Have spent previous winters just sticking to road riding in the winter if I get out mid week, but determined to try some more night time MTB riding his winter. Bikes are stored in a brick shed but don’t really have easy access to flowing water, especially in the dark (communal garden). Anyone have tips/tricks/hacks to manage a quick post ride washdown of the bike in the dark? Or do you just wait and deal with it the following day when you can actually see what’s going on?

Don’t want to park the bike in the evening and find a dead mess lunch time next day. Or is this a solid “over think” moment? Weekend rides it gets washed off pretty soon after I’m done.

Bucket and stirrup pump ?. Just to get the winter salt off the bike.

Does it actually need washed after every ride? If I’m riding the same locations then I tend not to bother too much. Of course, that depends on your local soil type.

worx hydroshot and a bucket of water

Singlespeed and Dirtlej suit is my solution. And a bucket of soapy water to give the bike (mostly chain) a rinse.

On of those hand pump pressure washer things – you see gardeners using them for weedkiller and the like – it holds about 5-7 litres of water, so you could fill it it with hot water and once the ride is over, you can use it to spray the bike down and clean it – the pressure isn’t much but it will get the bike cleaned down…a brush would also help get all the vegetation that you collected cleared off.

Or a Worx portable pressure washer – fill bucket, stick portable washer in and off it goes…this is the expensive solution though.

Ah same as tuboflard, singlespeed and deal with it when i get the chance!

Worx Hydroshot and 2 x 5L containers, 1 full of hot soapy water, the other filled with hot plain water, wash bike, quick wipe down with a towel(drys much quicker using hot water), and lube chain. Th

I don’t bother. I do usually stick to less muddy trails for a local blast but even if it gets muddy its not a big issue. Knock off any big lumps before the next ride. Bikes are pretty resilient, and a bit of mud does less damage than soap and a jet wash IMO.

Leave it to dry. Scrape/brush off the worst a couple of days later (putoline user). Repeat.

That’s been my MO ever since we had kids and I got into night riding (13+years).

Sometimes when it’s really mucky I hose it off when I get in. Leave it to dry while I shower and eat then put away and go back to the hard work later.

On of those hand pump pressure washer things – you see gardeners using them for weedkiller and the like

This. I fill it up and leave it at the front of the garage for when I get back. Comes in the car when I’m driving to ride too.

https://www.onepeloton.co.uk/

Have a word with your local pub landlord

When we ride local, the pub we finish at has a hosepipe to wash our bikes off. This is called ‘knowing your market’ 😀

Old pair of boxers to wipe down the chain, chainring and rear mech then a splash of lube. Wipe excess lube off and it’s ready to go next ride.

*rigid 1×10 29er*

At this time of year the mud doesn’t dry overnight in an unheated garage or shed so I just put mine away dirty and sort it out the next day if its really bad or leave it and ride it again. I will give the chain a quick wipe down if its been really wet but that’s about it.

BITD our wednesday night rides would sometimes finish in a pub with very slack closing times.
On these occasions the bike would be slung in the garage.
Once inside The Magic Bed would be called in to service.

The Magic Bed is a special bed that you get into dirty and come out clean the next morning.

I have become house trained these days though so that’s no longer an option.

Clean and lube drive chain .. put away … ride.

dont bother washing the bike, it’ll only get dirty again.

Just before the next ride brush the mud off the drivetrain and oil it.

Only a couple of “peak STW” responses (whole new bike and an indoor bike), not too bad.

Ok, sounds like I was in “over think” mode. Will arrange appropriate bucket/brush/rag setup to clear the worst off.

To answer some people’s questions, yes it will get dirty, it’s winter….

Thanks all.

Put it away and deal with it the next day if it’s really really bad, or just go for the next ride if it’s a ‘normal’ amount of mud.

I mean it’ll only get covered in mud 2 minutes into the next ride anyway!

bucket of warm soapy water, and then a watering can for the rinse.

