I fully admit to being a bit @nal about cleaning my bikes – and will spend a couple of hours on Sunday night washing whichever bike was used over the weekend before putting it away for the rest of the week (not a pressure washer mind, just soapy suds & a bit of degreaser on the drive chain).

Today I was in my LBS for a few bits and pieces and chatting to the staff, and was regailed with the story of a customer who sounds similarly afflicted as me, and brought in a two year old bike that was spotlessly clean, but had seized bottom bracket, rusty pivot bearings, corroded spoke nipples, water sloshing around in the fork lowers…etc…. you get the drift… and all (apparrently) because he washed the bike too often!

The bike shop mechanic’s position is that MTB’s are built to be dirty, but not to be continually immersed in water – so unless I re-lubed and greased every bearing on the thing each time I washed it, I was better off just leaving it dirty.

Group therapy needed….

My bike gets a quick hose-off to get the worst of the mud off, the chain gets dried off and lubed, and I check nothing’s broken or coming loose. 10 minutes.

Unless I’m riding the singlespeed. That gets a squirt of chain lube and that’s it.

I agree to some extent. A mountain bike needs to be checked over regularly for damage, cracks, etc and cleaning it occasionally is a good way of doing that but generally it does it no harm to be left dirty. We used to do Polaris trailquests and on the Sunday morning you’d be jumping on a filthy bike and riding it another 30-40 miles. As long as the brakes were in good nick and the drivetrain working a bit of dirt didn’t do any harm.

The road bike on the other hand is an object of aesthetic beauty and the roadie cult is one of cleanliness and mechanical perfection, which is where the leg-shaving bit comes from. A dirty road bike looks terrible and as Matt Seaton points out in his excellent book about roadie obsession, The Escape Artist, a cyclist with hairy legs and dirty bike and kit would get laughed out of the peloton.

If the chain is grindy-dirty, the whole bike gets a clean. If not, let the clart dry, then knock the worst off. Maybe run the chain through an old bit of rag and add some more oil. Maybe not.

On biking holidays – there will be some people spending hours washing and faffing with their bikes every damn night, even though they’ve just got some dust on. You know what – they’re always the riders that have the most on trail mechanicals.

The Escape Artist, a cyclist with hairy legs and dirty bike and kit would get laughed out of the peloton.

I’d be happy to be laughed out of that peloton.

Using dishwashing detergent will corrode the bike, since washing up liquid has a lot of salt in it.

Cold fresh water and some bike specific degreaser is ok, letting the bike dry quickly afterwards (no sitting in a damp cold shed, bike goes inside) – but I think I go through headset bearings especially frequently due to washing. I try not to ‘clean’ round the bearings too much.

Mine are dirty for months on end without getting a proper clean – I just do a hose down after a ride to get the worst of. Riding itself takes up too much time without spending another two hours cleaning it!

my bike is lucky if i can be bothered to flick the dog shit off it with a stick.

Well when I was living in Perth all you had to deal with was a coating of dust, which really took no time at all to clean off. Just leave it on the lawn and let the retic wash the dust off;)
After last nights bog fest over Chinley Churn I will clean the drive train and thats about all!
MTB’s look better with some muck on, shows you use them properly.

The cleaning should not be limited to the outside – clean the insides at well (but not with water 😉 )!

2 hours? To clean a bike that was ridden clean?

You need to find other stuff to do with your time or learn to wash as bit quicker.

My cross bike was caked on Sunday. 10 mins with a hose. 5 mins titivating. Bike into garage ready to go next week.

Well when I was living in Perth all you had to deal with was a coating of dust

Hi Repatriot, yes usually true, but we’ve just had one of the wettest winters on record – shock horror – actual mud in the Perth Hills!

But you’re right, now we’re into summer it probably won’t rain for … oh … the next four months or so, so it’ll only be a coating of that red oxide dust to worry about, and I’ll probably stop washing the bikes so often. Might get withdrawl symtoms from my Sunday night ritual and will have to find something else to wash instead… car … dog….?

2hrs to clean a bike? You need more hobbies.

Most of the time I put it away dirty, know it will probably get caked again soon.

To be fair, the DH bike doesn’t actually get peddled that much – either pushed up hills, or the occasional hard crank to get some speed up.

2 hours? To clean a bike that was ridden clean?

2hrs to clean a bike? You need more hobbies.

Yeah, I know, a bit obsessive! But I find it a good way to wind down after a weekend of riding, and really quite therapeutic…

But, if its doing more damage to the bike than good, then I’m sure I can find something else to do instead – like a few hours on STW for example….

But, if its doing more damage to the bike than good, then I’m sure I can find something else to do instead

Just ride it for another 2 hours each weekend….

I bought a dirtworker type thing and since then barely bother actualy washing my bikes, just hose the mud off before it dries. Chain gets a squirt of wet lube then wiped clean with a rag, and agin before a ride to lube it.

I only ever wash my bike by giving a bit of a hose down once every few rides.

It works well and all the parts have lasted well.

That said I do service it properly fairly regularly (at least a couple of times a year). For example it is currently stripped down to individual parts (including shock and forks), for cleaning, bearing/seal/cable replacement and oil changes etc.

there’s washing your bike and there’s blindly blasting it with a pressure washer so the water forces its way into everything

i’ve been washing my bikes with a sponge and soapy water and taking the chain off to clean it after every ride for 25+ years and never had a problem, you’ll be fine

If it’s too muddy to go back in the house then it gets a 5 min spray with the Dirtworker at the end of the ride. Dries out on top of the car on the way home. Then when I get home, maybe an application of Squirt to the chain, and I’m good to go next time.

