General Cycling Discussion - Do you take care of your bike?

Whenever I come back from a ride, I always wash my bikes very carefully, with paintbrush, a mix of water and soap and some cleaner that I use for all the components such as cranks, derailleurs, etc.

I guess I partly do it because all the bikes are in the house (I even have one in my bedroom). It also is some way of thanking the bike for all the great rides and seeing a clean bicycle makes me very proud and it can even avoid having all sorts of noises.

Do you wash your bike several times a week, how do you do it and why?

Nah, I wash it once a week if its lucky.. :) Warm soapy water, soft cloth, then a wipe over with another dry cloth.

In winter more than summer. mine is a tourer, it's supposed to be dirty (but I check the frame and safety items).

My Flying Scot is always clean

if i had gone out in the rain, i clean my bike after the ride..

If its just dust, i just wipe it off with a damp cloth and then wipe it to shine with a dry one...

By the way, I am talking about my roadbike...

Depending on the conditions, I clean my bikes about once a week. Always after a muddy or rainy ride, though.

Sounds a little over-the-top to me. It is a machine after all, not a living thing.

I clean it only when necessary. It is usually only necessary if the function of the bicycle is being interfered with. Lube after a rain, salty muck in the drivetrain, sand and dirt interfering with the free movement of parts, etc.

Dan

You say you clean only when necessary but if you clean often it will never be necessary! And a dirty bike grinds itself into an early grave. A clean bike runs smoother, faster and looks better. A machine benefits more from a cleaning than an animal so I fail to see the significance of your remark.

The only time my road bikes get washed is when I get caught out in the rain :)
If it gets dirty then I'll wipe it down with a wet towel.

Zack

Originally posted by devinci_freak
Do you wash your bike several times a week, how do you do it and why?

Several times a week ? This seems excessive to me. Don't get me wrong, if you enjoy this activity then it is a good thing. I just can't see myself spending hours polishing and cleaning a bike.

A bike can look dirty and function perfectly. My point is that I don't clean the bike to make it look better. I clean the bike to make it run better. I really could care less how it looks. In fact if it looks a little shabby that's fine with me, It won't catch the eye of a bike thief.

I don't take the bike out to ride once a week on sunny days. I ride it day in , day out, year round, in all weather. After it wears out or I get tired of looking at it, I either give it away, or throw it away and buy another one, then proceed to wear it out. I don't really get attached to them.

Dan

Once every two weeks or so. It's way to much work to do after every ride.

Dan, don't you feel proud when your bike is clean? I may am wrong, but I see my bicycle as my companion, and I take care of it as much as I would if it was a horse, except for the food and little extras.

I see my bicycle as my companion
You have a wedding date set or did you already tighten the nut, I mean tie the knot? :D

Originally posted by devinci_freak
Dan, don't you feel proud when your bike is clean? I may am wrong, but I see my bicycle as my companion, and I take care of it as much as I would if it was a horse, except for the food and little extras.

I don't get that attached to them. You wouldn't feel that way about a treadmill, would you ? It is just a machine that I own, that does a job. I enjoy the riding alot, and I like that it keeps me fit.

I should also note that I am probably the least sentimental person you are likely to meet. I don't own much, collect things, keep photographs or gush at old movies. In fact part of the attraction of bicycles is the minimalism it espouses. Human powered locomotion is appealing to me because it is simple.

Dan

Just every couple of weeks or when the chain squeaks too much. Then I degrease and use Bike Lust. Looks like new. It’s just a machine. A machine that you spend hours at a time on. A machine that when you hit the Zen sweet spot, becomes an extension of you.

Nope.

I plan on riding my bike into the ground and celebrating by getting a REAL bike. :D

Koffee

When are you getting your Huffy, madam Koffee? :D

I'm on the side of DanFromDetroit. I may wash the bike a few times per year. I make sure there is no sand on moving parts and the mechanical parts are perfectly lubricated.

