Road Cycling - NYC Bicyclists ... cleaning your bike

For those who live in New York City (specifically Manhattan), how do you clean your bikes? I don't want to clean it and perform basic repairs in my small apartment, because it is just too messy. So, where do you go?

Thanks

in my apartment. clear stuff out. lay down some newspaper. go crazy.

I put my bike in the shower once a week because i ride in rain and muck. I use car wash liquid to wash the frame and rims, citrus degreaser to clean the chain and other parts. I use a low pressure showerhead to rinse, old towels to dry.

I put my bike in the shower once a week because i ride in rain and muck. I use car wash liquid to wash the frame and rims, citrus degreaser to clean the chain and other parts. I use a low pressure showerhead to rinse, old towels to dry.

Same here, I have a shower tub, after riding in the rain and muck, I just jam the bike in there and rinse.
See timm, I'm not the only one weird enough to shower with my bike. :p

hey void, i dont think ive ever saw your bike. got any pics?

btw did you ride at shore road tonight around 6:30-7? I saw someone wearing a yellow jersey drafting behind another guy, but we were both going fast and i couldnt see if it was a OCR or not.

I'm not the only one weird enough to shower with my bike. :p

That's a tried and true trick. I used to shower with my bike all the time when I lived in the dorms in college and everyone else I knew did the same.

hey void, i dont think ive ever saw your bike. got any pics?

btw did you ride at shore road tonight around 6:30-7? I saw someone wearing a yellow jersey drafting behind another guy, but we were both going fast and i couldnt see if it was a OCR or not.

No, I got out early today and went shopping with my girlfriend and we had dinner.
I'm going out tomorrow morning though if you wanna join.

I put my bike in the shower once a week because i ride in rain and muck. I use car wash liquid to wash the frame and rims, citrus degreaser to clean the chain and other parts. I use a low pressure showerhead to rinse, old towels to dry.
How do you clean the grease off the bathtub?

How do you clean the grease off the bathtub?

Take the tub into a pool and repeat the same process you did with the bike.

I flip mine upside down and remove the wheels. Also the chain if you can, as you'll be able to get into some of the corners more easily. Then I just squirt somebike wash (http://www.performancebike.com/shop/profile.cfm?SKU=11126&subcategory_ID=4205) on rags and wipe down the frame. I got the bike wash as a gift, and it really does work well, although I'm sure something cheaper like Simple Green would do an equal job. I then wash the wheels in the tub with dish soap and hot water using a brush. I soak the chain and cassette (if you can remove them) in Simple Green, then wipe them with a sponge to get all the grime off. This method works great for me.

Take the tub into a pool and repeat the same process you did with the bike.

HAHahahahahahhahahaha :D :D :D

I tried the tub/shower thing. It was more work cleaning the tub & tiles than washing the bike.

Now I just roll up the rug, spread out some newspaper & wash it down with soap & water and a sponge.

There's a park about a mile away with fountains to run through. If no one's around I'll ride through there to clean off everything and avoid mud the rest of the way back :)

I also have an old sheet that I lay down if I'm cleaning in my apt.

i take my bike, stand and cleaning supplies out in front of my bldg. a bit of a pain, but better than greasing up my little apt. if the weather's not co-operating, i lay out some cardboard and do it inside. my girlfriend reaaaally loves it when that happens. for tidying up between full-on cleaning/degreasing, i use car cleaning wipes (kind of like baby wipes).

how dirty does your bike get??? All mine ever needs is a wipe down with a damp cloth, and a wipe of the chain with some mild cleaner. I don't ride it in the rain or mud though, and an occaisional dusty dirt road doesn't really add much.

I have a porch, a basement, a back yard, a front yard, a driveway, and all those other things most NYCers don't have so it isn't a problem for me anyway.

for tidying up between full-on cleaning/degreasing, i use car cleaning wipes (kind of like baby wipes).

i found some industrial strength shop towels that come on a roller. just like a paper towel where you rip them off as you go. they are the perfect weight for all bike jobs.

The easiest way to clean the tub is to use mineral spirits (paint thinner) that you can buy at any hardware store, dirt cheap. Cuts right through bike grease with no scrubbing.

