[Fleshbits]

I just bought a new Giant Trance 2, and it is the bees knees. I know alot of you probably spent a lot more on your bikes, but this is quite an investment to me!

I took it out today with my brother after a rain. We learned a new lesson. Do no go out after a rain. Both our fancy new bikes were caked with mud. I saw so much mud on my chain, I decided to stop for fear of grinding all my shiny new parts to oblivion.

We took it home and pondered how to clean them.
We decided on the following procedures:

1) Wash it off with low pressure water from the hose. There just doesn't seem to be any other way to get so much bulk off. We were careful not to force any water into any sealed areas, but we certainly got them all wet.
2) Give it a quick dry on the metal parts with some towels
3) Got a bucket with some dish soap and water and went to town on the drive train with brushes
4) We powered up the air compressor and sprayed it with compressed air anywhere there was a moving part or seal, but were careful to keep some distance from the seals so as to not force moisture in
5) Wiped the rotors with a clean micro fiber cloth
6) Reapplied lube on the chain for a couple spins, until we had some residue on our hands while holding the chain

Is this a safe procedure? Is it OK to wash your bike off with the hose like this? I want to be good to my new baby!

 

[nauc]

 

[HerrKaLeu]

Just use low pressure hose on a mist or similar setting. Maybe aid with some warm soap water.

Most of the time I really only clean around the drive train. The tires and frame can stay dirty. A clean MTB is like a clean Jeep....

 

[PuddleDuck]

I just bought a new Giant Trance 2, and it is the bees knees. I know alot of you probably spent a lot more on your bikes, but this is quite an investment to me!

I took it out today with my brother after a rain. We learned a new lesson. Do no go out after a rain. Both our fancy new bikes were caked with mud. I saw so much mud on my chain, I decided to stop for fear of grinding all my shiny new parts to oblivion.

We took it home and pondered how to clean them.
We decided on the following procedures:

1) Wash it off with low pressure water from the hose. There just doesn't seem to be any other way to get so much bulk off. We were careful not to force any water into any sealed areas, but we certainly got them all wet.
2) Give it a quick dry on the metal parts with some towels
3) Got a bucket with some dish soap and water and went to town on the drive train with brushes
4) We powered up the air compressor and sprayed it with compressed air anywhere there was a moving part or seal, but were careful to keep some distance from the seals so as to not force moisture in
5) Wiped the rotors with a clean micro fiber cloth
6) Reapplied lube on the chain for a couple spins, until we had some residue on our hands while holding the chain

Is this a safe procedure? Is it OK to wash your bike off with the hose like this? I want to be good to my new baby!

Nice! You did great. I'd be careful with the air compressor, and probably only use it to dry the chain quickly.

This is great to use as a wash - https://muc-off.com/products/nano-tech-bike-cleaner

...and this as a polish - https://www.bikeradar.com/reviews/m...leaning/maxima-sc1-high-gloss-coating-review/ (OR just use furniture polish...or car polish - my bikes gleam!!!)

You can clean your rotors with isopropyl alcohol. It's really important to not get any oil or grease or even fingerprints on your pads and rotors.

 

[TheDwayyo]

I'd skip the towel dry and air compressor except for every couple months when you're doing a deeper clean - it just isn't going to matter when you're taking it back out to the dirt soon anyway. Also you need to wipe excess oil off your chain by running the chain through a rag as you pedal backwards (or in a stand) - it also cleans the chain. (That said, you've got that good new grease on your chain, don't do anything to the chain until that's no longer there... It's precious clubbed seal blubber and you want to get the most time out of it you can!)

Side note: If you were caking your bike with mud you were almost certainly doing damage to the trail that someone will now have to go out and repair. Sounds like an honest mistake, so no worries but in the future the rule of thumb is if you are leaving a rut then you shouldn't be riding. Ruts turn a trail designed to drain quickly into a puddle/mudhole since they create a new low spot in the middle of the trail. Some trails can handle riding literally in the rain, some can't handle riding five days after rain... You just gotta learn your locals and how they react to water - most areas have that one trail that is known for holding up the best.

