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would love to see a comparison of what you could earn if you worked instead of cleaning your bike vs the saving made by washing it more often and which came out on top.
I don't work, don't wash my bike frequently and I've no idea of what "saving" you think I'd make by doing so.
Also I cant actually start a ride on a dirty bike
Must be a bugger carrying all that cleaning gear with you on a multi-day ride.
Dry clean the mud, pads out for a caliper clean and piston reset. Once a month soak the chain in a bottle of 2 stroke oil and hang up for a few days between rides, power washers and detergents are bearing killers.
I love cleaning my bike. There seems to be alot of pride taken in treating your rides like garbage here to me, something i'll never understand. Wasn't brought up like that i suppose! I bet almost all of you are riding a MUCH more expensive bike than mine too, so I'm not sure why the 'life is too short' mantra really is the driver. I like the reassurance of knowing the bike is in the best condition it can be - granted i probably should be more care free but still its a weird badge of honour. Seems to be cool to ride it into the ground and pull it out of the garage/shed covered in crap. Its been like that as long as i have been riding too!
I will say though, that there is a relationship between how long you spend cleaning when you don't ride much (two small children..)!
power washers and detergents are bearing killers.
Don't think so. Especially if you use a small lightweight power washer and a bit of common sense i.e. don't stick the thing right up against your fork seals. I don't currently use one but until the last one broke I used one all the time and I got years and years out of bearings. Far more than many on here seem to.
There seems to be alot of pride taken in treating your rides like garbage here to me, something i’ll never understand. Wasn’t brought up like that i suppose!
I don't think it's anything to do with that .... at least not for me anyway .... I just don't fancy cleaning a bike when I get home at 9.00pm and am hungry and there's also the trade off of other things to do with the time.
I'm sure if I ever get round to retiring I'll have a nice clean bike but heaven forbid I leave this earth before then if anyone was reading my eulogy I much rather they quoted me as a fun loving party animal than someone that had a clean bike.
Don’t think so. Especially if you use a small lightweight power washer and a bit of common sense i.e. don’t stick the thing right up against your fork seals. I don’t currently use one but until the last one broke I used one all the time and I got years and years out of bearings. Far more than many on here seem to.
Well good for you! I'll stick to my regime you stick to yours. Good luck with your new small lightweight power washer, hope it lasts for a bit longer than your last one.
I’ll pretty much always wash my bike straight after a wet ride - obviously I don’t on those rare dry days but they’re few and far between.
Although, in Greece, the killer is that talcum powder-like dust - I reckon that’s worse than peaty mud.
I was the same with trials bikes - I hated to turn up to an event with a shitty, dirty bike, in spite of scrutineers frequently taking the piss - “It’ll only get dirty again, lad!”
It’s when you’re cleaning a bike that you spot stuff that’s not quite how it should be, in my experience, and besides, I always liked fettling a bike ready for a comp - old habits die hard, I suppose.
1- Hose rinse to remove excess mud.
2- Hot soapy brush scrub to remove remaining filth. (Car shampoo & wax stuff).
3- Hose rinse to remove remaining soap.
4- Blast dry with compressed air, paying particular attention to bearings, chain and seals.
5- Lube as appropriate.
A year spannering bikes in a shop in my mid twenties was enough to make me hate working on filthy bikes, which customers brought in.
As such, mine gets a quick wash after each ride. I hate having a filthy bike and not letting dirt, grease etc accumulate means it’s easy to keep clean. A really weak solution of Fenwicks, a soft brush and hose - minging bike to sparking in about 10 minutes. I’m in the WD40 then a light lube camp which seems to work for me. No dramas with chain or bearing life and I like to think I’m maintaining the re-sale value of my bike. Each to their own!
There seems to be alot of pride taken in treating your rides like garbage here to me, something i’ll never understand. Wasn’t brought up like that i suppose! I bet almost all of you are riding a MUCH more expensive bike than mine too, so I’m not sure why the ‘life is too short’ mantra really is the driver.
I guess saying that I use a wire brush on my commuter bike could give that impression. That bike was a warranty replacement, it's nearly 7 years old, and it has been ridden 5 days a week year round for the past four years. Did 4 hours of the Brighton Big dog on it. Learnt bike handling skills on it. Killed two pairs of suspension forks on it before fitting rigid forks. I've spent £1325 on it over it's lifetime. Riding it 5 days a week cleaning sometimes goes out the window after an extended cold muddy commute home in the rain.
I've been getting all nostalgic over it today because last night I ordered a new frame and forks to build up a 650b commuter with a spare set of wheels.
I think the lines have become a little blurred on this thread ..
There is a difference between washing and cleaning your bike ..
I always clean my bike..just not with water..
I clean the chain with some lube and an old sock, the fork and shock and dropper stanchions with a kitchen towel, and knock off large bits of mud, especially around the drivetrain. My bikes always look filthy in the winter but ride well and rarely break.
If you want your bike to look new then by all means wash and clean it thoroughly but don’t kid yourself that a shiny frame has any advantage to mechanical lifespan or reliability.
power washers and detergents are bearing killers
Rubbish.
Leaving crap all over your bike to grind around its various parts is likely to cause more issues.
I may not wash my bike that much but I wash it a lot more than my car. My car gets a wash about 3 times a year. The inside is clean though.
I wouldn't use car shampoo and wax on my bike, it has discs, don't think wax and disc brakes are a good match...!
Rode Sunday morning, mildly gloopy, peaty and lots of pine needles.....
Hosed worse off with garden hose, cleaned and lubed fork stanchions, shock and chain, job done.
Moving parts don't work very well with crap stuck in them.
Aluminium tubing doesn't degrade because it has a bit of mud stuck to it.
light shower with the hose, then sponge off the worst with water and a bit of detergent. Clean the chain with a fenwicks sponge and sprockets with a brush if they're bad. Dry with rags, lube chain and slidy bits... 10 minutes maybe? I keep all the washing stuff in one of those flexible tubs so it's ready to go. I will occasionally give the bike a full valet just because it's nice to look at all shiny but not at this time of year.