Got a new bike recently and am looking to keep it clean and in good running order so that it’ll last a long time.

I cleaned it after going out this weekend (pretty dry conditions so a lot of dust and non-wet dirt) by spraying down with a non-powerful hose, using a spray bottle of watered down Muc Off – lightly covering the bike, leaving to soak in for a few minutes before hosing down again. After this I dried a lot of it with a soft towel and put a bit of GT85 (WD40) on areas like the cranks to get the water away that I couldn’t reach with the towel.

Is this adequate? Obviously once it gets muddier I’ll start to use lube on the chain etc…

Mine only get a full clean once a year when i strip it down, other times its just clean the seals and drivetrain.

I have two routines. A clean clean and a dirty clean but most people think I spend too much time cleaning our bikes.

I like a clean bike (phhhnnr) but ride so much now I just wipe the chain and clean the muck from the cranks so it doesn’t make that horrible grinding noise. If I get chance and know it won’t be getting dirty in a hurry I will clean down with a rag and some muc off. Generally tend to avoid using water where possible, always remove the brake pads before adding water/ muc off..only takes a minute and means you can see the crap build up

Here’s your answer:

Cleaning bikes is boring FACT!

TBH tend towards doing it when absolutely forced by the thing grinding to a halt…

However, if you have to go cleaning gunk and shite from the frame or exposed bits on a daily basis, I recommend… baby wipes…

Repeatedly rinsing the thing and covering it in mucoff will just mean more time spent servicing parts as water gets into bearings and bushes washes out lubricants and rots them from the inside out…

Baby wipes, clean most of the surface crap off in one go, cost very little, they’re pretty inert chemically, tough enough for a bit scrubbing, and then you just bin ’em (hooray for landfill). oh and they get grease and crap off of your hands better than anything else IME…

All the supermarkets seem to do a big bastard own brand box or multi-pack these days

Repeatedly rinsing the thing and covering it in mucoff will just mean more time spent servicing parts as water gets into bearings and bushes washes out lubricants and rots them from the inside out…

Amen to that

Ride it hard, put it away wet, vacuum it off when its dry

I have a sneaking suspicion it is possible to clean mountain bikes too much.

Detergent, (too) high pressure water and then, post clean GT85, can wash grease and lubricants out from where they;re supposed to be.

I am thinking of doing post ride ‘wipes’ for chain and fork/shock seals in future, unless the ride is very wet or muddy.

I use Mr Sheen and a microfibre cloth to clean my bikes.

I then just wash the cloth and use it the next time the bike needs cleaning.

Use a bit of GT85 to clean the gears and then lube up the chain.

I also use a cloth and run it been the cassette to clean it out.

Main thing, imo, is to keep the drive train clean in winter.

get all the mud out the cassette, from around the jockey wheels and mechs and use a chain cleaner with a brush tool thing. Use a proper degreaser (weldtite one they sell at Halfords works well).

dry it all off with an old towel/t-shirt and then oil the chain and mech pivots.

If its dry and dusty with no mud, I’ll wipe the drive train with a dry rag to get the worst off and reapply some lube.
Rear shock and stanchions will get wiped with a clean rag and re-lubed.
When its grotty or hasnt been cleaned for a few rides i’ll clean the drivetrain with degreaser and relube, same for the suspension bits.
Rinse the worst off the rest of the bike with a hose (avoiding bearings etc).

Make the most of the dusty conditions. No need for cleaning.

Cleaning doesn’t make it last longer IMO. Just pushes dirt into the gaps and rinses out the grease.

Great tip with the baby wipes, I think i’ll adopt that and make that my “quick clean”

I usually just get a warm bucket of plain water with a soft brush. Apply water with brush and brush off any mud. I’ve never ruined the brake pads with this method as you’ve only got mud and water on the bike – ie: what you have out on the trail anyway.

After every other (ish) ride i’ll wipe the seals down and relube them with some fenwicks seal lube stuff.

Once a month or so I tend to do a “big clean” with the above water method plus scraping some crap off the drive chain, a degrease with fenwicks foaming chain cleaner (not really that great but it’s quick and easy) then a relube.

I try to avoid using GT85 these days, it gets everywhere and doesn’t really serve a purpose other than to kid yourself you’ve gotten rid of water – I just towel down before a relube.

I also try to avoid cleaning it at all tbh.