Bike Maintenance

whitetaco02

Observer
What do you all do as far as maintenance goes on your bike?

How do you keep the chain clean? Etc....

Guy at the bike store said sand on a drivetrain will hurt it pretty bad and it seems every time I go offroad it gets really dirty.

What do you all do/use?
 

Christophe Noel

Expedition Leader
A clean bike is a happy bike. You should make it a habit to clean your bike pretty often. Depending on trail conditions, that could be after every ride. 90% of maintenance is just cleaning.

I use a bucket of soapy water and a toilet brush. Sounds goofy, but it's pretty perfect. I just use that to rinse the surface gunk of my bike. It's not a big deal to rinse your bike with a hose, but just be aware of places were water could enter the frame and avoid concentrating too much water on those areas. Same for bearing seals. My favorite cleaning agent is Simple Green foaming bike cleaner. Spray on - rinse off. PRetty sweet stuff.

Once you get your bike rinsed off, get it dry as quickly as possible. Compressed air or good old sunlight should do the trick. Then, you have to hit the points that need lube.

Lubing your drive train is more about cleaning than lubing. If you just continue to add lube, it won't be long before your drive train is a goobered up mess. You can use any of the many chain cleaners on the market, or you can just give it a quick scrub with a brush using something like Simple Green to bust up the goo. DO NOT leave Simple Green on your bike for more than a minute or two. It is nice to pull your chain now and again to give it a proper soak. Once you have your drive train clean(er), you'll want to lube your chain. Applying lube is about putting the lube on link by link then very carefully wiping off the excess with a rag.

Clean, clean, clean. That's the ticket to a sweet riding bike. I won't even ride with guys that have nasty looking rigs because it's only a matter of time before we're trail side trying to fix a broken widget on their bike.
 

austintaco

Explorer
What do you all do as far as maintenance goes on your bike?

How do you keep the chain clean? Etc....

Guy at the bike store said sand on a drivetrain will hurt it pretty bad and it seems every time I go offroad it gets really dirty.

What do you all do/use?

They make chain cleaners that attached to your chain and then you rotate your cranks and run the links through the solution. However, they always seem to break on me prematurely, but when they work, they do a good job.

I agree with the above poster, wash your bike often, but use common sense about where you squirt the water. On the chain, I use my old tooth brushes and some degreaser. I work on one section of the chain, rotate, work on another, rotate, etc....and don't let the degreaser stay on for too long.
 

mitssan

Observer
I live in a condo so I don't have the luxury of rinsing off the bike. I usually wipe off the mud before taking it inside (more for the sake of the condo). Once inside I focus on a good drivetrain clean and lube. I ride in a allot of mixed conditions so I prefer a wet lube. If I were in a desert I might consider a dry lube. Talk to the guys at your local shop and see what the use.
I've never been a big fan of those fancy chain cleaners. I always run a chain with a quick link (it is the only sram part on my bike). I simply undue the chain and wash it in a parts bucket. My bike gets new stainless cables and new housing every year, even if they aren't needed. Cables are the key to good shifting.
Most new bikes have sealed bearings, if you don't then keep an eye on them. Especially if you see allot of water.
If you have a sram derailer the pulleys have a habit of drying up and not spinning. I'd recomend pulling the pully's off every now and again and greasing them.
Most shocks recommend a service after every eight hours of riding. I've never been that on top of mu shock maintenance. At a minimum it is a good idea to change the oil that lubricates the stanchions atleast every couple of months. It does depend on conditions, Silty sand or rain can be the worst. Anyway, look online for directions and volumes. In the case of my old Lyrik I would undo the bolts holding on the lowers, gentily pull the lowers away from the bolt surface without taking them off the stanchion. You only need to lower them a bit. I would then shoot the correct amount of oil back in and button it up. Read the online manual. Every fork is different.

If you don't want to mess with forks etc. Focus on your drivetrain and cables. Take the bike in for a fork service. For an oil change they shouldn't charge too much.

Happy riding.

