Muddy Wheels and Muddy Everything Else
March 15, 2024 4:10 AM Subscribe
It's mud season in Vermont. I have a gravel bike. What is your routine/strategy for getting your bike clean after each use? Not interested in youtube videos of how to clean bikes.
I am lucky to have a hose in the courtyard of my building but during the winter it’s shut off, so I will use the hand-pump sprayer referenced by Brianvan. I put warm water only in that, and I have a separate bucket of warm soapy water (regular dishwashing soap!). I also have a couple brushes, sponges, rags and an old toothbrush or two.
Take off all the extra bits, bag, pump, fender, lights, head unit
Spray bike down with water
Loosen up dirt, dried mud etc with soapy sponge
Use brushes etc for more stubborn dirt
Rinse
Repeat wash if necessary
Spray chain with degreaser
Wash down drivetrain
Rinse
Get excess water off drivetrain with rags
Clean off brake rotors with alcohol
Final polish of frame with Bike Lust or whatever you have
Lube chain and wipe off excess
posted by computech_apolloniajames at 6:02 AM on March 15 [1 favorite]
Take off all the extra bits, bag, pump, fender, lights, head unit
Spray bike down with water
Loosen up dirt, dried mud etc with soapy sponge
Use brushes etc for more stubborn dirt
Rinse
Repeat wash if necessary
Spray chain with degreaser
Wash down drivetrain
Rinse
Get excess water off drivetrain with rags
Clean off brake rotors with alcohol
Final polish of frame with Bike Lust or whatever you have
Lube chain and wipe off excess
posted by computech_apolloniajames at 6:02 AM on March 15 [1 favorite]
I usually just focus on the drivetrain for regular cleaning and then will go at it with the garden hose after a couple of weeks. If possible a quick hose down after each ride will at least get rid of the major gunk.
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 7:25 AM on March 15
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 7:25 AM on March 15
I used a wax-based lube on my bike to repel water and gunk. I gently hose the bike down with water then come back when it's dry and add more wax lube to the chain and derailleur hinges.
posted by seanmpuckett at 7:40 AM on March 15 [2 favorites]
posted by seanmpuckett at 7:40 AM on March 15 [2 favorites]
The first list is very great and the key points are to make sure you’re not washing anything into the brake rotors or little cranny’s with the hose. And lube the chain and really work it with a rag to keep cleaning it.
posted by cakebatter at 8:20 AM on March 15
posted by cakebatter at 8:20 AM on March 15
My strategy is full fenders aka mudguards on both wheels. Get good solid ones that install securely, not the clip on kind.
posted by splitpeasoup at 9:07 AM on March 15
posted by splitpeasoup at 9:07 AM on March 15
Yes, to follow up on cakebatter, when you are washing a bike with disc brakes, you need to exercise care with the rotors. Try to keep any degreasing products or lube far far away from them. Yes, you can clean rotors, but you have to be careful that you don't introduce contaminants into the rotors or the pads. A bit of sandpaper is helpful for scraping grit off the pads.
A more thorough drivetrain cleaning may require you to remove the chain, cassette and cranks, but if you don't have the tools for that, then you may want to take the bike to a shop. Quicklink tool, cassette lockring remover, chain whip, and crank removal tools are good to invest in, and using them isn't difficult but you need to be diligent about removal and reinstallation. (Here YT videos are awesome.)
posted by computech_apolloniajames at 10:09 AM on March 15
A more thorough drivetrain cleaning may require you to remove the chain, cassette and cranks, but if you don't have the tools for that, then you may want to take the bike to a shop. Quicklink tool, cassette lockring remover, chain whip, and crank removal tools are good to invest in, and using them isn't difficult but you need to be diligent about removal and reinstallation. (Here YT videos are awesome.)
posted by computech_apolloniajames at 10:09 AM on March 15
There is a longer technical explanation for all of this but in short, I consider disassembling a drivetrain for cleaning to be optional and avoidable if you choose. If you wish to disassemble and reassemble regardless, there are many YouTube videos to help.
They sell brushes for cleaning cogs on your cassette and chainrings, which will be enough; just getting rid of surface debris is fine.
Most modern chains have a "quicklink" that makes removal relatively easy, but you might find re-threading the chain and reattaching it to be tricky because of the spring on the derailleur. That said, the only needful reason to remove a chain is to replace it.
"Deep cleaning" a chain is a hobby for some people, but occasional surface cleaning & re-lubrication every 100-200 miles gets you most of the way there. A relubricated chain should be wiped clear of lubricant on the outside because the leftover lubricant is what attracts the most dirt (and wear) to a chain. Putting new lubricant on a chain has a flushing effect on the internal rollers, carrying abrasive grit out of the microscopic gaps - which you then wipe off to finish the job. "Deep cleaning" is intended to get most/all of that out, but you don't have to take it that far because the chain is meant (and priced) to be disposable. The chain simply won't last that much longer under any amount of coddling.
posted by brianvan at 11:14 AM on March 15
They sell brushes for cleaning cogs on your cassette and chainrings, which will be enough; just getting rid of surface debris is fine.
