# How often to clean road bike?



## Lien Sdrawde (28 Sep 2010)

I wondered how often people clean their road bikes?
Ive not taken mine anywhere really mucky yet and have been lucky avoiding the rain, so it still looks fairly clean.

Really loving my bike and i'm starting to look a different shape, so would like to treat the bike well. I resisted getting the Lidl work stand and am going to plump for another that was highly recommnded - and when it comes i'll be able to clean it properly. I'm riding outside roughly 4 times a week and have a trainer for when its really bad weather.

Thanks


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## NormanD (28 Sep 2010)

Depends on how much crud it picks up, summer time not a great deal, but this time of year I give the frame a good covering of car wax and then a polish up, which makes rinsinig the bike off much easier after every ride.

I use one of them little garden pump up pressure bottles and add some car wash n wax to it


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## ianrauk (28 Sep 2010)

As often as you like. Enjoy your bike and enjoy the cleaning.
I clean my 'fancy' bike after every ride. Once a month it get's stripped down and thoroughly cleaned.

Get yourself a stand. They do make cleaning/servicing much easier.


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## dellzeqq (28 Sep 2010)

ianrauk said:


> As often as you like. Enjoy your bike and enjoy the cleaning.
> I clean my 'fancy' bike after every ride. Once a month it get's stripped down and thoroughly cleaned.
> 
> Get yourself a stand. They do make cleaning/servicing much easier.


or buy a bike with a really shiny glaze on it and watch the dirt drop off!


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## ianrauk (28 Sep 2010)

dellzeqq said:


> or buy a bike with a really shiny glaze on it and watch the dirt drop off!



A really shiny glaze, polished with Mr Sheen...


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## threebikesmcginty (28 Sep 2010)

ianrauk said:


> As often as you like. Enjoy your bike and enjoy the cleaning.
> I clean my 'fancy' bike after every ride. Once a month it get's stripped down and thoroughly cleaned.



You'd be really pleased with the effort I put into cleaning my bike this weekend Ian - I used two whole baby wipes!


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## ianrauk (28 Sep 2010)

threebikesmcginty said:


> You'd be really pleased with the effort I put into cleaning my bike this weekend Ian - I used two whole baby wipes!



2 whole babywipes? I don't believe you.


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## fossyant (28 Sep 2010)

I'm the other Forum clean bike obsessive. Mr Sheen is awesome (original of course). My road bikes are cleaned every ride, and commuter when it get's wet or dirty - which can be every day on a wet week !


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## chris-s (28 Sep 2010)

Every week or after a long ride, but then it's still new and hasn't been allowed out in the rain yet, tho I feel that can't last much longer.

Chris


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## Chrisc (28 Sep 2010)

After every ride when new, gradually decreasing to never again after a year or so...


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## swee'pea99 (28 Sep 2010)

I think you should wash it every year.


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## adds21 (28 Sep 2010)

[quote name='swee'pea99' timestamp='1285680538' post='1411969']
I think you should wash it every year.
[/quote]

...whether it needs it or not.


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## yello (28 Sep 2010)

almost with swea'pea here... twice a year.

the drive chain get's cleaned a couple of times a month, at least, on an as-and-when basis but the bike itself... sod that for a game of soldiers


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## Norm (28 Sep 2010)

You need to clean them?


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## dellzeqq (28 Sep 2010)

I'm just hoping that Ian and fossy never meet. All that polishing, all that static electricity. Could be a heck of a bang.


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## tyred (28 Sep 2010)

Get a bike with basically no paint left in the first place and then you don't feel the need to clean it.....


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## ianrauk (28 Sep 2010)

tyred said:


> Get a bike with basically no paint left in the first place and then you don't feel the need to clean it.....



That's what you think..


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## snorri (28 Sep 2010)

Norm said:


> You need to clean them?



Every spatter of mud, every scratch and scrape reviving happy memories of a journey enjoyed or fun place visited.


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## edindave (28 Sep 2010)

My frame ain't so clean but the cassette is always shiny 

It gets a good clean every fortnight or so.


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## Davidc (28 Sep 2010)

I find that furniture polish a couple of times a year means that a wash with car shampoo when it gets dirty is adequate the rest of the time.

Mine's a tourere complete with mudguards and rack, so when it's time for a ppolish all those bits come off, the cranks and chainwheels too, so that I can get to all of the bits that accumulate crud on the paintwork.

Unlike car cleaning I enjoy it.


