Bike cleaning stuff

Jamey

I've got the Park chain cleaning gizmo and it's fine for on-the-bike cleaning but these days I remove the chain (master links make this dead easy) and put it in my fancy ultrasonic cleaning machine.

cullen_bay

cover the bike in fenwicks FS-1 (diluted 1-10) and hose off, this takes most (if not all) of the crap after that, pop in it the workstand, whip off the chain, degrease it and blast it with gt85 or some other water displacer, dry the chain of that and leave on the workbench. clean the bike without the wheels in, normally i take the derailleur apart and clean the internals as well then re-grease. do the same for the QRs and all other parts im scared shitless will either brake or seize.clean the frame and make it shine using fenwicks FS-1 undiluted on the frame (as good as bike polish). put the bike back together again and hey-presto, the bikes as good as new.

cullen_bay

forgot to say £35 for a 5 liter container that with dilute into 50litres of bike wash , it lasts ages!

biondino

Cullen_bay, could you come to my house and clean my bike for me? I'll make you a bacon sandwich!

avoidingmyphd

i can't recommend sheldon's guide to chain cleaning highly enough:

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/chainclean.html

and +1 for the baby wipes. they are the best way to clean the cassette, no doubt about it.

DonDaddyD

I need to clean the front ring, back cassette, chain and mechs.

An old dust pan brush, dipped in soapy water (or was that bleach?) helped a bit, but I really need to get in there...

The frame is fine, a cloth and wet wipes got the frame and wheels (removed and cleaned seperately) looking shinny again and this was after riding the bike throughout Oct, Nov, Dec, Jan (one girl actually asked if I took my roadie mountain biking :shock: ).

But cleaning the moving parts is tricky, how do I go about that?

Edit: I don't really want to dismantle the bike beyond taking the wheels off...

don_don

DonDaddyD wrote:

I need to clean the front ring, back cassette, chain and mechs.

An old dust pan brush, dipped in soapy water (or was that bleach?) helped a bit, but I really need to get in there...

_Brun_ wrote:

I agree with G66. Instead of a cloth however I use my oldest pair of pants, which I find is a good way to make sure I buy new ones with reasonable regularlity. Same with toothbrushes actually.

Damn straight Brun, I forgot about this...

Nothing like an old G-string to get in-between the cassette cogs DDD. I'll send you one if you are short on skimpy underwear...

DonDaddyD

don_don wrote:

Nothing like an old G-string to get in-between the cassette cogs DDD. I'll send you one if you are short on skimpy underwear...

Dude, offering around LiT's underwear on the net is just not on!

Edit: In fact how did you come to own a pair of LiT's underwear.... :shock:

<< Sings cheerfully >>

"LiT's and Don_Don sitting in a tree..."

lost_in_thought

avoidingmyphd wrote:

i can't recommend sheldon's guide to chain cleaning highly enough:

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/chainclean.html

and +1 for the baby wipes. they are the best way to clean the cassette, no doubt about it.

Again, what and what? Seriously, I know Sheldon (RIP) is a great authority on bikes and their maintenance, but a new chain costs, what, £20-ish?

The chemicals are advertised at $70 minimum, and my god, the time it would take you... That's insane. False economy in my book.

Clean it in an easier fashion (degreaser or similar) lube it well and if it packs up buy a new one.

avoidingmyphd

does someone else want to tell her, or shall I?

tiny_pens

lost_in_thought wrote:

Again, what and what? Seriously, I know Sheldon (RIP) is a great authority on bikes and their maintenance, but a new chain costs, what, £20-ish?

The chemicals are advertised at $70 minimum, and my god, the time it would take you... That's insane. False economy in my book.

Clean it in an easier fashion (degreaser or similar) lube it well and if it packs up buy a new one.

ROFLMAO

Shelbrothane cleaning solvent. Deakinol Rinsing solvent. Genius! Was half expecting to see 'shelbro' grease listed as one of the ingredients.

Tiny
Shel

lost_in_thought

Ah, so it's a joke... I'm right back there now... didn't read the list of chemicals!

@ myself

EDIT: Thank god it is a joke. I was concerned that people actually did that.

don_don

DonDaddyD wrote:

don_don wrote:

Nothing like an old G-string to get in-between the cassette cogs DDD. I'll send you one if you are short on skimpy underwear...

