Grinding noise when i peddle after my first trail ride.

dubcat

Hi,

I rode at Surrey Hills today and it seems to be quite sandy up there. My chain, cassette and rear gear (is it called a drailier?) are covered in a gritty sand. My bike is making a grinding noise when I peddle. Do i have to clean it already after just one ride or can i ride it with the grinding noise?

Sorry for the total noob question. Was not sure whether to post here or in beginners.

Dub

warpcow

I probably would and I'm lazy when it actually comes to cleaning my bike. I just like a silent drivetrain. That and the fork are about the only things I do clean regularly. If you get into the habit now, it'll do good in the long run.

Still, it's not exactly going to explode if you don't.

GrizedaleGrinder

The grinding noise is me grinding my teeth because you say 'when I peddle'. The word you want is 'pedal'. 'Peddle' means to sell things, especially door-to-door and so on.

dubcat

Haha I am a actually blushing at my spelling mistake. Ok thanks for the cleaning advice. I am a proper lazy git but I guess I had better buy some degreaser and put that chain cleaner I bought to some use.

When cleaning the forks do yoU just wipe the shiny silver bit with a damp cloth or do you do something more?

warpcow

http://steveukmtb.wordpress.com/basic-cleaning-and-maintenance-guide/fork-and-shock-cleaning/

I pretty much follow the above for cleaning, except I use an old soft-bristled brush for getting behind the arch and bought some Finishline Stanchion Lube (probably not worth it, but it's nice).

dubcat

Brill! ThAnks very much

lesz42

this,


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

diy

Yes you do and you need to use a fine or dry lube for riding surrey hills.. that sand will have your mech off if you leave it, because it will clog up the jockeys they will jam on the chain and the whole thing will rotate around your mech hanger, buggering the hanger and the mech.

The reason Surrey hills and north downs are so sandy is because they used to be at the bottom of the sea.

DickBarton

You probably have some of the sandy grit in your drivetrain and it's making the noise - best thing to do is give everything a good clean with a degreaser (degreaser on the chain, cassette, jockey wheels and chainrings - try not to get it on anything else), then wash it down with soapy water then rinse with clean water.

If you are riding in sandy conditions then a dry lube or wax-based lube would be better as it tends to attracts less sand/grit and your chain stays cleaner longer. the downside is dry lube tends to need applying before/after every ride and doesn't last long on wet rides.

Wax-based lube like Squirt is very good as it dries but remains on the chain...I'm only lubing my chain once a month now...really good stuff.

dubcat

the cassette is the cogs on the back wheel right?
Are the chain rings the cogs between the crank/pedals?
What are jockey wheels?

/blush

chedabob

Dubcat wrote:

the cassette is the cogs on the back wheel right?
Are the chain rings the cogs between the crank/pedals?
What are jockey wheels?

/blush

Jockey wheels are the cogs in the rear derailleur/mech. Chain rings are the front gears.

dubcat

Ah got it.. will have a bash at it tonight or tomorrow then. First need to head to halfords to get some degreaser to put in my chain cleaner.

diy

paraffin will do just fine to degrease your chain. You don't need anything expensive.

dubcat

Put parafin in the park tools chain cleaner you mean?

diy

er.. No a take away tin is what I use or a jam jar. If you chain has a power link you just unhook and give it a soak.

failing that paraffin in a spray bottle and spray on wipe off..

really wanted to say wax on wax off there

dubcat

Lol mr miyagi. Well I already have the park tools cm5 chain cleaner so I do want to use it. I bought some Tesco all purpose cleaner to use in it. According to the web site instructions you use a degreaser and then you use soap and water... I wonder what kind of soap them mean!

cooldad

This will keep your chain a soft as a babies bottom



Although washing up liquid will probably work better.

dubcat

Lol, cheeky git.

