can a bike be "over-cleaned"?ie cleaned too much?

[sharkysa]

So I am not alone, my motto is 3 hour bike ride and 45min wash, degrease,lube up and shine. My Stumpy S-works always looks new and no mechanical issues.

If you are going to spend 60k on a bike then look after it!

 

Cleaning is actually quite relaxing for me, but not around the house! Bikes only......

 

 

[Speed Devil]

You guys are probably not married if you spend more time cleaning your bikes than riding them.

My road bike gets cleaned once a month if it's got normal dirt from everyday riding and every 2nd week if i have ridden in the rain and the frame is full of dirt.

 

I just take a wet cloth, dipped in warm water with Sunlight liquid in, and wipe the frame down and then give it a polish with mr Min.

The drivetrain gets dismantled once a month and cleaned properly.

 

My Mtb just gets a hose down and then left to drip dry.

[Wonder Woman]

 

L.T.G

 My wife buys a case of mr min  a month just for our bikes  2 MTB and one road I can relate with you a typical training weekend is ride Sat morning home clean bikes polish relube a few extra wipe downs with Mr Min put to bed and do it all again the next day' date='my riding mates actually take bets to whether I will arrive at the ride on a dirty bike they have never won,so bike OCD rules O mr min has done 2 epics with me as well everyday same drill clean lube shine

[/quote']

 

 

Don't you people have lives????

 

[L.T.G]

 

I love my bike being clean and shiny just as much as love her being barely recognizable after an awesome ride!

 

After a good ride' date=' i'll do my best to wash and shine her up, taking care to not use pressure to force water into where it shouldn't be.

Once dry, she'll be Mr. Min'd  to the tee, properly lubed and then put in the bike room till next time.

 

now, for me..this in normal...

 

I know i'm pretty anal, eg:- i'll check my car and house doors a million times before  convincing myself they're locked, so yes, there is an aroma of OCD in the air when i'm around,

 it freaked my mind how many people i noticed at the Silverstar on Sat with flithy bikes. some looking like they'd been ridden on the way there, no worries for me there, others like they'd had a great couple of km's ripped onto them the day before, still minimal worries for me there (yet i wouldn't be able to not clean before) but some came looking like they'd never been cleaned before!!ever i felt so sorry for them...the bikes that is.

 

Now, I'm not judging those people,  it's their bikes, but it made me wonder if I perhaps, "over-clean" my bikes?

[/quote']

 

As long as you have the time to do this and dont cause damage (polish the paint off ) then its great. I dont mind if my bikes are a bit dirty especialy the mtb but I'm lazy when it comes to cleaning stuff so I hardly ever have the time...

It is nice to arrive at the start line with a nice clean bike, kind of like going to work with your shoes clean / polished or not.

 

 

 

 

 

DUDE!!, My house mate is like this and It pisses me off soooo much! he stands at the effing door for like 2-3 minutes feeling if its closed, he is going to pull the darn Doorknob off the door if he goes onn like that. then its the security gates turn.. again.. 2-3 minutes, by the time he is done Im so irritated I just want to leave!!! my Gosh If I lock it, I feel the key turn, I check it onec- ITS LOCKED! If we go ride and he locks up, I have done 3 or 4 warmup laps around the block by the time he comes out..

 

Yeah, I wash I wasn't like that, but seriously can't help it.

I'll checked it's locked, tell myself it's locked, KNOW it's locked...and still turn round after driving 200m down the road to make sure again!!

Car, same story!

My business doors, same story!

Securing bike onto rack, same story!

 

Maybe that Karoo idea isn't so bad after all!!

 

[L.T.G]

 

So I am not alone' date=' my motto is 3 hour bike ride and 45min wash, degrease,lube up and shine. My Stumpy S-works always looks new and no mechanical issues.

If you are going to spend 60k on a bike then look after it!

 

Cleaning is actually quite relaxing for me, but not around the house! Bikes only......

 

 

[/quote']

 

Exactly

 

[BeegMig]

I like cleaning my bike all the time.

I wash it on Fridays.

Whipe it with a damp cloth every day.

Clean and lube the chain after evrey ride.

[BeegMig]

As long as you do it right i don't think one can "over clean".

[AndreZA]

You can overclean it. I've got a bit on my frame where I've actually started going through the paint. I only wash with a car shampoo and a soft sponge. But it's been 7 years and alot of washes so I guess the "normal" bikes will never see that.

[Bos]

My Blur Is matte Black It is such a Bitch to clean..but My bitch dont mind getting a bit dirty

My roadbike has seen lube and a cloth- never water.. I use the mtb for trails so It never sees mud.

and the HT (which reminds me- I have to put pics up somewere) well she is also a dirty bitch

[Slowbee]

you okes need to ride more.

 

you have way to much time to clean your bikes.

 

 

[Slow1]

i found this web site, and just reading here, i tend to pick up that to many of you, your Mtb is your second wife. probably lets you ride more that the first wife....so after you had your way with her giver her a bath...

[Guest Big H]

Currently it is dry and dusty here in Angola. Red penetrating dust. Dust that cannot be good for your bike and components. I wash and lube the MTB Tandem once a week, Midweek I wash it down with just water. You cannot was a bike to much but you CAN wash it NOT enough. If you do not wash it enough it WILL cost you money on the long term.

 

If you are proud of your bike you will clean it. Tools that are maintained just works better. Unfortunately this is the way with things like this. If you do not do the with regular intervals you either do not care, you either have too much money or you are plain LAZY which I suspect is the case most of the time.

 

During this years ARGUS a guy with exactly the same tandem as us were standing next to us at the start. It was the dirtiest bike I have ever seen. I would die with shame to be seen close to or on an abdomination like that. What was even worse there were frayed cables everywhere and even the chains were rusted. He most likely finished the race fster than us, but we are not talking about performance here we are talking about clean bikes or dirty habits.

[droo]

I washed 2 of mine yesterday for the first time in ages. The RedWood looks HOT when she's clean. I should probably do it more often...

 

 

 

Normally I just make sure the drivetrain and pivots are shiny, the rest can be caked in 3 feet of mud and it makes no difference.

[Christopher Brunsdon]

Was going to clean my bike on Sunday but ended up sleeping in front of the TV

 

Since where on the topic of cleaning, at what point do you clean your bibs?

 

I usually wait till the streaks are nasty and then give them a good wash down in the shower. (Note to self, must get 2nd set of bibs: One in the wash and one on the road)

 

[Bos]

Was going to clean my bike on Sunday but ended up sleeping in front of the TV

Since where on the topic of cleaning' date=' at what point do you clean your bibs?

I usually wait till the streaks are nasty and then give them a good wash down in the shower. (Note to self, must get 2nd set of bibs: One in the wash and one on the road)
[/quote']

 

I Dont use a "used" bib for longer rides. If you spend some time in the saddle make sure its all clean. You dont want to chafe or get your bum bruised with a dirty bib, It can end up nasty.

Same goed for after the long ride, definately dont ride with it after a long ride.. youll be asking for trouble.

[Guest Big H]

Was going to clean my bike on Sunday but ended up sleeping in front of the TV

Since where on the topic of cleaning' date=' at what point do you clean your bibs?

I usually wait till the streaks are nasty and then give them a good wash down in the shower. (Note to self, must get 2nd set of bibs: One in the wash and one on the road)
[/quote']

 

Sies!!!!!! Yeccccch!!!!!!