Gweedo1

I remember the owner's manual for my old Toro, Al deck, recommended waxing it once a year too.

Nothing wrong with "waxing" anything you want to wax, including a bicycle.

Milton Keynes

Good, my mind is still in the gutter.

FBOATSB

I often wax nostalgic

Luke Jackson

Gotta love the people that are clearly unable to distinguish waxing from maintenance.
But don't take my word for it. Go to any LBS on the planet and get a quote for maintenance and see if it includes waxing the frame. It absolutely will not unless requested. They all have specified and written levels of basic to extensive maintenance at different price points and none of them will include waxing the frame.
That would be a completely different work order.
But what do I know.
Apparently in Minnesota when you bring your bike to an LBS for a tuneup they include waxing the frame

TimothyH

The car dealership won't wax your car either. Neither does Old Navy, or Brooks Brothers for that mater, wash and fold your clothes. I wax my car wash my clothes nonetheless.

Paint is paint. It doesn't matter what the paint is applied to. If you don't want to protect it from the elements then ride on. If you want to protect it from the elements then you wax it. It takes about ten minutes.

It's as simple as that.

chaadster

I definitely wouldn't bother putting actual wax on a bike (though I have) when polymer coatings, like Rejex, are available, more durable, and easier to use. I will apply Rejex to my bikes once a year, and just use Pledge to bump the lustre after regular washings. If it's just light dusting from road ride, I'll dust with Pledge rather than wash.

Anyway, I definitely consider keeping my bikes on bling to be maintenance of their good looks, and find any distinction to be drawn between mechanical and cosmetic maintenance to be arbitrary and pointless, because I simply won't ride a busted looking bike even if it shifts great.

StanSeven

It really depends on what elements the bike is exposed to. I ride my bikes and keep them in the garage. When I get home I wipe them off if I've been in resin. With snow or grit, I hose and dry. My steel bike looks great after 24 years. I switched to a threadless headset and new fork eight years ago. I had the builder paint the fork with the original paint from 16 years earlier send the match was perfect.

pacalolo

Meguiars Ultimate Quik Detailer. Makes the road bike super easy to clean. And it smells nice

GravelMN

Took my car in for a tuneup and they didn't wax it either, yet washing and waxing your vehicle from time to time maintains the finish. Don't wax your bike frame if you don't want to (or your car for that matter) but your argument is what is silly. Go to any LBS on the planet and ask them if applying wax or a similar protective product to a painted frame from time to time is a good idea.

It's obvious that Luke here is more of an expert on bicycle frame maintenance than say a respected company like Waterford so maybe he'll jump in here and make corrections to Waterford's recommendations for washing and waxing bicycle frames https://waterfordbikes.com/images/upl...re%20Guide.pdf.

Quote:

Top pro race mechanics know how important regular cleaning and waxing is to the performance of the bike. . . All Waterford owners will benefit. The longer you plan to own your bike, the more important it is to maintain the finish.

Quote:

The best bike (and car) waxes are made with wax made from the carnauba plant. It’s one of the hardest waxes around, offering excellent protection.
Wax works because it makes paint work better. In addition to Carnauba wax, today’s best waxes include a number of additives to enhance performance and make it easier to apply.

Please, Luke, enlighten us

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