 

[Lone Rager]

I like to wash and clean as infrequently as possible. I use s small stiff brush to remove dried mud and dirt. There are few (very few) situations where I'll gently rinse the bike.

IMO, the majority of cleaning efforts have no benefit other than cosmetic, and in some cases can have deleterious ramifications.

Riding wet muddy trails is situation specific. Sometimes it's fine and sometimes it's not.

 

[Crankout]

Oh boy...here we go again.

 

[TheDwayyo]

Riding wet muddy trails is situation specific. Sometimes it's fine and sometimes it's not.

When is it OK to ride muddy trails? If you'd just said 'wet' I'd totally agree, but I don't really think it's ever OK to ride muddy trails - unless of course they're not public trails and the owner doesn't care. I guess regionally it might be acceptable some places, but I don't think it's fine in those situations more just tolerated.

Riding muddy trails always causes damage.

Oh boy...here we go again.

Which - muddy trails or washing bikes? Both can cause contentious discussions.

 

[fuzzymusketeer]

Simple green, , and misted water with a sponge after heavily soiled. Otherwise, wipe dirt off chain and relube before next ride. If I'm following "responsible protocol" I start with deep cleaning the drivetrain with Park Tool chain scrubber(lifesaver) and medium stiffness plastic bristle brush with simple green, and relube. Dry and polish the frame, and any other existential regulatory maintenance follows, so my bike looks good, rides fast, and lasts for years.

 

[Jetta2010]

let dry, wipe with dry rag, ride, repeat

 

[Lone Rager]

When is it OK to ride muddy trails? ...

e.g. Vast majority of trails in New England. Rocky, rooty, muddy, ride year round all conditions. None of these have been built or are maintained for your mtbing pleasure and most have existed since long before mtbs were around. There are so many trails like this it's rare to see another mtbr, even in the more popular and frequented areas. Totally common to meet up or do a group ride rain or shine.

Many places in the West suck in this regard with trails closed or unrideable more than 1/2 the year.

 

[Lone Rager]

let dry, wipe with dry rag, ride, repeat

Good too, IMO. But a brush is less likely to scratch the finish, if that's a concern. My finish is scratched from big rocks hitting it, or vice versa.

 

[Miker J]

I like to wash and clean as infrequently as possible. I use s small stiff brush to remove dried mud and dirt. There are few (very few) situations where I'll gently rinse the bike.

IMO, the majority of cleaning efforts have no benefit other than cosmetic, and in some cases can have deleterious ramifications.

Riding wet muddy trails is situation specific. Sometimes it's fine and sometimes it's not.

Wise words.

 

[Miker J]

e.g. Vast majority of trails in New England. Rocky, rooty, muddy, ride year round all conditions. None of these have been built or are maintained for your mtbing pleasure and most have existed since long before mtbs were around. There are so many trails like this it's rare to see another mtbr, even in the more popular and frequented areas. Totally common to meet up or do a group ride rain or shine.

Many places in the West suck in this regard with trails closed or unrideable more than 1/2 the year.

Well I'l be darned...

More wise words.

 

[Dacaur]

I wouldn't use dish soap to wash my bike. Use something made for cars. Dish soap will dull your finish over time.

 

[laherna]

You guys wash your bikes????


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[kpdemello]

Wait till the mud dries then brush it off. That's generally all I do.

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

 

[Crankout]

Nuke that thang, son....

 

[Battery]

My bro in law never washes his bike. When i stop by to visit, I can't even identify what bike he has under the mud and muck. I always tell him to clean his chain but he prefers to just ride it while filthy until it's time to replace it.

 

[bakerjw]

The last time that one of my bikes was that bad, I was on the side of the road North of Elkford with the bike in a raging stream splashing water wherever I could to get the sand and rocks out of the cassette and chain.