Most modern chains have a "quicklink" that makes removal relatively easy, but you might find re-threading the chain and reattaching it to be tricky because of the spring on the derailleur. That said, the only needful reason to remove a chain is to replace it.
"Deep cleaning" a chain is a hobby for some people, but occasional surface cleaning & re-lubrication every 100-200 miles gets you most of the way there. A relubricated chain should be wiped clear of lubricant on the outside because the leftover lubricant is what attracts the most dirt (and wear) to a chain. Putting new lubricant on a chain has a flushing effect on the internal rollers, carrying abrasive grit out of the microscopic gaps - which you then wipe off to finish the job. "Deep cleaning" is intended to get most/all of that out, but you don't have to take it that far because the chain is meant (and priced) to be disposable. The chain simply won't last that much longer under any amount of coddling.
posted by brianvan at 11:14 AM on March 15
Best answer: Are you riding your gravel bike to and from home or is there also a car drive in between? Because then it's a two step process, to contain the mud and get home, and then clean the bike. Do you have access to a hose and a yard? Here's what I did when I raced cyclocross and had a car drive with muddy clothes and bike and a yard and a hose when I got home.
Part 1, if you're driving (or just do this in your back yard if you ride to and from home): bring a large empty plastic tub in the back of the car. You don't want this tub to be for carrying anything except maybe a rag towel because the whole point is that when you get back to your car, the tub is empty and you grab it out of the car and put it on the ground outside the car. Then, change into a whole new set of dry, cleanish clothes (not your nicest clothes but it's important that they be dry and not muddy). Everything you take off, including your helmet and shoes, goes into the plastic tub. Strip off base layers too and put on dry clean socks, etc. Use the rag towel and perhaps a bit of water to get mud off your face and hands and legs. Toss in the tub any bags that attach to your bike, too, and the rag towel. This is your mud containment tub. This presumes your bike is going on a rack outside your car. So, everything you had on your ride is either attached to the bike outside your car or in the tub. Don't bring your muddy self, even on a towel, into the driver's seat or put your muddy clothes on a floor mat, or anything like that.
If you have a long drive and access to some water before you drive home, you could try to get the worst mud chunks off your bike there. Otherwise...
Part 2: When you get home, before you shower or anything, bring your bike and tub to the hose or water source, preferably on grass or some absorbent surface, and use the hose to spray off your clothes and everything in the tub, but on the grass. The clothes will eventually go into a delicate cycle in your washing machine, but you want to get the mud off your helmet, shoes, bike bags, anything that isn't a piece of clothing that goes into the wash. Rinse out the tub too. Then, use the hose (not the hard spray, see above comments) to get the mud off your bike. You can get a set of cleaning tools from Park and probably others to get the mud in the small spots. This isn't an end-of-season cleaning where you are pulling apart components and regreasing everything. You're just using a combination of water and little scrubby tools to get the mud and dirt and chunks off your bike so you can store it inside until next week.
The hardest part this time of year is that it's probably cold, and the water won't feel great, so wear some waterproof gardening gloves if you have something like that (I have some heavy neoprene gloves that are great for fall and spring wet garden work and also... bike chores when it's cold out). You could also use warm water from inside, especially for the bike work, but getting the mud off your wheels and the clothes is hard to do without a hose.
posted by bluedaisy at 12:38 PM on March 15 [1 favorite]
Part 1, if you're driving (or just do this in your back yard if you ride to and from home): bring a large empty plastic tub in the back of the car. You don't want this tub to be for carrying anything except maybe a rag towel because the whole point is that when you get back to your car, the tub is empty and you grab it out of the car and put it on the ground outside the car. Then, change into a whole new set of dry, cleanish clothes (not your nicest clothes but it's important that they be dry and not muddy). Everything you take off, including your helmet and shoes, goes into the plastic tub. Strip off base layers too and put on dry clean socks, etc. Use the rag towel and perhaps a bit of water to get mud off your face and hands and legs. Toss in the tub any bags that attach to your bike, too, and the rag towel. This is your mud containment tub. This presumes your bike is going on a rack outside your car. So, everything you had on your ride is either attached to the bike outside your car or in the tub. Don't bring your muddy self, even on a towel, into the driver's seat or put your muddy clothes on a floor mat, or anything like that.
If you have a long drive and access to some water before you drive home, you could try to get the worst mud chunks off your bike there. Otherwise...
Part 2: When you get home, before you shower or anything, bring your bike and tub to the hose or water source, preferably on grass or some absorbent surface, and use the hose to spray off your clothes and everything in the tub, but on the grass. The clothes will eventually go into a delicate cycle in your washing machine, but you want to get the mud off your helmet, shoes, bike bags, anything that isn't a piece of clothing that goes into the wash. Rinse out the tub too. Then, use the hose (not the hard spray, see above comments) to get the mud off your bike. You can get a set of cleaning tools from Park and probably others to get the mud in the small spots. This isn't an end-of-season cleaning where you are pulling apart components and regreasing everything. You're just using a combination of water and little scrubby tools to get the mud and dirt and chunks off your bike so you can store it inside until next week.