Maurie
 

alexrex20

Explorer
i just hose it down and let it dry in the hot houston sun.

for the chain, i spin the cranks and run a wire brush against the chain. it's actually one of those wire brushes for cleaning the grill. i use liquid silicone spray to lube my chain; i don't use any chain lube or any of that crap.

the liquid silicone is water repellent and a natural lubricant. that chain lube attracts more dirt to the chain than a dry chain, in my opinion. you're better off to not lube at all than to use chain lube.

i ride single speed and have been for 6 years. i couldn't tell you how to clean a cassette or derailleur. :D
 

Corey

OverCamping Specialist
Here are some tips I got emailed from a vendor I have bought stuff from.
http://www.hucknroll.com/mountainbi...ppy-Bike.html?cmp_id=EM_SAL12046a6&mv_pc=r105
Unless you live in Arizona, Hawaii, or a few other US territories with warmer climates, daylight savings is an alarm clock for most of us bike-minded folk. The warmer weather and longer days incite the itch to get out and ride. Some will need to wait until the trails dry out a bit more, some of us may be lucky enough to head south and get a bite of the tacky dirt that is a major driving force in our lives.

Regardless of the stoke level achieved from riding, too often we neglect to focus that energy into the maintenance of our trusted steeds. I used to think “a clean bike is a happy bike” was just a sign hanging above my local shop's workbench to make me feel bad, and maybe it was. The guilt trip hardly stopped at the sign. Matt, the manager, would offer a severe tongue lashing and have me cleaning my bike outside before I was even allowed to leave it for a tune. I'm not afraid to admit that he had me in tears more than once.

I've come to realize that Matt was just trying to help me enjoy my bike more. Bikes have a voice of their own. Every click, squeak, creak, grind, and snap is your bike trying to tell you something. Matt was just trying to translate this oft-misunderstood form of communication. Now I'm my own bike mechanic; I pay for my own bikes and parts, and I still find myself doing my bikes a disservice from a cleanliness standpoint. It's hard to put the extra cleaning effort in after a long ride as the sun goes down or your riding posse heads to the local watering hole for a post-ride libation. But the relationship you can create with your bike through a regular cleaning is not to be undervalued, and even those lacking the full commitment of cleaning after every ride will benefit.

Just the opportunity to get up-close and personal with the different parts of your bike is a means to higher bike enlightenment. There is no computer code, mathematical equation, or overly complex aspect of the standard bicycle drivetrain or brake systems that would require a rocket surgeon or training beyond novice tinkerer. As you clean, you can't help but notice how things look, how they work, and how they wear over time.

Beyond saving a trip or two to the bike shop, you may also keep yourself from a long push home or an expensive repair that could have been avoided. The cleaning process is the time for you to look your bike up and down. Are there cuts in the tires, kinks in the chain, a gnarly build-up of energy drink under your bottom bracket? Otherwise hard-to-notice things become very apparent when you get your nose six inches from your rig.

To clean a bike properly, there are some items that you should have on hand:

* Bicycle cleaning brushes – Toothbrushes work ok, but a Pit Kit designed specifically for bicycles will make your life easier.
* Repair Stand – You can flip the bike upside-down, but a repair stand will hold the bike more securely and bring your task to a level that's easier to see and work with.
* Chain Scrubber – A shop rag works too, but a chain scrubber just works better.
* Degreaser – Lots of options, but I suggest something that won't eat your skin off .
* Chain Lube – Pick your favorite. Here's mine.
* Sponges and rags
* 2 Buckets
* Soap – Dish soap works great, but I like to support the bike industry.
* Water – Warm water is best.
* Rubber Gloves – What can I say, I'm a sissy and don't want to ruin my manicure .

Step 1.
Wipe down the part of the bike—usually the seatpost or seat tube—that you're clamping in the stand. This helps avoid unnecessary scratching of the finish. Now clamp the bike and set it at a height that's easy for you to work on. The less you strain to reach the bike, the more inclined you'll be to spend more time on it.

Step 2.
Fill both buckets with warm water and add a couple drops of soap to one of them.

Step 3.
Start with the drivetrain. Use the degreaser in your chain scrubber for the chain and the brushes to clean the cassette and chain rings. Once you've spent some time using the degreaser, empty your chain scrubber and use the soapy water to go over the drivetrain a second time. Pedal the bike as you hold a rag around the chain to remove that last bit of grit.

Step 4.
Rinse the drivetrain. An old water bottle is great for the rinsing off the soap. High-pressure hoses can lend themselves to more issues than they're worth in time savings. If there are some nooks and crannies that still appear dirty, try removing the wheels for an easier approach—not a bad idea for that super-gnar cassette or derailleur.

