# Working at the bike wash today.



## MB1 (Jan 27, 2004)

*Monday Night Bike Shop*

I am usually pretty worn out from the weekends riding so Monday is a good evening to clean and check out the bikes.

Of course you gotta have music to clean by.

A really nice side deal to riding high end fixtes is that there isn't much to go wrong so all I have to do tonight is clean and lube....maybe put some air in the tires.


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## MB1 (Jan 27, 2004)

Now my lugged bike requires a bit more detail work than Miss M tigged thing (so why did I just go and order her one?).

In a short while the filthy things were cleaned (mostly), lubed and shiny.

Alas #1 cleaning bikes like this is never done. Just as soon as you think everything is clean and spotless you find another spot just crying out for attention. The heck with it, we live in a company town and that company is the US Government and it is close enough for Government work.

I'm done.

Alas #2, tomorrow it is going to be time to work on the gearies which will require a whole 'nother degree of cleaning due to our habit of riding them in the dirt....we'll see.


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## Zampano (Aug 7, 2005)

Good choice in music.


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## asterisk (Oct 21, 2003)

Beautiful photos as usual MB. 

How are those Paul hubs holding up? I still have a wheelset built up with them that fell by the wayside when I found out they don't have the magical 42mm track chainline for use on my track bike... need to find a frame to put them on


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## MB1 (Jan 27, 2004)

*Spinning wheel spinning around.*



asterisk said:


> Beautiful photos as usual MB.
> 
> How are those Paul hubs holding up? I still have a wheelset built up with them that fell by the wayside when I found out they don't have the magical 42mm track chainline for use on my track bike... need to find a frame to put them on


Not much for a hub to do and whatever hubs do they seem to still be doing it well.

BTW is was really nice this morning to come to work on smooth running, clean, quite bike.


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## gonsa (Feb 20, 2005)

*Sunday Manoa*



Zampano said:


> Good choice in music.


I remember that album with the Yick Lung label from when I was a kid. There's something peaceful about listening to traditional Hawaiian while working on bikes.


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## Zampano (Aug 7, 2005)

Maybe I'll clean my bike tonight. It almost looks like fun.


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## MB1 (Jan 27, 2004)

Well it has been a long cold winter and spring. Our bikes were showing it. Sure I put them up on the stand every so often but nothing compares to breaking out the ol' soap and water.

Since Miss M won't let me take the bikes into the shower I had to wait till it was warm enough to comfortably wash them outside.

Tonight was warm enough.


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## MB1 (Jan 27, 2004)

Now I am a big fan of buckets. One filled with simple green and water, a flat one for the wheels and one filled with clean water (even better than a bucket of clean water tonight I was using a watering can filled with clean water). Using buckets cuts down on water running down the alley and keeps the mess in one place. When I am done the leftover soapy and dirty water go down the drain, not the gutter.

First I squirt the drivetrain with straight Simple Green and let the bike sit for a few minutes. Then I just scrub away at the drivetrain and wheels before using a rag on the frame. With a nice setup it doesn't take all that long to get three bikes nice and clean. 

How are your bikes looking?


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## bigbill (Feb 15, 2005)

How much does the old guy charge to wash your bikes? I need to do the same. A wipe down only goes so far.


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## stihl (Oct 27, 2005)

That green 'ford is oh so sexy w/ them Brooks.


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## MB1 (Jan 27, 2004)

*The Old Guy would love to clean your bikes.*



bigbill said:


> How much does the old guy charge to wash your bikes? I need to do the same. A wipe down only goes so far.


Cleans them like THEY did in the "Old Country" way back when. Doesn't even charge all that much.

You just provide transportation for him and his lovely assistant.


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## wooglin (Feb 22, 2002)

MB1 said:


> How are your bikes looking?


Not nearly as clean as yours even before you actually cleaned them. Nor will they be anytime soon.


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## bignose (Sep 15, 2005)

I have 2 questions, sorry i don't know the techniacl names for bits.

1: you know the 2 little cogs that hang under the rear deraillure ? I can't figure out how to get these really nice and clean, they always seem to have goop trapped in there.

2: The bottom bracket on the sprocket side, i can kinda get a skinny brush in there but never really perfect. 

Any tips?


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## MB1 (Jan 27, 2004)

bignose said:


> 1: you know the 2 little cogs that hang under the rear deraillure ? I can't figure out how to get these really nice and clean, they always seem to have goop trapped in there.
> Any tips?


Those are derailleur pullies. Get in there and scrub is what you do. It helps to take the wheel out and move the chain off the pullies. The real deal is of course is that you got to get down and dirty to get the things clean-an old toothbrush works ok too.



bignose said:


> 2: The bottom bracket on the sprocket side, i can kinda get a skinny brush in there but never really perfect.
> Any tips?


Perfect???? 

Who said anything about perfect? 

If you try to get your bike perfectly clean you are going to go nuts (either that or you are going to have to do like the shops do and take parts off and dunk them in a solvent tank). Even then there is always going to be something you missed.


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## FrontRanger (May 19, 2004)

bignose said:


> I have 2 questions, sorry i don't know the techniacl names for bits.
> 
> 1: you know the 2 little cogs that hang under the rear deraillure ? I can't figure out how to get these really nice and clean, they always seem to have goop trapped in there.
> 
> Any tips?


