How important is it to wash your bike?

moonio

I've recently had my bike cleaned and its weird because it actually feels lighter and faster.
I've only washed it once before and have been riding it for a year, although I tend to lubricate the chain once every month or so.
So how important is a clean bike?

Cafewanda

According to beloved bruv number 2 it's very important. I clean mine when I remember.

I've yet to lube the chain :oops:

singlespeedexplosif

Road bike - essential. Sparkly clean at all times with no raggedy bits of bar tape or frayed cable ends.
Mountain bike - filthy=good.

Cafewanda

double post

CiB

A clean road bike is 12% faster, fact. Keep it shiny, esp the chain & the gaps between the cogs on the rear cassette.

MrChuck

The frame, not so much (assuming it doesn't have 5 pounds of mud on it). But IMO anything that moves, pivots, or meshes and that you would prefer to keep working smoothly should be kept nice and clean. For me this usually means every ride, except occasionally in the height of summer.

Deadeye Duck

MrChuck wrote:

The frame, not so much (assuming it doesn't have 5 pounds of mud on it). But IMO anything that moves, pivots, or meshes and that you would prefer to keep working smoothly should be kept nice and clean. For me this usually means every ride, except occasionally in the height of summer.

Yet you commute? Thats a lot of time cleaning your bike :shock:

Jay dubbleU

Full clean at least once a month - drive train clean and lube once a week - tyre pressure check weekly (Mrs JW cleans hers every time she goes out in the rain)

moonio

I was depending on the rain to clean my bike :oops:

Headhuunter

MrChuck wrote:

The frame, not so much (assuming it doesn't have 5 pounds of mud on it). But IMO anything that moves, pivots, or meshes and that you would prefer to keep working smoothly should be kept nice and clean. For me this usually means every ride, except occasionally in the height of summer.

I agree with that. degreasing and then regreasing the dive train, brake pivots and other moving parts etc definitely helps the bike run more smoothly and lengthens the life of components

AndyManc

My 'road' bikes I keep reasonably clean , my MTB's I just ride around when it's raining and go through a few deep puddles.


.

Porgy

I regularly get told off at my LBS for not cleaning my bike enough

NGale

If you were to ask the Commander he would say essential, but then he's a clean freek

Asking me...as long as the moving parts are clean a quick wash down under the garden hose usually does the job.

MrChuck

Deadeye Duck wrote:

MrChuck wrote:

The frame, not so much (assuming it doesn't have 5 pounds of mud on it). But IMO anything that moves, pivots, or meshes and that you would prefer to keep working smoothly should be kept nice and clean. For me this usually means every ride, except occasionally in the height of summer.

Yet you commute? Thats a lot of time cleaning your bike :shock:

My commuter is lucky if it gets the chain cleaned once a month! It's only my MTB and road bike that get that treatment- for me it really detracts from a ride if things aren't working properly or are noisy, and on an MTB especially they can get that way very quickly if you don't keep on top of it. My commuter will trundle on happily with much less attention.

Rich158

singlespeedexplosif wrote:

Road bike - essential. Sparkly clean at all times with no raggedy bits of bar tape or frayed cable ends.
Mountain bike - filthy=good.

+1, I never clean my MTB, other than to pick bits of mud out of the deraileurs on the odd occasion

The Madone get a loving wash every time she gets dirty, and a lot of tlc to bring her back to her sparkling best

The commuter gets treated like the dog it is, never cleaned, never maintained other than the occasional drop of oil on the chain, and she never lets me down In actual fact she looks after me, and two punctures on Wednesday morning before I left the house convinced me riding in wasn't a good idea. Good job too after my trip to the physio today. Perhaps she'll get a bit more tlc in the future in recognition of her loyalty

sarajoy

You lot who clean your chains regularly - do you bother cleaning up yer cogs too? And they're covered in black muck too, doesn't take long for them to blacken the chain again...

(I gave them a go the other day, but inside my flat with no hose or squirty thing to aim at them, it was a bit messy...)

Deadeye Duck

If you're doing it indoors (fnar fnar), get yourself a powerlink, and then just take the chain off, clean that in an empty 2 litre bottle along with some degreaser and shake. leave it while you clean the cassette and crank with a cloth (or take them off if you're really keen), then put clean chain back on clean crank/cassette, and you're good to go.

MrChuck

sarajoy wrote:

You lot who clean your chains regularly - do you bother cleaning up yer cogs too? And they're covered in black muck too, doesn't take long for them to blacken the chain again...

(I gave them a go the other day, but inside my flat with no hose or squirty thing to aim at them, it was a bit messy...)

Yep, and jockey wheels and chainrings too. Usually I just squirt some degreaser over everything, run the chain through a chain bath, leave a few mins then hose everything off. If the cogs are really clagged up they get brushed too, usually it's only my commuter that gets this though as that black road gunk that builds up is worse than mud.

Does your flat have a shower?

Gazzaputt

Clean mine every week :oops:

biondino

It's apt that this thread directly follows the "pushed into a canal" thread

When you worry about not washing your bike enough, remember ITBoffin cleans his all the time and EVERYTHING on his bikes falls apart. I believe there is a connection.

Porgy

There's lots of washing going on this afternoon for some reason.

Maybe I should avoid the thames on the way home. :?

fossyant

All 4 of mine are clean, 2 x road bikes, 1 x MTB and 1 x Fixed (Commuter).

The commuter (fixed) is washed after wet rides, chain wiped and re-lubed - takes..5 minutes. It's regularly wiped over with some Mr Sheen - 5 mins.

The road bikes are cleaned after rides if needed, same with MTB.

Clean bikes look faster too....therefore are faster.

tardington

People in flats - remember you can wash things in your bath. 8)

whyamihere

Bikes can be cleaned?

I just have one for each day of the week, seems to work.

Sewinman

I bet this has been done to death but is anyone aware of a 'how to clean your bike guide'? I don't want to b*gger up something on Tiberius.

Deadeye Duck

There's a video somewhere. I was searching for the same kind of thing, and stumbled across a vid where he cleaned, degreased, dried and lubed the bike. If I find it again, I'll post the link to it.