Fifty Plus (50+) - Why are all customer bikes filthy.

Perhaps, riders who clean their bikes more often have fewer problems..........:innocent:

A bad one came in?

I hate to admit it but my commuter is a real pig, though my recreational
steeds are well looked after...clean and adjusted.

Because if they were going to wash it themselves, they would work on it themselves - at least for the non-major stuff. - TF

A clean bike is a happy bike.

So it makes sense that a dirty bike harbors bitterness and resentment.

In my neck of the woods, with gravel/dirt rail trails, a used bike is a dirty bike. You can clean your bike until it is sparkling and 30 miles later, it is caked with dirt - including the chain, derailleurs, and cassette.

I clean my bike after every ride. They look like the day I bought them.:D

The guys who don't clean their bikes don't do anything else to them either. Soon, they notice something really isn't right and they bring it into the shop. I worked on a ride buddies bike while he was on vacation, and cleaned, lubed, adjusted and tuned everything. It was literally like new when I gave it back to him. However, it's the last time I'm going to do that. If he doesn't care about it, why should I? Paying for work may motivate him to change his ways. Getting someone else to do it for free sure won't. bk

Just like me, my bikes have never been within 100 miles of obsessive compulsive disorder. Like me, especially on tour, sometimes they're ridden hard and put away wet, but it's all good. I take reasonably good care of them, but I'm not very fussy. They don't seem particularly fussy either. Everyone's happy.

I keep mine lubed and wash them once a month (about every 500 miles). Clean bikes are usually not well used bike. Mine is rarely clean but often ridden.

Its like a dirty car. The paint job takes a beating with each ride as more moisture mixed in with road dirt collects, dries, in an endless cycle.

Good habits starts with your own personal hygiene, but not always.

In my neck of the woods, with gravel/dirt rail trails, a used bike is a dirty bike. You can clean your bike until it is sparkling and 30 miles later, it is caked with dirt - including the chain, derailleurs, and cassette.

Yep. Mine was embarrassingly dirty today and I just cleaned it not too long ago. :o I need to do it more often.

Are you paid to work on bikes or whine?

I clean my bike after every ride. They look like the day I bought them.:D

Me too. Dirty bikes are a no no for someone with OCD. :twitchy:

I'm not obsessive about cleaning my bikes. I clean them when they need it or when I have the time and feel like it. But I always clean them before doing any major work on them because I don't want the dirt to fall into the inner workings of the parts and mechanisms.

I certainly make sure they are clean before taking them to someone else to work on them. I figure that if they see a clean bike, they will assume the owner cares about the bike and that will encourage them to do a better, more complete job. A filthy bike would likely send the opposite message.

Just as cleaning up your kid before taking them to the ER is a sign of abuse, cleaning your bike before you take it to the wrench is a sign of.....something.

Isn't cleaning your bike before you take it to a shop like cleaning your house before the maid comes in?

Isn't cleaning your bike before you take it to a shop like cleaning your house before the maid comes in?

That might make the wrench OP angry. His job is probably not really to wash the bike, just to fix it.

My local bike shop will only clean a bike if they need to in able to fix/work on it. They charge handsomely for this privilege!

I actually try to clean both of my bikes on a weekly basis. It doesn't really matter what they look like as long as the important moving bits are clean and lubed. All I want from my bike is a trouble free ride with no annoying noises from the mechanical parts. Huffing and puffing is allowed and expected.

I clean my bike after every ride. They look like the day I bought them.:D

That's the way I do it George. These people over here can't believe that my bikes are up to 28 years old.

I clean my bikes regularly, but certainly not after every ride, I'm too tired after a ride. But, my well used bikes, the ones that show wear, become dirty. That's a fact. I clean them as time allows. My LBS gets in some filthy, mud caked MTBs. I asked the head mechanic about it when I brought in my FSR XC in less than it's usually clean condition. His comment "It's a mountain bike, what should I expect" "I can see you use it for it's intended purpose, I like that". Just thought I'd pass that along.

I do all my own work on my bikes. The only time a bike of mine would ever go into a shop would be to have the frame repaired, and for that it would be stripped down and cleaned anyway. So my working bike gets washed at least weekly, which is much more frequently than my car, which I hardly ever wash.

I do none of my own work on the car. I take it in according to the service routine (the Subaru Legacy wagon is over 8 years old and long out of warranty, but I still take it in to the dealer). One of the things they do is to wash the car (and vacuum the interior).

I guess when you're charging $70-90/hr for labor, you can afford to give the vehicle a free wash (it's never on the invoice). It's usually done by some young gopher anyway. I guess it's a step up from working at Mickey D's.

L.

Are you paid to work on bikes or whine?

It's not an either/or situation. Anyone who cleans up other peoples' messes for modest wages has the right to complain.

I clean and lube the chain every 100 miles and that is it.
My 3 bikes cause no trouble and I bike on limestone. That stuff is terrible. Washing the bike may actually do more harm than good. The fine limestone dust may be washed into joints and bearings. There is no chance of getting the bikes 100% clean unless you completely disassemble it and then there is a good chance that that will damage things.
I do understand bike racers on roads wanting their bikes clean. Looks better and gives you the illusion that a clean bike is a happy biker.

I like my bikes like I like my ladies. Clean and well lubed.

Any machine with moving part or bearings should get normal upkeep. I live on the ocean and the salt air and sand make it a must.

Perhaps, riders who clean their bikes more often have fewer problems..........:innocent:

I would guess this is true.

