Whew! I just went out for my first really hardcore trail ride! Just decked my bike out with all new components that would actually handle it and took advantage of it. Only one spill and it was at a slow speed, but I actually was happy when I fell. Made me feel like I was now intitiated.
The only problem is that now I'm paranoid about getting things dirty on the bike. All those shiny new parts and I'm freaking out when I cross a muddy creek. My question is this: When I clean my bike off and hose the thing down what do I do about the drivetrain? I mean, I know that I got the visible dirt off, but I am certain that there is all kinds of dirt and grime still in the chain and stuff. Secondly, when I hose the thing down, do I need to re-oil the chain. I am using Pedro's Syn-Lube.
Any advice on keeping things clean and well-oiled after a hard ride?
On Fri, 18 Jun 2004 01:21:37 -0400, Muskie <[email hidden]>
Quoted message said:
Whew! I just went out for my first really hardcore trail ride! Just decked my bike out with all new components that would actually handle it and took advantage of it. Any advice on keeping things clean and well-oiled after a hard ride?
The usual advice goes something like this but everyone has their favourite products and methods: Normal washing is just fine. Just don't squirt high pressure water into the areas with bearings like hubs and bottom brackets.
If the drivetrain is really dirty, take a soft brush and some soapy water to it. People use a variety of detergents/citrus degreasers/ or even diesel. Rinse and re-lube. Ensure that you do not flick oil or grease onto disc rotors.
If the drive train or cassette is very dirty you can disassemble it and clean it every so often. Likewise, you can remove the chain and give it a good clean too - don't do this too often otherwise you will make the chain weak once links are broken and rejoined. You can also get plastic gadgets that have brushes and a little reservoir for solvent that hook onto the chain and clean as you rotate the cranks - but I've never liked them too much. -- Westie
My question is this: When I clean my bike off and hose the thing down what do I do about the drivetrain? I mean, I know that I got the visible dirt off, but I am certain that there is all kinds of dirt and grime still in the chain and stuff. Secondly, when I hose the thing down, do I need to re-oil the chain. I am using Pedro's Syn-Lube.
Any advice on keeping things clean and well-oiled after a hard ride?
Books have been written and wars have been fought over this subject, but allow me to simplify it for you in three easy steps:
1) Wipe down drivetrain with old rag 2) Apply lube of your choice 3) Wipe excess with old rag
Follow this routine regularly and your dirty drivetrain worries will be no more.
Whew! I just went out for my first really hardcore trail ride! Just decked my bike out with all new components that would actually handle it and took advantage of it. Only one spill and it was at a slow speed, but I actually was happy when I fell. Made me feel like I was now intitiated.
The only problem is that now I'm paranoid about getting things dirty on the bike. All those shiny new parts and I'm freaking out when I cross a muddy creek. My question is this: When I clean my bike off and hose the thing down what do I do about the drivetrain? I mean, I know that I got the visible dirt off, but I am certain that there is all kinds of dirt and grime still in the chain and stuff. Secondly, when I hose the thing down, do I need to re-oil the chain. I am using Pedro's Syn-Lube.
Any advice on keeping things clean and well-oiled after a hard ride?
Thanks,
Noel
Your aren't going to hurt the bike getting it dirty or washing it, sans a power washer. My only thought is this, if you think you need to wash the bike, than 5 minutes on the chain is certainly a good idea.
-- Craig Brossman, Durango Colorado (remove ".nospam" to reply)
If the drive train or cassette is very dirty you can disassemble it and clean it every so often. Likewise, you can remove the chain and give it a good clean too - don't do this too often otherwise you will make the chain weak once links are broken and rejoined. You can also get plastic gadgets that have brushes and a little reservoir for solvent that hook onto the chain and clean as you rotate the cranks - but I've never liked them too much. -- Westie
Westie, There was a great thread (RBM maybe) where a guy decided to do a little experiment, pretty good controls, comparing a chain cleaned off the bike very thoroughly to one wiped down with rag while spinning back. His conclusion was that cleaning on the bike by wiping down helped maintain longer chain life, determined by stretch. It was determined that a soaking style cleaning actully drives grime into the pivots. FWIW.
-- Craig Brossman, Durango Colorado (remove ".nospam" to reply)
Westie, There was a great thread (RBM maybe) where a guy decided to do a little experiment, pretty good controls, comparing a chain cleaned off the bike very thoroughly to one wiped down with rag while spinning back. His conclusion was that cleaning on the bike by wiping down helped maintain longer chain life, determined by stretch. It was determined that a soaking style cleaning actully drives grime into the pivots. FWIW.
Now that you mention it, I do vaguely recall something about that. I don't think (off the top of my head) that it was on this group but something must have leaked across to here. Makes sense to me. Probably a good thing because I don't follow my own advice often enough :-) -- Westie (Replace 'invalid' with 'yahoo' when replying.)
All great advice and it makes my heart feel a little better to know that this has been discussed before.
One more question, though, how often should I oil the chain? After every spray down or what? Thanks again.
- Muskie
Muskie said:
Whew! I just went out for my first really hardcore trail ride! Just decked my bike out with all new components that would actually handle it and took advantage of it. Only one spill and it was at a slow speed, but I actually was happy when I fell. Made me feel like I was now intitiated.
The only problem is that now I'm paranoid about getting things dirty on the bike. All those shiny new parts and I'm freaking out when I cross a muddy creek. My question is this: When I clean my bike off and hose the thing down what do I do about the drivetrain? I mean, I know that I got the visible dirt off, but I am certain that there is all kinds of dirt and grime still in the chain and stuff. Secondly, when I hose the thing down, do I need to re-oil the chain. I am using Pedro's Syn-Lube.
Any advice on keeping things clean and well-oiled after a hard ride?
Craig Brossman <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...
Quoted message said:
Westie said:
If the drive train or cassette is very dirty you can disassemble it and clean it every so often. Likewise, you can remove the chain and give it a good clean too - don't do this too often otherwise you will make the chain weak once links are broken and rejoined. You can also get plastic gadgets that have brushes and a little reservoir for solvent that hook onto the chain and clean as you rotate the cranks - but I've never liked them too much. -- Westie
Westie, There was a great thread (RBM maybe)
TGibbs, in rec.bicycles.tech.
It was a good thread, and in the end, here's the results: Wipe dirt off chain. Lube rollers. Wipe off excess lube. Ride bike. Repeat as desired.
Oh, yeah - motor oil is a perfectly acceptable bike chain lube. -- Jonesy "likes Teflon wax for his chain, for no damn reason at all"
"Muskie" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...
Quoted message said:
Whew! I just went out for my first really hardcore trail ride! Just decked my bike out with all new components that would actually handle it and took advantage of it. Only one spill and it was at a slow speed, but I actually was happy when I fell. Made me feel like I was now intitiated.
The only problem is that now I'm paranoid about getting things dirty on the bike. All those shiny new parts and I'm freaking out when I cross a muddy creek. My question is this: When I clean my bike off and hose the thing down what do I do about the drivetrain? I mean, I know that I got the visible dirt off, but I am certain that there is all kinds of dirt and grime still in the chain and stuff. Secondly, when I hose the thing down, do I need to re-oil the chain. I am using Pedro's Syn-Lube.
Any advice on keeping things clean and well-oiled after a hard ride?
If you're new to riding or it's a new bike you may feel like you have to clean all the time, the compulsion goes away eventually. Dirt isn't going to kill the chain. A bigger concern is keeping an eye on wear because if the chain wears too much you have to replace rings along with the chain. Think of it like giving the car an oil change, something that has to be done regularly within a certain amount of miles.
