BCDrums

The post is not about cleaning your drivetrain; it's about cleaning your bike. I took this to mean The Bike, not just the chain and sprockets and rings. It's about the frame, the wheels, the cockpit, the bike. Perhaps I misunderstand the OP's question. I think waxing is for obsessives. I like obsessives, they can lead to progress. But I am not one. I can ride 20 miles while a waxer is waxing.

Mad Honk 

Andy,
I have learned over the years to charge what I am worth so the charges are $100 per hour, and the rate for a complete overhaul is 4.1 hours from the manual 40 years ago. That would likely make some here choke, but that is the cost of good service. And that doesn't tell all of the story. To do it right means dis-assembly of all of the parts refurbishing them and then putting them back together again. Refurbishing of bearing surfaces and services takes about a half hour apiece and there is more than one. Cleaning waxing and replacing cable housings and cables, and all of the intricate work to make them all work correctly again takes labor time. I doubt I can do a complete overhaul in less than the four hours I used to be able to do it in in a shop environment.I am in awe of those who can do it today in the by the book allotted time. Perhaps it is time to update the Flat Rate Manual. Smiles, MH

Andrew R Stewart 

MH- There's no way I would promise a complete overhaul 4.1 hours completion after drop off. Real life service work takes longer then book time just about every time if the bike is used, longer if old and/or neglected. Flat rate, in my understanding (and I've had this very discussion w/ John Barnett many years ago as I was ordering his set of shop service manuals) are based on equipment that is not worn, corroded or even used. My "working" time to do an overhaul on a common loose balled, multi speed bike (not an IGH) is closer to twice that 4.1 hours. Typically spread over a couple of days (because in a retail service shop people coming through the door have priority over the bike in the stand and then there's that pesky communication devise, the phone). Now when you add in the homework time to look up parts availability, order them, receive into the shop inventory and continue with that overhaul started a few days ago (delivery day delays are common) the real time grows.

But this is drifting from the OP's question so I'll leave this here. Andy

kingston 

As I said. It's only relevant if you care about having a clean drivetrain.

BCDrums

As the man said, "Wax on, whacks off."

Olefeller77 

Answer to question - No- You should hire a responsible teen to carefully wash your bike with direction from one of the many good videos . That might be a tad less expense than the & 70 per hour of a shop and you would be doing the right thing. .

LV2TNDM

I had a head mechanic who would gripe every time a customer brought in a really dirty bike. He'd say, "I bet these people brush their teeth before visiting the dentist!" I always found this to be a humorous analogy.

That said, cleaning a bicycle is or should be a service the LBS provides. Make it a money-maker. Mechanic is happier and will probably do better work on a non-grungy bike and customer gets a repaired AND clean bike. That improves the perceived quality the customer receives. Plus, who doesn't take joy in riding down the street on your freshly-tuned and cleaned steed? Only real obstacle I see would be a place to perform this as well as any potential hazardous waste issues.

LV2TNDM

Interestingly, I've heard the exact opposite. I can't remember where it was from, but I remember it being a pretty good authority. The thought process was this: a bike is invariably exposed to many corrosive elements over time. Mostly this is sweat. And if you live in an area where road salt is used, or a marine environment, salt is an issue. If a bike is merely wiped down, corrosive agents enter and stay in all the nooks and crannies, causing corrosion. Whereas if you thoroughly wash a bicycle with soap and water occasionally, you remove all of these corrosive agents. In general, their point was that, counter to intuition, never washing a bike can cause more corrosion issues over its life than responsible, thorough cleaning. I can't remember where I saw this, but I seem to remember it being Co-Motion or some Northwest bike company.

And I come from the side to err on caution and tend to not wash down a bike if I can avoid it. So when I came across the above, I was taken aback. That said, whenever I return from a mud ride, it's impossible for me to leave it caked on if a hose is within reach. At that point, the thing's so dirty anyway, a little more water isn't going to make a difference. Plus, after it's been hosed off, it can then be properly dried and the chain attended to. Definitely want to address the chain - rinse out the grit, dry (preferably with a compressor) and relubricate.

And if I were riding in the rain frequently, I'd be sure to use and reapply frame prep (MTBR did a great test and found Fluid Film to be the winner. JP Wiegle didn't do so well.). And yes, avoid directing water into any bearings if you can avoid it.

