[Closed] Do I really need to clean my bike?

Keeping the moving parts clean, worry about the rest when you can.

I cleaned mine on Saturday just to check what colour it was. I'd forgotten, as its been encased in a cocoon of East Lancs filth for weeks now

Oh... its blue BTW 😀

This is why I like my alfined mtb now and when I commuted 40 odd miles a day rode a fixed wheel (a proper one, made of old stuff; before they got all fashionable and naff). Keep it simple.

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A clean bike is a happy bike.
Goes faster too.

It's only hypothermia, nice hot cup of tea and you'll be fine. 🙂

no, you dont need to clean it ever.
but you will pay the price for not cleaning it, as parts will wear out more quickly.
i keep all moving parts fettled and chain spotless.
i am a fettler by nature though, and my wife is happy to watch tv past a bike in the living room.

Wouldn't mind hosing "Girls Aloud" down after a ride!!!! 😉

Wow! I thought I was the only bloke with a mrs like that. My pals cant believe it when I say just bring the bike in and we'll work on it in here. Im like you as well - cant help a little bit potter.

Nope. simply put it away. It will be fine on return. Dunno what bits will last longer if cleaned.

No need to clean a mountain bike it's just painted tubes, plated metal and bits of plastic and rubber.

Use dry lube all year round on the drivetrain and a little wet lube on the suspension.

Any maintenance required just clean the bit you're working on.

ooh but they do look nice clean... 😉

Nope. simply put it away. It will be fine on return. Dunno what bits will last longer if cleaned.

Possibly your face.

I'm no anal bike cleaner for sure, but I've found a snapped stem pinch bolt (single bolt stem) and a snapped chainstay during cleaning.

To me, cleaning = maintainence = looked after = long lasting = easy to sell

I wouldn't leave a bike covered in mud
🙂

PeterPoddy - Member

I'm no anal bike cleaner for sure, but I've found a snapped stem pinch bolt (single bolt stem) and a snapped chainstay during cleaning.

To me, cleaning = maintainence = looked after = long lasting = easy to sell

I wouldn't leave a bike covered in mud

So, you wash your bike regualrly, and it falls apart?

QED

I am pretty sure I would notice either of them in my 30 second pre ride check

i have a wd40/gt85 (50:50 mix of the two with a dash of radox 'stress relief' bubble bath) soak with the bike after every ride, keep both the bike and my joints working nicely.

Cleaned suspension stanchions & wipers will last longer, brush off crud from drivetrain, apply lube and good wiping of the chain.

TandemJeremy - Member
Nope. simply put it away. It will be fine on return. Dunno what bits will last longer if cleaned.

I got my lefty out the other day, not been on it for about 3weeks now and I remember putting it away clean with a few "things to do" So I promptly hopped on it and span out of the garden into the woods and as I shifted down from the big ring to the middle I suddenly remembered I needed to tighten up the spindle/ring/crank holding pins up.

I'd suggest you make sure stuff like thats done and forget the cleaning.

@ bigthunder
you aint the only one.
the thing is, for me, i left school in the 80s, work was hard to find, i couldnt afford a car, so a bike was my only means for getting to a job.
my wife had no money growing up either, so she understands this.
im not anal about washing it, but drivetrain gets a daily clean/lube, it takes seconds.
by daily, i mean every time it gets ridden.
so, not actually daily then.

does anyone else have 2nd bike specifically for riding when its really muddy which they rarely clean?

works for me, hardtail, cheap bits etc

Nah no cheapy but a 29erSS for whenever I feel I want to ride it.. It still gets muddy mind and I clean it about as often as the lefty.

I am pretty sure I would notice either of them in my 30 second pre ride check

A cracked muddy chainstay, behind a muddy chainset? Yeah. Right.
It took longer than that to find it bending down and scrubbing it with a brush!

A single missing bolt head, recessed into the stem? Maybe. Maybe not.

So, you wash your bike regualrly, and it falls apart?

QED

Looking after = maintainance + cleaning
🙂

philconsequence - Member

i have a wd40/gt85 (50:50 mix of the two with a dash of radox 'stress relief' bubble bath) soak with the bike after every ride,

😀

This is the most useful tip so far...

I can no longer clean the drivetrain of my cross bike.

The chain and rings are so knackered that I'm just running them until they die before replacing them; however the chain is basically held together by the crud inside it and it will start skipping if I remove said crud.

If it will just make it until next year before it totally dies...

This is why I like my alfined mtb now

Why? It still has a chain and all the bearings (except jockey wheels I guess. Transmission is cheaper, but it doesn't need any less cleaning!

does anyone else have 2nd bike specifically for riding when its really muddy which they rarely clean?

I've got a rigid Rohloff equipped bike which comes out for the winter. It gets plastered in mud twice a day on the commute and needs barely anything doing to it all winter - I just occasionally wipe the chain over and put on more oil. I'm currently using some gearbox oil I had lying around. Current chain is 2 years old and the last one was still fine at 3 years when I changed it as a precaution. I've a Son dynamo hub on it and have just bought a Supernova E3 triple so now I don't even have to think about charging batteries either.

Why? It still has a chain and all the bearings (except jockey wheels I guess. Transmission is cheaper, but it doesn't need any less cleaning!

Riding around these parts we do a great line in sticky claggy mud (think worst of mountain mayhem on a wet year as the default riding conditions). A ride of 20miles plus at this time of year means you will at some point see yourself stopped with a pointy stick pushing the mud from around the dérailleur and cassette or putting up with just limited gears that actually work. Or both. Putting it back in the shed in that condition would mean you would start the next ride with a malfunctioning bike. With the alfine it just works dirty - every now and again the chain might get a bit of a clean but as it doesn't have to skip between gears even a dirty chain seems to operate well enough. And when the evil abrasive dirt has its wicked way it's not a whole rear cassette to replace, just a single cheap as chips sprocket.

If you are blessed with reasonably well draining riding this might not be obvious/applicable to you - cleaning around these parts is not about aesthetics or keeping components going longer - it's mainly about function!

I wait for mine to dry and then clean it with the Hoover. Then I lube the chain and wipe the shock and forks.

Seems to last but the mud where I ride isn't claggy.

does anyone else have 2nd bike specifically for riding when its really muddy which they rarely clean?

If you are blessed with reasonably well draining riding this might not be obvious/applicable to you - cleaning around these parts is not about aesthetics or keeping components going longer - it's mainly about function!

Fair enough, as you say, I don't have that problem! We have transmission eating grit, but it never clogs, don't really even need full on mud tyres.

radox 'stress relief' bubble bath