Due to an unfortunate skunk encounter I recently cleaned my mtb for the first time, not including obligatory rinse-offs after muddy rides. I have never really cleaned any of the road bikes I’ve owned, other than wiping them down with a wet rag when I’ve had them on a stand or in pieces. I’ve also never really owned a bike nice enough to be kept clean, so I was wondering how often you nice bike owners gloss up your whips. Is it bad form to ride a filthy bike?
I clean mine often. Very often. Coz OCD. Cleaning is therapeutic to me.
It depends on the time of year. In the winter and early spring very frequently. During the summer I usually clean my bikes once around mid season.
summer… almost never.
Spring/fall/winter… almost never.
I normally lube the chain and thats pretty much it.
My cleaning regime consists mainly in digging aluminum bits out of the brake pads and cleaning the tires and brake tracks… it’s more brake maintenance than cleaning really. I’ll do other stuff if I feel like it – i don’t like riding a filthy bike though mine is usually a bit dirty.
i dont’ really bother with cleaning them much at all.
the fender’d bike hardly gets dirty at all.
the track bike gets cleaned when i have to repack the BB or maybe glue tire and true wheels…
the other road bike. no rain if i can help coz fragile nice tires.
i need to start washing my cross bike while its still wet and muddy. dry and muddy is more work
not very often.
unless i ride on a dirt road or something
my MTB needs to be cleaned more often
Stupid question: do you aboslutly have to do that like annually?
every time i re-oil my chain
which is every 2-3 weeks
Stupid question: do you aboslutly have to do that like annually?[/quote]
If you have metal in your pad, annually would be way to late.
when cross season was here, it was once a week. now it’s once a month when. winter will be a quick clean up evertime i ride
Cross Bike gets cleaned after every race… but it requires a lot more maintenance. The tarck bike doesn’t get cleaned much, but I have sealed hubs, sealed hs, and sealed BB so i don’t worry too much. the paint is also super shitty and impossible to clean well, so I dont worry about that I just try to keep the drive train cleanish and lubed.
The Bianchi I kept pretty clean, but I’ve only ridden that bike in the rain twice so I haven’t needed to do a ton of cleaning. I just cleaned it up pretty well, but didn’t take anything apart, to list it for sale on CL. BB and HS felt find, so I didn’t waste my time taking it all apart.
If it gets real dirty (ie rain) I do a quick rinse and wipe
chain every month or so. i should really get a brush so i can clean the cassette on the bike.
Never. Except the drive train once every few weeks.
I don’t think that word means what you think it means.
I usually clean and wax a frame when I’m putting a bike together. Following that, once every few months or so. More when I’ve ridden through mud or water.
I don’t think that word means what you think it means.[/quote]
No? Fuck.
Car wax, halbritt? It’s actually protective, or just for that new bike shine?
never
The tarck gets cleaned around once every 1-2 weeks.
Chain cleaned/lubed, chain ring+cog cleaned, wheels cleaned, and frame waxed.
Some people like the beat-up dirty “ridden everyday” look,
but I like riding the shit out of a “just got built up” looking tarck.
I know it shouldn’t change the ride “feel” but for some reason clean bikes “feel” nicer for me.