Cleaning bike; stupid quest. I know.

[Ty G]

I am gonna get chewed out here, but what the hey.  Got two "good" bikes for me & the wife.  What is a good way to clean them?  Lots of red dirt here.  I know most of you just hose the heck out of them, but do you oil parts such as derailer joints etc, every time.  Lots of parts are aluminum, etc, but also a bit of steel there too.  Do you try to avoid spraying headset, bb, and things like that?

[chrisx]

http://www.parktool.com/product/big-blue-book-of-bike-repair-second-edition-bbb-2

Updated to include new topics, techniques and equipment. Packed with hundreds of photos and hundreds of procedures, the BBB-2 provides both the novice and veteran mechanic the information needed to perform nearly any repair from trailside repairs to complete overhauls. Written by Park Tool Director of Education Calvin Jones, the Big Blue Book is the perfect reference guide and step-by-step repair manual for nearly any bike, including road, mountain, BMX, and single-speed. We wrote the book on bicycle repair.

includes detailed bike wash instructions-

[jp3d]

http://www.parktool.com/blog/repair-help/bike-washing-and-cleaning

[DoctorRad]

The second Park link above covers things pretty well. I've found you don't really need special bike brushes, however. I use a car washing brush for the big bits, a large bottle brush for gaps and an old toothbrush for awkward corners.

I also strongly advocate taking the chain off in order to clean it and the rest of the bike more effectively. I soak it in a jar of white spirit (mineral spirits in the US) while I clean the rest of the bike. Shake a few times to remove stubborn grime, and perhaps use a stiff bristled brush if necessary. The solvent will quickly evaporate from the chain once it is removed from the jar and can then be re-lubed. The solvent can be left in a jar for the solids to settle out, filtered and re-used almost indefinitely.

[boddunn]

I never clean my bike, stops the paint getting scratched and makes it less attractive to thieves, looks like crap though. Obviously you need to make sure the important bits like chain etc. are very clean.