clean the rims once a year or so. I find that a square green scrub pad, like you use on pans, works quite well. But they just get dirty again......


And I live in Michigan, too. This will (hopefully) be my first winter of bike commuting. Any tips?

It's cool that we're getting so many members from Michigan! The number of riders here in Lansing has easily tripled in the last year. I have posted lots of tips on winter riding--I just put a couple on a thread called Does anyone split commute?

Once a week I take whatever bike I'm on and give her a spray at the diy carwash, so each bike gets cleaned about every other week. Every week I clean and oil chains.

--A

I ride through the winter too, but Maryland winter is a pathetic 2-week joke compared to Michigan winter. I grew up in East Lansing, and I very much miss the permanent coat of white covering the "beautiful peninsula" from December through March. Here it snows and I get all excited, then by the time I go outside it's a slushy mess and everyone's whining about it and there's gridlock because no one knows how to drive in 2 inches of snow. Happy riding :)

++. 6 years in grad school in Ann Arbor, now in Maryland, and I don't even need to use my november/march coat, let along my December/February coat.

++. 6 years in grad school in Ann Arbor, now in Maryland, and I don't even need to use my november/march coat, let along my December/February coat.
Winter in Maryland means little more than, "the part of the year when I prefer to wear pants."

As with most machinery: If it's not clean, it's not well maintained.
Not necessarily, sometimes cleaning your bike can damage it.

When I see pics of commuter bikes here, they're all so clean and shiny. My bike doesn't look anything like that! It's usually kind of dusty in the summer and muddy in the winter.

My bike gets washed about twice a year, if its lucky. The rest of the time, if it looks too filthy, I'll deliberately park it outside in the rain. I do clean the chain about once a month, and at the same time get gunk out of the chain-rings and cogs, but I can't be bothered to clean the rest. It will just get filthy again anyway!

Its a tool. Would you wash a hammer?

I oil my chain. If I ride in the rain, it gets muddy, and sometime in the next 3 or 4 days after that I'll hose it with the power washer, let it dry in the sun, and reoil the chain. I do not clean the chains other than hitting with powerwasher if they're caked with mud; I've tried cleaning them (several methods including removal and multiple degreaser washings) and not cleaning them, and they last 1800 miles either way. If you oil properly the fresh oil pushes the dirt out of the rollers.

Maybe it's not "well maintained" but it's got 7000 miles on it and I've done nothing to it but replace the chain and brake pads, and everything still works 100%. If everything works perfectly I'm not sure what more needs to be maintained. There is some rust on the deraillers, but hey, they're crap deraillers, they still shift smooth and snappy (I powerwash and oil them at the same time) and I'll just throw some new crappy deraillers on it at 10K miles or whenever they fall apart. If I have to buy a new $50 part every 10K miles that's a better deal than spending an extra hour of my time every week or two cleaning the bike.

I haven't washed my car in several years either. It runs OK too. I really don't care what stuff looks like as long as it works.

You can be honest....remember we don't know your real name!

I only take pictures of my bikes right after cleaning. :) Honest!

Do you use full fenders with a flexible mud flap that goes almost to the ground ? It makes a huge difference in how fast your bike gets dirty and keeps the chain clean longer. It's a big help when it is not actually raining hard but the ground is wet or dirty and you want your shoes and pants clean.

Would you wash a hammer?
I'll wipe it down with an oiled rag to keep it from rusting, gets done to all my metal hand tools. Spray off my shovels and rakes before they get put up too. The only time I don't clean tools is when I'm using roofing tar, then I buy a cheep trowel and throw it out when the job is done.

Ever power washed an old car or truck engine and suddenly it starts leaking oil all over the place?

Heh... I don't wash it. Wipe off dried dirt and mud once in a while, and oil the chain.

I clean the drive train a bit when I am able to go on one of the local club rides. And a damp towel to the rest of it. When it is too shiny I get too much interest from people who make me nervous.

I'm a cheapskate, so I keep it clean. The more dirt, the more abrasion on parts, and the shorter their life span. I'd rather take 30 mins or so each week and clean, lube and adjust than have to replace stuff too quickly. Plus, I like working on anything with two wheels.

