mtb-chop

Here it is - nice and happy after yesterday morning's ride. (For some reason, the pic doesn't show the goo that well)



and even happier - just waiting for tomorrow



Any other pics of nice happy bikes?

callumchapman91

Wow looking very happy, cant wait til i get my bike

pinkrobe

I must protest - a happy bike is a filthy bike! If you clean it, it's just going to get dirty again...

mtb-chop

I agree, but that clean bike will work so much better while getting it filthy again. On my ride last Thursday (when I got passed by that pro I told y'all about) the bike got disgusting. I took a few hours on Friday and thoroughly cleaned it to the point of removing pedals, cranks, chainrings, cassette, BB, shock, and rear derailleur pulleys and throughly cleaning/relubing everything. The next morning (while covering the bike in the goo shown in the first pic) everything just worked so well - don't know how to describe it - everything just worked better, so I repeated after getting all the crap all over it on Sat.

I don't advocate taking the hours required to undertake this thorough of a cleaning after every ride, but I keep the drivetrain pretty clean at a minimum and will clean the rotors with alcohol before most rides.

BTW - grit and sand (lots of that around here) make stuff wear out much faster, so since I'd prefer it to last, I keep stuff pretty clean unless it's being used at that moment, then it can get as dirty as it can - until I clean it after.

callumchapman91

Whats the best way to clean your bike and what with?

mtb-chop

Water from a hose nozzle = bad because the pressurized water can force dirt into the bearings of the rotating parts (BB, hubs, headset, suspension pivots) and mess up the grease.

I usually let things dry then get the dried chunks off with a brush (old toothbrushes come in handy). This weekend (I was having a really anal moment) I used a wet rag to get the remaining dust/dirt off of things. Use degreaser on the chain (then relube) and use one of those brushes on the casette and chainrings to get the grime off of them and keep everything rotating/shifting smoothly.

Other folks have different methods and everyone has an opinion on the appropriate level of cleanliness a mountain bike should have. I usually don't care about the superficial stuff, but I'll keep the drivetrain and brake rotors clean. After all, I like to go forward when I want to and stop when I need to.

zx108

a happy bike is a bike that is being ridden. your bike looks mighty happy

as for the hose i use it on the rims and tires. but keep it away from the hubs. everything else gets wipped/brushed off. i feel like i am going to ruin my bike if a water from a hose touches it.