Bike Clean...
... well, more a bike lube question really.
Once you've degreased and cleaned your bike, exactly what bits do you lube? Obviously the chain, but do you do top to bottom, all the bolt heads, adjusters etc etc...???
I do, and I was reading a bike mag this morning, and a good bike clean - from start to finish, is a 30-45 min job, apparently. Currently, it's nearer 2-2 1/2 for me. I lube the lot, and also go round the bike making sure there's no access water in stuff like the allen bolt heads on the stem - am I just overly paranoid? This mag suggested just shaking the bike a bit and leaving it to dry off. As I'm a one-bike wonder, and winter will soon be here, I want to clean the steed well, but if it's weekly or more, not spend hours on it.
Ta.
Once you've degreased and cleaned your bike, exactly what bits do you lube? Obviously the chain, but do you do top to bottom, all the bolt heads, adjusters etc etc...???
I do, and I was reading a bike mag this morning, and a good bike clean - from start to finish, is a 30-45 min job, apparently. Currently, it's nearer 2-2 1/2 for me. I lube the lot, and also go round the bike making sure there's no access water in stuff like the allen bolt heads on the stem - am I just overly paranoid? This mag suggested just shaking the bike a bit and leaving it to dry off. As I'm a one-bike wonder, and winter will soon be here, I want to clean the steed well, but if it's weekly or more, not spend hours on it.
Ta.
Knackered? Me?
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Comments
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hmm - 2-2.5hrs is bordering on obsession - you want to see a doctor about that!
No seriously, it sounds like you are very thorough and your bike will thank you for that. If you have the time to do it (must not have any kids?) and you enjoy it or at least willing to do it then carry on.
don't get hung up about the odd wash and shake-to-dry every once in a while though - your bike won't melt and it is getting cold these days!0 -
I can strip and rebuild a bike in 2.5 hours, so that really is a bit obsessive and certainly don't go into that level. The first thing is preparation for winter - making sure that things like headset, bottom bracket, stems and seatpins are clean and greased, ready for a winter's abuse should mean that when you come to do a spring clean after winter, then it will all come apart nicely - it also means you don't have to do it every week. Giving the frame a protective coat of wax polish helps too. Depending on how much wet riding you do, in winter I usually clean the chain every 4 or so weeks and give it a wipe-down and clean inbetween. Giving the cables a lube means they're unlikely to crud-up too.Make mine an Italian, with Campagnolo on the side..0
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Cheers.
With regards to the allen bolts and the like, is it worth squirting a dab of lube on the head to prevent rust, or is that just daft?Knackered? Me?0 -
After I wash mine and hose it off, I use a blower(leaf blower) to get most of the water off. Saves time.,
Dennis Noward0