The hardest part this time of year is that it's probably cold, and the water won't feel great, so wear some waterproof gardening gloves if you have something like that (I have some heavy neoprene gloves that are great for fall and spring wet garden work and also... bike chores when it's cold out). You could also use warm water from inside, especially for the bike work, but getting the mud off your wheels and the clothes is hard to do without a hose.
posted by bluedaisy at 12:38 PM on March 15 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Hmm, some rather cautious bike cleaners here. I live in northern England, which is wet and muddy most of the year, and I long since got over taking too much care of my bikes, life is too short.
Here's what I do after a muddy ride (which is almost all of them):
1. Hose down the bike to shift all the mud*. Hose myself down too if needed.
2. Shake everything off good and proper. Wipe down the chain with a rag, then lube it with a decent chain lube.
3. Put it away, and this bit is important, somewhere *dry*.
That's it. It's a bike, not a racehorse. So long as you store it dry and oil the chain it'll be fine.
*Hosing down any decent modern bike with mains pressure water to shift mud is absolutely fine. I have done this for decades, modern bearings and bike bits are more than capable of staying sealed against a fairly powerful spray of water. Don't blast it with a full on powered jetwash, obviously, but a normal hose with a sprayer will shift mud and save you so much time. You really don't need to scrub everything off with soapy water and degreaser and whatnot either, that's probably more likely to strip oils and greases out from where they want to be than jet washing.
posted by tomsk at 1:48 PM on March 15 [1 favorite]
Here's what I do after a muddy ride (which is almost all of them):
1. Hose down the bike to shift all the mud*. Hose myself down too if needed.
2. Shake everything off good and proper. Wipe down the chain with a rag, then lube it with a decent chain lube.
3. Put it away, and this bit is important, somewhere *dry*.
That's it. It's a bike, not a racehorse. So long as you store it dry and oil the chain it'll be fine.
*Hosing down any decent modern bike with mains pressure water to shift mud is absolutely fine. I have done this for decades, modern bearings and bike bits are more than capable of staying sealed against a fairly powerful spray of water. Don't blast it with a full on powered jetwash, obviously, but a normal hose with a sprayer will shift mud and save you so much time. You really don't need to scrub everything off with soapy water and degreaser and whatnot either, that's probably more likely to strip oils and greases out from where they want to be than jet washing.
posted by tomsk at 1:48 PM on March 15 [1 favorite]
Be careful about hosing down the bike. Years ago I used a hose too exuberantly on my mountain bike after a muddy ride, and ended up getting water inside the cable housings. The cables then rusted into place inside the housings.
Also, I don’t know the deal where you live, but growing up riding in NJ and NY, it was considered poor form to ride during especially muddy periods because you erode the trail and leave ruts.
posted by soy_renfield at 9:51 AM on March 16
Also, I don’t know the deal where you live, but growing up riding in NJ and NY, it was considered poor form to ride during especially muddy periods because you erode the trail and leave ruts.
posted by soy_renfield at 9:51 AM on March 16
Response by poster: This question is about riding in mud season on some of the 6500 miles of dirt roads in Vermont. No trail riding is happening.
posted by Xurando at 7:26 PM on March 19
posted by Xurando at 7:26 PM on March 19
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One reason for this is that I live in Manhattan, so I have no access to an outdoor spigot and hose. But I can fill a 1-2 gallon sprayer in my apartment easily and tote it down to the street.
But the other thing - and this is important! - is that you're not supposed to directly spray pressurized water on parts of the bike with bearings or seals. A gentle water mist followed by a wipedown with a soapy or damp cloth is fine, but a nozzle spray from your water main is not recommended. If you are living in a standalone house and cleaning the bike in your driveway & the hose is all you have, then either simple non-pressurized running water, or a gentle spray from an oblique angle, should be the most that you apply to your bottom bracket and wheel hubs (and, for good measure, your headset too).
I know severe mud can get tricky as it gets like concrete, but I would go with a strategy of gently moistening it, removing what comes off easily, and then repeating that until you're down to metal and grease. And then be gentle with the remaining grease to get the best lifespan out of your bike & its parts.
YMMV but replace chains occasionally instead of deep-cleaning them constantly; they're practically disposable. The most straightforward way to clean a chain is to wipe it down with a wet rag and then reapply an appropriate bike chain lubricant, cycle the chain a few times, and then wipe down the excess lube off the outside (grime will be flushed out of the rollers). A gunky part of the drivetrain that most people overlook is the jockey wheels on the derailleur; it's hard to get into those spots, but Q-Tips and a strong degreaser will do the job. Not a cleaning tip, but bring your multitool along and tighten any fasteners on the frame that are loose.
posted by brianvan at 5:51 AM on March 15 [3 favorites]