Indoor trainer bike, squirt, low-effort

rdt
rdt Posts: 869
edited December 2018 in Workshop
I have a bike ('turbo mule') that was built for and only ever used indoors on a direct drive trainer; I don't even have a rear wheel for it.

On my outdoor bikes I use Rock n Roll lube on the chains and am happy with that.

But for the the turbo bike, that's used in a clean 'gym' room rather than a garage, I wanted something less messy to apply and in use than Rock n Roll, so went with Squirt. I did a reasonable/mediocre job of cleaning the chain (no ultrasonic cleaners for me) before applying the Squirt, and a few weeks of turbo-ing later it's no surprise to see a decent amount of grey/black waxy muck and bobbles developing...

What's a low-hassle regime for me to follow for cleaning the chain prior to reapplying Squirt?

I'm not seeking perfection, just something that's easy to do (so I actually do it when needed rather than avoid it because ICBA) and is low/no-mess? Remove the chain? Wipe it with something in-situ? etc?

Cheers.

Comments

  • cougie
    cougie Posts: 22,512
    I'd leave it as it is. It's not likely that it's picked up grit and dirt off the road.
  • surfercyclist
    surfercyclist Posts: 894
    To get best results before applying Squirt the chain needs to be completely clean and grease free. So, I always remove chain and wash in kero then warm water and washing up liquid then rinse and dry. A bit of a faff but you only need to do it once. After that just sparingly reapply Squirt as needed.
  • rdt
    rdt Posts: 869
    cougie wrote:
    I'd leave it as it is. It's not likely that it's picked up grit and dirt off the road.

    Not sure what you're suggesting here. I need to do something.

    There's no grit or dirt from the road, for sure, but there's no shortage of grey black waxy bobbles and gunk forming and falling off. I need to clean some/most/all of this off before I can apply more Squirt; I cannot just stick more Squirt on top of the gunk...

    So what could I wipe the chain/drivetrain down with pre-Squirt?
  • webboo
    webboo Posts: 6,087
    WD 40 or GT85 or something similar.
  • rdt
    rdt Posts: 869
    SurferCyclist wrote:
    To get best results before applying Squirt the chain needs to be completely clean and grease free. So, I always remove chain and wash in kero then warm water and washing up liquid then rinse and dry. A bit of a faff but you only need to do it once. After that just sparingly reapply Squirt as needed.


    Clearly, I didn't do this.

    The chain was 'clean', being very new, indoor-use only, but had existing lube (factory + Rock n Roll) on it, which I cleaned with a Park Tool cyclone chain cleaner containing Morgan Blue + wipe down and dry, realising it wasn't ideal but hoped was "sufficient" as a low-hassle method...

    I was expecting some gunk to emerge during initial use as traces of the old lube worked its way out of the links, and after a few wipe/re-lube cycles was hoping to end up with a pretty clean wax-only chain. But I've been surprised at the quantity of gunk emerging and am not sure how to get it off, with the bike indoors in situ (low hassle), before re-Squirting. What could I wipe the chain down with that'd let me reapply Squirt?

    Maybe I can't, and I need to start again from the beginning, doing what you say above. I'll do that if there's no alternative...
  • sam_anon
    sam_anon Posts: 153
    A rag with some paraffin?
  • rdt
    rdt Posts: 869
    Webboo wrote:
    WD 40 or GT85 or something similar.

    Really? That don't sound right. But WTFDIK :lol:

    I'm guessing I need to use either something water-based or just a dry cloth/brush, else I'll go round in circles... :?:
  • Vino'sGhost
    Vino'sGhost Posts: 4,129
    it may be that you're over thinking this a smidge.

    Clean the drive chain thoroughly, be THOROUGH. Apply a smidge of standrard dry lube like finish line, wipe off the excess.

    It should never get dirty indoors apart from collecting the dust etc. If analy obsessive wipe it periodically.
  • webboo
    webboo Posts: 6,087
    rdt wrote:
    Webboo wrote:
    WD 40 or GT85 or something similar.

    Really? That don't sound right. But WTFDIK :lol:

    I'm guessing I need to use either something water-based or just a dry cloth/brush, else I'll go round in circles... :?:
    I often do this on my outdoor bikes when the chain is getting a black grimey look and I can’t be bothered to clean the whole bike.
    When I wash my bike usually use some degreaser or other cleaner to clean the chain, then soap and water rinse. Dry the chain with a cloth, spray with GT 85 or other similar stuff, wipe it several times with a cloth. Then lube
  • rdt
    rdt Posts: 869
    Webboo wrote:
    When I wash my bike usually use some degreaser or other cleaner to clean the chain, then soap and water rinse. Dry the chain with a cloth, spray with GT 85 or other similar stuff, wipe it several times with a cloth. Then lube

    I'm assuming though you're not using a water-based wax lube like Squirt(?), which I suspect will not mix nicely with GT85.

    I'm guessing that to wipe my chain down it needs to be with something water-based, like Squirt's own surfactant 'bio-bike' cleaner (which I don't have), or some other surfactant/water-based cleaning fluid, like maybe Aldi or Fenwick's caravan cleaner concentrates (which I do already have!).

    If no better suggestion from anyone, I'll soak some caravan cleaner on a rag and wipe the chain & drivetrain down with that before allowing to dry and then reapplying Squirt.

    If that doesn't work out too well, I'll follow SurferCyclist's advice and begin again from scratch.
  • webboo
    webboo Posts: 6,087
    I have used Squirt in the past but didn’t find it any different from Muc off dry lube or TF2 which I’m using at the moment.
    I usually buy what’s on offer in Kev’s bike shop as he always makes me a coffee when I go in. So its good manners to buy something and you are always going to use lube.
  • Vino'sGhost
    Vino'sGhost Posts: 4,129
    Webboo wrote:
    I have used Squirt in the past but didn’t find it any different from Muc off dry lube or TF2 which I’m using at the moment.
    I usually buy what’s on offer in Kev’s bike shop as he always makes me a coffee when I go in. So its good manners to buy something and you are always going to use lube.

    Lovehoney is good for lube and they always have discounts on
  • webboo
    webboo Posts: 6,087
    Vino'sGhost wrote:
    Webboo wrote:
    I have used Squirt in the past but didn’t find it any different from Muc off dry lube or TF2 which I’m using at the moment.
    I usually buy what’s on offer in Kev’s bike shop as he always makes me a coffee when I go in. So its good manners to buy something and you are always going to use lube.

    Lovehoney is good for lube and they always have discounts on
    :mrgreen:

Categories