Cleaning your bike after a wet commute

Hurricane151

Hi,

I used to be a fairweather commuter and my bikes never used to see the wet but i have recently decided to get onto my bike no matter what the weather.

Today was the first and it was fairly wet and my bike now is fairly grimmy / gritty etc, what do you guys do after a commute like this do you clean your bike daily, weekly, never!!!?

What the best way? i was planning on just hosing it down and wiping dry.

Any ideas would be apprciated.

Cheers

Rich158

I generaly give it a clean weekly, but hadn't bothered since christmas until last weekend. I ended up needing a new chain, cassette, front ring and pads :shock:

I'd say weekly is a minimum in this type of weather, and if it's a wet ride always give the chain a bit of fresh oil. After every ride would be best but lets be honest who can be bothered to clean the bike when they get home in the dark, all I want is a hot shower, some hot food and the telly when I get in.

mattybain

Rich158 wrote:

I generaly give it a clean weekly, but hadn't bothered since christmas until last weekend. I ended up needing a new chain, cassette, front ring and pads :shock:

I too have learnt the hard way after shelling out for new pads, a new chain and a new cassette. I think Rich is right at least 1 a week is a minimum, more if you can be ar*ed.

woodyonthebeach

that sounds about right. A nice dry lube on the chain so it does not attract all the crap from the road and then wipe the frame down with wd40/gt.... jobs a goodun

singlespeedexplosif

weekly/every 250km

girv73

Over the winter months I'll generally give the work bike a bit of a hose down after each commute, then a proper clean and lube once a week. The only road grime casualty I've had is a chain

TheBrogueadier

I've been a bit lax on cleaning my bike over the winter (a bad move as it's an old steel frame and already has some rust showing through the paintwork on the rear stays), I'd been meaning to give it a good clean for a while but my girlfriend took matters into her own hand.

Had to drive to work on Friday (stupid chest infection), got home earlier than normal and discovered my girlfriend in the shower with my bike.

I'm hoping the showergel she was cleaning it with hasn't done any damage.

I'm also slightly worried about her sanity; seriously.. Who in their right mind thinks 'Oh, I could do with a shower after a run, why don't I get soapy with a classic italian lightweight?

itboffin

After burning my way through the contents of a small LBS parts department I now clean my bikes after every ride, how well depends on the length of ride and time of day/night when I return.

What's the deal with chain rust anyway? seems if I leave it just over night they pick up a nice orange coat. :evil:

tarquin_foxglove

TheBrogueadier wrote:

... got home earlier than normal and discovered my girlfriend in the shower with my bike... Who in their right mind thinks 'Oh, I could do with a shower, why don't I get soapy with a classic italian lightweight?

There's probably internet sites devoted to stuff like that, although most of the people on here would be saying "I wish she'd get out of the way so I could have a proper look at the bike".

Underscore

TheBrogueadier wrote:

Had to drive to work on Friday (stupid chest infection), got home earlier than normal and discovered my girlfriend in the shower with my bike.

:shock:

Hmmm... no, I'm not going to say anything... moving on...

I'm shamed by the attention that people here are giving their steeds. I only tend to find the time for a fettle every 2 or 3 weeks - and it is usually limited to a wipe and re-lube of the chain (occasionally clean it fully) and running a baby wipe around the braking surfaces.

However, I've done about 4,500 miles on the commuter and have just put on its third chain and cassette and replaced the crankset due to one chainring being worn out and the BB being shot. I'm also half-way through the third set of rear pads and have just replaced the fronts for the first time. I'll be replacing the original gear cables in the spring. I don't consider that to be too bad considering the lack of maintenance.

I'm also trying out Progold Prolink chain lube instead of my previously preferred Finish Line Wet Lube which is so far proving to be pretty much as resistant to washing off (no surface corrosion of the chain despite the amount of salt on the roads) but attracts much less cr@p.

_

woodyonthebeach

TheBrogueadier wrote:

I've been a bit lax on cleaning my bike over the winter (a bad move as it's an old steel frame and already has some rust showing through the paintwork on the rear stays), I'd been meaning to give it a good clean for a while but my girlfriend took matters into her own hand.

Had to drive to work on Friday (stupid chest infection), got home earlier than normal and discovered my girlfriend in the shower with my bike.

I'm hoping the showergel she was cleaning it with hasn't done any damage.

I'm also slightly worried about her sanity; seriously.. Who in their right mind thinks 'Oh, I could do with a shower after a run, why don't I get soapy with a classic italian lightweight?

what more can we ask for. your girlfriend in the shower with your bike.

could that be classed as cheating

woodyonthebeach

tarquin_foxglove wrote:

"I wish she'd get out of the way so I could have a proper look at the bike".

best quote I have heard for a long time

artaxerxes

I just take 4 or 5 paper towels from the office stationary cupboard during winter nights to do a quick wipe down of my bike when I get home :oops:

vorsprung

Once a week it generally gets the chain removed, degreased and relubed, a full wash with soapy stuff, the tyres pumped up and a full inspection

If the weather is shocking then it might get a bit of extra 3 in 1 during the week

This bike is an old single speed so there are no gears to go wrong

DonDaddyD

I think I'm going to start giving my bike a weekly clean during the winter months. However, I bought the bike in August, rode it every day until december, oiled the chain and casette once (it had been squeeking for sometime before that), gave it a wipe down before I took it to the bike shop and the only thing that needed replacing were the brake pads (the replacements were dead inside two months).

