DeafLamb

All my tools and such are in the garage, which is not heated. So in the summer when it is nice I spend much more time tinkering with my bike. In the winter I do little more than clean and oil the drivechain when it needs it. I bring the bike in to the LBS every thousand miles or so to have them give it a once over. They take all the parts off, and put them in a parts washer and wash and wax the frame. It comes back looking very nice.

Ray

DeafLamb

I know I just posted above, but when I went back and read this I just had to post again. I'm still laughing...

Thanks

pinerider

I'd say a half hour a week on average, I have a small fleet of bikes so I usually have something available to ride if one needs a major repair. This week I had to straighten out the fork ends on this winter's mtb commuter. It was on the fork mount in the back of my truck, (my commute is part bike, part truck) guess I didn't tighten it very well, it fell over whilst driving, bending the fork end. It was a noisy ride home with the front braked disconnected and the front fender rubbing, but a half hour with the vise grips at home got it straigtened out.
I don't clean my bikes as often as I should....

phillybill

I rotate bike every week.....and give them a good cleaning, so it is generally over an hour.

frost_from_hell

I almost never work on my bike. I just pump up the tyres, repair flats, and lube the chain when neccessary. (Which isn't very often.) My bike goes to the LBS once a year to have the wheels trued, and any other maintainence that it may need.

frozin

I work at a bike shop, so I clean it up weekly and fix stuff as needed, which isn't often since my bike is a single speed.

ItsJustMe

I didn't vote since there's no reasonably close choice.
I probably average about 30 minutes a month. Lube the chain, sometimes take it off and clean it. A major job might take an 1.5 hours or so. This week I put on a new chain and a new freewheel (because I let the chain go too far) so I spent nearly 10 minutes on maintenance.
Every couple of weeks if it's been wet and messy I spend 10 minutes hosing it off.

Before this past year, I spent a fair amount of time on it because the thing shipped with such a crappy rear wheel that I was breaking spokes all the time; 20 in one year. I finally bought some good spokes and a good rim, rebuilt it, and have been 2000 miles without a hitch.

zoridog

The LBS does most of my work. I drop it off for a new cassette, new cables, headset and such. I own very few tools.

The tire and chain maintenance I do as needed ... every so often. I do accessorize bikes myself. I'll add new bars, a new seat, new fenders, racks and new tires when I'm converting a bike for commuting. That stuff makes me feel the bike is "mine" and unique. I do the same for neighbors and friends too. It gives you a great feeling when a bike you converted rolls by.

never

Do you want to know for my commuter bikes (as in your title) or all of my bikes (as in your post)? Because I really don't spend very much time on the commuter, just minimal lubing, tuning and cleaning, the road bike is similar, it doesn't need much, but the trail bikes need a lot more attention because they get a lot more abuse, and they have suspension which requires even more maintenance.

jur

Apparently I am a bike workaholic. Every few weeks I clean my bikes, as in factory assembly clean. Wash & lube chain, wash cassette, wash & lube derailer wheels, fastidiously wash wheels (rims, spokes & rubber), wash chainrings, frame. Minutely re-adjust brakes. Takes bloody hours. SWMBO sometimes complains a bit: "Is it really necessary to spend so much time on the bikes? Is this a permanent thing?"

trmcgeehan

The only time I clean my bike is just before I take it to my LBS. This is kind of like changing your underwear before going to the doctor or cleaning your house before the cleaning lady comes (my wife does this).

jur

^^^ +1

Marylandnewbie

It's probably 1/2 hour a week in winter but that will go down in summer and as I get more competent. Since I run a chain cleaner once a week and once a month remove the chain for a more thorough cleaning, the time adds up. Also at least once a week I go over the whole bike looking for loose fasteners or other wear that I wouldn't normally see. Of course then there is adding air to tires, charging bike light batteries and cleaning the crud off the bike to add to the time.

Today I successfully changed my cassette and chain -- and I'm not sure that it isn't less work than changing over to studded tires. Learning to do things like that add to my maintenance time now, but in the future will be fairly quick.

sbhikes

I voted half hour but it's really much less. I like to fiddle with it, but it's all cosmetic. Cleaning, trying out new accessories, switching the lock, bag, light to one of my other bikes for a change of pace for the week. I will change a tire, and turn an odd screw or two, but otherwise, I'm dependent on my LBS. I figure they need to stay in business, I make a lot of otherwise wasted money, so what the heck.