Bike washing - how long?

badly_dubbed
badly_dubbed Posts: 1,350
edited April 2013 in MTB general
How long does it normally take you to wash your bike after a fairly muddy ride?

just spent the best part of 2hrs cleaning mine, and seriously its worse than when i started.... :roll:

i need a hose i think cos using a watering can is rubbish!

Comments

  • danlikesbikes
    danlikesbikes Posts: 3,898
    I have a 2 of those pump bottles from B&Q that were a couple of quid each and hold about 2 litres of water each as a hose is not an option for me where we live.

    As for bike cleaning about 20 minutes for a good clean from muddy to sparkly in the winter but I do this pretty regular & make sure the drive train is well cleaned & the frame gets a good polish up so makes cleaning later a synch. I can easily make the clean up an hour or two though if I want to go nice and slow i.e. not be in for the other half to mention yet another job she wants me to tackle.
    Pain hurts much less if its topped off with beating your mates to top of a climb.
  • danlikesbikes
    danlikesbikes Posts: 3,898
    I just spray with 1 bottle first to get rid of heavy mud & make sure the whole bike is wet. Leave for a minute or two then brush off the worst of it. Give it a quick spray with muc off (or whatever your brand of choice is) whilst thats doing its thing give the chain a run through a chain cleaner & the rest of the drive chain a scrub with degreaser. Then back to the rest of the bike which can then get a good sponge/brush off apply the 2nd bottle to wash it all down, quick pat down to dry the frame, lube/GT85 the working parts inc the chain to get the water out & lube the drive chain. Polish takes a few minutes tops.

    Guess I just don't mess around when cleaning the MTB but it takes plenty of abuse and gets pretty covered so regular cleaning inc the drive chain & the frame polish do make for an easy job each time to keep on top of it.
    Pain hurts much less if its topped off with beating your mates to top of a climb.
  • grenw
    grenw Posts: 803
    5 minutes to hose down 2 bikes and a quick squirt with gt85. Once every few weeks I use a brush & some Muc Off and the time doubles.
  • mrmonkfinger
    mrmonkfinger Posts: 1,452
    Every ride, wipe stanchions & shock with oily rag, 30 seconds.

    Every two (or more) rides, depending on mud content, a full clean / oil, takes about a half hour.


    If you're taking two hours, what the bejeesus are you doing man?
  • Bike onto bike stand on back patio. Squirt of Muc Off on worst areas. Hose off. Clean chain with rag. Dry bike with old towel. Squirt of WD40 where appropriate. Relube chain. 40 mins tops. I think cleaning your bike after each ride is also a good idea as you spot maintenance requirements as you go...rather than discover them on the trail and waste riding time repairing on the hoof!

    Corners.
  • ilovedirt
    ilovedirt Posts: 5,798
    Depends how muddy your bike is I guess, it's taken me an hour or two before on occasion, if I've been on a stupidly muddy uplift day and the mud has been sort of gloopy/sticky and just clung to the bike. Usually it takes 20 mins-half an hour though. Just use a brush and a bucket of water.
    Production Privee Shan

    B'Twin Triban 5
  • bennett_346
    bennett_346 Posts: 5,029
    5 minutes with a hose jet and some muc off.
  • badly_dubbed
    badly_dubbed Posts: 1,350
    Bike was left from a previous ride as get home at 5pm started work at 6pm so the diet was dried in.

    So, my process is/was

    Remove wheels/out bike on work stand
    Brush off the worst of the dried crap
    Spray entire bike with orange degreaser
    Soak for 10mins while I fill up watering can/get stuff out etc
    Soak cassette with degreaser
    Rinse degreaser and loose mud
    Brush frame/forks with soft brush and car shampoo
    Rinse
    Scrub chain/mechs/cranks with stiffer brush
    Rinse
    Brush wheels/all spokes etc hubs
    Rinse
    Fit wheels
    Dry (not today)
    Lube/tf2
    Polish up any missed bits etc

    Takes ages!
  • bennett_346
    bennett_346 Posts: 5,029
    Not needed. It is an MTB, it will just get dirty again. Just wash the majority of the crap off and clean the stanchions with a sponge then maybe dab some chain oil on the seals.

    Once in a while clean the chain and maybe the cassette but again not really needed every ride. I never dry my bike as such either, it will dry if left alone!

    My technique just involves a ton of muc off and a garden hose with a gun on the end which is powerful enough to shift dirt off the bike without any mechanical abrasion of its own, yet too weak to ruin bearings.

    Really what is a bit of dirt going to do if left on your bike? It's hardly going to corrode through the components. If the drivetrain works then it is clean enough and the frame, well just make it look nice, it won't be damaged by dirt.
  • cooldad
    cooldad Posts: 32,599
    Spray entire bike with orange degreaser
    Just why?
    I don't do smileys.

    There is no secret ingredient - Kung Fu Panda

    London Calling on Facebook

    Parktools
  • swod1
    swod1 Posts: 1,639
    I just use a hose pipe and that doesn't take long.

    I did think to use pressure washer on bike but I thought it would be too strong and damage something.

    Has anyone used fenwicks bike cleaner is it better than muc off ?
  • badly_dubbed
    badly_dubbed Posts: 1,350
    cooldad wrote:
    Spray entire bike with orange degreaser
    Just why?

    why not lol
  • bennett_346
    bennett_346 Posts: 5,029
    Because it will wash the grease out of literally everything...
  • cooldad
    cooldad Posts: 32,599
    cooldad wrote:
    Spray entire bike with orange degreaser
    Just why?

    why not lol
    Because lots of rather crucial bits like oil and grease. Google moving parts, friction and lubrication.
    I don't do smileys.

    There is no secret ingredient - Kung Fu Panda

    London Calling on Facebook

    Parktools
  • badly_dubbed
    badly_dubbed Posts: 1,350
    hasnt really affected my 7 current bikes....one of which has 10,000 miles+ on the original chain and running gear lol

    jus sayin... :)
  • bennett_346
    bennett_346 Posts: 5,029
    I bet you a million pounds it has.
  • bennett_346
    bennett_346 Posts: 5,029
    But if you do it to all your bikes you wouldn't notice.

    I can go years without having to grease or replace bearings but i bet you can't if you're slathering it in degreaser. Unless of course you don't mean degreaser and actually mean detergent...
  • bond-007
    bond-007 Posts: 87
    Am all new to mountain biking but my 1st wash took 30mins and il admit i did do alot of futterin around lol..

    1x Hose
    1x Muc off
    Few brushes and a sponges

    Sorted .... :)
  • carbonkid
    carbonkid Posts: 52
    well nothing i have noticed.... :)
    the fact that you are asking for advice on how to wash a bike says it all
  • badly_dubbed
    badly_dubbed Posts: 1,350
    im not asking advice on how to wash a bike....lol im not thick.

    was asking how long it normally takes everyone, out of interest :wink:
  • bennett_346
    bennett_346 Posts: 5,029
    im not asking advice on how to wash a bike
    Perhaps you should have.
  • badly_dubbed
    badly_dubbed Posts: 1,350
  • Ben1901
    Ben1901 Posts: 16
    I think it takes as long as you want it to, most of the time I give mine a quick blast with muc off and a rinse but every now and then when I can be bothered ill strip it right down and spend a couple of hours on it. But only when he weathers good (that one time)
  • timpop
    timpop Posts: 394
    Throw it in river.
    Many happy trails!
  • timpop
    timpop Posts: 394
    timpop wrote:
    Throw it in river.
    Throw it in *the river.
    Many happy trails!
  • the local trails where i live have seriously sticky mud, takes around 20 mins to get it off properly from the drivetrain and re lube etc