Home Forums Bike Forum How do you wash your bike?

  • This topic has 44 replies, 43 voices, and was last updated 12 years ago by Alex.
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  • How do you wash your bike?
  • muckytee
    Free Member

    as above…

    What about getting water where it shouldn’t be?

    What about the chain as well, I give mine a spray with degreaser and a good scrub with a firm toothbrush, then hose off…

    Cheers

    althepal
    Full Member

    If it’s a quick wash just hot water, a cloth, and a hosing. I used to use muc off but heard stories of fox not covering warranties where it had been used!! If it’s a deepish clean chain comes off for degrease, cogs get the toothbrush treatment and frame, fork and wheels get a bit more attention, dried then maybe a cloth with gt85 to shine it a bit..

    Edric64
    Free Member

    I hose it down may dry it off and squirt 3in1 oil on the chain

    Dan67
    Free Member

    wet the bike down to get rid of the big bits of mud. Spray with pedros green fizz bike wash. Leave a min or so use big brush to agitate all of the mud. Rinse down.
    Use park tool chain cleaner with water first to get rid of the worst bits. Then use a diluted de-greaser in the chain cleaner. Spin round for a few mins. Spray off all cleaner with hose. Then use chain cleaner with water again. Repeat until chain is clean.
    Use diluted degreaser again with tooth brush on cassette/chain rings removing all traces of crap. Spray with water to get rid of it all.
    Dry whole bike down with towels. Use disc brake cleaner on brakes to clean them. Apply lube a couple of times to chain when chain is completely dry

    makkag
    Free Member

    diesel powered Kartcher Pressure washer . easy

    nickjb
    Free Member

    Ride it through puddles

    Stevelol
    Free Member

    I only wash it when it’s filthy and getting heavy! I usually knock off mud with a brush whilst its wet, use fork juice on suspension (and adjustable seatpost) to clean crap out of seals, wipe chain if items wet and relube.

    I’ll hose it, scrub with brush, muc off, scrub, leave, rinse, then get into all the little areas with a smaller brush, fork juice. I don’t have a chain cleaner but need one now I have 10sp with power links.

    KonaTC
    Full Member

    Kartcher Pressure and Fenwicks caravan cleaner

    thepodge
    Free Member

    I think the best way to describe how I wash my bike is lazily

    sambob
    Free Member

    Podge +1

    valleydaddy
    Free Member

    this stuff is superb

    Non Caustic Metal Cleaner

    sv
    Free Member

    Don’t use a disc cleaner, IPA if you must.

    TheSouthernYeti
    Free Member

    rarely

    Militant_biker
    Full Member

    Wait until the mud dries. Brush off* Chain bath. Lube.

    *Onto hardwood floor and then sweep up if the wife is out. Outside if she’s in or imminently returning 😀

    MostlyBalanced
    Free Member

    Hose and a brush when I get back from a ride. Leave overnight to dry then wire brush the chain in the morning and lube with a thick wax motorbike spray lube.

    steveh
    Full Member

    Hosepipe when I get in from a ride, normally doesn’t need any brushing when it’s still wet so just rinse off to get rid of all the mud. Use two nail brushes with some degreaser on top and bottom of the chain while spinning the cranks, then rinse with water, gt85 to get rid of that then and chain lube to finish. A bit of fork juice or silicon spray to the fork seals and it’s done. total time straight after a ride, less than 10 mins.

    jamiec360
    Free Member

    Hose first get worst off, cleaner suitably diluted. Juicy stuff diluted 10:1 at the moment but was using Sarnagloss car all purpose cleaner but Tesco Daisy actually very good to and works out about 10p a litre. Use foaming spray bottle head. In the nooks and crannys cheap paintbrush to agitate and a cheap noodle glove for the main tubes, rims etc. Never bother cleaning the tyre treads just rinse any big globs off.

    Dry down with old micro fibre that’s been retired from car duty (36 for £10 in Costco) then clean chain using neat juicy degreaser in old Barbieri chain cleaner check cogs and chain rings and if needed give them a clean with quick spray of degreaser and wipe off, always check and clean jockey wheels they always seem to be full of crud then spray of juicy break cleaner on the rotors, oil the links on the chain (finish line wet this time of year) few drops of cable lube on the few exposed bits until I need new cables when Gore’s will be going on, quick spray of fork juice on front and rear shock stantions then cycle them a couple of times to get it into the seals, put bike away until next ride.

    About 2 or 3 times a year I used to wax my frame as it was steel not sure If I will on new one as it’s alloy and carbon so won’t get rusty. If you do want to I recommend the dodo waxes you can get them in small tester jars for about fiver and one will do a bike maybe 10 times easily their coloured waxes are especially good.

    A lot easier than my car, not been tempted to clay any of my bikes yet 😀

    legspin
    Free Member

    Bloody ell you lot must spend more time washing than riding, a toothbrush?
    I get back from a ride hang bike up, next time I need it I just wipe off the big lumps of mud with a rag. The only time they get a wash is if some maintenance needs doing.

    mrmo
    Free Member

    hose it down, chain bath, gt85 all over quick polish.

