PSAs from your friendly LBS mechanic (Page 2)

Ditto here, agree whole heartedly with this Post for most mechanics.

I tend to keep my bike in showroom condition anyway, it gets a  quick wipe down after every ride and a solid cleaning at least every 2 weeks, the drivetrain may be a tiny bit grungie but usually I don't even allow it to get too bad, as mentioned in a previous post in my experience a clean well maintained ride is usually a trouble free ride and visits the shop a lot less. I have had my new TCR for 10 months now and have a ton of hours on it both on trainer and outside, so far the Only maintainance other then cleaning and oiling the chain that  has been required was one rear derailer adjustment due to cable streach ( extected with a new bike)  and which I did myself and its running flawlessly. I will probably take in for a minor tune up and drivetrain cleaning before starting spin classes in the fall, the first time it will see the shop since new.

My car is washed everytime I take it for service (Honda as well as the BMW).

I am a new biker and new to triathlons.  I am a heavy sweater and have noticed the dried sweat on my Felt.  I see comments here of corroded cables, etc, so what should I be doing other than wiping the frame down after each ride?

Now, I am not even going to touch the peeing question.  That's just gross.

I don't think the cars analogy works very well. My car dealer washes the car after service, in part because they can run it through an automatic system and have some low level kid vacuum it - after all, they do all that with all the cars that are sitting on the lot to keep them looking showroom fresh. 

But even if I let my car get covered in mud and dirt and bird poop and whatever else, the mechanical parts are unaffected. So there is no correlation between keeping the car clean and keeping it in good running condition.

But with the bike, if I let it stay wet and muddy and grimy, the drive chain IS getting affected - rusty, no lube, gunked up with whatever I've ridden through. So it seems to me, as an amateur mechanic, that when I work on a friend's bike, if the bike has been neglected, it is obvious from whether or not it is clean. And a clean bike is a happy bike, running smoothly. But a neglected bike will take up a lot more time and energy.

I think the analogies of going to the dentist are more apt - if I walk around with things in my teeth, and have generally poor dental hygiene habits, I think it will be obvious that I am going to require more work in my mouth. 

My point is that - if you're ok with MUD caked onto the frame, there really is no reason that you should have a problem with pee or sweat - which is actualy much, much easier to get off than mud. A simple rinse is all it takes.

Now if it required special removal technique, like for tar, that would deserve extra charge.

I think it should be standard though that an LBS rinses the bike off before doing work on it. I'd expect that. If there's any debris on it (even overlooked by user) that falls in a crack/etc, that's a problem.

I respect my bike enough to keep it clean as much as possible, and I do not rely on my mechanic to clean it.

My car on the other hand...well...I don't remember the last time I washed it.

As someone who is a competent bike wrench (not my profession, though), the first thing I always do before working on a bike is to wash and clean it.  This goes for my own bikes, and all my friends' and friends of my kids' bikes.  You cannot realistically tune a mucked-up bike.

With that being said, I feel that it is not unreasonable for a bike shop to clearly post that there will be an additional $X cleaning charge before any work is done on a dirty bike.  Of course, what is a "dirty" bike is subjective, so this should be agreed upon (with the reasoning explained) before the customer leaves the shop.

Seriously? I understand you are paying for a service, but that is fine. Hearing all of the other posters on here I understand why my LBS loves me, and how 'clean' my bike is compared to other triathletes in the area. I would surmise this might be part of the reason that I have never had to leave my bike overnight for any basic service/install.

P.S. If you don't know this year, your local LBS mechanics/techs drink beer and eat food as well. Take care of them, and they will definitely take care of you.

Interesting thread.....I think I'll keep pointing my kids toward wiping their bike after every ride, and cleaning/lubing on a regular basis......because that's NOT the bike shop's job IMO.  

It's their bike....if it fails them on a ride/race.....they own it.  My 14 year old can take his bike down, to include the head/fork and bottom bracket, and build it back up.  He can take it apart and pack it in a bike case for a flight, and then put it back together for a race.

If you can't do these things.....then honestly, you're really not in the game.  And if you can't at least wipe your bike down before you take it in for service...........quit.

double post....sorry....CLEAN YOUR BIKE!!!

My LBS rarely see's my bike.  They usually just order parts I can't find online or they have in stock.  Other than that I pretty much wrench on my own.  

As for cleaning, all my bikes are wiped down after every ride.  Exception is mountain bike which is cleaned weekly.  

I'm a heavy sweater also and was told, so I can't confirm how accurate this method is, to hose down at low pressure and dry my bike down after every ride. In the summertime here even a 45 min ride I can have a mess over the front of my bike. I make sure when I get home to thoroughly clean with water my cockpit area and top tube

I just use a damp cloth to wipe down my bike.  Then take a dry cloth, spray it lightly with some degreaser and wipe down again to remove any grease or grime that the first wipe down didn't get.

Hose isn't really needed.  It just increases the chances you get water in areas that you don't want, or can't dry off with a rag.

I always clean my bike with pledge, it shines nice and smells great afterwards.

BT

Always be nice to your LBS wrench, you never know when you'll need a last minute favor the day before race day...

I was thinking exactly the same thing. Maybe the ones handing them off covered in pee are the same ones peeing in the pool. 

Great thread. I don't pee on my bike so I will not get into that part of the discussion. I don't have a lot of extra time so I do not clean my bike very often. I try to keep the drive train clean. I keep track of mileage and replace the chain when it is stretched. I do rely on my LBS to re cable my bike every year in the spring. I find my equipment takes the biggest beating on the trainer in the basement. Once I can get back on the roads I visit the shop for a tune up and all new cables. Brake pads if needed. They do sometimes comment on the road grime (never pee). My take is if you have time to clean it you should probably go ride it. I bought my bike to ride not as a trophy or to take to shows. No I must stop typing so I can go sweat it up.

Kevin