I'm not the only one weird enough to shower with my bike. :p


You set me up for an easy one. But you know that. :p

i take my bike, stand and cleaning supplies out in front of my bldg. a bit of a pain, but better than greasing up my little apt. if the weather's not co-operating, i lay out some cardboard and do it inside. my girlfriend reaaaally loves it when that happens. for tidying up between full-on cleaning/degreasing, i use car cleaning wipes (kind of like baby wipes).
Cleaning wipes like this: http://www.autogeek.net/meggolclasal.html ??
Do they tear easily, or is one wipe good enough to do the entire bike (excluding the chain)?

The easiest way to clean the tub is to use mineral spirits (paint thinner) that you can buy at any hardware store, dirt cheap. Cuts right through bike grease with no scrubbing.

And it's great for ther groundwater table after it drains from your tub into the sewer:rolleyes:

That's why you light it on fire first, silly!

If you are married, don't degrease the bike parts in your bathtub when your wife isn't home. My brother did this and made a huge mess. He survived though by admitting his mistake and taking her to a hotel that night so they wouldn't have to smell solvents all night.

Don't get caught sending anything like paint thiner down any drains. Don't make any sparks near the drain.

I'll put out some newspaper/ cardboard and clean it out in the hall way or I clean it on the roof.
(since I am on the top floor i do have any foot traffic to contend with)

Cleaning wipes like this: http://www.autogeek.net/meggolclasal.html ??
Do they tear easily, or is one wipe good enough to do the entire bike (excluding the chain)?

yeah, just like those. i've also used the same kind of deal but for household use (counter-tops, etc) and they work pretty well too. they do tear sort of easily, but overall work pretty well. i use at least 2 to cover the bike. def not for the chain.

The key is to get it clean once and keep it clean.

I do mine in the bathtub/shower. You'll need a brush, a bowl of soapy (Palmolive Dishwashing --NOT dishwasher-- Liquid) water and another bowl to rinse things off with. Put the rear wheel in the tub opposite the faucet. Run the tub water, not the shower so you don't get the seat/handlebar tape/computer wet. Have 3-4 paper towels ready to more or less dry things off. Return the bike ot its usual storage place.

Clean the tub/shower with the usual tub/shower cleaning stuff. It probably needed cleaning anyway.

If your place is carpeted, get 2 sections of 6-8 feet long carpet runners from a hardware or carpet place. Newspapers will transfer ink to the carpet and will pass through any liquid you happen to spill.

Do not use mineral spirits or paint thinner. Get something like Pedro's Oranz Peelz citrus cleaner and use that in the kitchen sink. Wash the area down with hot soapy water when you're done and that should do it.

For minor cleaning, grease spot removal on the bike, get a spray bottle of windex (the kind the some ammonia in it) and use paper towels for this operation.

For all of you that clean your chain with that degreaser--do you re-lube your chain every single time you clean your bike? If so, do you do it by hand or have one of those contraptions that cleans/re-lubes the chain?

For all of you that clean your chain with that degreaser--do you re-lube your chain every single time you clean your bike? If so, do you do it by hand or have one of those contraptions that cleans/re-lubes the chain?
If you're hitting the chain with a degreaser then yes, you need to relube every time. I personally have never been satisfied with one of those chain cleaning machines. I remove the chain, clean it in a bath of degreaser, rinse, dry, remount the chain and lube by dropping a drop of lube on each roller while backpedalling. Then I wipe off the excess.

However, if the chain is really dirty and I'm in a hurry then I'll use Rock"N"Roll lube/cleaner which cleans and lubes at the same time. It's not a substitute for cleaning but it will get me rolling right away. Unlike regular lube, you don't drip a drop of Rock"N"Roll, you squirt it on liberally.

For all of you that clean your chain with that degreaser--do you re-lube your chain every single time you clean your bike? If so, do you do it by hand or have one of those contraptions that cleans/re-lubes the chain?

i use the park tool chain cleaner, but i take the chain off the bike to use it b/c it works much better for me that way.

shower.
and shampoo or dishwashing soap takes most the grease off