    If i am being a little OTT i will strip the bike down to the frame and use Autoglym, at the same time strip the hubs, bearings, cassette, chainset, bb, etc and give everything a very good clean.

    jedi
    Full Member

    i used to have a portable washer but the connections broke. i now have a dirty bike 🙂

    ps44
    Free Member

    Might hose the frame if really caked, hose mud out of the chain and gears, spray GT85 on chain (lube properly before riding).
    Then get the cheesy beans on 😀

    Dibbs
    Free Member

    Hose the bike down to loosen the dirt, bucket and sponge with a bit of car wax shampoo (to help stop the dirt sticking next time), rinse and bounce the bike a few time to shake the water off then oil the chain (Finishline XC). It takes under 10 minutes, allows me to spot any damage to the bike and I have a nice clean bike to work on when I repair the damage.

    emac65
    Free Member

    Hose pipe with the nozzle set to spray,but if it’s really dirty I may take the sponge to it & rest it on the saddle.If that still doesn’t work it stays dirty……….;o)

    Crag
    Free Member

    Not washed mine in the 2 years I’ve had it. Bit of rock n roll extreme to clean the chain, lube the pivots and BB and its good to go.

    If its a particularly muddy ride, I brush it off before I sling in the back of the motor if I’m feeling generous.

    Water’s bad for them isn’t it??

    Ringo
    Free Member

    I don’t wash mine I brush the mud off a bit when it dries sometimes

    Martin.B
    Free Member

    Wait utility the mud dries and brush off
    If its been really filthy I might oil the chain

    mintimperial
    Full Member

    Quick blast with a hose when I get in if it’s been a muddy ride.

    steve_b77
    Free Member

    Hose it down, dry it off and lube the chain.

    Proper clean consists of a sponge wash, hose down, clean the chain & cassette & rings etc, hose off, dry down & lube

    Klunk
    Free Member

    haven’t washed my bike since august last year. i’ll brush down the drive chain, rotate the chain and wipe down the stantions after most rides though.

    hilton83
    Free Member

    Presure wash all the mud off, then i use muc off’s biodegradable de-greaser on the entire drivetrain, leave for 5 mins, jet wash all that crap off, then a spray all over with white lightning cleaner, brush all over with muc off brushes using the right ones in all the right places wash it off again, wipe the excess water off with a chamois, and then when its dry lube the chain and cycle it through the gears to give it all a nice coating. I am a bit OCD with cleaning things and i must admit i do enjoy cleaning my bike, MASSIVE NERD! Anybody use that fork juice stuff? Is it any good?

    rainbow
    Free Member

    I use water can on the bike first, spray ‘muc off’ stuff, leave for 5 mins, a bucket of water and use sponge or brush to wash the mud off the bike, once done and then use the water can to swirl it off, to finish it off, I use cloth to clean frame, forks, etc and toothbrushs on the gear stuff, finally put lube on chain and GT80 on other stuff.

    Now have a spanking clean bike!

    M6TTF
    Free Member

    Sure I read somewhere that Santa cruz don’t recommend washing your bike a lot? Personally I give mine a quick hose down and sponge wish the bucket after I’ve finished washing the car. Bikes cost a lot, it doesn’t take much effort to give it a wipe diwn

    Oggles
    Free Member

    Pop a quid in the jetwash at BP garage after a particularly muddy ride.
    Shampoo and rinse.
    Ride a mile home with a wet arse.

    IanW
    Free Member

    Ride, wait till it drys, brush it off, lube chain, pump up tyres , ride again.

    hambl90
    Free Member

    Wash off the worst with a hose, then wash with car shampoo , hose down again, dry off with a shammy, oil chain twice working it into the links, and lastly spray silicone on the shock and fork stantions.

    Shepdon
    Free Member

    I got this new cleaner at a recent motor X event, it’s called Rhino Goo and is a bright green liquid when you spray on. After a ride just spray it all over and leave for 3 mins, then just hose it off and I must say it works much better than Muc Off and it dries to leave a nice shine.
    It even works on anodized finishes, think they also do Rhino shine which is a silicone type spray
    Can highly recommend
    http://www.rhinogoo.co.uk

    emanuel
    Free Member

    wash it in the bath.simples really.not my bath though.
    or hoover it with the brush attachment if it’s more dusty dirty than muddy dirty,when I’m hoovering the flat.
    or just spray with some car wax shampoo.

    always dry with a microfibre cloth.
    wax 1-2x a year.

    cheers_drive
    Full Member

    I used to just knock the dried mud of and clean the chain if noisy but since getting a white bike I feel compelled to do it after every ride with any mud, I usually hose off the worst then use a bucket of water with car shampoo and various brushes. It doesn’t take long unless I find maintenance tasks to do whilst cleaning.
    The SS gets cleaned every 6 months as not having to clean it is one of it’s benefits.

    mikedoubleu
    Free Member

    Anodised brown bike. No wash.

    I’m sure just before it was stolen, it was the dirt holding it together.

    buzz-lightyear
    Free Member

    i wipe the chain and lube it. same for the fork.

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