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## jig-sore (28 Sep 2010)

my brand new boardman gets a wipe down after every ride (and im trying to avoid riding it in the rain). with a new bike its easy to do and it keeps it looking the nice...











my commute bike is lucky if it gets cleaned one a month in the summer but it gets more attention in the winter. if its been a wet week it will get a wash at the weekend. i like it to at least look clean.

at the end of the winter it will get a proper strip down and clean ready for another year


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## threebikesmcginty (28 Sep 2010)

Like the horn - "BLAHOOO BLAHOO" 




jig-sore said:


>


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## Philk (28 Sep 2010)

I clean mine every fortnight if dry, or weekly if its raining/wet.

but mine lives in the house, so it has to be clean












Heres some pics after a good clean


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## jayonabike (28 Sep 2010)

My bikes live indoors also, so are kept pretty clean all the time


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## ianrauk (28 Sep 2010)

edindave said:


> My frame ain't so clean but the cassette is always shiny
> 
> It gets a good clean every fortnight or so.



Aaahhhhhh A man after my own heart.. nice one.


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## the_mikey (28 Sep 2010)

Mine is covered in crud after a ride around the countryside on sunday, I couldn't face scraping off the horse 'crud' after the ride, but it should be dried nicely now and brush off quite easily.


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## Lien Sdrawde (29 Sep 2010)

Many thanks for the advice


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## fossyant (29 Sep 2010)

edindave said:


> My frame ain't so clean but the cassette is always shiny
> 
> It gets a good clean every fortnight or so.



Mine is cleaner............


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## Paulus (29 Sep 2010)

Some of the teeth are starting to look shark toothed, Start saving for a new cassette:


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## Peter10 (29 Sep 2010)

Mine lives indoors so I clean it a fair amount. If I get in late from work and it has been raining, I will dry it thoroughly before bed.


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## edindave (29 Sep 2010)

Paulus said:


> Some of the teeth are starting to look shark toothed, Start saving for a new cassette:


Hope that's just the light/reflection. Each tooth has a good 3-4mm flat edge on it. No pointy ones 
Only 4mnth old and 1500 odd miles on it, and well looked after to boot. I'd be writing to Mr Boardman if it's gonna wear out that quick!


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## HJ (29 Sep 2010)

Clean a bike?? Sorry don't understand the question, but then again I am not a roadie snob, I regard bicycles as transport not a fetish object...


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## tmcd35 (29 Sep 2010)

Mmm, I clean my bike as bout as often as I put my car through the car wash - erm, never!

I like the fact that they look like they are used and abused and are the beasts of burden they were built to be rather than looking highly polished and 5 minutes from the show room (take your shoes off they may leave a dent in the carpet - pah-lease!)

That and I'm far too lazy


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## chewy (30 Sep 2010)

I love gt85


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## davefb (30 Sep 2010)

chewy said:


> I love gt85




+1  .


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## chewy (30 Sep 2010)

Gives you a lovelyy kick first thing of a morning!!!!


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## Fnaar (1 Oct 2010)

I let the rain clean my bikes






Although I do occasionally clean the rims (oo'er missus) and brake pads


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## potsy (1 Oct 2010)

ianrauk said:


> Aaahhhhhh A man after my own heart.. nice one.






Fnaar said:


> I let the rain clean my bikes
> 
> 
> 
> ...



I agree with you Fnaar,surely a bit of rain is good enough to clean most of the bike,though I do occasionally give the moving bits a spray of WD if I'm feeling energetic


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## davefb (1 Oct 2010)

Fnaar said:


> I let the rain clean my bikes
> 
> 
> 
> ...



i wish,, on my 'shorter route' as it involves some muddy bits,, i do tend to notice the gears need 'cleaning' ... 


so how do people get the gears and chain so bright/clean? do you clean in situ or take the bike apart ?


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## 007 (1 Oct 2010)

***Edited for stupidity - not going to use a pressure washer ***


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## 2Loose (1 Oct 2010)

007 said:


> Does anyone else use a pressure washer?



A bucket of hot water and a sponge only takes a couple of minutes and won't cause any damage.
How much quicker a fix are you after?

(I do tend to follow up with baby wipes on the nooks and crannies which must add another few minutes from time to time...)


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## Downward (2 Oct 2010)

After a year my roadie is still sparkling although there are a fair few stone chips now


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## Peter10 (2 Oct 2010)

How often do people clean their chain and re-lubricate it? I clean the bike most days but wondered how often (especially with current weather patterns) the chain needs cleaning.


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## potsy (2 Oct 2010)

Actually given mine a bit of a spruce up today,both wheels off,chain off,bike cleaned and checked the tyres over and pulled a few pieces of glass from them.
Rear hub and bottom bracket both sound a bit 'gritty' but they have done 3,000 miles now so time for a service soon.
Chain actually looks silver again after weeks of looking a dirty blackish colour.


