What's your post ride bike care

Got a new bike recently that's getting more attention than my wife (well not really) and wanted to know what most guys do after an outing to take care of their rides.

So far I just spray it off with the hose and wipe it down. I lube the chain about every other ride (of course wiping off any extra so it doesn't soak up dirt).

Cheers-

 

that's about it to be honest. you can add a drop of oil to the cables and derailers while you lubing the chain also.

check and adjust cables as needs.

check that your rims are still trues.

check the threads on your tires for anything stuck in it or cuts and tears.

oh, and when you spray it off, make sure you dont "pressue" spray it. just wet and try to advoid the hubs and bb.

 

Lock my bike in the garage and grap a couple of beers.

I should clean the bike after a ride, but I don't.

If it gets into mud, I'll clean off the mud, but I usually clean the bike before a ride.

I never wash my bike with water, but I will brush off the dirt with a variety of brushes, or damp cloth and then wipe it clean with a dry cloth.

 

Yeah I use low pressure water.

A buddy of mine does the same but to dry it he uses his air compressor and I wonder if that might not blow water where he doesn't want it.

 

Hang it in the garage. Admire the dirt.


I give the bike a good once-over about once a month. Light cleaning, good lubing, etc...

 

Not muddy enough out here to justify the hose, all you are doing is accelerating rust. Really all I do is wipe down the dust with a rag and piss Tri-Flow all up in the chain.

 

Place bike in living room.


I usually knock all the crap off it before the next ride.

 

I use an old toothbrush and scrub the hell out of the seals on my fork and rear shock after every ride. I also clean the heck out the chain, rear derailleur, rear cog, and crankset (and sprockets) every other ride or so to make sure it keeps the chain clean and shifting smoothly.

 

Yeah- that sounds like a good idea. I'm gonna start doing that myself.

 

My other suggestion is to also whipe down your stanctions on your fork and your stroke on your rear shock if you are riding full suspension. Also just take a cloth, rag, towel and whipe down the frame to keep the dust and grit off and to prevent it from piling up.

 

first time you hear your bike creaking just thank your hose for that one. Air compressor to air off the dirt and a wet rag is all you should need. wipe off your chain and just a bit of lube should keep your new ride healthy.

 

If there is anything out of adjustment I noticed after the ride I fix it. AFTER I get a beer. By default sometimes things get cleaned during this stage. If the bike worked great that day, it goes back in the garage as is. Every few rides I spray Maxima chain wax on the chain before I leave and wipe it off before I ride. My bikes are rarely pretty but are always ready to run.

 

I have never used any water flow to wash my bike. Don't want to displace any grease or push dirt/grit past shock seals.

After a ride I'll use combination of brushes to remove the bulk dirt on my bike. During this time I try to inspect the pivots and frame for any cracks or signs of impending doom.

I am lazy so I lube the chain right before each ride, not after. But I do re-lube (and clean) the chain for every ride. Rock N Roll Gold Lube is good stuff!

Finally I'll use a moistened paper towel to wipe down the stantions and seals on my shock and fork.

 

HHMMMM. It seems like the hose is getting hosed. It makes sense: water + dirt + metal = rust.

 

I dry wipe my bike clean and always use a microfiber towel especially on forks and shocks to avoid scratches..... I only use water if the bike has mud on it which is rare around here. I lube the chain maybe 3-4 times then I deep clean it and re lube it and to really look pimp, I spray some Adams Polishes detail spray on my fame and wipe it and it gives it a nice clean shine...

 

For the most part, riding in the dry SoCal dirt all my bikes require is the occasional dust-off for appearance, and lube for quiet performance. Nothing worse than a creaky bike or squeaky chain. That drives me crazy!

I NEVER spray my bikes with a hose. Never. If it is so muddy that it needs to get hosed down I will go as far as breaking the whole bike down piece by piece and clean and lube/grease everything as I put it back together.

A good cleaner is Simple Green and a soft cloth. My BMX even gets the occasional coat of wax for a really shiny finish.

My DJ bike however has never been cleaned. It is filthy but dialed, and I love it!

 

beer

 

My boss has been cleaning his 99 stumpy w/ a power washer since he bought it new (10 years running). Still no creaks! Go figure. If I get real muddy, I give mine a low pressure rinse w/ the hose then wipe down real good. Followed by light coating of WD40 on the components.

Finally I hit the rotors with a good coating of opossium grease (just kidding!!)

 

I guess I'm just anal when I comes to cleaning my bikes. :?: haha

 

"I want to take it through the car wash and get it waxed!. I want to wax it. Wax it! You know, and air dry. Air dry that sh%*!":lol:......Taj Mahal


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TrnGQGZ8tJg&feature=related