Don’t bother cleaning wheels, no harm comes of them and they are both large and muddy and therefore take time. It’s going in a shed, not a showroom.

Clean and lube drive chain .. put away … ride.

This…this time of year, for my MTB’s I’ll either clean the drive train or MO94 it and rag it clean till the next use. Less is more I find with winter washing.

I mostly drive to ride my mtb – I take a Worx Hydrosgot and 5-10 litres of water with me. Hose all the crap off the bike and let it drip off whilst I’m changing.

I then drive home with it on the roof and pop in the garage and run a chain doc over the chain and dry / lube it before putting it away. Seems to work pretty well.

I tend not to bother with the hardtail unless the bikes properly clagged up, then just brush off the bulk when its dry… Plus its usually gone ten and all want is a shower, a brew and some food. Though I try to wash the full suss when its still wet as its a PITA with nooks and crannies for detritus to get stuck in. One bucket, some parktools brushes and afew squirts of muc off bike wash stuff do the trick.

Hose down after every ride and GT85 the bits I care about. There’s a high risk of salt residue where I ride so no point leaving it till the next day,takes 10 minutes.

Leave to dry.  Brush of the worst of the mud before I take it out again.

The solution is rigid singlespeed.

Ride.

Put bike in shed.

Ride.

Put bike in shed.

Ride

Etc etc

dont bother washing the bike, it’ll only get dirty again.

Gravity is your friend. Eventually you will accumulate enough dirt for it to drop off. Zero effort. There’s someone of this parish who follows the same principle for their car!!!

I frequently don’t bother in winter. Too often if I wash it at night then the water just freezes & does more damage than a bit of mud left on the downtube.

<span style=”font-size: 0.8rem;”>The Magic Bed is a special bed that you get into dirty and come out clean the next morning.</span>

That’s known as a ‘bedroom bivvy’ in my world 😀

Almost all my riding at this time of year is night riding. Sometimes I’ll wash the bike afterwards, sometimes I won’t and will just FS365 the chain and fling it into the store.

I’ve got a £10 pump and a 10ltr container in the van,  but rarely gets used. Quick hose down at home.

Ride rigid singlespeed and don’t bother washing the bike. It’s pretty impossible to wash the bike in -C temperatures.

Aye, but when you ride in -C temps, the bike doesn’t get dirty! 🙂

Put it away dirty. Chip the dried cack off before your next ride and lube the moving bits. Next time you ride in the daylight lovingly wipe/brush/hose/pressure wash (delete as applicable according to your bravery/stupidity) as soon as you finish while everything’s still moist and pliable, and liberally douse with GT85/Scottoiler 365/snake oil of your choice once you’ve done that.

It’s a tool, not a jewel. Do you wash your car after every journey?

A 2l pop bottle (or two) with a sports cap on can shift the bulk of the grot from the bike before heading home.

Clean and lube drive chain .. put away … ride.

This….but also a quick clean of stanchions if it’s been particularly muddy

I ride in The Peak and definitely clean after every ride at this time of year.

Suspension needs cleaning or the seals won’t last and drivechain full of sand and grit won’t work well or last.

I would like to say I do it when I get home but I’m not that disciplined. A quick rinse is better than nothing.

Washed mine about once a year.

Just get it out, scrape the worst off, dump a load of oil on chain and it’s good to go!

Didn’t Santa Cruz show washing a bike is bad? Especially if it’s not ridden for a while after.

I ride in The Peak and definitely clean after every ride at this time of year.

Suspension needs cleaning or the seals won’t last and drivechain full of sand and grit won’t work well or last.

I also ride in the peak, and just leave the bike covered in muck, brush the worst off just before the next ride and make sure the chain is oiled. no issues with longevity of parts so far……

Another singlespeed rigid don’t bother washing it! If it’s particularly clagged up I might spray the worst of the mud off just so I’m not dragging it up the first 200 metre climb before it gets a chance to fling off.

Chain fork and dropper (and shock if I didn’t have a coil)
And a proper clean once a week if it needs it.