Either a short hose down after a muddy ride or leave it for a few rides and brush the major mud flakes off the frame, forks & wheels when its dried up. However I don’t have gears to worry about, and generally just rub my finger on the chain before riding to check its ok for lube.

I know a chap who had a patch of gravel that he’d laid in his lawn specifically to clean his bike on so he didn’t mess up the lawn. He’d spend ages cleaning the bike, and then clean the gravel…

taking the chain off to clean it after every ride for 25+ years

What?

have you got dirt in your ears?

Er, Yeah.

Clean the chain, that’s it in my book.

Every bicycle I own gets a clean after each use, even the commuter on a daily basis. I also have a paved area edged with coping stones that lets the water run off directly into the drain.
I can live with the bike being mucky while it’s being used but I (genuinely) couldn’t put it away dirty and then relax unless I’m on a big ride and sleeping in a tent. It’s still on the same ride then so it’s OK.
I always wash them upside down though. Rubber mats under the contact points, mind.

The bike shop mechanic’s position is that MTB’s are built to be dirty, but not to be continually immersed in water – so unless I re-lubed and greased every bearing on the thing each time I washed it, I was better off just leaving it dirty.

The mechanic is right you are killing your bike by regulary washing it.

I realised this over 10 years ago when I was rebuilding a bike that I’d bought new in 1996. Water had got into every bearing, seal, nut, bolt and cavity that you could think of and since that day I have washed my bikes maybe two or three times per year. I use dry lube all year round so the drivetrain doesn’t attract dirt and just a little wet lube on the suspension. The rest is just painted/plated bits of metal, rubber and plastic with dirt on the outside – where it belongs.

even the commuter on a daily basis.

Wow, that’s a degree of anal retentiveness I didn’t believe possible. My commuter is a road bike, so although it picks up a bit of dirt, it’s minimal

Anyway, after my trusty Dahon’s trashing of a car door last week, it seems vaguely insulting to check that it’s bothered about a tiny speck of grime. It’s way harder than that.

I always wash them upside down though

Makes the blood run to my head, tbh. Wearing a pressure suit helps, though it’s a bit limiting for taking the chain off, disassembling the rear suspension linkages and all the rest of a really good clean.

The bike shop mechanic’s position is that MTB’s are built to be dirty, but not to be continually immersed in water – so unless I re-lubed and greased every bearing on the thing each time I washed it, I was better off just leaving it dirty.

That is absolute bullshit, what a tool. I actually can’t believe how thick some people are.

So you are better off leaving you bike covered in mud and shite that obviously is no good for bearings, seals or anything else, rather than washing it off with clean water. Yeah ok.

People always say to me “bloody hell your bike looks like new”, well yeah, I look after it by washing it and maintaining it, whereas they mostly don’t. Their bikes ride and look like shite, yet they wonder why.

69er‘s post ride routine – take the chain off, splosh around in a bottle of degreaser, wash off and leave to dry. Rinse bike off when I can be arsed. If not arsed just clean chainring and sprocket. Put chain back on, lube and ride. 10 mins to clean, more time for riding and beer. Simples 🙂

(It is a rigid s/s)

Nice one Nickf. Much chortling. 🙂

The bike shop mechanic’s position is that MTB’s are built to be dirty, but not to be continually immersed in water – so unless I re-lubed and greased every bearing on the thing each time I washed it, I was better off just leaving it dirty.

Well not exactly true but the point is that washing a bike WILL add more water to various greasy bits which isn’t really a good idea, is it?

what a tool

Well he IS a mechanic…

have you got dirt in your ears?

No. Its on the chain.

People always say to me “bloody hell your bike looks like new”, well yeah, I look after it by washing it and maintaining it, whereas they mostly don’t. Their bikes ride and look like shite, yet they wonder why.

And that’s bullshit too. My mate keeps his spotless after every ride. I choose not too. Both working fine and dandy. You want to wash it, fine. You don’t want to wash it, also fine. They don’t need that much tender loving care.

bullshit, what a tool. I actually can’t believe how thick some people are.

I was thinking exactly the same thing….just not about the OP’s mechanic 😉

Bikes come through my workshop spotlessly clean….mechanically shafted.
Bikes come through my workshop caked in shizzle….mechanically shafted.
They only come in when they stop working and it makes NO DIFFERECE how clean or dirty they are on the ‘outside’.

My bike runs absolutely fine and I don’t clean it that often – i do maintain it properly tho

I was thinking exactly the same thing….just not about the OP’s mechanic

Exactly.

Cleaning with water is very bad for your bike and even worse for your self respect, dont do it.

Here is a pic of my dirty bike just to upset those with OCD
. Chain is running with the chain wax so stays clean and only needs lubed every now and then, forks recently serviced. all cables recently lubed – everything working tickety boo

dirty bike by TandemJeremy, on Flickr

Oh look, its the three wise men, right on cue 😆

Nice bike TJ, no wonder you don’t wash it, I would try and keep the decals as dirty as possible.

flow

So you are better off leaving you bike covered in mud and shite that obviously is no good for bearings, seals or anything else, rather than washing it off with clean water. Yeah ok.

Werrmm – how does the dried mud get into the bearings?

My BB has been in there for years and many thousands of miles, the head bearings the same. Both have seals

Its a very nice bike flow – you don’t recognise it? raleigh titanium sps

What upsets my OCD, TJ, is that computer cable… dangling in the wind.