How often do you need to clean your road bike?

[tiffanywinnie]

How often, what with and is a weekly wash good enough to keep your chain clean.

I've just got a new bike and noticed how clean but still greased the chain is.

My other bike (hybrid) ive had for about 10 yrs, never serviced and i've used any oil i could get my hands on for the chain. The result is a black mess, but still working ok.

 

[RedBike]

It depends on which bike.

The MTB gets cleaned before it goes back in the house. It's normally so thick with mud i've got no other choice. I don't bother to clean the chain or lube anything.

The best road bike gets put away mucky but then I spend the next day cleaning everything including the chain. I even go the trouble of using de-greasers, polish and chain baths.

The commuter gets thrown in the shed in whatever state it's in and very rarely gets touched. My idea of cleaning it is to turn the hose pipe on it at the same time as the MTB. The chain is normally kept pretty clean though. I just wipe the chain with a cloth then stick a bit of lube on.

If your chain lasted 10 years then you can't be doing many miles!
My chains typically only last about 6 months (6k miles).

You should never lubricate a dirty chain. It just washes and holds dirt between the links/rollers which is what does all the damage.

You should replace the chain when 12 links measures more than 12"-1/16th unless you fancy wearing out your cassette and chainrings at an alarming rate.

Even changing my chain regularly I typically only get a years worth of riding from a cassette.

 

[Joe24]

Well, it all depends.
I waxed my frame twice, and it seems to keep itself pretty clean, water just runs off it, so it never gets really dirty.
I wash my fixed every so often. Was just over a month between the wash i gave it last, and the one before that.
The chain, will get a wipe and oiled then wiped again every day, or every other day(but i do do a good few miles on it)
I wash my fixed with Wilkos own 'Wash n Wax' which works very well.
Give it a good wash with that and leave it to dry and it gets nice and shiny.

Wax it with a good wax(auto glym is what i used, what we had around) then leave it 24hours, then wax it again. Then you can be lazy and not wash it much!


My chain when i rode a geared bike would last me a month, which was about 1000miles. Measure them like Redbike says.
My chain now(1/8th because i ride fixed) last me a few months before they need changing, its very nice

 

[tiffanywinnie]

Hybrid is manky but i think i will take it to the shop to have it serviced. All this chain measuring is a bit technical for me.

I used it before i had my daughter and then it was put away in someone elses shed, so I didn't see it for a few years. I've just stared pottering around on it with my daughter but decided i wanted to do some more serious riding at weekend, so have bought a road bike. I noticed how clean the chain was compared to the other one.

gave my new bike a clean today with washing up liquid!! and then noticed that's not such a good thing to use. So I am going to wax it as advised and get some proper clear? grease to use on the chain.

 

[GrasB]

My bikes get a weekly wash in car snow foam then rinsed down with a hose. The chain is then washed in de-greaser shampoo, rinsed down again & oiled. They never look great but look a lot better than never washed.

 

[Fab Foodie]

Hi
Despite what somebody else will tell you, Fairy liquid's just fine (cue somebody saying about salt etc etc), just rinse it off.
Chain cleaning, just use the Mickle Method (TM), wipe chain with rag, or even better a baby wipe, lube with oil (3 in 1 is fine... somebody will be along to tell that it's not) wipe again with rag/baby wipe, libe again and wipe. Simples.
In fact baby wipes are perfect for cleaning the whole bike. Wax polishes are nice too and Mr Sheen is simple, available and works wonders.

 

[RedBike]

Hybrid is manky but i think i will take it to the shop to have it serviced. All this chain measuring is a bit technical for me.

There's nothing that technical about it.
Get a ruler, hold it against the chain with the zero lined up against a pin.
Count 24pins / 12 links and read off the length.
A new chain will measure 12" exactly. The longer the chain the more worn out it is!.

Don't put grease anywhere near the chain. Just go out and buy either Finish Line green. (Doesn't wash off easy / last ages but the chain does go black.)
Or
Finish line Wax. (It keeps the chain spotless because it falls off as it gets mucky. It's not very good in really tough or wet conditions.)

 

[jimboalee]

Clean your bike as often as you like.

Myself, I like to change tubes (when it gets a puncture) on a nice clean bike.

 

[Joe24]

Clean your bike as often as you like.

Myself, I like to change tubes (when it gets a puncture) on a nice clean bike.

Get tyres where you dont get a puncture

Its more the wheels i find i need to keep clean. Get all dirt off those when you touch them.

 

[jimboalee]

Get tyres where you dont get a puncture

Its more the wheels i find i need to keep clean. Get all dirt off those when you touch them.

Please, please, please x 10^6 tell me where they are !!!!!!!!

 

[Joe24]

Please, please, please x 10^6 tell me where they are !!!!!!!!

Get solid ones Jimbo, you know they make sence

 

[Jim_Noir]

Cycle in the pouring rain, free cycle wash.

 

[lukesdad]

Chain wear depends on the chain I find 7 speed last a lot longer than 9 s for example and I dont give them the same sort of care and attention either.

 

[PBancroft]

I clean my bike once a week, but no more than a quick wipe over really. Every now and then I give it a thorough wash, but not all that often.

I do clean the chain using the Mickle Method every week however (this is about the 80 mile mark at the moment, though you can tell from my mileage stats below that earlier in the year it was substantially less).

 

[smeg]

I use car shampoo and Mr.Sheen my hybrid/tourer never seems to get dirty though so it's not very often, still looks brand new, even when I'm out in the wet - having proper mudguards seems to make a lot of difference in keeping the crap off.