Cleaning with compressed air

utgaardaolle

When learning to become a tool and die-maker we were taught to never use compressed air around bushings and bearings since crud and shavings could find its way into the machines. Naturally we cleaned with compressed air all the time, and it never seemed to hurt anything. There is no faster way to clean mechs and chain, but might it hurt more than it helps?

nicklouse

yes if you do blow crud into the bearings. just like not using a jet wash.

you also have to consider the action both will have of removing the grease/lube as well.

centimani

I use compressed air to clean out the cassette, rear derailleur, blowing excess oil off the chain when lubing it off the bike, and blowing rainwater off the frame etc after wet riding.
So long as you're not blowing it directly into bearings, its not a problem at all....the TdeF teams were doing it in the prologue in London, if its good enough for them...

jon1993

alright for frames ect any moving parts and ull kill your bike in mins lol

centimani

jon1993 wrote:

alright for frames ect any moving parts and ull kill your bike in mins lol

I'm guessing by 'moving parts' you mean bearings.
Here's what ive done for several years, especially handy with winter commuting when your bike gets absolutely filthy.
Quick blast of the frame (after ive given it a light spray with some cleaner) , brake calipers, outside of the hubs (not in the bearing ends), blow any crud out of the cassette, blow round the rims to remove grit etc from the braking surfaces, under the BB to remove crud from the cable guides, front and rear derailleur.
Derailleurs and calipers will then get a spray with WD then a quick wipe, then a papertowel wipe over everything
It sounds a lot but only takes 5 minutes. Ive been doing that for maybe 3 years...not one component on my bike has suffered, actually its kept it in good condition.

jon1993

opse yes sorry i mean bearings and sometimes the linkages in derailers ect if u force grit in and wedges in ive done that before needed a full strip and rebuilt to find the smallest part of grit stopping changeing

MichaelW

For winter, I stuff so much gloop into the wheel bearings that it works its way out through the seal. I just leave it there, its seems to act as a barrier to any crud getting into the wheel.
Wiping just presses dirt back in, same as compressed air.