Bare essentials - cleaner and lube?

champ222

Hi All

I got my first MTB recently, and i'll need cleaners,brushes, degreasers and lubricants etc to keep it all running nice.

With Christmas coming up, a cleaning kit would be a good present for me, no one knows what to get me anyway, so its all good.

Rides are likely to be infrequent for me, as we have a baby on the way, but i may be able to get out a few times before Christmas. depending on the weather, it could well get filthy and i'm concerned about neglecting the bike.

so what basic bare essentials should i get before the cleaning kit at Christmas?

degreaser and chain lube? cleaner also? If i'm better off just getting the kit now, i can do that.

Thanks

JGTR

Here you go

http://www.bikeradar.com/beginners/gear ... ist-45532/

cooldad

That's a bit heavy on the Rapha censored .

Worry more about drying than cleaning. Dirt dries and dusts off, or a bit of a hose to get rid of the worst.
Damp damages bikes.
And chain lube is essential.
I recommend Squirt. Just follow the instructions properly. No gunk, no need to degrease.

http://in2dust.co.uk/

Bike cleaner is decent too.

champ222

thanks, ive seen that Squirt stuff recommended before. I guess i'll need a degreaser to clean what is on there off first... any recommendations?

champ222

Im getting a bit confused about the different products and there uses....

So using Muc off as an example.

you have the pink spray stuff, which is for cleaning the frame etc?
the MO-94 is for cleaning the chain/gears and stuff? so if i went with the Squirt lube, it says you dont have to degrease... i assume i still need to clean the cassette etc?
So they also have a Chain cleaner, a degreaser and a "drivetrain cleaner" are these all kinda the same thing?

I have a matt frame, and like it matt, reading around, people seem to be using the MO-94 stuff over the whole bike, surely this will make a bit of a mess?

02GF74

It's marketing bollocks as far as I concerned.

A tub of water with a squirt of washing up liquid and a bush does the job. A short going over with a hose leaves bike spotless.

JBA

MO-94 is just a teflon spray. It displaces water and coats the frame to help stop dirt sticking to it. It's ok but you need to be careful not to get any on the brakes or rotors.

Muc-Off also do a finish spray that is designed for matt paints.

Fenwick's do some good bike care products and don't have the overwhelming range that Muc-Off now have.
Get one each of their Drivetrain Cleaning Kit and Essential Bike Cleaning & Lubrication Kit and you're sorted.

I also use Squirt. It's excellent.

champ222

That's a simpler cleaning system for sure.

Should I be doing this after every ride? Or just when it's filthy?

Thanks for the advice

02GF74

champ222 wrote:

Should I be doing this after every ride? Or just when it's filthy?

e

Filthy I. E. When covered in mud. I leave dry dust on.

Cleaning good bike with a brush gets you up close so you can spot damage and wear before parts fall out on the trail.

The Rookie

champ222 wrote:

the MO-94 is for cleaning the chain/gears and stuff? so if i went with the Squirt lube, it says you dont have to degrease... i assume i still need to clean the cassette etc?

Clean, yes, degrease, no.
The greasey stuff on cassettes and chainwheels comes from the chain lube, no oily chainlube and no need to degrease.
Water does the job just fine, the universal solvent!

champ222

Thanks guys

02GF74

To demonstrate that nothing but a bowl of warm water with a squirt of washing up liquid, large and small brush followed by a hose down is needed.

This is the muddiest any one of my favourite bikes has been in over 5 years (as I got older, I tend to go out less when it is raining or has rained).

Before and after. I may get the baby oil out now.

POAH

I wouldn't use washing up liquid on a bike. Your bike is also not muddy, there is a slight smattering of dust on it.

nasha48

Before and after. I may get the baby oil out now.

Do it, you'll feel better for it...

keef66

I'm a roadie now, but when I used to have a MTB I only ever washed it if it got so muddy the wheels stopped going round or the drivetrain was affected.

Wash off any thick mud with the hosepipe, then a bucket of warm water and a squirt of washing up liquid, couple of brushes and a sponge. Rinse off with the hosepipe, and dry with an old towel or microfibre cloth. Drying it afterwards and relubing the chain are more important that keeping it clean.

Thinking about it, the road bikes get the same treatment. Summer bike maybe once a year, winter bike 3 or 4. The only thing I do more frequently is wipe the chains clean, relube then wipe again.

You can spend a fortune on bike specific cleaning products and lubes, but you don't have to. It's a bike, not the international space station.

02GF74

keef66 wrote:

You can spend a fortune on bike specific cleaning products and lubes, but you don't have to. It's a bike, not the international space station.

Says the man who buys micro fibre cloth.

Old socks is what I use.