just curious i'm sure some lame-os don't even clean their bikes but then again i'm sure some of you guys are not made out of money and want your 3k ride to last a while so how do you go about it?
so how do you go about cleaning your ride?
- Thread starter jeremy155rr
- Start date
So far, I dont (my new ride isn't dirty enough and the old one was ****e anyway), but I do know that a jet washer is extremely bad for the bearings. I think sponge and water is best, soft hose if necessary, and then re-grease and -lube everything that needs it
As a general rule... I don't clean the whole bike very often, but I do try to clean the drivetrain every ride (or at least every other ride). I'll take simple green and a tooth brush and scrub down the chain, rings, cassette, and both derailleurs. Then I rinse them off with clean water and dry them with a shop rag. Once the chain is good and dry, I'll coat it with lube, wipe away the excess, then tuck the bike away in the garage until the next ride.
On the occasion that I do clean the entire bike, I use a garden hose with no nozzle to keep the water pressure reasonable. I just wash it down like I would wash my truck. If I'm really bored or it doesn't look like I'll be riding for a while, I'll wipe the frame down with Pedro's Bike Lust.
On the occasion that I do clean the entire bike, I use a garden hose with no nozzle to keep the water pressure reasonable. I just wash it down like I would wash my truck. If I'm really bored or it doesn't look like I'll be riding for a while, I'll wipe the frame down with Pedro's Bike Lust.
wait for it to rain. Maybe clean the drivetrain now and then when it looks pretty bad.
I do the drivetrain when it's giving me trouble. Over the winter I do a complete disassembly and clean.
I blast the hell out of with a hose, then towel dry it and lube it. If it leads to a rusted or broken part, I replace it.
Kinda the same with me. I back my Jeep up to my house and stop just short of my garage. Pull the bike away from spare tire on the jeep, spray down with some simple green, brush away the caked on mud/dirt then rinse off with the hose. Clean drive train, then lube chain and hang it upI Are Baboon said:I blast the hell out of with a hose, then towel dry it and lube it. If it leads to a rusted or broken part, I replace it.
I Are Baboon said:I blast the hell out of with a hose, then towel dry it and lube it. If it leads to a rusted or broken part, I replace it.
Although I don't clean it nearly as much as I should and I have been known to sweet talk the hubbie into doing some cleaning for me
neaky:i dont clean the bike that often except occasionally i wipe down the drivetrain. if it is muddy as hell its normally the hose with relatively low pressure and a brush or my hand. then i wipe the thing down with a rag and use my air compressor (a must have for a lazy person) to get the water out of all the hard to reach places.
I wipe down the drive train evory ride and make sure the bearings are relativly dirt free on the mountian bikes. the road bike gets a descent cleaning once a month.
Standard procedure for me bikey:
Goes in stand, gets everything greasey/grungy (IE, drivetrain, shifters, etc) sprayed with citrus degreaser. Let it sit for a min, then it gets jetted with hot water from a standard garden hose pistol thingy. After which, the bucket of warm water+dishwashing liquid is filled with assorted brushes and it gets scrubbed via brushing...then rinse again, drop it on the ground a couple of times to get the water off, and its good to go.
Goes in stand, gets everything greasey/grungy (IE, drivetrain, shifters, etc) sprayed with citrus degreaser. Let it sit for a min, then it gets jetted with hot water from a standard garden hose pistol thingy. After which, the bucket of warm water+dishwashing liquid is filled with assorted brushes and it gets scrubbed via brushing...then rinse again, drop it on the ground a couple of times to get the water off, and its good to go.
take a rag, bike polish, spray on the bike, scrub, I clean the draive train every weekend with biodegreaser and purple EXTREME!!!!!!!!!!!
When you ride year around in the Pacific Northwest, it's a losing battle to try to keep your bikey immaculate. Besides to me personally i tend to appreciate the beauty of a muddy bike, it shows true grit and character.....
So i'm a lame-o i guess, but i do clean it from time to time. i won't grease a creak unless it get's so loud people don't wanna ride with me anymore.... So if i must clean off my bike i will do it with a scrub brush, an old toothbrush, and a light running hose.
If you blast your bike with a hose it's amazing how little water pressure is needed to allow dirt to find it's way past your seals into your bottom bracket, hubs, pivot points etc. not good....
i believe i still have dirt from this trail i rode 2 weeks ago.....
http://www.ridemonkey.com/mountain-bike-photos/data/500/3282Copy_of_IMG_7135_1.JPG
So i'm a lame-o i guess, but i do clean it from time to time. i won't grease a creak unless it get's so loud people don't wanna ride with me anymore.... So if i must clean off my bike i will do it with a scrub brush, an old toothbrush, and a light running hose.
If you blast your bike with a hose it's amazing how little water pressure is needed to allow dirt to find it's way past your seals into your bottom bracket, hubs, pivot points etc. not good....
i believe i still have dirt from this trail i rode 2 weeks ago.....
http://www.ridemonkey.com/mountain-bike-photos/data/500/3282Copy_of_IMG_7135_1.JPG
clean it like your car. don't blast water at the seal (bearing and fork seal)
Any tips on how to get pine needles out of feckin everywhere? First off-road ride, through a mainly coniferous forest, and after cleaning the whole thing and hosing it down I still have pine needles that I can't reach or wash out. Some in the back set of cogs, and others in just about every awkward place on a bike frame.
Also, what parts should I grease or otherwise lubricate, and with what, after washing the whole bike down?
Also, what parts should I grease or otherwise lubricate, and with what, after washing the whole bike down?
I call the local fire deparment and have them blast with a hose. That of course after I drown it with oven cleaner.
the only parts you really need to grease are pivot points if they have external grease nipples. Otherwise lube everything after the cleansing. drive trail, cables, even the pivots of your brake levers. As for the pine needles use a cassette cleaning tool or a wire coat hanger. Investing in things like the cassette cleaning tool and some various brushes (most of which can be picked up at a grocery or hardware store) is a good idea.Darkreaper said:
[noob]cassette = 9 gear cogs on rear wheel? Drive train=gears, derailleurs, jockey wheels + chain?[/noob] Lubing cables just involves spraying said lube along them? or do they have to be brushed or something first? I nicked my mum's dishbrush to clean the chain with, lbs has a set of brushes I might save up for though. Is getting an automatic chain cleaner, the 'run it through a box' thing, useful or is it just a gimmick?
One pedal seems to have stiffened up too, would putting new grease into it with the included grease-gun be a good idea?
One pedal seems to have stiffened up too, would putting new grease into it with the included grease-gun be a good idea?