My bike get's doused in a downpour once a week or so. This keeps the dust and dirt to a minimum. After a good rain the drivetrain gets a good cleaning. The last time I bought a chain the Nickle plated SRAM chains (SR-68 I think) were on sale so I splurged a little and got one usually I get the basic (SR-48). This thing is great it never looks dirty no mater how long its been since a cleaning. It is purely cosmetic, but it makes me so happy to look across my garage and see my bikes drive train sparkling in the sunshine.

Since you know yourself a lot better than we know you, I assume you already know the answer to your post title question. Now if you mean to ask if WE are sloppy pigs, my answer would be: sparadicly yes. Sometimes I clean, sometimes it goes without a cleaning for awhile.

Yes, you are. Me too. Gives me more free time.

My bike is 4 years old (so must have done about 12,000 miles on it) and has been cleaned twice. The chain gets lubed bi-monthly and it's on the third one. The cassette has been changed twice, last time i just changed the bottom two slip-on cogs that were the most worn and stopped using the 6th gear. The front derailleur gave up the winter before last, but it froze on the biggest chainwheel so i've never bothered freeing it up. The wheel bearings are knackered and i just snapped a spoke at the weekend, so i loosened the brake cable to allow for the 'wobble'.

The point of all this is ^^^ is (whilst my bike is my only transport) it needs to be reliable every day without needing me to dedicate weekends to keeping it as such. I am favouring a road bike when this one finally gives up, but am giving serious consideration to a bomb-proof fixie (such as an Il Pompino) that requires no/low maintainance year round.

No matter how many times I try to clean it, it will still get mud all over it.
Seems like in the Victor Valley desert area, most of these newcomers out here demand lawns and use alot of water.
Said water ends up going into street and gets on tires and the lower portions of my bike.
I end up going through dirt paths and alleyways which cake the mud on.
So now, I just clean up the chain and the hub sections.

I clean my hammer. My screwdrivers, circular saw, and all my other tools. They last longer and work better.

As for the bike, my biggest concern is how to keep it clean in winter. Last year's bike was dirty as heck during winter.

When I see pics of commuter bikes here, they're all so clean and shiny. My bike doesn't look anything like that!
Rood, I'm a sloppy pig, m'self.

:)

I'm not real big on spending time cleaning and maintaining my bikes, especially during the winter. I want to be able to use my tools without worrying about them much. As such they are seldom clean and all have plenty of scuffs and scratches. This is the reason my bikes are fixed gear or single speed and made from good quality steel (not expensive high end). My bikes mostly resemble the mantra of KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid).

Craig

My bike is 4 years old (so must have done about 12,000 miles on it) and has been cleaned twice. The chain gets lubed bi-monthly and it's on the third one. The cassette has been changed twice, last time i just changed the bottom two slip-on cogs that were the most worn and stopped using the 6th gear.

The cogs could be wearing because you're not changing your chain enough. I let my chain go for nearly 3000 miles once, it was way too worn, and when I put a new one on it started skipping gears like crazy. I had to replace the freewheel (which luckly only cost about $12). Now that I change the chain at 1800-2000 miles (using $4 Nashbar chains) the cogs aren't wearing significantly anymore.

I tried better chains, and for paying 2-3x as much I only got about 25% more miles, so that's a waste.

I have a separate bike for commuting in Michigan's winters and I've only ever cleaned it once, last winter, at the DIY car wash. Although, it started out as a twelve-speed, it is now a six-speed since the front deraileur cable seized. For a little while last winter, it was a five-speed because I couldn't get it into the smallest cog. Then, when it warmed up again, I had my six-speed back. The full fenders keep most of the muck at bay, but after so many months, they can only do so much.

This is terrible. It looks like crap. The drivetrain no longer functions as it was designed to. If you tried to count the rear cogs, you would definitely mistake a few chunks of crud as teeth. The original red and white paint job is now an all-over brownish-greyish hue.

I can't stand it. It looks so sad, standing in the back of the shed, behind the sparkling, shiny summer commuter. I have been inspired. I will clean it.

The bike thanks you and I thank you.

