"StainlessSteelRat" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:<[email hidden]>...
Quoted message said:OK, so it's not so much a noisy chain but I find that the chain and sprockets on the derailleur
(sorry I don't know the posh name!) seem rather noisy (clattery?), for lack of a better word(s).
That sounds more like adjustment than anything else. This is what's known as a "Sheldon Crisis" -
you point your browser at sheldonbrown.comsheldonbrown.comOpen ↗ and the image of a benign-looking gentleman
who embodies the pinnacle of (cycling) wisdom of his age will appear to reassure you that this, too,
has been foreseen, and there are detailed instructions on how to proceed from here.
Sorry, posting under the influence of Dr Asmiov again...
Quoted message said:On this basis I was after maintenance ideas for the chain at least, and ideally the rest of the
system. How often should I be oiling and greasing, and what should I oil and grease?
For a good solid book on practical maintenance, see if you can find a second-hand copy of Richard's
Bicycle Book by Richard Ballantine. The 21st Century Bicycle Book is more readable, but less
helpful. The original has lots of pictures by John Batchelor and some nice clear instructions.
My rule of thumb, though, is: oil anything that looks oily, and grease anything that looks greasy
:-) Never get WD40 within forty feet of a bike (it dissolves grease), and never oil a chain without
cleaning it first.
The things I oil weekly are: the derailleur idler spindles, derailleur pivots (front and rear), and
brake pivots. I use wax-based lubricant so hardly ever clean the chain, but if you do need to clean
the chain the Sheldon Shake is the Approved Method (see Sheldon's page on chains). Trust me: shaking
your chain in a plastic bottle full of citrus degreaser and then rinsing it under a tap will do it a
world of good.
I used to clean the chains frequently before I used wax, now I hardly ever do. I strip, clean and
grease any cup and cone bearings (wheels, headsets) once a year, and I wipe excess crud from the
frame at least twice a year, whether it needs it or not. After a muddy ride on the MTB I hose it
down, apply a liberal coating of oil to the rust-prone bits and store in a cool dry bike shed.
Quoted message said:I oil the chain once a month or so with TF2 (lubricant spray with Teflon) but it attracts a lot of
dirt (even though it is wiped down after oiling). I'm sure the dirt isn't helping matters.
Yes, the anti-fling oil-based lubricants attract [censored] like nothing on earth. That's why I use wax
(White Lightning Raceday, since you asked). It needs frequent reapplication, but it doesn't turn
into grinding paste.
These views may be held to be controversial :-)
Guy
