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Cleaning regime, what's yours?
So with all this wet weather, everybody will be cleaning and oiling more than ever.
What's your regime and any hints and tips that could help us all make a tedious job quicker and more effective?
Tools and oils used, excuses to give the wife why you're using the kitchen sink as a degreasing bowl, etc.
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Ride the road.
Ride an old bike and clean and oil when-ever.
Don't clean or oil & buy a new one when it fines up.
Don't use the sink to clean bike parts as you don't know what else the sink has been used for.
If you been riding in the rain it will need a wash , if you ride thru puddles wash it, if it is dusty from dirt trails wash it, your running gear will last a lot longer & use a shallow plastic tub or bucket to degrease or wash parts in not the missus kitchen sink because the plug might come out & u might loose something of value too your bike
I clean the bike down after every ride (unless just messing around on the road). I reckon that it deserves some TLC for putting up with the hard knocks it gets. Plus, it cost a f##k##g fortune and I can't afford to replace it
Make sure you keep the chain clean after sandy/muddy rides. This is an excellent way to do it http://www.wiggle.co.uk/park-tools-cg-2-chain-ga...
I'm not suggesting you should buy one but they're awesome!
Oops
All that shot shows Rob, is it is mandatory to have some kind of beery beverage on hand during maintenance periods
(top-right corner for those who miss my point)
on topic: Ill give my bike a wash down after every ride, hose it off, soap and wipe then rince and dry in the sun or shammy if no sun. Takes 10 minutes really.
Every month ill degrease the drivetrain by taking off the Cassette / Chain / Chainrings and soaking them in Kerosene for 30mins then giving them a scrub. This is usually done in an old Ice-Cream container in the shed sink with an old toothbrush.
Then its all schmick and gets put back together and well-lubed with wet lube (excess wiped off prior to next ride) Will do a brake bleed every 2-3 months as well.
Once every few months I will pull out All the bikes and give them all a good going over (can't ride all of them!)
Well worth the $$ investment in the time saved. Works a treat. Should be part of every rider's cleaning kit. Save yourself the hassle, ditch the kero and the toothbrush...I use citrus based cleaner. Takes me 5-10 mins max. Shiny and new again. Coopers Red is an optional extra I believe!
http://www.parktool.com/product/cyclone-r-chain-...
Looks like a chain cleaner is top of the list of things to buy next time I'm passing my LBS and a case of Coopers top of the list next time I'm passing Dan Murphys!
To be honest I don't bother with a chain cleaner any more.
To begin, use good lube that doesn't clog up. In the dry I like White Lightening Wax, but other waxes are probably good too. I found that with a wax based lube you don't get the chain clogged much (at all) when it's dry and hardly have to do anything to it. In the wet hmmmm... this is tricky as I don't often ride in the wet, but the light TFT based spray stuff seems good.
Then make sure you have a quick link on the chain and when it needs a wash just take it off and put in a pot of degreaser. Be sure to rinse thoroughly when done and re-lube. This has the bonus of being able to clean rings, cassette, derailleur, etc. much more easily (when the chain is off I mean).
Sorry to confuse the issue, but hope that helps
P.S. Get a chain checker and make testing for stretch part of your weekly routine
Mate after every ride the bike gets thoroughly cleaned. Wheels come off, chain off, jockey wheels off, frame is washed down with only the best soapy water, shifters are all wiped over to remove any residual sweat, cables wiped down, then its meticulously dried with the softest newest towel I can find.
Chain is soaked in kero, in an old Staminade pot so you can put the lid on it and shake it about. Repeat the process until the Kero is no longer muddy.
Jockey Wheels are scrubbed with a toothbrush and kero.
Cassette with a stiffer longer brush to get in between the teeth.
I use an old tee-shirt to soak up the residual kero from the components.
The left over kero from the pot is poured into another container and collected to be disposed of responsibly.
Then its all put together again and lubed.
I'm with Rob. Use a dry lube and cleaning the drive train in most conditions is pretty simple. Just a regular wipe over for the chain and re-lube.
If it's been a bit muddy I give the bike a gentle house down as soon as I get home, shake it to remove excess water and re-lube the chain before putting away.
From time to time I do a bit of extra cleaning around the rear cassette, jockey wheels and front cogs and a bit of an overall wipe down of the frame and other bits with bike cleaner and a soft cloth. A bit of lube on exposed bits of cable, check the spokes, check pivot points etc for tightness, check pad wear.
I'd rather be riding than tinkering!!
Quik link on the chain and tin of petrol. Drop the chain in once a month.
I clean my bike every 2nd ride. Buy a couple of household brushes (dust pan brush, scrubbing brush etc) some dishwashing liquid and of you go. only takes 15 minutes.
also, put a couple of drops of oil on the fork legs after cleaning let it run down to the seals, and give the forks a couple of cycles to lube the stabncions. This keeps it running smooth, and keeps the seals fresh. (wipe the excess of before you ride though.
This is the only way to do your chain properly.
Shouldn't take longer than a week!!!
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/chainclean.html
bicycle maintenance for the obsessive compulsive!
wow. that gives me an idea. Think i might go buy a shit load of quick links and make my own chain.
Every ride forks wiped plus a light hose down
Geared XC bike chain done depending on conditions, but say every other ride or so.
Other bits if they are lucky.
Single speed, once in a blue moon.
Commuter (150+km p.w.) chain done once a week if wet, or maybe two weeks if it has been dry.
Chain cleaning. Quick link is the winner. Ice cream tub bath in degreaser for the XC, petrol for the commuter. Then rock and roll (lube plus cleaner) and all done. I used to use a chain cleaning tool lie the above – but found too fiddly.
LOL... think I've oiled the chain on the commuter about 3-4 times in that many years and 7-8000 kays
It looks like my cleaning routine of give the bike a squirt with the hose and then lube the chain when i can hear myself pedalling isn't too healthy for it. Guess I have some work to do this weekend.
regular cleaning will lengthen the life of your bike, however if you clean regularly and don't dry the bike and relube all the bits and bobs, then you can shorten the life of your bike. Don't squirt the hose directly into the bearings., The bearings on a bike are not as heavy duty as a car or moto. Water can work it's way past the seal when squirted at high pressure, and then you ended up with ceased bearings.