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Keep your ride clean?

chicodude

The Spooninator
Mar 28, 2004
1,054
2
Paradise
Nah

Dust i dont really care about, But if It gets too muddy or dusty, hose it off, spray simple green on it, and wait 10 min, and hose it off again.
 

Porter2

Chimp
May 17, 2005
6
0
Nope if mine gets to dirty i bring it outside and just push all the mud and dirt off with my hands.

Porter
 

hooples3

Fuggetaboutit!
Mar 14, 2005
5,245
0
Brooklyn
I usually wash mine quickly once a month on each of them. i finally took apart my hardtail and gave it a well deserved cleaning... piece by piece. The bike is riding a lot better now, so I am sorry i waited so long. I decided that this winter i will break down each bike and clean each individual part and reassemble. Hopefully i will do it every year. i ride them all enough.. they deserve it
 

The Amish

Dumber than N8
Feb 22, 2005
645
0
I just leave mine lying on the ground outside my house. If it rains, it gets cleaned
 

Reactor

Turbo Monkey
Apr 5, 2005
3,976
1
Chandler, AZ, USA
People laugh about how clean my bike is. I wash and wax it once a week, and clean/lube the drivetrain after each ride. It's some work but I seem to go through parts a lot less often than my friends.
 

Echo

crooked smile
Jul 10, 2002
11,819
15
Slacking at work
Before I headed back from Europe I hosed off my bike, just so the Homeland Security asshats wouldn't get freaked out by foreign dirt. I'm pretty sure that's the only time I've washed a bike this year. It's been really dry so mud hasn't been an issue. The only bike maintenance I generally do is lubing the chain and making sure my hubs are tight.
 

Dirt Merchant

Monkey
Oct 16, 2003
247
0
Hilton, NY
"People laugh about how clean my bike is. I wash and wax it once a week, and clean/lube the drivetrain after each ride. It's some work but I seem to go through parts a lot less often than my friends"

Same here. I find it very relaxing..plus I look for cracks.
 

Dirt Jumper

Chimp
Sep 6, 2005
87
0
Colorado Springs, CO
Reactor said:
People laugh about how clean my bike is. I wash and wax it once a week, and clean/lube the drivetrain after each ride. It's some work but I seem to go through parts a lot less often than my friends.
Yeaaah. This is how clean my bike is. I don't wax it though, because my paint job isn't shiny, it's a flat green. I degrease and lube my chain with Rock 'N Roll, then take a shop rag and move it in and out between each cog on my cassette, then clean my derailler (all I need is a rag, it never gets mudded or anything) Then I clean my Sun S-Type rims, then I clean my bash guard and front chainring, crank arms, then I clean the cockpit, the fork crown and legs, then it's usually looking really good.
 

Reactor

Turbo Monkey
Apr 5, 2005
3,976
1
Chandler, AZ, USA
Dirt Merchant said:
"People laugh about how clean my bike is. I wash and wax it once a week, and clean/lube the drivetrain after each ride. It's some work but I seem to go through parts a lot less often than my friends"

Same here. I find it very relaxing..plus I look for cracks.

I've found several minor problems and fixed them before they became major problems. Things like cracked cable housings, loose pivot, frayed cables, bad chain links, loose spokes. I think it's worth it, and like you I find it relaxing.
 

TreeSaw

Mama Monkey
Oct 30, 2003
17,669
1,847
Dancin' over rocks n' roots!
Echo said:
Before I headed back from Europe I hosed off my bike, just so the Homeland Security asshats wouldn't get freaked out by foreign dirt. I'm pretty sure that's the only time I've washed a bike this year. It's been really dry so mud hasn't been an issue. The only bike maintenance I generally do is lubing the chain and making sure my hubs are tight.
LOL!!!

I too haven't cleaned my bike all that often this summer because it's been so dry. I generally lube the chain, make sure the brakes work, check tire pressure and occassionally check my spokes, hubs and shock & fork pressures.
 

Angus

Jack Ass Pen Goo Win
Oct 15, 2004
1,478
0
South Bend
One of the main things that attracted me to a Singlespeed was the ease of maintenance, I keep the chain relativatly clean, and a wash the bike completely when it needs it or when I am bored, but not having excessive moving parts (derailers, shocks, pivots...) upkeep is simple if it makes a noise I check it out (like bottom bracket creaks) if the bike is quiet it's all good.
 

splat

Nam I am
When I do a Muddy ride ,I usually hose the bike down , lately as every one has said it has been so dry that it has not been nessecary. now winter riding becose a challenge because you get all the snow and Ice that freezes on the frame, plus if you do some time on the road you have road salt.
 

bluebug32

Asshat
Jan 14, 2005
6,141
0
Floating down the Hudson
Generally, I only get concerned with dirt on the bike when I'm taking it inside to put on the trainer (mud flying across the living room ain't so good). Otherwise, I try to keep the drivetrain as clean as possible and well-lubed.
 

Polandspring88

Superman
Mar 31, 2004
3,066
7
Broomfield, CO
I usually never clean my bike. I'll lube the chain and do the general once overs, brushing the dirt away as I go, but generally I let them maintain their dirty look. It makes it appear as if I ride them.
 

Andy_B

Monkey
Jul 21, 2004
679
0
whereabouts unknown
Il wash my rigs maybe once a month. But it has been really dry here.
every ride or so, chain lube only.

10 or so days before a race. total tear down clean lube ect. (DH and SS)
 

grundy

Chimp
Oct 18, 2004
93
0
I keep the drivetrain and fork clean. If the bike gets muddy enough that it will get other stuff dirty, I'll clean it up. Other than that, I'll clean it up once in a while to inspect for cracks and other damage.
 

Changleen

Paranoid Member
Jan 9, 2004
14,335
2,448
Hypernormality
Reactor said:
I've found several minor problems and fixed them before they became major problems. Things like cracked cable housings, loose pivot, frayed cables, bad chain links, loose spokes. I think it's worth it, and like you I find it relaxing.
Yeah, I agree. I like to smoke a bowl, have a beer and get real anal about getting every last bit of dust off. It's extremely satisfying to make your bike shine. I have a wide variety of cleaning products and tools, including 2000 grit wet and dry, autosol, brasso, wax, GT85, a full set of crazy different shaped bike brushes, a huge pile old clean cotton t-shirts and so on. I will also strip and service anything that looks like it's ingesting crap. Since I've been able to afford sealed hubs (as an adult :) ) this is far easier, but like you say Reactor, you do often spot minor niggles that can be rectified before they actually become a problem. I've been known to clean all my housemate's bikes as well. I just like clean bikes. A clean bike is a happy bike.
 

SkaredShtles

Michael Bolton
Sep 21, 2003
65,375
12,529
In a van.... down by the river
Changleen said:
Yeah, I agree. I like to smoke a bowl, have a beer and get real anal about getting every last bit of dust off. It's extremely satisfying to make your sheep shine. I have a wide variety of cleaning products and tools, including 2000 grit wet and dry, autosol, brasso, wax, GT85, a full set of crazy different shaped sheep brushes, a huge pile old clean cotton t-shirts and so on. I will also strip and service anything that looks like it's ingesting crap. Since I've been able to afford sealed hubs (as an adult ) this is far easier, but like you say Reactor, you do often spot minor niggles that can be rectified before they actually become a problem. I've been known to clean all my housemate's sheep as well. I just like clean sheep. A clean sheep is a happy sheep.
You might consider seeking :help:

:D