Do you wash your bike regularly?

[raleighnut]

Every year one or sometimes two bikes get totally stripped down and rebuilt after a really good clean and polish of the frame, this year it was the Ridgebacks turn,

New bits

 

[grellboy]

As the OP - and someone who voted no in my own poll - feel obliged to let you know been out on my cx today and can't shift onto big ring now, almost certainly due to accumulate crud! So, whilst I know it'll still be filthy again tomorrow, I do actually feel now is the time for a clean. Maybe I should put a third option on poll: "Maybe, but only when forced into it by mechanical mishap!"

 

[bpsmith]

Good to see plenty of attention to detail being displayed in here. Both of my bikes get a thorough strip, clean, regrease and wax, once or twice a year. Keeps them looking like new, plus I enjoy doing it tbh.

 

[bpsmith]

As the OP - and someone who voted no in my own poll - feel obliged to let you know been out on my cx today and can't shift onto big ring now, almost certainly due to accumulate crud! So, whilst I know it'll still be filthy again tomorrow, I do actually feel now is the time for a clean. Maybe I should put a third option on poll: "Maybe, but only when forced into it by mechanical mishap!"

If you’re gonna do it anyway, why not make it Before a mechanical happens. You’ve basically washed it either way, but not experienced a mechanical.

 

[swee'pea99]

People wash bikes?

 

[PaulSB]

Love cleaning my bikes.

Summer bike is bathed in warm, soapy water, rinsed, leathered dry and polished as needed. Before winter hibernation stripped down, cleaned of every speck of dirt, waxed, lubed and hung in the garage under a dust cover. Ridiculous but makes me happy.

Tourer used in wet autumn and spring as well as touring gets a thorough clean as needed.

Winter bike for when salt and crap on roads again as needed.

Some of this is for pure pleasure, other aspects are pride in riding a good looking bike. Practicality means a well maintained and clean bike performs better. If polished/waxed and lubed correctly after a wet mucky ride will need little more than a good hose down.

 

[si_c]

I gave my bike a solid clean yesterday, drivetrain immaculate, new chain. For my efforts, I now need a new cassette.

 

[jayonabike]

In the summer they get wet wiped down after a ride then polished with Mr.Sheen.
In winter muck off, hosed off then left to dry in the kitchen before a polish then put away till the next ride

 

[Jamieyorky]

My road bike gets a wash after every ride however my commuter gets a wash when i feel like it.

 

[grellboy]

OP again. Now washed it twice in three days! I'm guessing I'm converted lol!

 

[pjd57]

I'm not into stripping them down , I'd end up having to pay someone to put bits back on.

But I've got more into keeping them clean recently, especially since I ditched my car .
Physcological maybe, my bikes aren't just a luxury or a hobby any more. I rely on them to get to most places I go to.

 

[screenman]

Man I don't know how you lot live with yourselves! :-)
My main bike gets washed after every ride and every month or so it gets deep cleaned and waxed.
But it is white and shows every single speck of dirt and I can't stand it.

My commuter/MTB gets a good was every week or after a ride if the weather has been horrible and I've picked up loads of crap.

And I don't think I'm much of a neat freak either, it just means I'm reducing the chance of failures curtailing my ride.

It could be that you have more spare time, or some of us feel we have better things to do. Not saying you are wrong, just diferent, how long have you been cycling?

 

[IBarrett]

I've been cycling 2 years and cycle as a commuter and with a club.
I dont spend that long tinkering with my bikes. My road bike is sat needing a tyre change following a damaged sidewall on Sunday allowing the tube to poke through.
But I don't like the thought I might be stranded or delay a group ride because I'm not on top of my maintenance which only takes one evening every couple of weeks.

That said, I also don't have kids. Well actually I do, one is blue and fast and the other is green and 4x4!

 

[bpsmith]

Can’t over emphasise how much better a waxed frame is when it comes to ease of cleaning. I even wax the Alu rims (braking surface excluded naturally).

Got home from a ride this afternoon. Not raining all day, but roads still wet from yesterday, resulting in manky mud covered bike.

Cranked up the Karcher OC3 that I bought last month. Great rechargeable pressure washer btw. Took two tanks of water to thoroughly clean the bike of mud, followed by blowing the water off. Literally 10-15 mins, including refilling the tank, and bike was gleaming again without any sign of it being out.

The wax clearly plays its part in stopping the muck from sticking. Also meant the matte black paint was spotless too.

 

[Alan O]

My current (perhaps slightly idealized) routine is...

MTB gets a hosedown after almost every ride, because it usually comes home caked in various amounts of mud - then GT85 on the drive chain to dispel water, and relube. It takes very little time doing it while it's still wet (and having an outside tap and hose is very handy).

Touring bike depends on the conditions. If it's dry days and I've kept to clean roads, it gets cleaned when enough dry dirt has accumulated. If there's any wet mudiness (like if I've been off road at all, on the canal towpath or similar), hose/GT85/relube.

Road bike, only used on the road and almost never when wet (because it has no mudguards), the "it gets cleaned when enough dry dirt has accumulated" routine.