Bike cleaning & Maintenance

andyh01

Hi all long time lurker first time poster, finally got round to creating an account.

I've recently replaced my old hybred with a Trek 2.1 (105 groupset compact) I've covered aprox 160 miles so far and just wondering what sort of maintance is required to ensure it lasts/? As I've not so much as put any oil on it yet as wasn't sure if I need to degrease first than apply lube or not. I've got a chain breaker on order, to sort the MTB winter commuter out as well as to take the road bike chain off if needed to.

Thanks
Andy

smidsy

Generally keep everything adjusted, clean and lubricated and you will not go far wrong.

Cable stretch is likely to occur if its new which will manifest in the gears not shifitng properly after maybe 300-400 miles. This is sorted with the barrell adjuster on the rear mech (1/4 turn at a time).

Chain should be cleaned before being lubed for maximum life/efficiency.

Check tyres for bits stuck in the tread and keep pressure topped up.

Other than that not a lot really.

cycleclinic

+1 but some lubs clean the chain quite effectively. I use this kind of lub as it saves alot work. chain life does not seem affected so it must work.

andyh01

Thanks,

Re cable stretch, yeah was expecting this, it's not happened yet and whilst I am able to tune it myself and will do to keep shifting crisp, as brought from a LBS Leisure Lake Northampton (very good service) it gets a free 6 week inspection but they're happy if its longer than 6 weeks so I'll prob pop down in April to get past the winter as planning to use MTB for bad whether so it lasts even longer.

Re cleaning chain before lubing (I take point that some lubes are good at cleaning) do you need to take the chain off and soak it or just run a tooth brush over it whilst its in stitue?

Also would you run it year round through winter with salt/grit around or would you use another cheaper bike - I can't decide but want keep this bike as new as best as I can?

Thanks again

PS sorry for posting in wrong place, thanks to whoever moved it!

Sprool

I spray GT85 on my chain and cassette each weekend after riding, it acts as a degreaser and leaves a light PTFE deposit on. Its probably too light to stay on through nasty weather but fine for dry clean rides. If it needs a heavier oil, the GT85 spray cleans well, mop up the excess then lube with one of the FinishLine products, leave to soak in for a bit then wipe off any excess.
In terms of winter bikes, if you have an old one and want to keep the new one pristine, then that makes good sense. If you only have one bike then make sure you keep on top of the basic cleaning and lubing to protect it. When the weather's really bad I'll take my old MTB out, but I'm not precious about the road bike, it will resist winter weather ok, you just need to be more diligent with the maintenance.

drlodge

I asked Brian Rourke with his years of experience, what he recommends to keep the bike in top condition. He had two peices of advise:

- First thing you do when you get off the bike? "Hang it on the washing line and wash it down to get the muck off, only takes 3 minutes." Well I don't have a washing line, and it takes me more than three minutes, but with a bucket of hot water with car shampoo in it and a baby bottle cleaning brush (soft bristles), it takes just a few minutes to wash it over incl the wheels. It will drip dry in no time.

- Second thing, which you can do while the bike dries off after washing is to clean/lube the chain. (a) using a rag, wipe the chain side overs (b) relube the chain rollers from the inside (lower chain from the top). (c) turn the cranks to distribute the lube and wipe off excess.