How often should I clean my bike?
08-06-07, 12:46 PM
#1
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How often should I clean my bike?
I just got a Roubaix Pro last week and I am not sure of the optimal cleaning methods and schedule.
This is my first bike and I want to make sure I am doing well by it.
I commute about 40 miles round trip to work 5 days a week and am planning to do some leisure riding around on the weekends too.
How often should I clean it? Also, could somebody give me a detailed description of how to best clean a bike?
Thanks.
This is my first bike and I want to make sure I am doing well by it.
I commute about 40 miles round trip to work 5 days a week and am planning to do some leisure riding around on the weekends too.
How often should I clean it? Also, could somebody give me a detailed description of how to best clean a bike?
Thanks.
08-06-07, 12:49 PM
#2
Making a kilometer blurry
Hose it down gently and wipe it off after riding in the rain. Other than that, you only need to clean stuff when it gets mucked up. The rest is personal preference. Hitting the frame with baby wipes every so often is easy looks good, so I do that every few months 
Any more than this amount of cleaning is just for looks, which is up to you.
Any more than this amount of cleaning is just for looks, which is up to you.
08-06-07, 12:50 PM
#3
Throw the stick!!!!
I clean mine with soap and water whenever it gets extremely dirty or the day before a race. I clean my chain with a park chain scrubber and simple green. I clean my cassette with simple green as well. Once everything is clean I dry the bike off, dry the chain then lube it. I spin the cranks a few times, let it set a few minutes then take a rag and get all of the extra lube off. Then I pop open a Pete's Wicked Ale and enjoy the rest of my day. 
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08-06-07, 12:52 PM
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08-06-07, 12:52 PM
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At least twice a day, once after breakfast and once before bed.
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08-06-07, 01:17 PM
#8
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I wipe them clean after each ride but I usually don't wash my bikes. They are pristine clean 
However, my rainbike gets washed every time after a rainy ride. wipe it down and lube the chains, housings, and shifters.
However, my rainbike gets washed every time after a rainy ride. wipe it down and lube the chains, housings, and shifters.
08-06-07, 01:20 PM
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After every ride.
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08-06-07, 01:54 PM
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As often as you like. I usually clean mine when I start to notice how filthy it is...every couple weeks or so I guess.
08-06-07, 01:56 PM
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Wait, isn't that bike carbon fiber? Don't dare let it get wet.
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08-06-07, 02:24 PM
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08-06-07, 02:38 PM
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OP - you'll be surprised how much road gunk and grime (and Gatorade) builds up on your bike, but most of it is just an appearance issue that you can wipe down w/Windex, soap and water, etc.
On the other hand, the grit and grime on chain/chainrings/cassette and derailleurs can affect performance. Get a Park chain cleaning tool and use it every couple of weeks. Find an old toothbrush and towel and use them on the cassette and derailleurs. Get as much gunk off as you can - once again, it's amazing how and where it shows up. Use a good lube on the chain after you clean it; run the chain long enough to get lube on the gears, then wipe off all the excess lube from the chain - you don't really want it on the parts that show; you want it in the internal parts of the chain.
Over time (months) grime can cause a lot of wear on the chain and gears, so besides the improvement in shifting performance, you are prolonging the life of your chain and gears with regular cleaning.
On the other hand, the grit and grime on chain/chainrings/cassette and derailleurs can affect performance. Get a Park chain cleaning tool and use it every couple of weeks. Find an old toothbrush and towel and use them on the cassette and derailleurs. Get as much gunk off as you can - once again, it's amazing how and where it shows up. Use a good lube on the chain after you clean it; run the chain long enough to get lube on the gears, then wipe off all the excess lube from the chain - you don't really want it on the parts that show; you want it in the internal parts of the chain.
Over time (months) grime can cause a lot of wear on the chain and gears, so besides the improvement in shifting performance, you are prolonging the life of your chain and gears with regular cleaning.
08-06-07, 02:41 PM
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jebus, i wash mine after every ride (rain or shine) and i always have an unbelievable amount of grime. then again i ride by the bay and don't want that salt creepin up in my ****e
08-06-07, 02:46 PM
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08-06-07, 06:21 PM
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Clean and lube the chain when it starts making noise. I use Dumonde Tech lubricant. The instructions are to use a chain cleaning solvent or degreaser and remove all dirt, grime, and previous lubricant. Dry chain and apply lubricant. Only use soap and water for subsequent chain cleaning so as to not to remove the Dumonde Tech, dry, and apply more lubricant.
I use Finish Line Super Bike Wash because it is friendly to bike paint and clearcoat and has rust inhibitors. Just spray on. Grime and road tar will wipe off with just a little effort. I do this when bike starts looking dirty and eveytime I clean the chain or get caught in the rain.
I use Finish Line Super Bike Wash because it is friendly to bike paint and clearcoat and has rust inhibitors. Just spray on. Grime and road tar will wipe off with just a little effort. I do this when bike starts looking dirty and eveytime I clean the chain or get caught in the rain.
08-06-07, 07:55 PM
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You're supposed to clean them**********
Why not just skip that part and go straight to the Pete's Wicked?
Why not just skip that part and go straight to the Pete's Wicked?
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08-06-07, 07:56 PM
#22
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I never EVER clean my bike unless the weather is too crappy to go ride.
08-06-07, 08:18 PM
#23
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I clean my chain and gears every 200 miles or so....I use a citrus degreaser and then a dry lube....then I wipe down the bike with a soft cloth and pledge without going crazy to get in every crevice...I live in the desert so I rarely ride in the rain, but I still get a good bit of road grime.
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08-06-07, 08:22 PM
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08-06-07, 08:26 PM
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cleaning the bike is purely cosmetic, so if you think it looks dirty then clean it, i clean mine every few weeks when i can get around to it...
cleaning the drivetrain is another story, that's more than just cosmetic, and i would recommend that you clean and lube your chain every 100 miles or so. if you don't know how to do it, take it a shop and watch them do it, then repeat the process as needed...
cleaning the drivetrain is another story, that's more than just cosmetic, and i would recommend that you clean and lube your chain every 100 miles or so. if you don't know how to do it, take it a shop and watch them do it, then repeat the process as needed...