Step 5.
Clean the rest of the bike with the soapy water, starting at the top and working down. Between the rags, sponges, and brushes, you should be able to get the grit and grime out of most areas of the frame, fork, and wheels. Then give it a good low-pressure rinse.

Step 6.
Dry it off. A dry rag works, and using compressed air from the hose will make you look pro, but as with hoses, you want to make sure to avoid high-pressure anything pointed towards bearings, pivots, fork seals, and your eyes.

Step 7.
Lube ‘er up. While lube is crucial, I like to live by the idea that “less is more”. Excess lube just becomes dirt glue and can create more issues. I suggest reading the directions for the lube you're using as certain types require a more or less precise application. For the chain, apply the lube and pedal the bike to work the lube into the chain before you wipe the excess off.

Remember, part of this exercise is to make yourself more aware of the how-and-why of your bike, so hopefully you were keeping your eyes peeled for any potential issues. Loose bolts, frayed cables, kinked chains, and cracked frames are best addressed now, not later. Even if the fix requires a trip to the local shop, you've potentially saved hundreds of dollars. A stripped crank or derailleur in the spokes is never a cheap fix. As for a frame crack, it's better to be bummed out when you're standing next to your bike than when you're going wide open.

The better your bike works, the easier it is to ride. The easier it is to ride, the more you ride. The more you ride, the more you ride. It's a vicious cycle that I hope you get caught in.

KC Gaudet
For me I bought a nice stand when I got my bike, and I lube the chain out on the porch after I have washed the bike off at my apartment.
I have a spigot not to far from me, same one I use when washing my rig.

For cleaning the chain after washing the bike down, I use this White Lightning stuff.
http://www.whitelightningco.com/products/clean-streak.htm

Afterward I use their Clean Ride lube on the chain.

trigger-system.jpg


cleanride.jpg


I like the lube, it works great for the weather we have here in the PNW, and it does not attract dirt.
Clean Ride sets up as a dry wax film. There is no oily film to attract abrasive contaminants, so your chain and gears will perform better and last 2 to 3 times longer. Clean Ride's self-cleaning action is activated by any dirt, grit or grime that finds it's way onto your chain or parts. Small particles of the outer wax structure will flake off, taking the dirt, grime or grit with it. This begins the cycle of 'self-cleaning'. Clean Ride is a unique, wax-based lubricant, so it is important to start with a clean chain. For optimum 'self-cleaning' performance, do not mix Clean Ride with oil based lubricants. The dirtier the ride, the more active the shedding action. So to this extent, Clean Ride will require more frequent re-application after dirtier rides. When Clean Ride is used regularly and properly, you'll rarely have to clean your chain again. So, while your buddies are cleaning their chains, you'll be applying a fresh shot of Clean Ride and heading out for yet another great ride!
 
Last edited:

Wander

Expedition Leader
When i am doing a quick chain lube I will apply some lube ( I use a dry wax, but I'm also mostly a roadie) onto a rag and grasp the chain in the rag and freewheel it a few rotations. This helps get the lube spread and also wipes off the excess at the same time.

Someone mentioned a tooth brush-they also work great for cleaning gear clusters and chain rings.

If you're on the trails a lot you should get an overall service at your favorite local shop once a year, it will run much better and you'll support the shop which can also be the best benefit as a good shop will take care of the customers that take care of their rides.
 

spacer

Observer
Without going into details (it's been pretty well covered here), I have well over 30,000 miles on my Kona cyclocross bike, having ridden in all sorts of conditions and done a few centuries. I keep it clean and properly lubed, and the bike still looks -and rides- like nearly new.
It's a relatively modest investment in time and materials (well, except for those grimy-day cleanups) and WELL worth the effort.
 

whitetaco02

Observer
Anybody use brake cleaner to clean the chain, etc...

Would that hurt anything? I haven't done it but know it is a great cleaner but I am just not sure if it is too abrasive!
 

Corey

OverCamping Specialist
Same brush I have, works great.
I bought most of my bike maintenance tools and cleaning stuff from Amazon.

Have not tried the Simple Green, will give it a try.
I stock it by the gallon, as I use it on my rig to clean some stuff.
 

whitetaco02

Observer
Same brush I have, works great.
I bought most of my bike maintenance tools and cleaning stuff from Amazon.

Have not tried the Simple Green, will give it a try.
I stock it by the gallon, as I use it on my rig to clean some stuff.

Thanks Corey!

I am still not sure how to use the edge that looks like teeth?
 

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