Is a clean bike REALLY a faster bike?

Or is it just a saying? :)

I am guilty of neglecting maintenance on my bike. I wipe the gunk off the chain and relube every couple of hundred miles...no rhyme or reason to it, just when I think of it. I'll also knock off any obvious gunk around the rear derailluer/cassette, etc, but definitely not a thorough cleaning.

Last week, I finally gave my poor bike a top to bottom cleaning. Degreaser on the chain/cassette, scrubbed with a brush in all the nooks and crannies and cogs, and a bubble bath for the frame and tires and hosing off afterwards. The chain/cassette/cogs were definitely gunky, but not terrible. I also replaced the battery in my computer.

Today, I went for a short ride, and when I started, I noticed the computer was reading much faster MPH than usual. I figured I didn't reset everything correctly when i replaced the battery. But, I finished my ride a few minutes faster than usual, and my avg MPH was a bit higher. I didn't feel like I was really pushing myself any harder than normal.

So, just a fluke, or did the shiny chain really help? ;)

undoubtedly regular maintenance will improve a bikes performance by allowing you to use it to its full potential. Along with the regular cleaning and maintenance comes the noticing of small problems which can be dealt with before they become bigger problems. The less quantitative measurement of the question are more in mental outlook. In the process of cleaning and maintaining you mentally (unconsciously) remember why you bought the bike, what you were planning to do with it, how much you enjoy riding, a sort of mental bond is re-enforced and besides it makes you bike feel much better.

Incidentally I also believe that mechanical things like children and small animals respond better to care than neglect.


I find my 10 minutes after ride bike check and my every x number of miles regular maintanence a very positive chunk of me time when I can just let the mind go and do mechanical things that give a positive result.

I ride near the ocean and sand, and I thoroughly clean my bike every weekend after the last ride, including breaking out the pipe cleaners to get sand out of the chain links. I find it meditative once I start cleaning, though usually after a long ride, I have to talk myself into starting. I don't think I'm any faster, but I like my bikes, and don't want any unnecessary wear and tear on any part of them.

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Originally Posted by marni

The less quantitative measurement of the question are more in mental outlook. In the process of cleaning and maintaining you mentally (unconsciously) remember why you bought the bike, what you were planning to do with it, how much you enjoy riding, a sort of mental bond is re-enforced and besides it makes you bike feel much better.

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This perfectly sums up how I felt when I was cleaning it!

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Originally Posted by marni

In the process of cleaning and maintaining you mentally (unconsciously) remember why you bought the bike, what you were planning to do with it, how much you enjoy riding, a sort of mental bond is re-enforced and besides it makes you bike feel much better.
(...)
Incidentally I also believe that mechanical things like children and small animals respond better to care than neglect.

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Marni, you're a quote a minute. Love it :D

I remember an argument on Car Talk where a woman called in and asked that same question about cars because her husband claimed that dirt makes it less aerodynamic and slows it down. :D

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Originally Posted by marni

undoubtedly regular maintenance will improve a bikes performance by allowing you to use it to its full potential. Along with the regular cleaning and maintenance comes the noticing of small problems which can be dealt with before they become bigger problems. The less quantitative measurement of the question are more in mental outlook. In the process of cleaning and maintaining you mentally (unconsciously) remember why you bought the bike, what you were planning to do with it, how much you enjoy riding, a sort of mental bond is re-enforced and besides it makes you bike feel much better.

Incidentally I also believe that mechanical things like children and small animals respond better to care than neglect.


I find my 10 minutes after ride bike check and my every x number of miles regular maintanence a very positive chunk of me time when I can just let the mind go and do mechanical things that give a positive result.

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Glad that you added the part with kids .. what I feel is a National problem with too many parents expecting others, including the Gov to take care of their kids.

I noticed a glitch in one gear on my bike and the LBS was close so I stopped in. The tech was busy working on another customer's bike and said that I would have to drop it off. I understood that and certainly didn't expect special treatment. But he glanced down at my bike, grabbed it, put it up on a rack and proceeded to check the gears while telling me that he enjoyed working on my bike because I keep it so clean. He even said that he never has to wash his hands after working on my bike. He even had me watch while he adjusted the tensions and explained how and why. And to top it off he didn't/would not even charge me for the service that he did.

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Originally Posted by Melalvai

I remember an argument on Car Talk where a woman called in and asked that same question about cars because her husband claimed that dirt makes it less aerodynamic and slows it down. :D

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OTOH, on a car, dirt refracts laser beams and makes it safer to go faster. :D

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Originally Posted by OakLeaf

OTOH, on a car, dirt refracts laser beams and makes it safer to go faster. :D

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I LIKE THIS - justification for the very rare occurrence of a bath for my car (that hitch rack = manual bath). It does get maintained and tires rotated properly though...

My bike probably would like a nice bath though, and she will get one this weekend. My fitter/mechanic always tells me how clean she is but I know that is relative to many of the other bikes he sees.

Oh, the stories that I could tell about working on other peoples' bikes, both excessively dirty and excessively clean....:eek: My own bikes are not spotless by any stretch, but I do regularly de-gunk the drivetrain, wipe the rims/rotors, and lube the moving parts. They all get periodically bathed as well, just to facilitate integrity inspections.

I'm not the best about cleaning my bike, but I try not to take it to the shop dirty. I once had a mechanic tell me mine was the cleanest bike he'd ever worked on. :D I think one reason cleaning is such a chore for me is that I hate doing anything half-@ssed. :p

Mechanics love to work on clean anything. I think the gunk is distracting for them :)

I'll wipe down/clean my wife's and my own bike after every ride we take. You spent a lot of money on that machine and all it wants is a little bit more of your time to keep it running good. Yes, it will still go fast dirty just like a car but it sure is nice to look through a clear windshield and have the inside vacuumed out. I think I take better care of our bikes than with the car cleaning. As far as mechanics enjoying working on clean bikes, cars, etc., my wife is an OR nurse and she has some stories about people's personal hygiene. If you can, please take a bath or shower before coming in for surgery if possible so i don't have to hear how dirty your belly button is (amongst other things).

This Dolce Sport was put up on ebay a few weeks ago.. great pics until you do the zoom on the cassettes .. would you pay what the seller wants after seeing this?

"2011 Specialized Dolce Sport Compact Womens Road Bike Gently Used Shimano Gear"

scroll over the second posted pic and zoom in on it ..

http://www.ebay.com/itm/2011-Special...vip=true&rt=nc

They asked (note, not one bid) WAY too much for that bike, even if it were spotless.

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Originally Posted by zoom-zoom

They asked (note, not one bid) WAY too much for that bike, even if it were spotless.

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Seriously. I don't mind a little dirt on the cassette (although it would be nice if they'd cleaned it first...), but that is way too much money to ask for for a used bike with what's on it.

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Originally Posted by Owlie

Seriously. I don't mind a little dirt on the cassette (although it would be nice if they'd cleaned it first...), but that is way too much money to ask for for a used bike with what's on it.

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I think they would be LUCKY to get $500, given the condition.

I agree. I sold my 2010 Spec Dolce Sport with sora/tiagra double for $500 this summer. It was spotless. I even had a couple of people lined up to see it but it sold before they could come by. I was lucky because the woman fell in love with it, just gushed and paid my asking price. I was pleasantly surprised. I'm thinking $1000 is what it went for new!!!

P2

I agree with the starting bid way over the top. That seems to be the norm on ebay and why so many don't get bids. But .. how do you figure this one? lol

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Surly-Long-H...vip=true&rt=nc

Bidding war I guess.