When did you last wash your bike?
TDGee
Posts: 2,209 Member
Yes, you are supposed to occasionally wash them.
For me, about a week ago using White Lightning wash and a good rinse. It would appear that all of the dust (I live in dusty dairy country) combined with the gallons of sweat and drool that I drip onto my bike makes a gunky paste in places.
What about you?
For me, about a week ago using White Lightning wash and a good rinse. It would appear that all of the dust (I live in dusty dairy country) combined with the gallons of sweat and drool that I drip onto my bike makes a gunky paste in places.
What about you?
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I wipe it down after every ride. Wash it every other week along with cleaning/lubing the drive chain.
ETA: A clean bike is a fast bike!0 -
Maybe that's my problem. All the sweat and grime I pick up on the road is slowing me down! :laugh:
I do occasionally wipe it down, but I need to get some lube.0 -
Just last weekend. Used hot soapy dish detergent and then used a degreaser on the chain/cassette. I had forgotten that my chain and cassette was grey. lol!0
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i need to take mine in full a tuneup and cleaning and a bar wrapping ....... tour de scottsdale is creeping up on me0
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I wipe it down after every ride. Wash it every other week along with cleaning/lubing the drive chain.
ETA: A clean bike is a fast bike!
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Well, I got caught in a downpour the other day, does that count? Actually, it made it dirtier. The tires have channels that shoot the water forward. When I got back to my car, I had a huge trail of mud from my butt up into my hair LOL. Because my saddle is vented and the rear tire shot the dirt and water right up through it LOL.0
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I rinse my mountain bikes off after almost every ride, clean them about once every few months and let my mechanic do the deep clean about twice a year.0
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we are supposed to WASH them?0
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I wait until cross season.0
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If nothing else I keep my drivetrain clean and lubed often and clean the entire bike after every few rides. Roadie and ride 300-400 miles per month.0
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Just got my EX9 back from the mechanic after it's semiannual deep cleaning and he noticed a crack in the seat tube, good thing I know some welders.0
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In this "dry" UK summer we're having I do a quick clean of the mountain bike after every ride (drive chain, brakes, fork) and a fuller clean each weekend. I can't wait until the winter and its a bit drier :laugh:0
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I detail my bikes like an insane person. But, I haven't been riding lately, so, not recently.
To wash, I use Meguiar's all purpose cleaner highly diluted, with a clean microfiber towel on the painted parts.
I use it a little stronger in combination with a boar's hair brush for the harder to reach places.
The hardest to reach bits, I use a wood skewer to scrape away the grime.
Highest concentration with a stiff brush to get the tires.
Then, rinsed and dried with air to get the water out of every nook and cranny.
I do the frame in Collinite 845, which is a very slick wax that I apply by fingertip. I hit the shiny metal bits with Flitz metal polish.
All the black/rubber/plastic bits I do with Aerospace 303, which protects them from UV and leaves a nice non-slick black satin finish.
I'll spend hours on each bike. Love it.0 -
I OH'ed the front hub and degreased the front wheel four days ago. Did the rear and the rest of the bike two days ago.
I use WD-40 and, white vinegar, Simple Green.0 -
I always wipe her down and keep her clean. She's my Sexy B!tch! I have to keep her clean and pretty! I clean and lube my chain about once a month depending on how much I ride.0
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Not sure I've ever "washed" any of them... but I wipe them down periodically.
Road bikes - after any bad weather ride, and occasionally to bring back that new bike shine before a long ride on a really nice day.
Mtn bikes - any time they get dirty enough that I can't check for frame cracks/damage.0 -
Wash the whole bike? About a month ago since I got very muddy going off road and getting caught in a storm. Drivetrain? Do a lube/quick clean almost weekly especially with the weather and being exposed tot he elements while at work. Do a deep clean probably once a month. Sometimes though when things start making noise is my reminder to clean!0
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...resurrecting an old thread
I generally wipe mine down before a ride and clean the chain about once a week. Every two to three weeks I'll give it a really good cleaning - soapy water, degreaser, etc. - that said, it has been about three weeks since it's been really clean0 -
I have my mechanic deal with that
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zxBTVU9JDrA
(actually, the carbon bike gets a proper wash down once a month or so if I'm riding reasonably regularly, and the 'cross bike pretty much gets washed down after every ride, because I only seem to ride it now when it's raining or i'm riding it off-road in the mud and grime...)
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This thread hits home. I am super lazy about keeping my road bike clean. Wanted to take my pedals off to find that from never lubing on occasion, not even the bike shop can get them off. Fortunately I need to replace my crankset anyway, but I would have cried if they were power pedals or something expensive. Lesson learned: I will be cleaning and maintaining my bike at regular intervals from now on..just bought all of the tools and cleaning products.1
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Last full wash was first week of October after cycling up a country road I christened "Cow *kitten* Lane".
The bike stank and it was going in the car next day for a four hour drive back home.2 -
I washed my bike in September in the shower of a hotel in Ukraine. A great way to stop "Food and Drug reg" from nailing you at airport customs, on your way home.0
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cleaned my chain last week, it was much needed. Started with a drop of dish soap on each link, then warm water on a synthetic brush to gently remove junk, after that degreaser, let it dry and then lubed it.1 -
Washed mine on christmas day as a special treat. Soapy water and rinse then degreased the chain and oiled it up. Gonna be back on the commute to work on Wednesday. Riding the bike will be the highlight of the day!1
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Last week. The day after a muddy CX race.1
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It needed it.
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My guess is about four years ago at least. I did ride the very wet five boro bike tour in May. That counts, right?0