Bike cleaning

truespin
truespin Posts: 155
edited July 2007 in MTB beginners
What with all this 'lovely' weather we're having, I'm finding the need to clean my bike after every ride at the moment...

I've just been running a hose over the bike, wiping down the chain, GT85 chain & mech and finally lube the chain.

Anything else I should be doing?

This gets off all the mud but does seem to leave a bit of watermarking on the frame - do I need some mukoff or similar or just some brushes? Recommendations?
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Mode ... elID=11529 Do these seem a fair buy?

Comments

  • Satchmo245
    Satchmo245 Posts: 707
    You could probably get a set of brushes cheaper off ebay (I think I have seen them for £6).

    What your doing seems fine but as a suggestion I would recommend spraying a bit of GT85 on your exposed gear/brake cables too. I have heard of them seizing if there is water inside. Not good if you're planning a ride and your cables are screwed!
    My Trusty Steed
    My Pics! Updated
  • Dunk
    Dunk Posts: 5,291
    I just get a big bowl of water and scrub it down untill clean :D then lube chain and cables. Wala done 8)

    Dunk
    Soon to be updated!!!
  • truespin
    truespin Posts: 155
    When you say spray the exposed cables, do you just mean squirt GT 85 down the cable housings?
  • tihkal
    tihkal Posts: 7
    My preference - Take an old dustpan brush, squirt washing up liquid into the bristles, dip in a bucket to dampen and then cover the bike with suds so it can't be seen any more. Rinse with a shower type head on a hose then lube with lubes of choice. Thin lube on cables and stuff you want to remove water from. Proper lube on drivetrain.

    Watch you don't get any oil on your discs though if you have them.
  • Satchmo245
    Satchmo245 Posts: 707
    truespin wrote:
    When you say spray the exposed cables, do you just mean squirt GT 85 down the cable housings?

    I just take the straw out of the nozzle of the cannister so you get a wider spray.Stick a bit of card board on the other side to where you're spraying so it doesn't find it's way on to your rotors and then just a quick spray up the length of the cable. That's the inner part of the cable; you know the actual metal.
    My Trusty Steed
    My Pics! Updated
  • truespin
    truespin Posts: 155
    Yeah, I've been putting carrier bags over the disks to prevent the oily disk situation :)

    I'd heard that using washing up liquid was bad as it contains lots of salt though...

    Is a soap even really necessary..? My bike has gotten *really* muddy and just with a hose I've gotten everything (bar the watermarks) off.
  • Satchmo245
    Satchmo245 Posts: 707
    I would try some soap and see if it get's rid of those water marks you keep getting. Maybe it's salt on the frame that water alone can't shift........ maybe I'm talking rubbish. However, I can recommend thisstuff. It's by far the best I have ever used! Look how sparkly it got my drivetrainwithout even using brushes!

    8)
    My Trusty Steed
    My Pics! Updated
  • truespin
    truespin Posts: 155
    SHINEY! :)
    nice - might have to give that a go - does it last long?
  • truespin
    truespin Posts: 155
    "Discontinued - no longer available"

    Bah!

    Any other recommendations?
  • Satchmo245
    Satchmo245 Posts: 707
    Haha, well, I must admit to spraying it on quite "liberally" but even still I reckon it will last me 8-10 washes. If you don't mind scrubbing you could get more out of one bottle than me.
    My Trusty Steed
    My Pics! Updated
  • Satchmo245
    Satchmo245 Posts: 707
    truespin wrote:
    "Discontinued - no longer available"

    Bah!

    Any other recommendations?

    Strange.......

    Anyway, thisplace do it too but at rrp which is what I paid. Still well worth it IMO! I just got it from my LBS (no delivery charges).
    My Trusty Steed
    My Pics! Updated
  • windscale
    windscale Posts: 23
    This may be a dumb question, but what about lubing the cables in housings? I would think if things are going to sieze up it would be there. Unless there's a trick however you'd have to keep taking the cables out which would be a real pain.

    I never used to bother on my road bikes and never had a problem but I can see my MTB getting much muddier on a more frequent basis?

    W.
  • wwjjtt
    wwjjtt Posts: 204
    gt85....i use it to shine my frame and for the dashboard in my car. it's useless on a chain! get a cleaner, muc off and fenwicks are good but if you really don't wanna sepend then any thing that has de-greasing properties will work-ie fairy liquid. just make sure you dilute it and wash it all off. warm water works better too(just the same as dishes!) a de-greaser spray is good when your chain gets really oily, and is usefull when you get gt85(other ptfe lube sprays are available) on your rotors. when it's clean, use a thick lube on your chain and moving parts. you can get a wax lube for dry conditions, an all weather one and a wet weather one. they are about a fiver but they work! after that's done, get the gt85 and spray on the frame and wipe with paper....good as new!!
    www.wdmba.co.uk
  • lukesaddy
    lukesaddy Posts: 64
    JETWASH!!!! all the way, blasts any muck off the frame / gear casette
    Please e-mail me if you know any good trails and jumps around the,
    middlesbrough,
    yarm,
    stockton,
    ingleby barwick
    great ayton,
    or the redcar area.
  • Big n Daft
    Big n Daft Posts: 418
    lukesaddy wrote:
    JETWASH!!!! all the way, blasts any muck off the frame / gear casette

    Noooooooooooooo!

    Bad....bad....bad.

    Forces water into bearings, will cause untold problems. Bottom bracket bearings, hub bearings, headsets and pedal bearings all should be bathed in grease.

    Washing with water under high pressure will force out the grease, causing premature wear and possible bearing collapse.

    I would honestly say the last thing to use on a bike is a jetwash.

    BnD
    Cycle tracks will abound in Utopia. ~H.G. Wells

    http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x42/ ... 3Small.jpg
  • forlorn hope
    forlorn hope Posts: 24
    the best thing i have got, which has cut my bike cleaning times in half is one of these......
    http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/p ... sories.htm
  • Markmjh
    Markmjh Posts: 415
    Just spray a good amount of muckoff on there leave for a couple of mins and hose off with a normal hose, i've always found that to remove almost all dirt from the frame and wheels. Any nasty bits that stay dirty use a cloth with a bit of muckoff on and then hose off.
    NEVER NEVER use a jet-wash or pressure hose on a bike! It will screw your bearings and suspension in no time.
    Ride Crash Ride Again
  • HuDDy25k
    HuDDy25k Posts: 21
    All i can say to this is Muc - Off

    I have used the stuff for ages now and have never looked back keeps my bike is top shape
    1. Rinse by usin my hose
    2. De-Grease ( Cassette and Chain) usin Muc - Off
    3. Spray all Bike with Muc - Off bike cleaner and leave on for 4 minutes
    4. Use my trusty Brushes and some more Muc - Off on Frame/ Forks/Wheels and so on
    5. Rinse bike off with hose
    6.Spray all bike with Bike spray making shur not to get any on my discs
    7.Lube chain with Dry PTFE Chain Lube
    8.Spray all areas of the discs and brakes with Disc Cleaner allow to dry and wipr with a cloth
    9. Polishe bike with Miracle Shine

    And its like new yet again
    MaDe In ThE MoUnTaInS Of BaRnSlEyStAn
    My Bike:-
    http://s79.photobucket.com/albums/j142/ ... =Bike3.jpg

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