Time taken to clean your bike

Mancunianfightingcat
Mancunianfightingcat Posts: 2,054
edited July 2008 in MTB workshop & tech
I think I'm obsessed, I seem to spend a good 1 to 2 hours minting my bike up after every ride, this includes degreasing the chain, scrubbing the tyres, drying everything, re lubing and sometimes polishing the frame! (at least the missus can't complain it's dirty when I wheel it in the house!)

Am I the only saddo?
Ants
Orange Blood - Orange 5SE - Marin Rocky Ridge

Comments

  • Gingersaurus
    Gingersaurus Posts: 466
    The 24Seven never gets cleaned. My Merlin however I'll probably spend about half an hour on.
    Brooklyn
    Marin
  • KonaMike
    KonaMike Posts: 805
    I spend about 45 minutes on average,by then the wife is moaning at me to put my toys away :roll:
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    Mancunianfightingcat wrote:
    I think I'm obsessed, I seem to spend a good 1 to 2 hours minting my bike up after every ride, this includes degreasing the chain, scrubbing the tyres, drying everything, re lubing and sometimes polishing the frame! (at least the missus can't complain it's dirty when I wheel it in the house!)

    Am I the only saddo?
    :roll: get a life.
  • Mancunianfightingcat
    Mancunianfightingcat Posts: 2,054
    yeehaamcgee wrote:
    :roll: get a life.

    I spend more time riding it if that's any conciliation!
    Ants
    Orange Blood - Orange 5SE - Marin Rocky Ridge
  • artillerydave
    artillerydave Posts: 715
    after each mucky ride i give a wash down, degrease the chain, dry -re lube and disc clean which takes about 20 mins or so, then about every 6 months or so will do the full works and spend a good couple of hours going over eveything. wouldn't dream of doing that after every ride though, would do more harm than good I reckon.
  • xtreem
    xtreem Posts: 2,965
    First I wipe the whole bike with some old wet sock,( :lol: yes I know),
    then I wait to dry the whole bike and then I'll wipe with a dry sock. :lol:
    Most of the time I spend cleaning the bike is on the rims, spokes, hubs
    and cassete. Time 30-60min, once or twice a month.
    NS Bikes Eccentric Alu custom - 2016
  • Cps
    Cps Posts: 356
    Muddy conditions - every time
    Dry - Whenever

    Quick blast with jet wash (avoiding suss units with power)

    Frame, Drive Chain ..........................blah

    quick wipe of frame with 'special ' cloth '

    re lube

    ready to go

    15-20 mins max
  • Surf-Matt
    Surf-Matt Posts: 5,952
    Daily ride mostly in roads - quick spray off with the hose then Bike Spray but only if it's wet on the road.

    Weekly MTB rides - usually muddy so it's a proper Muc Off spray job with Muc Off brushes, chain lube (which is superb!), Bike Spray and I GT85 the stanchions a bit - about 20-25 minutes.
  • stumpyjon
    stumpyjon Posts: 4,069
    Depends, last night 10 mins with the hose to blow off the dust and surface mud, night before over an hour (dried sheep poo sticks like, well, sh1t to a blanket :lol: ).

    And no you're not the only saddo, I usually clean my tyres as well. I just like the feeling of wheeling a completely clean bike out of the garage.
    It's easier to ask for forgiveness than for permission.

    I've bought a new bike....ouch - result
    Can I buy a new bike?...No - no result
  • NikB
    NikB Posts: 243
    Usually about an hour for me, I want to get as much crud off as possible.
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  • paradox1509
    paradox1509 Posts: 63
    I take ages... I even use auto glym to polish after every ride, but i love my bike!
  • Mancunianfightingcat
    Mancunianfightingcat Posts: 2,054
    paradox1509 wrote:
    I take ages... I even use auto glym to polish after every ride, but i love my bike!

    Good man, I use AutoGlym Lifeshine, on mine, the muck falls off. If I didn't keep my bike in the house, I probably wouldn't take as long though!
    Ants
    Orange Blood - Orange 5SE - Marin Rocky Ridge
  • dav1
    dav1 Posts: 1,298
    uesd to take me over an hour but i have been finding quicker and quicker ways to get the same result so now it takes me 30-45 mins depending on how shiney i want to get it
    Giant TCR advanced 2 (Summer/race)
    Merlin single malt fixie (Commuter/winter/training)
    Trek superfly 7 (Summer XC)
    Giant Yukon singlespeed conversion (winter MTB/Ice/snow)

    Carrera virtuoso - RIP
  • Mancunianfightingcat
    Mancunianfightingcat Posts: 2,054
    I'm reformed, I gave my Orange a 'quick' hose down last night took me all of 10 minutes, then just dumped it in the conservatory to dry out!!!!!!!!
    Ants
    Orange Blood - Orange 5SE - Marin Rocky Ridge
  • jobless
    jobless Posts: 29
    I once took 6 hours to clean and prep my road bike for a race. According to my neighbour it was already "showroom". I really don't know where the time went but it did look very clean at the end.

    Then I broke a shifter and couln't do the race anyway.

    Ho Hum
  • jedi_master
    jedi_master Posts: 888
    Haven't selected one but for me it depends, in the summer when it's dry i don't often clean it as the bike is mostly dusty from the offroad ride but when i do probably about 15 mins or so just wet the bike, muc off spray leave for a few minutes and rinse off then on the chain a little wd40 to dispel the water, dry off and then lube. In the winter when it's muddy i do this more often.

    Every so often though i dismantle the the drive chain and give it a proper clean. Chain comes of, cassette off, cranks off, bottom bracket out and the rear mechs backplate and jockey wheels come off, all get a good clean and are then put back.
  • fred22
    fred22 Posts: 509
    I know that I am new to this game, but it took me three hours (!) last night to clean my Marin. This included frame, saddle, wheels and tyres, took chain off and cleaned/relubed and scrubbed gears and cassette clean. Oh and then a bit of turtle wax on the frame,

    I wouldn't mind but it always takes me ages and I cannot see how you can do it much quicker. Those gears are bloomin fiddly and awkward to get at for a start. I am not looking forward to winter -I think I will put the bike away in October and get it out again the following April.

    I can only guess it takes this long because I dont use a hose pipe, just a bucket and cloths.
  • indysmith
    indysmith Posts: 276
    what do you guys dry your transmission with?
  • gbrnole
    gbrnole Posts: 395
    wd40
    Ibis Mojo SL-r
  • toslow
    toslow Posts: 85
    yeah wd for me to .
    I do tend to run a rag between each gear to get any crud out i may have missed.
    I can be abit fanatical about the cleanliness of my bikes , i love to ride and never worry how mucky they get but could never leave it dirty , it has to be cleaned the moment i get home. Then out next day once everything is dry to relube chain and bits.

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