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## edindave (2 Oct 2010)

I use Muck-off on the rear cassette, deraillieurs and chainring, and a chain cleaner filled with water and citrus degreaser for the chain. I do this about once a fortnight and put lube on the chain and deraillieur hinges. 

Bike mechanic at a maintenance workshop advised us never use wd40 on a chain - the particles are too small and it ends up doing more harm than good.


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## roops70 (23 Oct 2010)

I bought a "Magic Sponge" from Poundland the other day and tried it on the bike. It was amazing on the alloy and SKS mudguards - just dampening it with water! They came up shiny it a second. However I was worried about what it might do to paintwork.

Anyone know about these Magic Sponges and whether they contain abrasives?

Also what is the best thing to do with paint chips - paint them in with clear nail varnish, or just use polish on the bike? (531 frame - and some of the chips had gone rusty)


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## on the road (23 Oct 2010)

I only clean mine if I've been out in the rain or rode on a muddy road.


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## Mark_Robson (23 Oct 2010)

I use GT85 to "dry clean" my road bikes and car shampoo for the mtb's. 
What do people recommend for carbon frames? I fancy giving mine a coat of Turtle Wax and wondered what others do?


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## The Jogger (23 Oct 2010)

On the first day I got my boardman comp, the wind blew it over when I was shutting the gate and the top bar got a pretty deep scratch. What should I do about that, a bit of polish perhaps?


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## ianrauk (23 Oct 2010)

Mark_Robson said:


> I use GT85 to "dry clean" my road bikes and car shampoo for the mtb's.
> What do people recommend for carbon frames? I fancy giving mine a coat of Turtle Wax and wondered what others do?



I just use water with a tiny bit of washing up liquid, elbow grease, finished off with a good going over with Mr Sheen.
Using Mr Sheen stops a lot of the mud, crap etc sticking to the frame, and gives it a nice sparkly finish too..


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## kips (23 Oct 2010)

hi i got the lidil work stand its really strong and sturdy and only cost 30euro, one in halfords was 
over a hundred and didnt look as good.get one if they come around again you wont be dissapointed!


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## zacklaws (23 Oct 2010)

Mark_Robson said:


> What do people recommend for carbon frames? I fancy giving mine a coat of Turtle Wax and wondered what others do?



I used to use Mr Sheen but never found it that good apart from having a nice shiny bike, but I was recommended to use a polish for car dashboards after I moaned about all the muck my bike picks up one day whilst in my LBS, so I purchased some "Carplan Flash Dash". Polishes designed for car dashboards evidently have a higher silicone content than normal furniture polish, and it was quiet evident when I started using it as my bike would be almost as clean as when I set off, any remaining dirt if it was still wet would just hose off, and if it had dried, just brushed off.


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## Mark_Robson (24 Oct 2010)

Thanks for the tips guys, I'll try them both.


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## roscco (24 Oct 2010)

threebikesmcginty said:


> You'd be really pleased with the effort I put into cleaning my bike this weekend Ian - I used two whole baby wipes!




The 'Mrs' is wondering why we go through so many, ive not the heart to tell her of there other use!


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## Svendo (24 Oct 2010)

I'd used my road bike for commuting this week as the commuter isn't running, and it's been wet a few times before it got the chance to clean it yesterday. I've used furniture polish (supermarket own brand) but it'd really worn off in a few weeks. This time I've used 'finish line showroom polish and protectant' which apparently has 'waterless wash & wax technology' and has Teflon in it and reassuring safety warnings on the back, so it must be powerful! The bike is now as shiny as ever.
I'll see how this goes, and then try a car polish, Auto-Glym, which is left over from doing the GF's car.


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## aberal (24 Oct 2010)

If your bike gets wet, dry it the second you get back from the ride. If it gets muddy, wash it thoroughly then oil/lube it. Oil/lube it regularly including cables and give it a wipe down now and then. Strip it down once a year for a thorough clean. 

It's all you need to do. Look after it carefully, but don't be precious about it - that would be my advice. Life's too short.


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## Fnaar (26 Oct 2010)

The Jogger said:


> On the first day I got my boardman comp, the wind blew it over when I was shutting the gate and the top bar got a pretty deep scratch. What should I do about that...?



A self-shutting mechanism on the gate?


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## jig-sore (26 Oct 2010)

The Jogger said:


> On the first day I got my boardman comp, the wind blew it over when I was shutting the gate and the top bar got a pretty deep scratch. What should I do about that, a bit of polish perhaps?



cry  . i would


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