Bike Hygiene

[Wernervdmerwe]

Greetings wise ones!

 

 

 

This one for the MTB-ers. How do you clean your bike?

 

I spray mine off with a hosepipe (taking care around the hubs, BB and headset) - but yet, when she dries, she still has remnants of clay and mud.

 

 

 

Took my bike in for something at CycleLab and got it back INSANELY beautiful, clean as a whistle, looked brand new - even in those hard-to-reach areas.

 

 

 

So I was wondering, what is the 'done thing'? DO you take a bucket of soap water and hand wash, rinse with detergent, spray using bikewash then rinse?

 

 

 

Apply paraffin and rinse? (If you are not a environmentally friendly person )

 

 

 

 

[ViperSquad]

I use, car shampoo, and a soft brush for those, tougher stains and caked on mud. If i'm really feeling energetic, i apply car polish, just for the extra shine. Clean the chain and cassette with prepsol, and then apply wax lubricant after it is dry.

[PhilipV]

Engine cleaner works just as good as paraffin on the oily bits, extra browny points if you use biodegradeable bike wash. The most thorough way is to remove everything, even the chain and cluster, and clean everything with a tooth brush. Polishing the frame with mr min or even WD40 or Q20 will make it look brand new. Best is to take your time, and be rather anal about it.

I wash and lube my bike after every muddy ride, and big strip/wash /service/inspect everything at least once a month.

[Sammajoor]

I wash as above then spray it with Mr Min.  Works a charm keeps it clean and nice and shiny.

 

I know some of the roadies use it religiously to clean their bikes.

 

Bliksempie for one goes through 4 or 5 a month

[Wernervdmerwe]

Does spraying the bike with WD40 or Mr Min not cause more dust to stick to the frame?

[calabash]

That green cleaning spray from Singletrack bike shop

[Wernervdmerwe]

That green cleaning spray from Singletrack bike shop

 

 

 

Eish - I hope you don't have to clean all the bikes you rent out by hand yourself!

[Guest colonel]

Parafine or Turps on the chain and clean green everywhere else with oil on the chain after, polish on the frame and a WD40 type product by maxima on the parts that can rust.

[turtlek]

once a month i do the works in other words stripping the whole bike

 

 

 

but other than that i use sunlight liquid on the oily bits and the foam on the frame after a nice spray down with the hosepipe and then i wipe all the water off and then polish it

[Wernervdmerwe]

I see many 'polish' their bikes - does everyone use either car polish, Mr Min or WD40, or am I missing something?

 

Does the polish help prevent those nasty rack-scratches on the frame?

[turtlek]

polish just makes the bike look pretty in my opinion and i am very anal about bike maintenance and bikes having to be cleaned so i put the same amount of effort into cleaning my bike as i do when i am on the bike

[dirtrider]

Polish on a bike is like cream on ur face ! not gonna happen .

[ViperSquad]

 

Polish on a bike is like cream on ur face ! not gonna happen .

 

So you don't moisturise. I want to see you in 20 years time, face like leather. I find the polish actually helps to keep it clean, the fine dust has nowhere to settle on the smooth surface. Just my 2 cents.

 

[CScriba]

how many times per month/year  do you guys totaly strip and clean??? with my old bike i neva even bothered to strip the whole thing ( too much effort) haha

[NotSoBigBen]

Polish on a bike is like cream on ur face ! not gonna happen .

So you don't moisturise. I want to see you in 20 years time' date=' face like leather. I find the polish actually helps to keep it clean, the fine dust has nowhere to settle on the smooth surface. Just my 2 cents.
[/quote']

 

Moisturise? The man doesn't even brush his hair ..........

[Tumbleweed]

 

Polish on a bike is like cream on ur face ! not gonna happen .

So you don't moisturise. I want to see you in 20 years time' date=' face like leather. I find the polish actually helps to keep it clean, the fine dust has nowhere to settle on the smooth surface. Just my 2 cents.[/quote']

 

 

 

forget 20 years times, you should see him now!