Mad Honk 

Andy,
Each shop is different and remember I posted the flat rate from 40 years ago (an overhaul then was $100). When I was in a shop and wrenching full time, the owners promised next day delivery for all repairs. Every mechanic had his own work station and tools and only shared a few tools, like BB reams and taps. We used a Stanisol wash station for parts, had compressed air, and we were away from the sales area and having to stop working just to change a flat tire. Those repairs were left to the sales associates. We were paid by our times turned, and could work as late as 10 pm. The dis-assembly was completed and the parts were put in the wash tub and we let the solvent do it's work while we cleaned and waxed the frame. Wheels were hand washed and scrubbed by brush to clean off grime and hub parts were again put in a solvent bath. Then it was just dry off the parts grease and re-assemble. New cables and housing and bar tape if requested, and brake pads when needed. From there it was just another tune up. But again we were not interrupted while doing this work. Smiles, MH

Andrew R Stewart 

The issue with water isn't the wetness it's the pressure that wetness gets forced with against the seals, gaps, clamps that a bike has dozens of (every spoke nipple has three entry points as example). When these seals and gaps are moving (like a bike on a car rack with spinning wheels in the rain going 70mph or the car wash sprayer) that wetness gets past what our vision stops at. We are so vision focused that for many it's hard to think about what's behind that wall of blindness.

If you must use water as a cleaning material PLEASE don't use any pressure. The flow from a hose with no nozzle is enough to rinse off the soap, expensive bike cleaners, mud, sweat/salt residue (not the corrosion these develop into). I guess as a LBS guy who gets paid because customers wear out their bikes (and other reasons) I should be teaching bad home techniques But I can't do that to a poor bike that has no control over what is done to it.

I have used the clean underwear and brushing of teeth analogy for decades. What's interesting is that some customers say "well, that's what they (dentist, doctor) gets paid for". Really??? What a way to insure the service guy likes taking care of your bike. (I hope you read the sarcasm in this). If some of these people who believe the mechanic is being paid to clean their bike were to have to stand before a judge in court I wonder if they would not bother dressing cleanly too, after all the judge is being paid to be impartial... Andy (who seems to be bothered by the assumptions of human motivation some feel). (and don't forget to keep those wheels from spinning when the bike is onyour car rack)

greatscott

Whaaattt? you want to take your bike to a bike shop every month and have them clean it? Oh dear lord.

Your question isn't about wasting water, it's about being lazy. Where there's a will there's a way. All you have to do is get yourself a BUCKET, yes a BUCKET, put some Meguiars car wash/wax into the bucket, add hot water to about 1/4th of a bucket, get yourself a soft sponge, yes a sponge, get the sponge wet and start washing the bike including the chain but do the gears and chain last because you don't want to transfer any oil onto the frame. When your all done, have a hose ready with a spray nozzle, put it on low pressure and gently rinse the suds away. Take a soft microfiber towel and wipe the bike dry. When your done wash the sponge out in the same bucket of soap you made then rinse it out real well. I always clean the chain and gears first before I wash the bike, I let the wash and rinse remove the cleaning ingredients off the chain plus it won't stain the sponge as badly.

, I know that might seem like difficult work but you can do it, and you can do it for a lot less money than taking it to the shop.

Now there is one other idea that might work. After a hot long ride you stink, your clothes stink, you sweated on you bike and your bike is all gunked up, you simply ride up to an automated car wash with your bike and kit on, enter the wash, the wash will in one stroke clean the bike and your clothes plus give you a wonderful shower, this way your all done cleaning everything before you get home.

bark_eater 

When I started riding again I took my last ride able bike, a bianchi hybrid to a bike shop to get a tuned up . I knew I could figure out how to do every thing but just wanted to get down the road. Bike was hosed and wiped off before dropping off. when I got it back it was clear that a $100 didn't buy that much wrench time but the bike sure was clean. The guy's kid was in the shop when I dropped off and picked up. I'm assuming the kid got $5 a bike from dad. On pick up my eyebrow raised, and kept raising, but the quy kept on pointing out how clean the bike was. I've done just about all my own work since then. That said if some one dropped off a barn find for me to work on there would be a $25 upfront fee.