There aren't too many really awful things that can happen to a bike if it gets dirty:
* Dirty hub and headset bearings. These will feel gritty and wear out fast. Solution: overhaul them every year or two, or whenever they get submerged in mud. Cost of neglect: a few bucks.
* Dirty and/or rusted cables. Won't shift as well, brakes may "stick" a bit. Solution: replace them or lube them if they're not rusted. Cost of neglect: a few bucks.
* If your steel frame gets wet, then it will rust. Solution: wipe it down briefly after wet rides. Cost of neglect: a broken frame, but not for many years hopefully.
* If your chain gets wet or dirty, it will rust and wear and so will your sprockets. Solution: clean and lube the chain frequently, and replace the chain when it has stretched 1/2%. Cost of neglect: expensive!! You can easily wear out a chain and cassette in 2000 miles, to the point where shifting is awful and drivetrain efficiency is low.

Seems to me that keeping the chain clean and lubed is by far the most important cleanliness for bikes. You can easily degrade your bike fast if you don't do it. Neglecting other cleaning has fairly small costs I think.

The cogs could be wearing because you're not changing your chain enough. I let my chain go for nearly 3000 miles once, it was way too worn, and when I put a new one on it started skipping gears like crazy. I had to replace the freewheel (which luckly only cost about $12). Now that I change the chain at 1800-2000 miles (using $4 Nashbar chains) the cogs aren't wearing significantly anymore.

I tried better chains, and for paying 2-3x as much I only got about 25% more miles, so that's a waste.
Gosh I've only replaced my chain once or twice in 3 1/2 years, more than 6000 miles between changes. I've never had problems with my cogs or freewheel (knock wood). When I last replaced the chain it slipped a bit. I took a link out, it still slipped a bit for a couple days, then settled in real good. This was an expensive chain, but I've been real happy with it. I use a dry type cleaning lube (White Lightning) most of the year, and a oily lube during the wettest months. Like I said, I never clean the chain per se, just use the cleaning lube. That flushes out A LOT of gunk.

i clean my drivetrain by oiling it up regularly; and maybe scraping the road grime outta the chainrings every couple months.

if that isn't considered cleaning, i have NEVER cleaned my commuter bike... why bother it will just get dirty again tomorrow.

that said i have ridden bikes enough to know when a moving part on the bike needs attention. when i replace or take stufff apart it gets cleaned.

I oil my chain when I can hear it (not squeaking, just not the same silence/whir I'm used to). I'm starting to think about hosing down the hubs, just 'cause they've got an amazing amount of road stuff on them at the dropouts, but I don't want to have to think about how/if I'll have to adjust my chain lube after I do that. And, oh yes, the last time I lubed my chain it has really taken off over my chainrings and cassette, so I'm also thinking about wiping those off. One of these days...

The cogs could be wearing because you're not changing your chain enough. I let my chain go for nearly 3000 miles once, it was way too worn, and when I put a new one on it started skipping gears like crazy. I had to replace the freewheel (which luckly only cost about $12). Now that I change the chain at 1800-2000 miles (using $4 Nashbar chains) the cogs aren't wearing significantly anymore.

I tried better chains, and for paying 2-3x as much I only got about 25% more miles, so that's a waste.

Yikes!
I have 3700 miles on my current shimano chain. Actually, since I purchased the bike in March 06 that is the original chain.
Still going strong. However, I plan on picking up a park tools chain stretch tool to make sure everything is ok.

The cogs could be wearing because you're not changing your chain enough. I let my chain go for nearly 3000 miles once, it was way too worn, and when I put a new one on it started skipping gears like crazy. I had to replace the freewheel (which luckly only cost about $12). Now that I change the chain at 1800-2000 miles (using $4 Nashbar chains) the cogs aren't wearing significantly anymore.

I tried better chains, and for paying 2-3x as much I only got about 25% more miles, so that's a waste.
Thanks, that's a great tip. :)


To the rest of you:
I have to come clean (pun intended): My mechanic skills are so poor that when i try to repair, or even disassemble and clean, parts of my bike they never work properly again! That's why i put up with no front derailleur and wouldn't dream of overhauling the (grinding) hubs. If i did, they would never work again and i need my commuter every day.