I tend to take the plastic end of my park cog brush and lay it flat against the side of the pulley. Spin the pully by hand and the "plastic blade" scrapes all the "gunk off".


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## bigbill (Feb 15, 2005)

FrontRanger said:


> I tend to take the plastic end of my park cog brush and lay it flat against the side of the pulley. Spin the pully by hand and the "plastic blade" scrapes all the "gunk off".


I use a small flathead screwdriver to scrape the gunk off of the pulleys. I find that putting a heavy coat of prolink gold on the chain before wiping everything out makes it easier to clean. The prolink is a lube but also acts like a solvent to flush the gunk out. The homebrew that some people make with oil and mineral spirits works the same way. If there was alot of rain and mud during the week, I usually end up removing the chain to clean it. I live on a volcanic island so the dirt is really abrasive. I use SRAM chains and will remove it and place in a gatorade bottle with some degreaser and water to soak while I clean the bike. By the time I am done cleaning, I just shake the bottle for a minute or two and the chain is clean. I dry the chain, put it back on the bike, and lube it. Good to go.


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## bignose (Sep 15, 2005)

> Perfect????
> 
> Who said anything about perfect?
> 
> If you try to get your bike perfectly clean you are going to go nuts (either that or you are going to have to do like the shops do and take parts off and dunk them in a solvent tank). Even then there is always going to be something you missed.


ERG, the internet is so very litteral eh ?


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## xequar (Feb 25, 2005)

Well, you guys have *almost* provided enough inspiration for me to clean my commuter. I mean, it has been... um... I can't remember how long, and I could probably shave some weight just by getting the crud off of the thing  . 

Now having said that, what do you recommend for the guy in the apartment with no running water outside (and possibly an apartment manager that wouldn't appreciate me cleaning a bike outside anyway)??? Should I just go and find a big ass tarp and hope it doesn't leak?


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## bignose (Sep 15, 2005)

Why would he not appreciate you cleaning a bike outside ? Are tennants allowed to wash their cars in the parking lot ?

As for running water, buy a bucket


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## DrRoebuck (May 10, 2004)

*mmmmm ... prolink lube*

the only stuff i let near my bikes.


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## xequar (Feb 25, 2005)

My apartment complex is this wierd little place that shares a parking lot with a small business complex consisting of a party store, hair salon, and dance school, and a restaurant, which all are owned by the same person. Thanks to all of that, they at the very least strongly discourage car washing in the parking lot, and flat out prohibit anything that essentially involves opening the hood of a car.

Getting water is easy enough. I have a sink for that, but, how does one avoid ruining the carpet with the inevitable runoff?


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## MB1 (Jan 27, 2004)

*Take your bike into the shower.*



xequar said:


> My apartment complex is this wierd little place that shares a parking lot with a small business complex consisting of a party store, hair salon, and dance school, and a restaurant, which all are owned by the same person. Thanks to all of that, they at the very least strongly discourage car washing in the parking lot, and flat out prohibit anything that essentially involves opening the hood of a car.
> 
> Getting water is easy enough. I have a sink for that, but, how does one avoid ruining the carpet with the inevitable runoff?


Actually with the buckets I used very little liquid hit the ground. An 8X10' tarp ought to be more than enough, however don't discount the shower method.


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## ChuckUni (Jan 2, 2003)

MB1 said:


> Actually with the buckets I used very little liquid hit the ground. An 8X10' tarp ought to be more than enough, however don't discount the shower method.


I used to do the shower method when I live in a highrise in the center of Philly. It work's for the bike, but be prepaired to degrease the shower if your bike is really nasty.

Bike + grease + white tub = mess. Not so easy to clean out either. The bucket and sponge method is good so not much dirty water hits the tub. I've actually done the sponge method on the floor. Just put something down and don't use a ton of water. It works for most of the dirt.


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## Sledgehammer03 (Mar 7, 2006)

*coin Op carwash*

go to a coin Op carwash, for a buck or so you can wash all the big stuff off, then scrub it down, then another buck or so and rinse it off. I wouldn't use the high pressure setting, but the rinse setting will work great.


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## bignose (Sep 15, 2005)

how about a public fountain ?

i kid, i kid.


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## xequar (Feb 25, 2005)

ChuckUni said:


> I used to do the shower method when I live in a highrise in the center of Philly. It work's for the bike, but be prepaired to degrease the shower if your bike is really nasty.
> 
> Bike + grease + white tub = mess. Not so easy to clean out either. The bucket and sponge method is good so not much dirty water hits the tub. I've actually done the sponge method on the floor. Just put something down and don't use a ton of water. It works for most of the dirt.


I found that one out the hard way. But, I think a big tarp and a couple of well-placed buckets, with a lot more caution than I would normally use, will make life grand, and my 1982 Maruishi squeaky clean. Thanks for the motivation, all!


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## KWillets (Feb 28, 2006)

*Microfiber cloth works well*

I clean indoors using a microfiber cleaning cloth. For heavy cleaning I use water and simple green, but lately I've found that the cloth gets most of it dry.


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