Personally I find that wet wipes clean the frame wonderfully.

biondino

I'd like to represent those of us who actually don't clean our bikes every week or every fortnight, but every couple of months with little more than a rub with a paper towel and a couple of squirts of lube in between. I suspect we're in the majority...

Jamey

It depends which bit of the bike you're talking about. I try to clean the chain, cassette and braking surfaces fairly regularly, every one or two weeks. And I'll usually spray the mechs with GT85 at the same time.

But in this weather I just don't see the point of cleaning the frame. I'd love to have my bike looking nice but it's not worth it for one day, after which it's back to being muddy again.

When it gets to Spring I'll completely dismantle it, service it and clean it properly.

flattythehurdler

1 Get a fixie
2 Don't bother cleaning

NFMC

I washed mine on the weekend for the first time since May. And it was only because I was taking it for its service and I get embarrassed at being 'told off' for not cleaning it.

I am shocking at cleaning my bike.

messier0101

The frame gets wiped down with wet wipes and the chain and cassette gets degreased and lubed every week during the winter months and probably every 2-4 weeks during the summer.

Hey Jax

oh you're supposed to clean them too?
ive had mine since last summer and havent cleaned it yet....
well i may just give it a treat this weekend, as its nice and mild out

Roastie

biondino wrote:

I'd like to represent those of us who actually don't clean our bikes every week or every fortnight, but every couple of months with little more than a rub with a paper towel and a couple of squirts of lube in between. I suspect we're in the majority...

Horray!

I haven't cleaned (by my definition) my everyday bike since August last year (+3000km ago?). That said, I do regularly lube the chain (once a week), and clean the chain about once every six weeks (depending on how mucky it gets). At the same time (as cleaning the chain) I usually stick it on the workstand and check all the oily bits and check/do the neccesary adjustments.

The everyday bike almost never sees "cosmetic" cleaning; if I'm going to go to the effort of cleaning then I just do a full strip down, clean, lube and rebuild. Cassette and chain are replaced once a year as a matter of routine.

The race bike on the other hand gets a good clean after every ride/race so is always spotless.

Christophe3967

Am trying to turn over a new leaf on this. Chain gets cleaned and lubed every week. Baby wipes seem to be good for this. Rest of the bike every 2/3 weeks unless its really filthy. Road bike gets a proper clean after every ride if its been wet. Hopefully this will save me money in the long term...

itboffin

By yourself a KMC x10SL chain that will make you clean it after if not during each ride, supeeer expensive but pretty - my precious :roll:

lost_in_thought

biondino wrote:

I'd like to represent those of us who actually don't clean our bikes every week or every fortnight, but every couple of months with little more than a rub with a paper towel and a couple of squirts of lube in between. I suspect we're in the majority...

I have never cleaned a bike, mine or anyone else's. My bikes seem to work just fine without being cleaned, it ain't pretty though.

However, I think that may change when I get a decent bike!

il_principe

lost_in_thought wrote:

biondino wrote:

I'd like to represent those of us who actually don't clean our bikes every week or every fortnight, but every couple of months with little more than a rub with a paper towel and a couple of squirts of lube in between. I suspect we're in the majority...

I have never cleaned a bike, mine or anyone else's. My bikes seem to work just fine without being cleaned, it ain't pretty though.

However, I think that may change when I get a decent bike!

Oh Blondie blondie blondie.

As far as I'm concerned it's all about component life. Keep your kit clean and lubed, reduce wear and save money. Especially important in this weather.

LiT, keep the Viner clean. Bear in mind that a new Record 11 cassette is about £160 new... best to eke every ounce of life from your kit.

Sewinman

I cleaned my road bike thoroughly and it stopped making all sorts of horrid noises and also the gears stopped slipping.

Hey Jax

Sewinman wrote:

I cleaned my road bike thoroughly and it stopped making all sorts of horrid noises and also the gears stopped slipping.

after being on holiday for a week my bike has now got squeaky brakes and the gears have been slipping for ages...
might just try this cleaning lark!

Jamey

A hundred and sixty quid for a cassette? Bloody nora. What makes expensive cassettes better than cheap ones?

woodyonthebeach

Jamey wrote:

A hundred and sixty quid for a cassette? Bloody nora. What makes expensive cassettes better than cheap ones?

I like to compare expensive road bikes to super models

Treat them well and keep in way they are used to they will love you and cherish you

Treat them bad and they will kick your teeth in through your wallet

itboffin

Jamey wrote:

A hundred and sixty quid for a cassette? Bloody nora. What makes expensive cassettes better than cheap ones?

Why the cost, duh! :P