Thanks, that's a great tip. :)


To the rest of you:
I have to come clean (pun intended): My mechanic skills are so poor that when i try to repair, or even disassemble and clean, parts of my bike they never work properly again! That's why i put up with no front derailleur and wouldn't dream of overhauling the (grinding) hubs. If i did, they would never work again and i need my commuter every day.
I've never seen a bike part in such bad shape that overhauling it made it WORSE :rolleyes:

I think the biggest things for doing bike maintenance well are:
* use good tools: buy a kit or buy them one at a time as you need them
* be patient: it'll take you a long time the first time you do any maintenance procedure, but you'll get it right if you're careful and methodical

It's not that the parts in such bad shape when they come off the bike, but they are by the time i have overhauled them!!!!
Let me try to explain:
When i tried to clean up and lube a rear derailleur and refitted it, the first ride cost me a new rear wheel, derailleur, chain and left a big chunk out of the frame.
When i needed a new chain, i ended up having to buy three before it was working again.
When i tried to tune up the gears after fitting the chain, i was left with 1 working gear (and a low one at that) for three days before i could get to the LBS for them to sort it out.

Watching me do anything mechanical is like watching slapstick comedy.
Brake pads, tyres and tubes are all i can change successfully.

My bike is 16 years old. When I was in college and used to do a lot of off-roading with my friends, I'd hose the entire bike down after every muddy ride.
Now, I don't off-road anymore. It gets road-grit and dirt, but I only clean the derailleurs and drivetrain to keep things working properly. Aside from that, just routine replacement maintenance is the only time my ride sees clean parts.

In the winter time I use a short hose and a hand brush, and I hate it so the bike rarely gets cleaned. Standing in the snow getting my hands and feet wet and freezing to get off mud that will get replaced the second I hit the road again isn't fun.

In the summer I have the power washer out, and it's a 3-minute job to thoroughly clean the whole bike including blasting the crud out of the deep recesses of the sprockets and stuff. Quite a lot of accumulated crud comes out of the drivetrain the first time I power wash in the spring.

Power washers rock. Of course, be sure to lightly lube the drivetrain afterwards.

I have two nice road bikes and commute on whichever one I happen to feel like riding at the moment. Lately, that's been my LeMond Zurich. I built that bike up from the frame so I take pride in it and clean it about once every other week or so. For cleaning I just go over it with a clean rag and some Pedro's Bike Lust. I clean the chain and gears every couple weeks and usually lube it once a week and wipe it down.

About once a month I'll take the wheels off and give them a thorough going over with the bike cleaner and I'll clean the cassette, chain and crankset. I'll also get all the grime out from around the brakes and under the fork and seat stays.

The thorough cleaning usually takes me about an hour or so.

In the winter time I use a short hose and a hand brush, and I hate it so the bike rarely gets cleaned. Standing in the snow getting my hands and feet wet and freezing to get off mud that will get replaced the second I hit the road again isn't fun.

In the summer I have the power washer out, and it's a 3-minute job to thoroughly clean the whole bike including blasting the crud out of the deep recesses of the sprockets and stuff. Quite a lot of accumulated crud comes out of the drivetrain the first time I power wash in the spring.

Power washers rock. Of course, be sure to lightly lube the drivetrain afterwards.

You really shouldn't use a pressure washer on a bicycle. It forces water into areas that shouldn't have water in them and forces the grease out.

You really shouldn't use a pressure washer on a bicycle. It forces water into areas that shouldn't have water in them and forces the grease out.

Yes indeed.

As for cleaning, the only part of my bike that gets regularly cleaned is the drivetrain. The chain and derailers get a regular wipe off and relubing. I will clean the cogs and chainrings if they start to look nasty. As for dirt on the frame, forks, spokes, ect, I don't care. It's purely aesthetics anyways. In fact it makes my bike less appealing to thieves which is a plus.

It's not that the parts in such bad shape when they come off the bike, but they are by the time i have overhauled them!!!!

thank you. i always knew it wasn't just me, but it's nice to get proof of it.


Brake pads, tyres and tubes are all i can change successfully.

well, that impresses me.

no, i don't clean my bike, roody. slightly ocd about the chain cleaning/lubing, but that's just because it makes the ride just a little easier. i don't think of it as 'sloppy'. i think of it as 'bragging rights'. a clean shiny bike embarrasses me.