In the Fall, I usually apply a thin coat of grease under the bottom bracket, headset and other exposed parts and leave it that way throughout Winter, which means a thorough clean up in the Spring. I also do one or two "mini-clean up" of the more accessible tubings so I can grab the bike without fear of getting dirty.

Regards,

Generally a chain lube once or twice a fortnight with a quick wipe over of the frame with a wd40 soaked cloth.

Or hey Koffee, I know you should buy that cipo muscle suit, and then get a bike that'll match it, then take it out and ride it, then bring it over here, and I'll put on my cipo suit and take my black bike out and we can do a ride in them eh??:D :D :D


Benjamin

:eek:

I think that muscle suit is more suited for men than for women... but if you ever feel like it, you can come on out here and clean my bike. :D

I only do a throrough wash when I'm doing overall maintenance on a bike, taking parts off to soak in solvent and regrease, stuff like that. Then I'll wash everything else, too.

Otherwise I just spot-clean.

I only have one bike I ride in the rain, and that one gets wiped down and lubed when I get home.

It's all about functionality, with me.

RichC

To enjoy cycling as much as possible, I need to be in very good harmony with my bike, and I hate it when it's dirty. I do it for functionality and for the look. To me, a new bike is wonderful, so I try to make it look that way as long as I can. I am not too easy on my bikes, when riding, so a good maintenance is required.

Ahh heck Koffee, forget the guy vs girl thing, be different and do it, as nike say's, "just do it":D :D

Then I'll come over and clean your bike for you.:D

Benjamin

Originally posted by MSD
You have a wedding date set or did you already tighten the nut, I mean tie the knot? :D

I was looking for a priest who would marry us, but no one accepted :( , so any help would be appreciated! I have more than on bike: do you think I could legally marry all of them? (I would not want them to be jealous, which could affect their performance)

SO do you guys wash your cars or lube it every time you drive it or after it rains? your lube will last for more than a rain storm I clean the drive train every 100 miles and clean the bike as necessary. If you put some good wax on it you don't have to clean it very often. (my only exception is the MTB I hose it down after off roading if it is covered with dirt )

Originally posted by devinci_freak
do you think I could legally marry all of them?

Only in Utah.

Once every two to three weeks. Depending on the weather. If its pretty crappy, then maybe once a week. Except during winter when the roads have been salted and especially if they are wet. Then after every ride. Road salt is murder.

I don't use soap and water on my bike. I buy that Shimano "Shine" stuff in a can. Spray a thin layer of foam on the bike and then buff. Makes the frame look all purty.

I buy degreaser from Mountain Equipment Co-op (Canadian store chain) in a four litre jug for all my drive train needs. So far one jug has lasted me a little over two years. I do mix it with water to make it last longer. Usually 50/50 and put it in a small spray bottle.

OK so I use a small amount of water on my bike, so sue me. :D

Michael, that response you had here was totally funny to me!!! that was great, "only in utah"!!..

Very good man, hey how you doing after Rain ride, that was pretty amazing and I'm glad I did it this year.

Benjamin

Working up the courage to do the Bridge to Bridge in North Carolina. Check it out. http://www.caldwellcochamber.org/aboutus.asp?id06=50&cat06=49#

My daily commuter has not been washed in months. It's a 3 speed with an internal hub so I really don't have to clean it like a cassette with exposed cogs.

My other bikes (The good ones) are not taken out in the rain and remain clean.

i spend hours upon hours with a toothbrush and some rags. Wasted so many hours of my life just cleaning.....could have been out riding some more...

I have a Pick-up Truck, so my MTB gets a wash and wax…..Air dry 65mph.

Always keep it lubed, but daily washings with a toothbrush? I don't even keep my chops that clean.

Originally posted by ngateguy
SO do you guys wash your cars or lube it every time you drive it or after it rains? your lube will last for more than a rain storm I clean the drive train every 100 miles and clean the bike as necessary. If you put some good wax on it you don't have to clean it very often. (my only exception is the MTB I hose it down after off roading if it is covered with dirt )

You certainly are right that a wax will give a certain protection, but please, don't ever compare a car, mainly used as a mean of transportation, with the bikcycle most of us use for pure pleasure.
And by the way, (let's take an exmaple of a car used for a kind of leizure or competition) did you ever see a dirty formula one before a race? I don't care that much about a low end bike I'll use for tranportation, but I care a lot if it is my leisure bike.

