Is there anything better than a mud streaked fork?

[chewa]

Well, I can think of a few things, but when I was out for my lunchtime ride on my tourer, I looked at the muddy fork and bottom bracket shell (from some of the off-ish road bits of our round the Forth ride on Sunday) and realised that I like my bike to look like it has been travelling!

When I came back from tours I tend not to remove the dust, chalk, mud and other general crap from the bike for a while (other than the oily bits) because they serve as a reminder of good times.

Anyone feel the same or are you all neat freaks?

 

[summerdays]

A lovely clean one (preferably cleaned by someone other than me) would be bliss. I don't mind dust but I hate all the stuff that sticks to the bike in winter!

 

[User6179]

I just cleaned the chain on my winter bike a few weeks ago , it was still dirty from last year
Apart from the rims and pads I don't do much cleaning on the winter bike , it just gets dirty again

 

[Bodhbh]

Apart from maintaining the drivetrain I leave mine dirty - I figure anything that stops it drawing the attention of magpies doesn't hurt.

 

[galaxy]

I`m a neat freak

 

[I like Skol]

My bike looks like it has been on a non-stop, round the world tour...... several times.

 

[Rohloff_Brompton_Rider]

Yep, I'm a bike rider not a bike polisher,

 

[vernon]

When I came back from tours I tend not to remove the dust, chalk, mud and other general crap from the bike for a while (other than the oily bits) because they serve as a reminder of good times.

And what if you have bad times?

 

[chewa]

And what if you have bad times?

On a bike? Other than being hit by a car, ain't no such thing.

 

[Drago]

Neat freak me, although a naked Carol Vorderman smeared in mud would still get it.

 

[Gravity Aided]

I always worry about abrasive properties of dirt and road stuff like concrete dust from where they have done construction, so I always get things all clean. The bicycle also gets attention that way, and details of wear and other issues get attention readily. Tourer in basement now getting full tear down and rebuild. Start and end of season, it gets especially grubby. There is a certain, gritty greatness in the dirt on a bicycle, telling tales of high adventure. Remove it with respect.

 

[Cycleops]

If you want it to look like it's been travelling why don't you put a few travel stickers on it.

 

[vernon]

On a bike? Other than being hit by a car, ain't no such thing.

Try cycling through the Serbian/Croatian battle zone witnessing the enduring scars of war, destroyed infrastructure, ensuing poverty and listening to the stories of ex-combatants and civilian survivors. I didn't need a mud streak bike to remind me of the experience - four weeks of disturbing dreams upon my return to the UK did that for me.

 

[Mrs M]

Well, I can think of a few things, but when I was out for my lunchtime ride on my tourer, I looked at the muddy fork and bottom bracket shell (from some of the off-ish road bits of our round the Forth ride on Sunday) and realised that I like my bike to look like it has been travelling!

When I came back from tours I tend not to remove the dust, chalk, mud and other general crap from the bike for a while (other than the oily bits) because they serve as a reminder of good times.

Anyone feel the same or are you all neat freaks?

I am ordinarily a neat freak, even got into trouble from LBS when I took my mountain bike back as a trade in because it was too clean??
But I would judge how much fun was had by the state of the bike and myself after some off roading.