Bike wash. How often do you wash? I know those that never wash and those that wash after every ride. I think both those extremes are, well … extreme.
I am in the camp that cleans my bike ‘when it needs it’. No tongue in cheek meaning, I am not using code words for never. Literally, just watch it and wash as needed. Sometimes it needs it because of gunk from road or trail spray and sometimes it is gunk from tubeless goo, your own water bottle or even your own body. The chain needs more specific attention. I have tried various things but have settled on Squirt. Often I hot wax a new chain and then use squirt for all the rest of the lubes. More on that next week.
Road Bikes, Gravel bikes and Mountain Bikes are different but the same theory applies. When it needs it – then clean it. The difference is that based on conditions, some bikes need it way more often. I am not opposed to having some dirt or dust on my bikes. We all know when it needs washing. If I rewax the chain, I also wash the bike … and vise versa. Lubing the chain on off or dirt road bikes is usually a more frequent task than on your pure road bike.
How do you wash your bike? Power wash? Hose in your front yard? Shower? Car wash? In the past I have used most of those. In an apartment I had an adapter that fit on my kitchen sink, I attached a hose and ran it through my dining room, living room, out through the parking lot to the grassy area. It was great because I could use warm water. I still miss that warm water during the winter. I use a hose and a brush – one brush for chain and gears and another for the rest of the bike. Although, with wax lube it might be ok to use the same brush all over. I use dish detergent. I tried car wash (it is cheap and great for cars) but the stuff on my bike seemed to stick. I will try it again. I am even read some positive reviews about bike wash. Hmmmm. I have not tried any, so if you have a positive experience with one – let me know in the comments. I am always open…
Paint. The type of paint on your bike impacts the dirt attraction; both sticking and washing off. Those of you with matte paint on the bike understand. The shinier the paint the easier it is to clean and the less that sticks to it. It is just common logic. Matte is matte because the surface is not completely smooth. As a result, it is ‘rougher’ with more surface area, and it is easier for dirt to attach. It just is what it is.
I think I do a good job washing my bike; then I saw a buddy wash his. Both wheels off, holding it in his lap like a baby and getting every millimeter, crack and crevice. Nope, I wash well but not that detailed. I wash mine more than he does, because I ride mine more than he does.
You know the spectrum. There are those that ride and those that love to own bikes. He used to ride really well, but it appears that he enjoys finding and building the perfect bike more than he likes riding it. I am assuming that is more common than I thought based on the ads I see for used bikes. That was an article from a past week though.
Bike wash. I have a ‘dedicated’ area and a bucket that contains all my bike wash supplies. I have a bike hanger so that it suspends my bike and I can wash it with ease. It then sits in a bike rack for a bit (usually I wash more than one at a time). Often I dry it and then put a coat of wax (bike lust or pledge) on it and the let the chain dry completely before adding Squirt (my choice of dry lube). I have tried the others and that is yet another article for next week. Pledge? A trusted bike shop guy told me about it. I stopped him for clarification. Recently I have even read articles about it … seems it is all over now.
Yes, there are times when my bikes are sparkly and clean and times when it appears that they always have a layer of road dust/dirt on them. Thus is life and time. I do like them to be clean, but I prefer to ride them. When time is limited, the cleaning will get neglected before the riding…
How about you? Special cleaning technique?
