Muddy bikes and cleaning them?

This may be a stupid question but how do you clean your bikes?

I hate getting my bike plastered in mud as something always seems to get seized or broken from the mud or washing it afterwards.
The last couple of times I've left the mud to try and then picked off the worst and then brushed and wiped it down.
Last time i fully washed it the gear cables seized, do you move the outers and oil them every time after?

Cheers kyle

Re:

mud :shock: no they just need the occasional dusting

After out on the trails, ideally before dried, it would be just water, preferably from an unpressurised hose (without an attachment) and an old soft bristled brush (that used to be used for cleaning the wire wheels on a classic car).

spray it, bounce it, wipe it, lube it. quick squirt of gt85 in various places like cable ends while pulling levers etc

If its still damp, lots of warm soapy water plus even more soapy water with a nylon brush then lube cables and check chain for stiff links, pivot points etc.

If bone dry, a stiff brush then lots of warm soapy water again and as above.

Dont jet wash at all, it will kill the pivot points and bearing surfaces as water will be forced into where in shouldnt be.

If an old fashioned terribly unreliable retrobicycle - jet wash the fecker whilst avoiding any bearing surfaces such as hubs, freewheel, headset and BB, cover in Water Dispersant No. 40 and ride off into the sunset.

Dry rusted chains can be bought back to life with two pairs of pliers and liberal amounts of machine oil such as 3in1 or even a dab of diesel.

'rusted' cables should be stainless steel in the first place. But, if not, a sanding sponge will bring them back to life along with a bit of machine oil such as 3in1, Kinks can be straightened but will always be worse than replacing with new. Cable outer can be flushed and re-used unless theres bend or breaks allowing water ingress, then replace.

Some of my cable outer is 27 years old and still perfectly serviceable as the internal plastic lining is still intact.

And I'm a tight git.

If fully washing it caused gear cables to seize, i'd be looking at how (and what) you've installed.
I usually get a years use (2 or 3 rides weekly) out of a set of cables, usually washing weekly in the summer and after most rides in the winter.

A hose pipe and a bucket of hot soapy water (usually car shampoo) does nicely to clean the majority of the bike, and a bit of degreaser to help shift the stuff on the drivetrain.

Then either a good vigorous bounce, or a couple of minutes with the compressor. Then a quick run through the gears, drop of oil and a check of the brakes etc.

The whole job only takes 15 minutes (if the bike was filthy) or 10 minutes (or less) in the summer, when it's just dust and a dirty chain.

Cheap cables are a false economy, decent shimano inners and outers (or any other decent brand) will last several times as long as cheap nasty ones, that will probably cost you more in the long run, and never work quite properly.

Easiest to remove before the mud has dried out.

I have a large bowl of warm water (no reason other than in winter it stops my hands from freezing) with a squeeze of washing up liquid and use a large brush (was a toilet brush) or tooth brush to remove the mud.

Finish off by a hose down.

Hose alone is not enough to remove some of the more stubborn stuck on mud.

.... but I do worry if the brushing the mud scratches the frames over time. .... so what I think I'll start doing is hose first, brushes then hose down.

Certainly do not use a pressure washer as water can get past the seals and wash the grease out of bearings.

Re:

Thanks for the replies

To be fair i think they were cheap gear cables i replaced them with some clarks pre lube ones (prob still considered cheapo) which have been ok since although i haven't fully washed it.

I guess its a case of having the right stuff for the job to hand at the time then it doesn't take too long and gets done right.

Kyle

The History Man":1i9djqwg said:

spray it, bounce it, wipe it, lube it. quick squirt of gt85 in various places like cable ends while pulling levers etc

Click to expand...

+1

I find a cheapo £1 shop oil spray is good for cables.

Re:

Would teflon grease on the cables inside the outers be a good idea?

Kyle

Re:

Not sure about grease on the cable inners, grease tends to attract and retain crud, unless you have good sealing to prevent the ingress of crud etc in the 1st place.
I generally use a light oil, or GT85 etc every once in a while.
Unless you have super duper cables like the Gore-Tex ones, then you need never worry about your cables again (or at least for a couple of years).

I always start out with the best intentions of cleaning my bike, sometimes I do the bucket of soapy water and brush/sponge thing, other times I just stop off at the jetwash on the way home and clean bike & car in one go.
If I'm knackered after a ride then the bike just gets thrown in the shed dirty...