If there’s salt on the road, I do a quick rinse and clean and lube the chain when I get home from work. It takes me about 10 minutes.
Otherwise, I do a more thorough cleaning every ~250 miles or so.
LiGuangMing1981 on
No road salt here in Shanghai, so during the rainy winter months, I clean and lubricate the drivetrain every weekend and that’s about it – I don’t bother with a full wash since it’ll just get dirty again right away.
whoknowshank on
In winter it’s snowy and filthy so I rinse after every ride. But I have a car wash in my underground parkade so it’s a really easy rinse. I wash the cassette with soap in the tub every few months or so.
SupaBrunch on
I’ve found a shoe brush works great for a quick clean off. Knocks off all the loose grass and dust. Even works pretty good for those dried water spots honestly.
That’s honestly the only cleaning I ever do since I’ve got a belt drive and I don’t have to worry about rust.
thatguythatdied on
I probably don’t wash my bike as often as I should, but winter rides here tend to be cold enough that there isn’t any mud involved and the snow just melts off once I’m home.
Nihmrod on
Never. I don’t want salt water seeping into places it doesn’t belong. If I see spots of rust I treat them with paint or oil.
asb308 on
If it’s salty on the road, I’ll spray it down with clean water after I get home. If the chain starts to look a little rusty or feel gritty, I’ll lube it once it dries.
If the bike is just dirty with normal road dirt, no salt, I leave it alone until it gets quite dirty.
oldfrancis on
At the end of my ride I rinse the bike with a hose gently, avoiding bearing locations, and I dry it top to bottom with a leaf blower.
It’s about 5 to 10 minutes.
GoCougs2020 on
The winter in Seattle area is pretty mild. And they don’t salt the road. So never.
In fact, the rain will wash off my bike for me when I’m commuting.
I don’t wonder off pavement often, so my bike doesn’t really get dirty.
1sttime-longtime on
Rock and Roll Gold Lube.
Indoor garage at work. Lunchbreak hose-down, wipe down. More Gold Lube.
10 Comments
If there’s salt on the road, I do a quick rinse and clean and lube the chain when I get home from work. It takes me about 10 minutes.
Otherwise, I do a more thorough cleaning every ~250 miles or so.
No road salt here in Shanghai, so during the rainy winter months, I clean and lubricate the drivetrain every weekend and that’s about it – I don’t bother with a full wash since it’ll just get dirty again right away.
In winter it’s snowy and filthy so I rinse after every ride. But I have a car wash in my underground parkade so it’s a really easy rinse. I wash the cassette with soap in the tub every few months or so.
I’ve found a shoe brush works great for a quick clean off. Knocks off all the loose grass and dust. Even works pretty good for those dried water spots honestly.
That’s honestly the only cleaning I ever do since I’ve got a belt drive and I don’t have to worry about rust.
I probably don’t wash my bike as often as I should, but winter rides here tend to be cold enough that there isn’t any mud involved and the snow just melts off once I’m home.
Never. I don’t want salt water seeping into places it doesn’t belong. If I see spots of rust I treat them with paint or oil.
If it’s salty on the road, I’ll spray it down with clean water after I get home. If the chain starts to look a little rusty or feel gritty, I’ll lube it once it dries.
If the bike is just dirty with normal road dirt, no salt, I leave it alone until it gets quite dirty.
At the end of my ride I rinse the bike with a hose gently, avoiding bearing locations, and I dry it top to bottom with a leaf blower.
It’s about 5 to 10 minutes.
The winter in Seattle area is pretty mild. And they don’t salt the road. So never.
In fact, the rain will wash off my bike for me when I’m commuting.
I don’t wonder off pavement often, so my bike doesn’t really get dirty.
Rock and Roll Gold Lube.
Indoor garage at work. Lunchbreak hose-down, wipe down. More Gold Lube.