Embarrassed by dirty bike!

[annie]

There was a time that I kept my bikes so spotless that I was the envy of my biking friends! Not so now, not at all, not even close. That was when I worked part time and would spend hours cleaning every little speck of dirt till my bikes gleamed. I now live in the real world. And work full time and ride as much as possible. So my bikes get dirty. I make a real effort to keep the drivetrains clean and lubed. But the frames, I am sad to say, no longer gleam and shine. SO -- any suggestions on quick and easy clean-ups? Or do I need to be less lazy and reserve a few hours every week or so for catch up cleaning? How important IS it to the maintence of the bike to do regular cleanings? Other than aesthetics, am I causing irrepairable damage to my bikes by ignoring routine cleaning? What do you think?

Annie

[teigyr]

I'm surprised nobody answered because I was curious also.

Speaking as someone who has to scrap for time to ride, cleaning has been a challenge. DH just learned (he is new to cycling) that chains are silver and not black

The LBS here said to wait until the mud's dry then use a soft brush to brush it off. I used to think I had to clean and polish my bike all the time and RIGHT after I rode but I've been told to wait until everything's dried. Then again, it seems like everyone I talk to has a different opinion.

[SouthernBelle]

I think a lot depends on what material your frame is made from and what kind of finish it has. You can't always be sure what you pick up off the road and it may pit your paint job. Thus leading to rust.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

If you live somewhere with access to a garden hose, it's easy enough to just hose your bike off (GENTLY, and don't spray into the hubs) and go over it super quickly with a very soft big brush. This takes all of about three minutes for me.
I do wipe and relube my chain pretty thoroughly every week or so. If my bike gets splattered with mud or road salt/slush I do at least hose that off when i get home.
I don't keep my bike sparkling clean all the time- I do a thorough cleaning every 2 or 3 months -if it needs it. A lot depends on how much you ride and under what conditions.
Sparkling eternally clean bikes are like sparkling clean homes- a troubling indication that one might have w-a-y too much time on one's hands!

[Starfish]

I read in a Bicycling Magazine article once that it is OK to use Baby Wipes for spot cleaning the frame. I've been doing this (aluminum frame, also saddle, etc), and it is very handy.

I would be curious to hear if anyone knows/thinks this is bad for the bike?

[Kalidurga]

I rode my old Schwinn hybrid for 10 years with fairly frequent cleaning of the drivetrain, but only an occassional wipe of the frame. It looked like a grimy little dirtball, but it rode just fine

Now, the bike I bought last year has been a different matter. For some reason, I've avoided getting it out in serious mud. It was just so purty when I bought it! It's been through choking limestone dust and a few light splashes of mud, but so far it's stayed cleaner than the old bike. Even so, the drivetrain gets much more attention than the frame. Back in February, though, I took it apart and polished it up with some Bike Lust (great product name!). It looked almost brand new again, until I hit the towpath a week ago.

My thinking is that the moving parts are the ones that need the most attention in order to keep the bike moving. Dirt or road grime on the frame isn't going to damage it unless you've got chipped paint or a crack. As long as you inspect your frame periodically, looking for those chips or cracks, you should be able to head off any problems. Beyond that, yeah, it's just aesthetics As for quick clean-ups, Knotted Yet recently made the great suggestion of wiping down the frame with Armor All wipes. When I run out of Bike Lust, I'm gonna try those.