Would you pay someone to clean your bike?

[T4tomo]

I asked my other half this, she said "no because you do it for free!"

 

[sevenfourate]

I asked my other half this, she said "no because you do it for free!"

Not dumb are ‘they’ 😎

 

[freiston]

Detailing is the art of cleaning, beautifying, enhancing and protecting your cars (Interior, exterior and everywhere inbetween). To the enth degree by many.

The time, skill, money spent along with unwavering attention to detail some enthusiasts have is mind blowing.

Not JUST about having a fab looking clean / protected car / motorcycle, push-bike in my eyes though [Im an avid Detailer]. It’s about solitude, improving on something, time spent outside in fresh air, a sense of achievement etc etc

https://www.detailingworld.co.uk/forums/

Seems like cleaning but crossing the point where appreciation of the rule of diminishing returns is thrown out with the wash/rinse water

I take your point about it being about more than getting something clean. I once was cleaning up the other half's teaspoons (she drinks tea - I don't. I don't understand how spoons and cups can get so stained so fast) and ended up spending a few hours polishing them all with some polishing paste until they looked better than new. It didn't last long and I don't bother any more - just a good scrub in the washing up bowl.
Re. the bike - when I do clean it (other than giving it a quick wipe), I like to do a decent job of it, dropping the wheels out to get to the hard to reach bits around the mudguards etc. and I'll even take the cassette off to clean it - but ymmv and I dare say some would think of my "proper job" as a quick half-hearted job.

 

[Dogtrousers]

Not JUST about having a fab looking clean / protected car / motorcycle, push-bike in my eyes though [Im an avid Detailer]. It’s about solitude, improving on something, time spent outside in fresh air, a sense of achievement etc etc

If you really want a sense of achievement, pop round to mine and clean the interior of my car. That really would be a real achievement. And for the solitude ... I promise not to offer you a cup of tea.

 

[Alex321]

In general, no.

But if I have to take it in to a bike shop when I haven't had chance to clean it, then I may pay them to do so, depending on the necessary work.

 

[Drago]

The other benefit of cleanings ones bike oneself is that one gets to eyeball the entire bike close up, and touch every part of the bike so you get early warning of faults or loose bits.

 

[Dogtrousers]

The other benefit of cleanings ones bike oneself is that one gets to eyeball the entire bike close up, and touch every part of the bike so you get early warning of faults or loose bits.

That's very true. On a number of occasions I've removed the all important mud that was holding everything together with alarming results.

 

[CharleyFarley]

No way, Jose! We don't get filthy weather in Florida; it's either sunny or raining, and I don't ride in the rain unless I'm caught in it. My bike gets slightly dusty and all it takes to clean it is a 2" paint brush to brush the dust off. I usually do it when I'm giving the chain its regular 100 miles clean and lube. I put the bike on the work stand (to do the chain) then spin the wheels while holding the paint brush to the rims. When I'm done with the dusting, I give the whole thing a dousing with spray polish. My fat bike is now six years old and looks like new. Same for the 3-years old cruiser. Five minutes is all it takes to clean each bike. If I paid someone else, at $10 an hour, they'd make 83 cents per bike. Nah, I'm too cheap even for that.

 

[Drago]

I use my old Y fronts to clean and polish my bike, although I really ought to wash them first as the bike seems to end up, er, 'muddier' than before I started.

 

[Bollo]

I’m not an enthusiastic bike cleaner but wouldn’t pay someone else to do it because I’m a tight@rse. The functional bits on my main ride are pretty filth-tolerant, which hasn’t improved my maintenance regimen.

 

[Seevio]

I have no issues with the "someone else cleaning my bike" part of things. It's the paying them to do it, that fundamentally disturbs me.

 

[fritz katzenjammer]

Working at a bike shop I’m regularly amazed at how filthy some bikes are when they come in for service, however we are quite please to clean these poor relics up.

And thats why our most popular service is $180.

People are so lazy. Especially when you consider the bike would run better if they just kept it clean and oiled it once in a while.

 

[PK99]

My LBS offers standard servicing or "clean and degrease" service. Comes back with drive train spotless.

 

[fritz katzenjammer]

My LBS offers standard servicing or "clean and degrease" service. Comes back with drive train spotless.

Yeah, we do that... some of the cleaners are amazing, especially if used warm. Our parts washer warms and filters the cleaner as it pumps it.

They are very good at cleaning the lube out of freewheels and hubs and bearings as well.

Not that you can get it back in there nearly as easily.

I spent years in engineering in the automotive industry, primarily in bearings oddly enough. A lot of the bearings I see when servicing bikes have pretty marginal sealing systems, certainly not what we would have passed off as waterproof. Once you treat them to the parts washer their days are likely numbered.

 

[Drago]

I spent years in engineering in the automotive industry, primarily in bearings oddly enough.

Interesting. Most folk turn up for work in clothes.