Is a muddy bike a good bike?

Rigid bike here with a Rohloff used all year round and frequently. Never clean any of it. Having said that I only get 3 years out of a chain sometimes.

Dibbs – Member
A muddy bike is a poorly cared for and often poorly maintained bike….
Dirty bike = lazy owner.

I’m not lazy, I set my bikes up to last, I avoid using delicate consumable parts, and protect the rest.

My mud bike is still on its original wheelbearings, headset, and even its ISIS BB after 5 years.

The only things changed are the tyres and the chain – and that’s seen 3 or 4 ‘Puffers.

It’s not the clinging dirt that causes the problems, it’s the high pressure spray of dirt onto vulnerable components that does.

If you want a bike to last, prevent that spray.

And the best way? Proper full mudguards for on the bike protection, and if you have to clean, avoid hosing dirt into the bearings – use a watering can or spray attachment, not a high pressure hose end.

Do what I have done and you won’t have a fashionable bike, but you’ll have one that lasts and is reliable.

I love the use of a Californian based example for a muddy bike being ok in the UK…that’s like a man who lives in the desert telling an Eskino there’s no need for gloves 😀

I love the use of a Californian based example for a muddy bike being ok in the UK

Did they say they did it in california?
After 2 1/2 years of not a lot of washing my santa Cruz needed 2 bearings out of 8 replaced. Maybe they have worked a few things put…

Meh. It’s like making a bed, isn’t it? It’s going to get messed up again so don’t bother 😆

Both my bikes are minging, I knock the thick of the mud off when it’s dry and keep the chain oiled and the bouncy bits clean-ish but that’s about it. BBs seem to last longer (GXP on my bouncy bike) with no washing, which is nice.

If already dripping in wet mud, then I rinse it off with a watering can of rainwater, then let it dry. If really wet i’ll take the seatpost out and let anything in the seat-tube drain out. If muddy but dryish, I just brush the worst of the mud off. Then lube and put away.

Seems fine to me. The bikes never look that clean, but I’m not fussed about things being shiny.

edenvalleyboy – Member
I love the use of a Californian based example for a muddy bike being ok in the UK…that’s like a man who lives in the desert telling an Eskino there’s no need for gloves

Here’s an example not from California…

That’s ‘Puffer mud still on it in April.

I’ve just been contacted by Steve McQueen from beyond the grave.

He wants his mudguards back. 😉

My bike is a disgrace at the moment, I struggle to find the enthusiasm to clean it knowing that 500 yards into the next ride it will be covered in mud again.

When the trails dry out, I’ll put more effort into it.

perchypanther – Member
I’ve just been contacted by Steve McQueen from beyond the grave.

He wants his mudguards back.

He can have them, I have another set 🙂

He can have them, I have another set

Wait a minute…..I’m getting a voice from the other side!……

Miss Marple? Is that you? 😀

I clean mine with a jetwasher, so that mud doesn’t accumulate.

Oh no, I hear you all saying, you’ll ruin your bearings! Except that I don’t, I’ve had most of my bike stuff on 5 bikes since 2007 and have only bought a handful of bearings, including about 4 external BBs across all of them, you know, the ones that you lot say only last 3 months..?

I clean the drive chain and forks if its really manky —- the expensive parts needs to be looked after in my eyes ( and I have OCD !)

shhhh Molgrips, the only defence that these guys have is that they’re “protecting” their bearings if you go about telling them that a bit of water does them no harm whatsoever and they last just as long…Their whole world is going to come crashing down to expose them for being the lazy beggers they actually are.

😆

I’m sure the dirt on my bike is load bearing. More often than not after a clean i find something broken. No cleaning, all is well, sort of, most of the time, maybe.

I expect it depends a bit on the frame design, for FS. If mud gets wedged down between two moving parts, it can presumably end up damaging the seals and then forcing it’s way into the bearings. Perhaps that’s why my BBs last a long time, cos I clean out the gap between bearing and crank?

Wait for the mud to dry and brush it off, wipe and lube chain and suspension

Do anything that needs done maintenance wise asap. A dirty bike does not equal a poorly maintained bike.

I might clean it once or twice a year

It all depends on what time of year it is and what conditions i’m riding in. If my bike is sh*t caked in mud then yeah ill clean it after each ride and re-lube every other. If its dry and dusty (as it is in california), then no.

It ain’t rocket science.

Basically i will know not to buy a bike off anyone in this thread 😯

But with a portable pressure wash, if it’s only 10 mins to clean after a ride, whilst the mud is still wet then why the hell wouldn’t you? Saves having a car or house full of mud and crap, which if you have a nice car or house makes sense to me.

The likes of Mobi/Dirtworker etc are much lower pressure than a proper jetwash so good enough to clean, but no danger of getting water beyond seals etc. Even so, before the portable washer I used to jetwash my old bike frequently with a proper full pressure jetwash at the local garage – never any problems with suspension bearings, water in seals etc.

As for lasting longer unwashed then I suspect that’s BS – how would you know either way, you either wash your bike or not, it either lasts or it doesn’t? It’s not like anyone owns two of the same bike, one they wash, one they don’t to make a direct comparison between the two.