Originally posted by devinci_freak
, don't ever compare a car, mainly used as a mean of transportation, with the bikcycle most of us use for pure pleasure.
And by the way, (let's take an exmaple of a car used for a kind of leizure or competition) did you ever see a dirty formula one before a race? .

Formula one apples and oranges they are puutting on a show so cleaning is good, besides I wash my car about every 500 miles or so. And weither you use it for fun or not (which even though I am a commuter I still log more miles on pleasure riding than commuting and errand running) a bicycle is a form of transportation. You can clean it and lube it as much as you like, i just think it is too much personally to clean your bike every time you ride it.

Every ride is a bit over the top, IMHO.

I give my bikes a really good clean and drivetrain soak twice a year (normally March and October). Other than that, they get a wash when they're dirty and a bit of fresh lube every two weeks of so, or after a wash.

You gotta look after the things, but there just aren't enough hours in the day to do it every single ride. So long as you keep everything in good working order the components will last a long time... Frankly, I'd rather spend more of that 'cleaning' time riding.

I'm trying to imagine cleaning my bike or my motorcycle after every ride and the time that would take.

I admit, years ago I was a little anal about detailing the material possesions and when my bike(s) got a scratch I would stress.

Maintain them mechanically, spot clean when necessary, ride the piss out of them and when they give up the ghost or aren't meeting my needs, get a new/different one.

If my chain looks as though I dont want to touch it (after almost every ride), I clean it.

I have one of those Park chain cleaners so it is only a 2 minute job to have the drivetrain looking clean as the day I bought it.

By doing it everyday it literally becomes a 2 minute job.

I wash the bike itself whenever it is REALLY muddy or sandy or whenever I feel like grabbing a beer and heading out to the garage and working on it.

My huband takes care of the bikes. I know how to, but he enjoys it so much more. He services our bikes before each ride (gives it wipe down, cleans chain, cleans cassettes, lubes up forks and chain).

Cleaning your bike is a lot like dressing. No, I’m not talking about salads or turkeys. :)I mean there are times that I need to iron and wear dress shirts, and times it’s ok to wear t-shirts.

I'm kinda strange about this. I wash and relube my drivetrain every time I ride. The rest of the bike not so much, once a month, maybe. I HATE a squeakey chain, so maybe I over do it.

Originally posted by Michael Marshal
Cleaning your bike is a lot like dressing. No, I’m not talking about salads or turkeys. :)I mean there are times that I need to iron and wear dress shirts, and times it’s ok to wear t-shirts.

Nice analogy...

Originally posted by Michael Marshal
Cleaning your bike is a lot like dressing. No, I’m not talking about salads or turkeys. :)I mean there are times that I need to iron and wear dress shirts, and times it’s ok to wear t-shirts.

I got to say I like it too!

Yes.

I clean my OCR1 after every ride. That does not mean I wash it each time, often it's just a quick wipe down of the frame and and chain and tires with a cloth. I only wash my OCR! with soap and water if it's gotten too dirty for the wipe down. Not very often that happens to a road bicycle. On the other hand my Norco hybrid gets cleaned as needed since it's my town bicycle and gets ridden every day.

I clean my bike after every ride, it will make your bike very happy

I used to do a deep cleaning before every ride. First: take the chain off (one of those super links), soak in kerosene, dry, spin dry (swinging it around a few times), then lube. Wipe the components with degreaser and wipe the rims, sometimes spokes. Wax the frame and that was it. Now I just wipe it down and will probably do the above every month or so.

I leave my bike dirty. I can usually tell when my drive train needs cleaning by looking at it and I do check. But my bike prefers to be left in her natural state. Dirty and ready to ride :)