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Clean bike = Fast bike?
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 2009-06-05 3:54 PM |
Champion  6056    Menomonee Falls, WI |  Subject: Clean bike = Fast bike?As I was cleaning my bike, my 3-year-old inevitably asked me, "Why?" I told him it's because "a clean bike is a faster bike". Then I wondered if that was really true. I know clean cars get better mileage, but do clean bikes actually allow riders to go faster?... appreciably faster? |
| 2009-06-05 3:59 PM in reply to: #2198068 |
Pro 6582 Melbourne FL Gold member | Subject: RE: Clean bike = Fast bike? Only if you shave your legs and arms! |
| 2009-06-05 4:02 PM in reply to: #2198068 |
Expert 1394 Wilmington, NC | Subject: RE: Clean bike = Fast bike? If by clean bike you mean clean drive train, then I would say yes it helps you to go faster. Having grime on the top tube is not going to slow you down though. |
| 2009-06-05 4:08 PM in reply to: #2198068 |
| , Arizona | Subject: RE: Clean bike = Fast bike? The amount of air displaced by dirt on a bike compared to the bike itself and the person on top could probably not even be measured. Put that dirt in with the moving parts and you have a different story. I can't image a car would be affected that much either, dirt displaces so little air compared to the car itself it doesn't seem like it would make a difference. Is there an article somewhere claiming it does? |
| 2009-06-05 4:17 PM in reply to: #2198068 |
Member 88 Kailua, Hi | Subject: RE: Clean bike = Fast bike? I dont think it makes you go faster it just makes you look like your are going fast when you are going slow. |
| 2009-06-05 4:26 PM in reply to: #2198104 |
Champion 6056 Menomonee Falls, WI | Subject: RE: Clean bike = Fast bike? Synon - 2009-06-05 4:08 PM The amount of air displaced by dirt on a bike compared to the bike itself and the person on top could probably not even be measured. Put that dirt in with the moving parts and you have a different story. I can't image a car would be affected that much either, dirt displaces so little air compared to the car itself it doesn't seem like it would make a difference. Is there an article somewhere claiming it does? http://www.ehow.com/how_4468861_mpg-s-means-save-money.html Check #5. I've found the same tip in many places and have heard it often. |
| 2009-06-05 4:36 PM in reply to: #2198068 |
Extreme Veteran 657 | Subject: RE: Clean bike = Fast bike? I scrubbed and waxed my airplane. Before I did it, it would do about 155kts. Afterwards it did about 155kts. If it doesn't matter on a plane at that speed, I can't imagine it makes much of a difference on a bike. I think it does allow you to spend some time with the bike and make sure everything is working okay. |
| 2009-06-05 4:39 PM in reply to: #2198171 |
Champion 7233 | Subject: RE: Clean bike = Fast bike? aero wise, not a thing, on moving parts i think its a whole diff story. chain, gears, breaks, etc are not things you want dirt and grime on, they work much better when not covered in crap;-) |
| 2009-06-05 5:06 PM in reply to: #2198068 |
Veteran 151 Oxford | Subject: RE: Clean bike = Fast bike? I imagine there is noticeable difference on a boat if there are no barnacles underneath. A car... may perform better if there are no bird droppings on it (HUGE bird turds), but I cannot see dirt having much of an effect on a bike. However, as others have said, a clean bike will last much longer! |
| 2009-06-05 6:21 PM in reply to: #2198068 |
Elite 2645 Phoenix, AZ | Subject: RE: Clean bike = Fast bike? Is your son's name Scooby? |
| 2009-06-05 6:24 PM in reply to: #2198068 |
Cycling Guru 15134 Fulton, MD | Subject: RE: Clean bike = Fast bike? Parasitic drag. Miniscule amount, but if you're looking for every microsecond, then yeah ...... Of course, if you have some hair sticking out of your helmet it will negate all the cleaning.  |
| 2009-06-05 9:35 PM in reply to: #2198068 |
Extreme Veteran 386 Findlay | Subject: RE: Clean bike = Fast bike? I think it would mostly be psychological. You will feel better about riding a clean bike versus a dirty one and therefore may go faster. |
| 2009-06-05 9:51 PM in reply to: #2198315 |
Master 1480 Muskego, WI | Subject: RE: Clean bike = Fast bike? Slidell4life - 2009-06-05 6:21 PM Is your son's name Scooby? <<<<<giggles...little does he know 'eh Rich?? And YEAH, heck YEAH, clean bike is fast bike...wait, oh, never mind. My bike is always clean, but not necessarily that fast. |
| 2009-06-05 10:28 PM in reply to: #2198315 |
Champion 6056 Menomonee Falls, WI | Subject: RE: Clean bike = Fast bike? Slidell4life - 2009-06-05 6:21 PM Is your son's name Scooby? Yes, it is. But he doesn't look as much like me as the other two boys. |
| 2009-06-05 10:42 PM in reply to: #2198068 |
Coach 9167 Stairway to Seven | Subject: RE: Clean bike = Fast bike? if you clean your bike you are much more likely to find issues that need to be fixed, repaired and adjusted than if you never cleaned it (ie looked at it). So I'd say yes, clean=fast. |
| 2009-06-06 6:00 AM in reply to: #2198068 |
Elite 3658 Roswell, GA | Subject: RE: Clean bike = Fast bike? Spend the hour you would waste cleaning the bike riding the bike if you want to get faster. btw, I use this same logic to explain why I rarely wash myself. |
| 2009-06-06 8:57 AM in reply to: #2198068 |
Master 1853 syracuse | Subject: RE: Clean bike = Fast bike? improved aero due to less dirt...who knows....I would say not much at all.... improved performance due to better gear shifting, absolutely. you can lose seconds by not getting into the proper gear due to an inefficient shift. nice clean chain, cassette, derailleur and crank, can clean things up resulting in a smoother shift, at least i think.... worst case you are extened the life of your bike.... |
| 2009-06-06 11:08 AM in reply to: #2198852 |
Champion 7595 Columbia, South Carolina | Subject: RE: Clean bike = Fast bike? cusetri - 2009-06-06 9:57 AM improved aero due to less dirt...who knows....I would say not much at all.... worst case you are extened the life of your bike.... That's why I clean mine. (OK, well, I guess I have to admit that I REALLY clean it because I love it when it's shiny...) I ride the trainer a decent amount, and sweat gets everywhere, even if I hang a towel on the downtube, turn the fan on full blast, etc... I've read that sweat is not so great for the components, long term (but I've got no idea whether it's true; it makes sense, though). |
| 2009-06-06 4:57 PM in reply to: #2198068 |
Master 1529 Living in the past | Subject: RE: Clean bike = Fast bike? scoobysdad - 2009-06-05 3:54 PM As I was cleaning my bike, my 3-year-old inevitably asked me, "Why?" I told him it's because "a clean bike is a faster bike". Then I wondered if that was really true. I know clean cars get better mileage, but do clean bikes actually allow riders to go faster?... appreciably faster? Dude, you're plenty fast, but to be safe, I'm smugglin' a bag of dirt into transition at MOO. |
| 2009-06-06 7:46 PM in reply to: #2198068 |
| Veteran 133 | Subject: RE: Clean bike = Fast bike? I like to think that a clean bike= a happy bike, so like me happy, but not necessarily fast (or fast at all). |
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