My Spotless Brompton

Not long ago, a commenter asked about Basil’s apparently “spotless” state.  I responded by noting that Basil and I have ridden in little rain, so far, and, thus, had been minimally exposed to mud. Our most serious rain this fall came with a hurricane, and neither Basil nor I were out in it.

That’s part of the answer.  Also relevant is that I don’t commute on Basil, so I can pick and choose (within reason) when to ride.  But there are a couple of things I do regularly that make a real difference to Basil’s appearance. Here are my weapons of choice:

an orange microfiber cleaning cloth, and a soft toothbrush. I found the orange cloths in the automotive section of some store; they’re orange so that no one will mistake them for ordinary dusting cloths, and leave Basil stranded.

After any particularly messy ride, I run the cloth gently over Basil’s wheels.  If the cloth meets with any resistance, I dampen it slightly, but otherwise, a soft dusting generally removes the newly-accumulated road grime.  I don’t do this every time I ride, but on as as-needed basis, which works out to be fairly frequently.  It only takes a few minutes, and getting the grime off up front is a lot easier than trying to remove it months later.

I regularly wipe the sides of Basil’s wheels, too, since I’ve read that this is kinder to both rims and brake pads. This, too, takes just moments.

The cloth also gets put to work on any visible grime on Basil’s frame and components.  Every three or four rides, there seems to be plenty, even if the weather’s been good. Again, this takes only moments.

Any time I’ve ridden in an “iffy” area, I brush Basil’s tires once we’re home — that’s what the toothbrush is for.  Again, it just takes a few minutes, but ensures that debris doesn’t stick around.

I tend to scuff Basil’s top bar; that gets addressed with the microfiber cloth, slightly dampened, wiping gently.

So the answer to Ian’s question is multi-faceted.  Basil still looks band-box new because:

1. We haven’t been out in serious weather yet
2. A few minutes work every now and then keeps grime from building up
3. I’m still infused with the enthusiasm of a maniacal new Brompton rider — and, last but not least
4. Everything looks newer and shinier in a photograph!

Yes, Ian, I fear that item 4 may be the real answer to your question.  The camera may not lie, but it might obscure.

Regardless, though, I do give Basil the little attentions he deserves; it’s not much time or effort for maximum gain.  I figured that I’d better get in the habit immediately, since it was unlikely I’d develop it later.

Basil will eventually look scruffy; it’s the nature of things, and Basil is meant to be a vigorous companion, after all, not a beautiful trophy to put on a wall.  But I like respecting his fit and finish along the way; it’s a good tack to take.