How do you wash your bike?(merged)

Its actually easier to just buy a new bike when your old when gets dirty

 

If you never got one dirty...how would you know? :lol:

 

I just leave it on the Roof Rack & hit the Car Wash. 2 birds 1 stone, seems like the smart thing to do! Get the Extra Hot Wax finish for that show room shine.:-k

 

However, if your vehicle has a removeable antenna, make sure to remove it before entering the car wash. They tend to damage small items like that. The hot wax finish is also equivalent to many wax-based chain lubes (White Lightning, Pedros Ice Wax, etc.).

 

This brush works really well for cleaning your chain. It will wrap around and clean 3 parts of you chain at once and the bristles are adjustable. The other end you can get into tight spaces, like your cassette and derailleurs.

Its sold at most motorcycle shops.

 

Other than some of the chain capturing/cleaning devices (such as the one from Park), that Grunge Brush works nicely. They also have them for motorcycles.

 

I only wipe down my bike with some sort of wash from finish line. I also use some citrus degreaser on the drive train and grab my garden sprayer, you know the kind you pump up and push the button to let the mist of water out.

I do that at least once or twice a week.

 

http://www.parktool.com/repair/readhowto.asp?id=85

according to Parktools, this site is awesome btw.

 

1) Rinse bike with hose.

2) Remove chain and shake it around in some Krud Kutter degreaser. Clean chain with a toothbrush and Krud Kutter. Rinse chain and let air dry.

3) Clean cassette, chain rings, rear dr, front dr with toothbrush and Krud Kutter to remove all grease and dirt. I also give the frame a quick once over with the Krud Kutter and a big brush. Rinse with MIST setting on the hose (very fine, weak stream of water) and air dry.

4) Once air dried (after several hours or over night), I re-attached the chain and re-lube the drive train with Dupont Teflon Lube from Lowe's (same thing as Finish Line, just not repackaged and over priced).

If I am really feeling like cleaning, I will use Krud Kutter on my tires, sidewalls, and outer shells of the hubs and then rinse with mist setting. Makes them all shine.

I showed up to Fully a few weeks back and people were asking me if I got a new bike. Nope, same ol' ride, just really clean.

 

Dude that was harsh.....

You hang a bike in a garage for a year and see how dirty it gets. Yucky!

 

Never tried it.... I HATE Pedros Ice Wax... looks too much like a porn movie prop and it takes WAY to long to penetrate the chain links....

Just my $.002

 

Lots of secret weapons

The spray lube I was referring to was Tri Flo. I like that Boeing stuff quite a bit, too. Really, I don't have too much of a preference. There are quite a few available for bikes and motos. Because I clean my bikes regularly (every ride), the durability of the lube is not super crucial.

I think you can look at the statistics here (the posts) and then just pick one and you'll be stoked. Some people are pretty picky on the chain lube (wet versus dry), but they are probably smoking crack if they think they can really tell the difference given our climate.

My critical weapon in the bike cleaning arsenal is definitely Bike Lust. My bikes have to look new. People always comment on how new my stuff looks and it's definitely the Lust. Git sum!

Also, make your cleaning routine a habit. To make it a habit, it needs to be practical. You don't need to strip the bike down every time you ride it. That's impractical. Once a month is fine if you do routine cleanings between rides and your gear will shine like the fronts on a rappers teeth.

Cheers,

 

car soap and a hose

then i sit it in the sun to dry and lube all moving parts that need lube

done.

 

I am meticulous about cleaning my bike. If I'm not gonna ride better than anyone else out there, at least my bike can look better than most. More importantly, it's the best way to discover problems early (loose spokes, cracked parts, etc). I have only used water once, on an older bike after an encounter with a mystery mud that I suspect was a leaking septic system. I wasn't gonna touch that stuff!

Otherwise, here's my drill:

1 - Brush dust off chainrings, cassette, derailluers, and pedals. Use compressed air to get into nooks & crannies, including blowing excess brake dist out of the calipers.