I'm not obsessive about cleaning my bikes, but if they are up on the mechanics stand for any kind of tweak I get out my cleaning stuff and clean them. It's one of the things I like about the stand -- I can pull the wheels off, get a bucket of sudsy water, lube, some rags and brushes and have it clean in a few minutes.

Cleaning the bike also forces you to stay current on what's going on with the bike (brake pad wear, tire wear, cable stretch, etc.)....so I think cleaning / maintenance go together.

If I let one of my bikes get half as dirty/greasy/filthy as some of the bikes that come in the shop, I'd have to shot it to put it out of misery. :twitchy: :bang:

I keep my bikes cleaner than most but I'm not fanatic about it.

I always clean a bike before putting it on the stand. I've worked on other peoples bikes that had pet hair/fur inside hubs, bottom brackets, headsets, etc.

One of the things on my to do list today is wash my truck and my bike. I usually wash my bike a few times a year but that doesn't mean that I don't do the maintenance. I lube my chain approx. every 100 miles, lube my cables, adjust things as needed etc. If I ride home in the rain and have bits of gravel road all over it I will hose it off before putting it away. My truck is the same way, a bit dirty sometimes but always the oil changed, the tires properly inflated and all fluids topped off.

.....because they're really not into caring about their bikes, just riding them.
Although I maintain all my bikes myself, none are very clean.

Cause I'd rather ride than clean. That said I do almost all of my own work. II ever have to take a bike in, I would clean it first out of embarrassment.

Are you paid to work on bikes or whine?

I do not own, nor do I work in a bicycle shop. I do however get paid a very modest fee for working on some of these bikes so I take this as a correct answer.

In the future, cleanups will be charged as part of the job.

The guys who don't clean their bikes don't do anything else to them either. Soon, they notice something really isn't right and they bring it into the shop. I worked on a ride buddies bike while he was on vacation, and cleaned, lubed, adjusted and tuned everything. It was literally like new when I gave it back to him. However, it's the last time I'm going to do that. If he doesn't care about it, why should I? Paying for work may motivate him to change his ways. Getting someone else to do it for free sure won't. bk

I consider this to be another correct answer. Although I will provide as low cost repair (many times free) for a friend or coworker, I am not the bike butler.

I'm not obsessive about cleaning my bikes. I clean them when they need it or when I have the time and feel like it. But I always clean them before doing any major work on them because I don't want the dirt to fall into the inner workings of the parts and mechanisms.

I certainly make sure they are clean before taking them to someone else to work on them. I figure that if they see a clean bike, they will assume the owner cares about the bike and that will encourage them to do a better, more complete job. A filthy bike would likely send the opposite message.

And just because this feels so much like me.............I find this to be the most appropriate good answer. IMHO

I keep my bikes clean. I can afford to ride a top-shelf bike so it better look like one. Also, if you take care of something, it lasts longer and looks better. My paint (or clearcoat) is waxed a couple times a year and I don't have to use harsh chemicals cleaning them. It's like a car, if it is taken care of properly, everything is better. You can't bring back faded paint, worn parts, dried out rubber, etc.

I wrench for all my friends as well as myself, the same guy who never cleans his bike rides it in the rain, washes out all lubricants, never adjusts anything and only has it worked on when it totally fails. They don't resell fine equipment, they throw their junk away.

I once bought a used colnago, rode it 2 years, and sold it for what I bought it for. It looked so good, the original owner enquired about it not recognizing his own bike.

My bikes stay in the living room, so I like to keep them clean.

At my old LBS, I quickly learned not to bother cleaning the bike first, because it would always come back greasy and filthy. At my current LBS, that's not an issue, so they get to work on it clean.

A clean bike is a happy bike. Mine are not always happy....however I only ride on asphalt so not much actual 'dirt' is picked up to be slung all over. I look more at the mechanical and keep that going.

There's dirty, and then there's dirty. A well-maintained but well-used bike is a different kind of dirty from a neglected bike. I suspect that an experienced LBS wrench can easily tell the difference.

My water bottles get dirty. Damn I have to clean them before I can drink.
Life's a *****!!!

The last time I took the "Beast", my year round commuter, into a shop
was a couple years ago. I was just too busy to deal with the repair at the
time. When I picked up the bike the owner made the following comment.
"When you rolled that rusty, dirty thing into the shop I figured it would
be a real bear to work on. What a suprise we had, you keep that bike in
pretty good condition!" I took that as a major compliment and I take pride in the
ugliness of my bike. I figure no one will want to steal or mess with it and
true to form I get a lot of negative comments about that beat-up old
POS locked up at the rack from unsuspecting co-workers. :commute:

Happy Trails

in reading through the thread.... i see postings that indicate that not all uncleaned bikes are uncared for bikes... not all clean bikes are cared for bikes... some are fastidious, but not overly so... some like clean, but do not like wrenches... and in spite of these observations taken from posts, there are still posts claiming "absolutes" such as "you can always tell.... (fill in the blank)"

i wonder if there are fewer absolutes than we are given to hold, believe and espouse....

be well,

jim (owner of a sometimes clean, sometimes well wrenched bike)

I keep my bikes clean. I can afford to ride a top-shelf bike so it better look like one. Also, if you take care of something, it lasts longer and looks better.

I can not afford top-shelf bike. So I have to keep my mid-shelf bike that much cleaner. Just to look good.

Aside from bikes that have been in garages for the last decade, the dirtiest bikes our shop saw last summer were triathlon bikes.

These guys travel a lot so we disassemble-pack-unpack-assemble a lot of tri bikes. One reeked of urine--we guessed that its rider was so caught up in his race that he peed in his shorts and neglected to wash the bike before submitting it to us for packing.