Regular cleaning of your bike......

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TonyM
Posts: 3376
Joined: Thu Jan 22, 2015 4:11 pm

by TonyM

That's definitely worth doing if you like your bike!

I personally always do the chain after each ride in the rain/ wet. That allows me also to check everything such as tires, etc...
And regularly the whole bike with the brake rotors etc....

Even if I didn't have to do it for the bike I would still do it as I like to ride on a clean shiny bike. Just my own preference.

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PokojniToza
Posts: 202
Joined: Mon Nov 26, 2018 10:41 pm

by PokojniToza

Today I finally found the Motip chain and deraiileur cleaner in a local shop. Amazing stuff.

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Kurt1980
Posts: 319
Joined: Mon Oct 26, 2020 9:41 am

by Kurt1980

Any tips for getting older looking tyres black again? I'm running Conti GP 5000 TL if its any help

OnTheRivet
Posts: 732
Joined: Sat Jul 24, 2010 9:41 pm

by OnTheRivet

Unless you ride in mud stay away from cleaning your bike with water. Pros do it because they are in a hurry and parts are free/cheap. Some spray polish and a microfiber towel is all a dry ridden bike should ever need. Your bearings will thank you.

Ypuh
Posts: 673
Joined: Sun Dec 08, 2019 10:20 pm
Location: The Netherlands

by Ypuh

For my Cervelo I use this and handwash it. Altough it's my fair weather bike, I don't wash it very often.

Image

For my MTB and winter bike I use a Worx Hydroshot:
Image

It's not a full on jet washer, just slightly more concentrated than a garden hose. Works great with the soap dispenser and some foam as well. Could probably use it on my carbon frame as well, but since that one's never that dirty, it doesn't really have much benefit.
Cervelo S3 - 7.3kg
Time ADHX - 8.7kg

openwheelracing
Posts: 371
Joined: Thu Jan 28, 2021 6:41 am

by openwheelracing

I always wash and relube every 200km roughly. However, my new carbon bike pools water below bottom bracket. I need to find a solution to that still.

Omiar
Posts: 385
Joined: Wed Dec 14, 2011 8:20 pm

by Omiar

Its one of the most useful threads in long time here.

For my road bike, I have 10min (drivetrain) service after each ride (in dry conditions).
It does require to use a dry type lube which is easy to remove. I use Shimano PFTE chain lube. Lasts long enough, quiet drivetrain, easily removable. Only downside is that its best when applied the day before the ride.

So the service itself looks like this.
First remove the chain, put it in a metal can of brake cleaner fluid. Give it a good rinse and the chain is already 95% clean.
Wipe the chainrings clean with clotch. Again it works because this Shimano lube is easy to remove.
Use clotch again the go over the pulleys and FD cage.
Use a small painting brush (with nylon fibres) to wipe off residue lube from the cassette. Clean the brush afterwards with cloth.
Give a good rinse for the chain again and remove it from the can. The chain will be mostly dry within seconds and any brake cleaner fluid will evaporate very quickly but you can pull the chain through cloth once and its clean to work.
Put the chain on, lube the chain, give the drivetrain a spin and its ready.

Why do it after each ride?
Cleaning after each ride takes less time in total than doing a one time service per week.
I also like that my bike is in top condition every ride. Life is too short to drive with a shitty (condition) bike.
Downside is using brake cleaner, which is kinda against being eco friendly.

The same routine mostly works on my gravel bike also, but removing sand/dirt particles requires a bit more effort. After a ride in dry conditions of course.

Wet conditions usually mean a bike wash. In that case I use Muc-Off drivetrain cleaner (that yellow/greenish stuff) with a chain cleaner. I also have that Morgan Blue glove.
Cannondale SystemSix R8170
Trek Checkpoint SL5 MY2022

maquisard
Posts: 3772
Joined: Thu May 01, 2008 8:51 pm
Location: France

by maquisard

You remove the chain and completely remove lube using brake fluid cleaner after every ride?

I presume you are joining the chain with a quick link, be careful as these are not designed to be opened and closed so frequently.

The degreasing process is also not environmentally friendly as you have talked about.

Too much maintenance is also as harmful as too little.

Omiar
Posts: 385
Joined: Wed Dec 14, 2011 8:20 pm

by Omiar

maquisard wrote:
Tue Apr 06, 2021 2:34 pm
You remove the chain and completely remove lube using brake fluid cleaner after every ride?

I presume you are joining the chain with a quick link, be careful as these are not designed to be opened and closed so frequently.

The degreasing process is also not environmentally friendly as you have talked about.

Too much maintenance is also as harmful as too little.
I have never had any problems with quicklinks, both SRAM and Shimano. Every one I have had has been opened and closed tens of times and no issues.

I do clean the chain completely. We do have a lot of fine dust on the roads, especially after winter. Its quite horrible at the moment. And that means even after a short 1h30 ride, the chain is already dirty. There is no point in cleaning it with any "dry" method.

The good thing with brake cleaner is it doesn't mix with lube itself. All the dirt in the fluid will fall to the bottom of the can and you can use the same fluid many times over.

So in general, with sub 10min servicing I can go like this for week without any major cleaning of the drivetrain.
Cannondale SystemSix R8170
Trek Checkpoint SL5 MY2022

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