Just been looking at the blingfest on another thread. Not overly impressed by the bling tbh, but really impressed by how clean some of the bikes are. Personally I rarely valet my bikes to showroom condition – generally a quick hose down with a bit extra care taken around the chain area and forks/shock. Every once-in-a-while i'll break out the WD and give the rest a bit of tlc, but looking at the tyres on some of the pics , I get the impression there a some closet OCDer's on here.

I used to get a bit silly with the polish when I had motorbikes but don't see the point on a mtb, as it'll be boggin' so soon. Anyone admit to cleaning too much or not enough?

I'm pretty lazy. I clean, but I don't polish. And I only clean when it's really dirty or I feel like it. 🙂

went on a couple of STW ride a few years back and there was one lad on both whose bike was impressively clean (though he obviously used it), I really don't have the interest to cleaning my spokes or polish the bike in anyway… my bikes get a good clean now and again but the toothbrush does not come out.

MTB get's muddy shocker… 8)

Mine is immaculate right now and it will be immaculate on Monday even after riding at CyB this weekend. I didn't spend a shed load of cash on a decent bike to have it looking shabby.

OCD clean bike = big belly 😉

I didn't spend a shed load of cash on a decent bike to have it looking shabby.

My thoughts exactly. My bikes are kept spotless, but also get ridden and dirty. Cleaning your bike well keeps everything running sweeter, keeps components in better condition longer and helps you spot any small mechanicals before they develop.

Even if it's just for the 1st few metres from the car park, it's nice to at least start with a clean bike. When you spend so much on something, I just can't bear to leave it covered in s**t.

i don't polish the mtb, that is what road bikes are for, but it is kept clean. Lets you spot minor problems before they get serious, normally*

*unless it is a hope bottom bracket unscrewing and trashing the threads on the frame!

Bikes rarely get cleaned at mine.

Where is Justa these days anyway?

My just gets a good brush over with soapy water & hosed down
Can't be doing with with all the anal spoke nipple cleaning etc

I didn't spend a shed load of cash on a decent bike to spend time polishing it

I cleaned mine today. Tyres and mudguard still a bit muddy though.

Mine gets ridden every day to work and back off road all year round. I wipe and lube the chain as required and that's about it. I didn't spend a shed load of cash on a nice bike so I could clean it.

Any more alternative endings to the sentence "I didn't spend a shed load of cash on my bike to……."?

This has suddenly turned into a hole new thread!

I didn't spend a shed load of cash on my bike to talk about cleaning it on some internet forum!

Good, keep 'em coming!

I didn't spend a shed load of cash on my bike-lock and it got nicked.

I didn't spend a shed load of cash on a decent bike to have it looking shabby.

I can understand this, and also the opposing argument. With the motorbike, I was on a hiding to nothing with the cleaning. You'd innocently clean a small bit, making the part beside look shabby. A beer or two (and maybe a little class B) later and your evening was gone. Don't really get the same urgency with the playbikes though. Probably because they don't take long too get all beaten up and shabby.

I didn't spend a shed load of cash on my bike to talk about cleaning it on some internet forum!

A 12 hour shift with little to do can do strange things to a man. 😳

Once in a blue moon I'll have the chain off, do some stone chips etc. and make it all look nice again.

Most of the time it gets a hose down and some oil.

Stone chips? Are they like space cakes only chip shaped?

During the winter I clean my bike after most rides and in the summer once every 3 or 4 rides.

One benefit is you get to look at the bike and components and I have in the past found stuff that needs attention under the grime.

I had a mate who wouldn't ride if it was wet or muddy which always struck me as odd, some of my best rides in the last year have involved uncontrollable sliding in mud followed by uncontrollable laughter while I lie in the mud!

I didn't spend a shed load of cash on my bike to cover it in mud 😀
.
I don't bother unless I'm stripping and rebuilding or fixing
the mud falls off on the way to the next ride anyway

Love em cleaned after any dirty rides, right down to the jockey wheels. See I can't see why you would want to leave it dirty.
Damn it I even change my pants every day.

I love my bikes but do like to see a bit of mud on them as looks better i think lol
But i do clean transmission throughly 🙂

i defo have OCD for cars and bikes i just like them looking shiny.I have had a load of comments after i admited using a cotton bud to clean my front and rear mechs too any other ocd`s that is a top tip.I even clean the engine bay of my car much to peoples amazement. Zymol car polish on bikes gives them a good shine!

I only thought 'detailing' and 'concors' stuff was for car OCDers.

Mine gets a wash down only once the weight of all the mud and clag on it becomes noticable. I don't want to be shifting all that extra weight up every hill.

My bikes all live indoors, in a specially air conditioned, inert gas, climate controlled vault in ones batcave, so need to be spotlessly clean before I hand them over to my butler, Alfred, to be stored. 😉

My wife won't let me bring dirty bikes in the house. From experience, they get nicked if I leave them outside. Hense they get cleaned after every dirty ride.

I didn't spend a shed load of money on bikes only to have to leave them outside to get nicked…

So I guess this isn't the thread to 'fess that I once cleaned my chain with cotton buds between every link 😳

Hilldodger good work on the chain.
J.

In winter I clean bike thoroughly after every ride. Takes me a good hour, which on a cold winters evening after a long ride is a pita.
When dry and dusty in summer then I don't bother and just put away as it is and maybe clean after 2 or 3 rides.
Today it was dry so had my first ride in ages without having to clean it..felt great!! 😀

Actually I quite like the look of a bike that's really covered in mud but has a sparkling clean transmission. Which is kind of how my bikes are when I do bother cleaning them 🙂

quick hose down and a lube here, did use ot use the garage jeth a lot a few years backe best trip was a white car with 2 very dirty bikes on the roof. Jetwashed the bikes while still on the roofand drove off, all the bike crap was then on teh white car, wish i'd take a pic, the bikes were pritine the car looked like it had spent a day offroading

I have to keep mine spotless or the missus doesn't let me keep it in the bedroom.

I actually quite like cleaning my bike, and have been known to be cleaning it until 1am after a night ride, (on a school night too)

keep mine very clean 😉

borderline OCD….

OCD here too… 😆

+1 OCD and all the 'cool folk' who just 'quickly hose down and lube every once in a while' are blowing out their rusty chained a-hole! Hell-yeah!!!

I only ride SS cos I am OCD and it is easier to clean 😆

Although I am slightly twitchy because I didn't get to clean it after a ride earlier this week for the first time in ages…

Face it, your bikes not clean unless you do this.

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/chainclean.html

Until then, its filthy.

mojo5pro – Member
In winter I clean bike thoroughly after every ride. Takes me a good hour, which on a cold winters evening after a long ride is a pita.
When dry and dusty in summer then I don't bother and just put away as it is and maybe clean after 2 or 3 rides.
Today it was dry so had my first ride in ages without having to clean it..felt great!!

In winter I go to the pub and have some beer, junk food and banter with my mates after every ride – spring, summer and autumn too.

Different priorities I suppose.

TheArtistFormerlyKnownAsSTR – You are just too cool…