How to clean a dirty bike

[jgspin]

To cyclocross riders or off road riders or riders who get their bikes muddy or real dirty how do you clean your bikes? I got caught in the rain for about 45 minutes a couple of days ago and my bike got dirty with sand/dirt and grime. Do you guys spray it off with water or do you just wipe it with a wet/moist rag/paper towel?

[AngryScientist]

wet towel for the big stuff, then wipe down with detailer stuff.

http://www.motionperformance.co.uk/images/Quick%20Detailer.gif

[Frankwurst]

I Spray it off with water,get all the crud off, wipe it down with a chamois and have a beer. But I'm not mister maintenance by any stretch of the imagination. :beer:

[stephenmarklay]

depends on the bike. If its steel I try not to spray too much. Carbon or Aluminium I spray away. Be mindful of bearings. Headsets especially as the water will just drip down.

[markie]

Wait for it to dry and then brush it off.

Or more likely leave it dirty ready for the next ride....

[Cat3roadracer]

After a most muddy cross race yesterday - hose it all off, not with presssure washer pressure, but regular hose pressure. Bucket, car soap, sponge. Go up work. Rinse, repeat if necessary. Dry the whole thing off with your utility towel, lube the chain. Done.

[Cat3roadracer]

After the wash- Hang it up in the basement overnight, and then lemon Pledge on the frame. Nice.

[Skrawny]

+1 the finish with lemon pledge is key!
(just don't get it on your rims)
-s

[BumbleBeeDave]

. . . near the BB or hubs. Water can infiltrate from the pressure and do damage.

Don't forget to pull your wheels and get grit out of your brake shoes or it will just grind down your brake track.

When I get home from a rain ride I hose off the bike, scrub the brake tracks, then take the bike down to the basement, pull the seatpost, and set upside down in the basement bathroom with the door closed and a dehumidifier running.

BBD

[rwsaunders]

It's timely that you posted this as I had to clean the bike last night after this past week's wet weather rides. I actually find it to be relaxing and a good way to perform a safety check on my bike.

I have one bike built for bad weather with wider tires and canti's, and the fenders keep most of the bad stuff off of the drivetrain. However, after a ride in the rain or Winter slop, I pull the wheels and scrub the rims and tires with a scrubbrush and soapy water, as it only takes a few minutes.

While scrubbing, I also take a look to see if I picked up any glass, stones or other foreign objects in the tread. I clean the brake pads as well with a toothbrush to remove the crud from around the pads, as there is no sense cleaning the rims if the pads are dirty afterwards. Lube the cables ends, derailleurs, brake parts and chain and I'm pretty much good to go for the next ride.

[TAW]

Not to be contrary, but when somebody brings their bike into the shop and tells us that they hose it down to clean it, it won't be long until they have some squeak or creak they want us to find. Get a rag wet with water and wipe it down to get all the crud off, then use some degreaser mix to get the tough stuff off. ;)

[thinpin]

After several hours riding in the rain a rinse down with a garden hose to get the sand and crud off is not going to do anything that has not not already been going on! Wiping sandy grime on a paint or chrome finish regularly just cant be good.
After a full wet ride I'll take chain and wheels off and clean those separately. Rinse down the frame etc. with garden hose then wash with light soap and water. Rinse wipe dry (Dehumidifier? BBD - fire up another generator ;) ) Wax or pledge of choice.

[Stan Lee]

I use a hose, then wipe it down, lube the chain (and occasionally the pivot points) and I'm good to go. Once or twice a year I will pull wheels, cranks and anything else needed to do a thorough cleaning. I also replace my chain every 4 months to save the drive train and all this has worked like a charm for years.

[rugbysecondrow]

Wait for it to dry and then brush it off.

Or more likely leave it dirty ready for the next ride....


This is about right, I might use baby wipes on it them occasionally because biggest issue I have is tar from the rural roads I ride. My fendered Bedford is ridden in the rain regularly and I be sure the chain is clean and lubes. If my bikes get really dirty and muddy (think chunks of mud) I will hose the frame to get the chunks off but that is more because I don't want mud in my basement.

The key is not how you clean it after use but how it has been treated and cleaned prior so that grime doesn't adhere much. I use a pedros polish when I tune up the bikes.

Also

[biker72]

+1 the finish with lemon pledge is key!
(just don't get it on your rims)
-s
+2
Same here..

[LesMiner]

I moved away from using a garden hose. Instead I got bottle sprayer from a home center. Typically the bottle sprayer is used for gardening applications but it works great to clean a bike. How much spray and where the spray goes is much easier to control. I also use a second sprayer with car wash soap when needed. I use an old Park consumer bike work stand to hold the bike in whatever position I need to get at the under side of the down tube and bottom bracket and other areas. I can also inspect everything up close while washing and rinsing.

[Ralph]

If it's really dirty, as after Cross or Mt bike riding, I would probably rinse off with very low pressure water hose, then clean further with rag and WD 40 to stop corrosion and rust. Being very careful not to further push dirt and grime into BB area, pedals, etc. Otherwise just use rag wet with WD 40. There are a few points I would put some very light lube or WD 40, where cables enter housing, brake pivots, lube chain,etc. I use Q tip and WD 40 inside bolt heads.

I don't ride in mud or wet with road bike, but do drip a lot of sweat on my bikes, and I must sweat battery acid, cause I have to be very carefl to avoid corrosion where sweat drops.

[sg8357]

This works, one bucket of soapy water, one bucket clean water.

http://www.belgiumkneewarmers.com/2008/10/the-art-of-the-bike-wash.html

The actual reason to clean your bike is to look for broken and worn stuff.

[jgspin]

Thanks for all the responses. This is what I did. I was too lazy and tired to clean my bike the same day so I let it dry overnight then the next day I brushed the dirt off and used and damp cloth the clean the bike. It's a titanium frame so when there are too many scratches I just use a 2000 grit wet/dry sandpaper on an electric sander and buff all the scratches I can find.