1.5 - Every few rides, I'll hit the outer moving bits of the pedals & derailleurs with a light shot of Tri-Flow, being careful to clean off any dirt-catching overspray.

2 - Wipe chain with clean rag and apply ProLink lube (great stuff). Let lube penetrate while moving on to other areas.

3 - Use a lightly moistened rag to wipe down everything. I usually use a Simple Green/water mix (about 25/75%). Pay particular attention to pivots, shock mounts, spokes, brake fittings, etc., but do not use the Simple Green or any other degreaser on most of these parts. You don't want to strip the lubricants.

3.5 - Every few rides, I'll pull the seatpost, wipe the post and the inside of the tube with a rag dampened with the water/Simple Green mix, then very lightly lube the post with Park bike grease before re-installing. Same treatment for the seatpost quick-release.

3.5.5 - Every once in a while (and always after brake bleeding), I'll wipe down the brake discs with a clean rag and alcohol.

4 - Check tire (and sometimes shock) pressures and adjust as needed.

5 - Remember that chain? It's done soaking. Use a clean rag to wipe off excess lube.

Take a quick spin around the driveway to make sure you haven't messed anything up. Then you're done.

I rarely ride mud, so the basics of this routine usually only take about 10-15 minutes. I feel good about my bike, and these habits have saved me from a couple of breakdowns before they happened. Which reminds me...I'm riding tomorrow right after work, so it's time to go give my bike some love!

edit: I just looked at Park's cleaning site and I seriously disagree with their techniques! I'd only do all that to a bike if I was about to sell it to someone I didn't like. Seems like all that soap & water seeping in everywhere would be an invite to bearing failures, creaking pivots, and gummed-up cables. But that site is a great ad for all those nifty cleaning products :-(

 

Never use water to clean the bike. If it's full of mud, well, you pretty much have to, but take care around the bb and general areas of bushings,pivots,or bearings. Concentrate on your drivetrain and if it's good, you've got 99% of it done.

 

I wash my bikes like I wash my cars. A hose, car wash soap, and a soft bristled brush.

I've got an air compressor so I'll towel dry as much as I can, then use the compressor to blow dry all pivots and derailluers, shifters, etc. I'll towel dry again. Then I'll lubricate all moving parts with Tri-Flow, lube the chain, then make everything pretty and shiny with Spin Lube Polish.

Once a month I'll do a more thorough cleaning and inspection.

 

I ride just about everyday, so "washing" it to me is pointless unless I went through some mud which hasn't been in a while or streams like we did at O'Neill. When it does need it. I used Muc-Off which works great. Got it free at the Toad Fest. Otherwise, I just take a brush from my brush kit and a rag and wipe it off. Always lube chain and pivots before every ride. Tri-flow for pivots and Dumonde Tech chain lube.

 

Wait let me get this straight... Wash your Bike... Those 2 words are never heard together....

 

I brush the dirt off once a year whether it needs it or not

Really.....I dry brush the dust and dirt off probably only two or three times per month, but I clean the drive-train and check the brake cables after each ride so I know it's ready to go for the next one.

There's just something inherently weird about a clean and shiny mountain bike.

See ya on the trails

Just look for the old man on the dirty bike!

 

Ya, compressed air is my little secret to. First I take of the wheels, secure the calipers in my brakes, and tape off any openings that may trap water. Next I lightly rinse my bike with water. Then rub the bike down with a sponge and a mixture of Simple Green and water. I use two capfuls of Simple Green to half a bucket of water. After soaping up, I rinse again with water. Next comes the fun part. I turn on the air compressor and blast away all remaining water after drying with a big towel. The air compressor is great. It can reach areas that trap water and does it in seconds. Any hardware shop sells an air compressor, I use my dads. After drying I lube up everything with Finish Line dry teflon lube. I pretty much use this lube on any moving part, from bearings to chains to pivot points. Great stuff. I just cleaned my bike today and rode it. All I can say is that it rides like new again. Hope this helps.