Dude, offering around LiT's underwear on the net is just not on!

Edit: In fact how did you come to own a pair of LiT's underwear.... :shock:

<< Sings cheerfully >>

"LiT's and Don_Don sitting in a tree..."

Who said anything about LiT's underwear???

You never worn a G-string? Awesome under Rapha fixed shorts - not a trace of VPL

Admittedly the lacy ones are a bit 'chafy' but then you'll only wear these for 'best'. Plus, they tend to get stuck in the teeth.

Sprocket teeth that is....

DonDaddyD

don_don wrote:

DonDaddyD wrote:

don_don wrote:

Nothing like an old G-string to get in-between the cassette cogs DDD. I'll send you one if you are short on skimpy underwear...

Dude, offering around LiT's underwear on the net is just not on!

Edit: In fact how did you come to own a pair of LiT's underwear.... :shock:

<< Sings cheerfully >>

"LiT's and Don_Don sitting in a tree..."

Who said anything about LiT's underwear???

You never worn a G-string? Awesome under Rapha fixed shorts - not a trace of VPL

Admittedly the lacy ones are a bit 'chafy' but then you'll only wear these for 'best'. Plus, they tend to get stuck in the teeth.

Sprocket teeth that is....

Come on admit it, you know you'd like to see LiT in a g-stri....

Anyway!

Personally I can't say that I wear underwear... it's all to restrictive and I like to hang free!

(says the man who wears lycra!)

il_principe

lost_in_thought wrote:

Ah, so it's a joke... I'm right back there now... didn't read the list of chemicals!

@ myself

EDIT: Thank god it is a joke. I was concerned that people actually did that.

Oh LiT, you foolish girl...

Good old Sheldon. I wonder how many people have actually not read the whole article and thought "well if Sheldon does it..."

lost_in_thought

jashburnham wrote:

lost_in_thought wrote:

Ah, so it's a joke... I'm right back there now... didn't read the list of chemicals!

@ myself

EDIT: Thank god it is a joke. I was concerned that people actually did that.

Oh LiT, you foolish girl...

Good old Sheldon. I wonder how many people have actually not read the whole article and thought "well if Sheldon does it..."

Serves me right for skim-reading...

And I'd hope that any sane person would stop short of actualy doing it. I'd hope.

Christophe3967

lost_in_thought wrote:

Are those chain cleaning machines really worth it?

Don't think they are. I have a Park Tools one and find it real faff to use. Invariably I use baby wipes (on the chains) each weekend then think about giving them a proper clean every so often.

Christophe3967

Christophe3967 wrote:

lost_in_thought wrote:

Are those chain cleaning machines really worth it?

Don't think they are. I have a Park Tools one and find it real faff to use. Invariably I use baby wipes (on the chains) each weekend then think about giving them a proper clean every so often.

Let me know if you'd like to borrow it btw.

lost_in_thought

Thanks, that's very kind of you. I may well, even if just to give it a go!!

avoidingmyphd

something more constructive than my endorsement of sheldon...

yes, those chain cleaner things are definitely worthwhile BUT be careful using one if your chain is already buggered by " city commuting grime" (the stodgy black ming than sticks to everything and never seems to afflict mountain bikes or lovingly ridden road bikes, but just bikes that do regular duty near city kerbs). even with copious amounts of degreaser, I killed one by coating its brushes with that stuff in one rotation of my chain, , so now it is a handy grime applicator rather than the reverse, which isn't that useful.

oh, and my previous mention of baby wipes was serious. they are amazing.

was the triathlon link a joke? unfortunately, I suspect that whoever wrote that page might have been serious...

Hell below zero !

I steam clean my chains

Jamey

I've also managed to ruin brushes by trying to use them to clean things that were dirty... How madcap of me... Wanting to use a brush to clean something, I must be crazy. As HBZ has already detailed, this just results in the brush becoming a dirt applicator for anything it touches forever after.

I even tried soaking the brush in meths for a month afterwards. It didn't remove the dirt.

The reason why baby wipes are so good is because they're disposable - that's really the key here, I believe... When something is extremely dirty then anything you use to clean it will become permanently dirty too. So it needs to be disposable otherwise you've just transferred the dirt from one item you own onto something else you own.

Newspaper is also sometimes handy for removing a decent amount of the black grime before you start to get down to a more manageable level.

