De Sisti
Guru
Use mudguards with long mudflaps. That way your chain will not attract as much muck in less-than-ideal conditons.
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Cleaning your cycle, how far do you go?
- Thread starter TC99
- Start date
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Use mudguards with long mudflaps. That way your chain will not attract as much muck in less-than-ideal conditons.
Vantage
Carbon fibre... LMAO!!!
- Location
- Behind everyone else, Bolton
It used to be a case of polishing the bike to within an inch of its life.
These days it'll go months and then get a quick hose down.
These days it'll go months and then get a quick hose down.
Usually when a bike is new / new to me it gets stripped and cleaned to the extent that I can (carbauba) wax the frame and major components.
The chain also gets waxed which as others have pointed out largely removes the need to use degreaser on the bike - certainly not to the extent necessary with oiled chains to get all the caked on shite off the rest of the drivetrain and adjacent components.
Once the honeymoon period's over it gets a lot more slack. Washing seems like a waste of time in the winter given how quickly everything gets covered in crap; and while I don't mind dirt on stuff it's good to keep rims, derailleurs etc fairly clean to reduce wear.
Once the weather improves in the spring the bike usually gets chucked on the stand, wheels off and given a good going over with a soft-bristled brush and car-shampoo in a bucket of warm water before being rinsed (ideally with distilled water out of the condenser drier).
A decent set of mudguards will go a long way towards keeping the worst of the crap off, although good luck with that on a Brompton as the standard ones offer limited coverage and nothing on the aftermarket seems any better. I found extending the front flap with a bit of pop bottle made a massive difference to what was being thrown all over my feet / more importantly up into the bottom of the seatpost tube to then get ground into everything as the post is repeatedly deployed and collapsed.
Bromptons are especially bad generally both for keeping clean and preventing from eating themselves..
The chain also gets waxed which as others have pointed out largely removes the need to use degreaser on the bike - certainly not to the extent necessary with oiled chains to get all the caked on shite off the rest of the drivetrain and adjacent components.
Once the honeymoon period's over it gets a lot more slack. Washing seems like a waste of time in the winter given how quickly everything gets covered in crap; and while I don't mind dirt on stuff it's good to keep rims, derailleurs etc fairly clean to reduce wear.
Once the weather improves in the spring the bike usually gets chucked on the stand, wheels off and given a good going over with a soft-bristled brush and car-shampoo in a bucket of warm water before being rinsed (ideally with distilled water out of the condenser drier).
A decent set of mudguards will go a long way towards keeping the worst of the crap off, although good luck with that on a Brompton as the standard ones offer limited coverage and nothing on the aftermarket seems any better. I found extending the front flap with a bit of pop bottle made a massive difference to what was being thrown all over my feet / more importantly up into the bottom of the seatpost tube to then get ground into everything as the post is repeatedly deployed and collapsed.
Bromptons are especially bad generally both for keeping clean and preventing from eating themselves..
fossyant
Ride It Like You Stole It!
- Location
- South Manchester
This in spades. I'll clean my bike after a wet commute - it doesn't take long. I just use car shampoo - I buy big 20l drums which last me and age and work out very cheap. Just decant into 2.5l tub as and when I need it.
I'll occasionally pop some autoglym super resin on the paintwork !
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cyberknight
As long as I breathe, I attack.
- Location
- Land of confusion
I do but the flooded roads were so bad after the storm you were literally riding through muddy flood water that had washed off the Fields
This
Mudguards and long mud flaps don’t stop your bike getting dirty when riding through 6 inches of water/ slurry.
PaulSB
Squire
- Location
- Chorley, Lancashire
I used the Mickle method for years. It works extremely well. Then I discovered wax. I use either Silca (currently) or Squirt. Waxing gives a cleaner chain, cassette and chain rings than lube.........by some distance.
After a ride I wipe the chain, every 2-3 weeks I apply wax. The wax application is done in exactly the same way as lube in the Mickle method.
Why do you consider life too short to wax?
PaulSB
Squire
- Location
- Chorley, Lancashire
The second paragraph is precisely why I keep my bikes clean. It's so much easier to prevent problems if one spots them early. A stitch in time and all that.
Reynard
Guru
- Location
- Cambridgeshire, UK
Warm water and a squeeze of washing up liquid, applied with a soft dustpan type brush if doing a "proper" wash. Then a quick rinse and mickle the chain. At this time of year, no point making too big a faff about it anyways, just too much mud and muck about. Otherwise, just a wipe over with a damp cloth whenever needed, just to keep things looking presentable. I've only myself to please.
Exception is if the roads have been gritted, and then I do pay a bit more attention.
Exception is if the roads have been gritted, and then I do pay a bit more attention.
Generally I clean my chan with muc off drive train cleaner in a park tool chain cleaner CM-25, I brush the rest of the drive with more muc off drive cleaner with a claw brush. Next I wash the bike with warm water and car wash shampoo. Rinse everything off with a hose, dry the chain with paper towel and the bike with a microfibre cloth. Usualily following a coffee I spray the detaills with GT85 then lubricate the chain, before running the chain through a rag to remove excess lube.
Chief Broom
Veteran
Mine doesnt get too grotty as i dont ride in the rain unless i get caught out. Riding on mainly country single tracks does have plentiful deposits from cattle/sheep which can splatter underneath and needs removing or it dries on hard 
so its out with the garden sprayer on return which has adequate pressure but not enough to blast grease/oil out from bearings etc. I often wipe the frame over with a wd40 infused rag which makes future crud easier to remove. Clean my chain/cassette/chainring/wheel rims every 50 miles or so. 
so its out with the garden sprayer on return which has adequate pressure but not enough to blast grease/oil out from bearings etc. I often wipe the frame over with a wd40 infused rag which makes future crud easier to remove. Clean my chain/cassette/chainring/wheel rims every 50 miles or so. 