Ok so Tesco all purpose cleaner (neat?) in cm5 toll first for 30 revolutions of the crank. Empty cm5 tool. Clean tool. Fill with warm water and washing up liquid. 30 revolutions. Dry chain with rag and leave it to dry for a while. Drop of oil on every roller of chain. Wipe chain with rag. Done.

Is that right?

cooldad

Dunno I don't have a chain cleaner. Just clean it when I clean the bike, normally after every ride if muddy. Washing up liquid in a bucket. Good scrub with a brush. Never actually tried degreaser, although I have just bought some.
Have been using dry lube for summer though, which has been a revelation. Dust and grit just disappears, quick wipe and relube every few weeks.
Ran out and used some ultra heavy duty wet lube last time out. A few hours in the dust at Swinley and it's a solid mass of gooey sand.
So will try out degreaser this weekend. And get some more Squirt until weather gets bad.
I have been thinking of one of those chain cleaner jobbies for a while, will be interested in knowing how well it works.
But your method seems sound.

cooldad

ps oil the inside of the chain.

Anonymous

Yep, wet lube attracts the crud. It keeps the wet off however allowing it to stick to the chain better, hence for wet conditions. Dry is generally best for Surrey Hills as said. Should note that if you go onto the North Downs (Ranmore, Box Hill etc), it's different soil and can get more muddy.

You can also get grinding in the brakes when you go through muddy puddles. Not much you can do about that until it wears away or you get some clean water on it. Though when cleaning, don't degrease or oil the brakes! Water only generally.

The Park Tools cleaner is great. Just clamp onto the chain, small bit of fairy and fill with water, then run the chain backwards. Rinse and repeat. Job done. Even has a little magnet that attracts the metal shards at the bottom to stop them getting back on the chain (remove the magnet when you rinse the thing out to clear the sludge).

I'm starting now to take the cassette off every few months and give it a good clean in the sink. I don't get much more obsessive about cleaning though (unlike some people ), rest of the bike stays muddy but I pay attention to the chainset as it keeps it running smooth and reduces the need to replace the cassette and chain rings.

I also get creaking in my pivots when they get dusty in dry conditions. Plenty of lube with GT85 helps out there, though I find I have to service them every 6 to 12 months, but the pivots on the GT are a bit special (weird).

P.S. Don't hose down bearings, especially the headset. You'll wash grit into them and possibly wash the grease out. Then you get grinding bearings. My headset was grinding badly as a result of doing this, and eventually I destroyed it.

dubcat

Where are the bearings? Are there some in the rear hub? Im concerned about using degreaser on the cassette to clean it .. Obviously when I clean the chain I need to clean the cassette too but I dont want to get degreaser into any bearings down there. Should I just wipe the rear cassette with a dry cloth instead?

Anonymous

Did you get the brush thingy with the Park Tools cleaner? If so, use that and scrub the cassette. Should be okay with degreaser on it, just keep it to the cassette itself. The bearings are inside and I think on the wheels are fairly insulated from cleaning anyway (or I've never had problems).

Bigger problem is the bearings in the headset (they're at the top/bottom of the steerer column on the frame). Just wipe down though and it's fine, and avoid jet washing bearing areas.

dubcat

Ok done it one question though. After applying a drop of oil to each roller I moved the pedal around to distribute the oil and then i wiped the chain with a rag to remove excess oil. However, how do I know I didn't remove all the oil or too much of the oil I just put on?

Anonymous

Guess just see if there's a layer of oil on there and how smooth it runs. You shouldn't need too much oil though anyway. I spin the chain and apply small drops on the inside as it's spinning. I've yet to switch to wet oil this year and not too sure how much to apply. With wet I think too much and you get chain suck or something.

dubcat

Kenny I just put one drop on each roller. Hint, use sticky tape to mark the roller u start with

diy

dubs, you don't need anything like this level of precision. if your chain goes stiff and rusty its not lubed enough, it is sucks up half the trail dirt, its too lubed.

I use a spray lube, its very easy..

dubcat

Haha now that ive done it I see what you mean diy. I guess i made a big deal out of nothing .