Christophe3967

lost_in_thought wrote:

Thanks, that's very kind of you. I may well, even if just to give it a go!!

No worries, let me know and I'll dig it out.

DonDaddyD

I found this article:
http://www.bikeradar.com/beginners/gear ... bike-18259

lost_in_thought

Good article DDD! Thanks!

il_principe

lost_in_thought wrote:

Good article DDD! Thanks!

'cept KMC would disagree with the chain stuff. LiT for your Record chain I would follow this regime:

Cleaning

- Clean your chain after each trip, especially after riding in the wet.
- Always use a piece of dry cloth to clean the chain and it's component parts.
- If neccesary, use an old toothbrush to clean between the plates.
- Do not forget the sprockets, front changer and derailleur pulleys.
- To remove mud or sand, use a bristle brush, if necessary with light soapy warm water.
- Never use acidic or alkali based detergents (such as rust cleaners), these agents can damage the chain and may cause breakage.
- NEVER EVER use a so-called'chain washing machine' in combination with solvent. This is the one and only sure way to instantly ruin your chain.
- Avoid the use of solvents, not only are these bad for the environment, they remove lubricant from the chain's bearing.


Lubrication

- lubricate the chain every time you clean it, scrub it, or wash it with any solvent (the usage of solvent is not recommended!)
- before lubricating, make sure the chain is dry;
- use a lubricant which initially penetrates the chain's bearing, and then turns 'sticky' or 'dry'. In this way you can reach the chain parts which are most sensitive to wear;
- in order to avoid a build-up of excess grease, try to apply it on the critical places only, like the rollers. Applying grease there helps to reduce chain wear and noise;
- apply just a little grease on the rest of the chain to prevent rust;
- remove excess grease from the outside of the chain;
- in the case of derailleur bikes: do not forget to pay some attention to the derailleur pulleys, chainrings and cassette sprockets. Use the same principle as above for maintaining and lubricating them
- after lubricating, use a dry cloth to remove excess grease from the chain's outside, this prevents attracting excessive amounts of dirt and dust.

Before re-connecting your chain, do not forget to clean the chain's ends inner bearings of chain ends, to make sure no dirt remains there. After cleaning, and before applying the connecting link, apply some grease inside and on the connector's pins.


http://www.kmcchain.com/index.php?ln=en&fn=service#2

don_don

jashburnham wrote:

NEVER EVER use a so-called'chain washing machine' in combination with solvent. This is the one and only sure way to instantly ruin your chain.
- Avoid the use of solvents, not only are these bad for the environment, they remove lubricant from the chain's bearing.

I just don't understand this. I've been using a Park chain cleaner and Finish Line degreaser for years without any problems whatsoever.

The solvent removes the lubricant of course, along with the dirt.

Then you put the lubricant back on (after rinsing and drying the chain) - no problems

Having said that, I do a lot of MTB'ing which cacks the chain up pretty badly. I do use Pro-Link lube on my road bike, which has not needed a chain bath because the lube seems to 'fall off' taking dirt with it.

Is this something about Campag chains then? I've never used one.

il_principe

don_don wrote:

jashburnham wrote:

NEVER EVER use a so-called'chain washing machine' in combination with solvent. This is the one and only sure way to instantly ruin your chain.
- Avoid the use of solvents, not only are these bad for the environment, they remove lubricant from the chain's bearing.

I just don't understand this. I've been using a Park chain cleaner and Finish Line degreaser for years without any problems whatsoever.

The solvent removes the lubricant of course, along with the dirt.

Then you put the lubricant back on (after rinsing and drying the chain) - no problems

Having said that, I do a lot of MTB'ing which cacks the chain up pretty badly. I do use Pro-Link lube on my road bike, which has not needed a chain bath because the lube seems to 'fall off' taking dirt with it.

Is this something about Campag chains then? I've never used one.

I dunno, (the advice is from KMC not campag) but having spent a fair whack on a high end SL KMC chain I'm inclined to follow their advice on the basis that they must know what they are talking about. TBH that chain is on the good bike and is kept clean enough that degreaser shouldn't be needed. With cheaper chains on the other bikes I am far less anal.

marksteven

wash n wax & baby wipes for the oily bits then motor bike chain lube rub off excess when it drys a bit muc off is nasty