gudel

So how often do you clean your commuter bike? I have about 10 miles one way.

myates1980

um...other than regular maintenance? I usually clean it when it gets dirty, it's entirely subjective...if you live in a dusty state like Nevada, or New Mexico definitly give it a wipe down every once in a while. And for the love of the great one...do not oil a dirty chain! The oil will just carry grit into the interior of the chain or bottom bracket (if you're oiling that) and will act like an abraisive.

Sloth

My commute is about 20 miles each way. Assuming that the weather is dry, I do a quick clean every two weeks or so. Fenders, mudflaps and a waxed chain make all the difference. Without them, once a week was pretty much mandatory.

ksheuk

Pass by your local Honda Motorcycle shop and pick up some Honda Polish. Comes in a spray can for 5 or 6 bucks. Quick and easy. I can clean my whole bike in about 5 minutes including spokes, rims, derailures.

KS

LóFarkas

You clean your spokes and rims and what???

Eggplant Jeff

Clean my bike? I'm sorry, I don't understand the question .

d2create

Pledge! (yup, the furniture polish)
Cleans and protects the paint.
I do that whenever it looks dirty. And wax the chain once a week unless I get caught in the rain, then I do it asap.

CBBaron

Clean the bike? At best occasionally (< once a month). A bike was ment to be ridden, I don't have the time to baby it. Sure it might last longer and look better if I took better care. But I don't care about the looks and I only spent a couple hundred on the bike so if it last a few years, its still a good deal. My winter commute is so much harder on bikes than my warm weather rides that it point less to bother cleaning until the salt starts to fly.
Craig

coenan

lately I have been cleaning the chain about once per week. I will ususally wipe
down dirty parts of the bike at the same time.

DogBoy

dry weather: clean when looks dirty...about every 4 weeks.
After rain: clean asap
Winter: Clean weekly or asap whenever exposed to wet roads.

Clean = Wipe down frame, use bike wash (cheap from LBS). Clean chain/cogs using eco degreaser...should sparkle when done. Lube chain (I use wet-lube due to conditions), wipe of excess lube. In the process I check for cable fray, any dings/proper drivetrain alignment, any play in places where there should be no play etc.

dynaryder

Clean? What is this 'clean' you speak of?

moxfyre

In good weather, I clean it every few weeks, when the chain starts to feel less than buttery-smooth: I clean and lube the chain and wipe down everything else, check the brake pads.

When it rains, I make sure to wipe down the chain thoroughly, because if not it can literally get surface rust overnight. Snow I usually hafta wipe down the whole bike. A pain!

JohnnyCool

I've heard about Pleadge for the frame but how does one "wax" a chain? Is that different than cleaning and lubricating it?

DogBoy

I'm just guessing, but I think the reference is to a wax-based lube like: https://www.trisports.com/noname6.html

d2create

Ya, white lightning is the wax I'm using now. It's a milky lube that you put on and let dry over night. Doesn't fling off and keeps the chain a little cleaner than regular oil.

d2create

haha, I said "milky lube."

levensnevel

I clean the drive train on a daily basis. Rest depends on the weather:
> when it is dry once a week
> in all other cases daily aswell
For reference: I commute 40 km on a daily basis

Cyclaholic

If I go over a rotting animal carcass and I pick up bits of flesh & guts on the wheels and the smell is bad enough when I get home I might hit it with the hose..... maybe..... if there's nothing on the telly that I want to watch..... and I've read every new post in bikeforums at least 3 times.

Otherwise no, except for the weekly drivetrain clean & lube ofcourse.