Originally Posted by
BluesDawg
I almost never pour or spray water on my bike to clean it. Usually I brush off the worst dirt or grime and wipe off the rest with a cloth and 409 or Simple Green. This works even after a major mudfest on my MTB as long as I let it dry first. If any of the components are too dirty to be cleaned that way, I remove them and clean them in a wash tub. That normally only is done for the annual teardown and maintenance.
Road bikes always get a run down with a damp cloth after stripping wheels and seat post off. Only exception is the chain that gets cleaned with a chain cleaner. Just get the feeling that a road bike does not get dirty enough to wash off.
But the MTB's--- They need decomtamination and unless I clean it immediately I get home- It is going to be dirty on the next ride. Wash off with a hose- Then spray with a cleaning soap and wash off again. Then it is off with the wheels and seat post -clean the chain and then spray with a water displacing oil (WD 40 or the like). Shake and leave for a couple of hours while I clean the wheels and have a shower. Then it is back to the nice bit of polishing the thing and repairing or replacing any bits that were not working properly on the ride.
But that annual stripdown. Only done religiously on the Tandem but every part comes off the frame- Forks get stripped and cleaned and on stripdown or before- Parts are checked to see if they need replacing and wheels are sent to the builder for retension and trueing. Something satisfying about that annual rebuild. What is more rewarding is that I know that it will last another year before it needs a fortune spent on it---Again.