Santa Cruz and some others have a lifetime warranty on their bearings so why worry anyway?

But with a portable pressure wash, if it’s only 10 mins to clean after a ride, whilst the mud is still wet then why the hell wouldn’t you?

1) You aren’t always biking from the car
2) You have to remember to fill it and prepare cleaning kit

Cheap mains powered washers don’t get water behind seals either.

bomberman – Member
Basically i will know not to buy a bike off anyone in this thread

I’m more worried about how people land things and in terms of bike care popping a bike on a roof and making progress on the way to and from the trail 😉

I’m in the clean it if it’s mucky camp but as stated how would any of us know what is best cos we all do one or t ‘ other? Maybe a longterm test article for the mag where they run two similar bikes in the same conditions to minimise variables to see which consumables last longest?

But with a portable pressure wash, if it’s only 10 mins to clean after a ride, whilst the mud is still wet then why the hell wouldn’t you?

1) You aren’t always biking from the car
2) You have to remember to fill it and prepare cleaning kit

Cheap mains powered washers don’t get water behind seals either.

1) 95% of the time I am yes.
2) Cleaning kit already in bike kit box to go in car – filling washer takes less than a minute.

I can understand cleaning your bike if it has to go in the house or in the car, but otherwise I’ve always taken the line if I have time to clean the bike it’s better spent riding it.

I love a clean bike me, can’t leave mine dirty…….must be some sort of OCD thing

1) 95% of the time I am yes.
2) Cleaning kit already in bike kit box to go in car – filling washer takes less than a minute.

Your question was ‘why the hell wouldn’t YOU?’. So whilst it works for you, these are reasons why everyone else might not do it this way.

After finding a crack 2/3rds the way around the top tube of a muddy bike I had not washed for months, I started washing my bike more often!

I was lucky for it not to fold under me.

If I wash my bike it means I eventually have to clean all the mud out of my drains.
A lose lose situation. Plus , when my bike is parked up outside my shop it lets everyone know what a bad ass rad rider I truly am.
In truth though I just have a very muddy commute.
Years back I was riding home through Croyde and I was plastered in crap. There was a guy show boating on a sparkly new GT LTS with a matching team kit.
He caught my eye and realised that a muddy ,ridden ,shit bike is far cooler than his clean super bike.

I know a bloke whose bike is always beautiful, spotless and somehow shiny for every ride.

He’s a pretty hardcore endurance rider so does not need to try to look cool.

He still does though 😉

Epicyclo, that is a well thought out and properly executed off road bicycle.

I commute off-road most days of the year. My bike therefore stays clean for about 48 hours at best – washing is futile!

I’ve long been planning the perfect off-road commuter bike. I’d have to be mudproof to not need cleaning.

Rohloff with Hebie Chainglider should do it.

zippykona – Member
Epicyclo, that is a well thought out and properly executed off road bicycle.

Thanks. It could be improved though. I’m working on it. 🙂

BTW There’s one thing I do so automatically I forgot to mention it. If the bike is wet I give a quick squirt of WD40 around the BB and wheel bearings before putting it away. Water dispersants are a useful preventative tool.

molgrips – Member
I’ve long been planning the perfect off-road commuter bike. I’d have to be mudproof to not need cleaning.

Rohloff with Hebie Chainglider should do it.

I don’t think it’s necessary to cover the whole chain (although I am a strong believer in proper oilbath chaincases).

If you can stop the direct tyre spray onto the chain around the BB area then there will be sufficient protection given by the chain lube because it’s not getting blasted off and the chain is also not getting sandblasted.

I’ve been fiddling around with a chaincase of a childs bike. I only have this photo, but I’ll actually be mounting it with the outside bit facing in so the open bit faces out. You can buy these for about £5 on eBay from time to time. All it needs are some mounts made up.

That would give enough protection to adequately extend chain life. Of course it would only work with a SS or hubgear, but I’ve haven’t come to terms with those dangly chain diverter things yet, 🙂

I don’t think it’s necessary to cover the whole chain

Well, with SS there’s no reason not to (unless it causes problems getting wheels on and off for the car). The reason for a partial front one like that would be if you had a derailleur, but that would need to be flared in a rather ugly way.

I’ve stopped using detergents/bike cleaners etc, just seems pointless to go removing lube when you can get the wrist mud of with a at cloth or bucket and brush of its really bad

Mud is good – accept on drive train, but should you be taken by the urge to clean use spray on wet/dry turtle wax or similar to clean bike after brushing off any muck, provides a waxy coat/protection.

sparksmcguff – Member
Mud is good – accept on drive train, but should you be taken by the urge to clean use spray on wet/dry turtle wax or similar to clean bike after brushing off any muck, provides a waxy coat/protection.

If I’m building or rebuilding a bike everything gets a going over with silicon car polish. It seems to be the most durable.

What I’d really like is something with the same formulation as the deposits I get on my car windscreen. It needs serious detergent action to remove. 🙂