A cure for sticky feeling rubber hoods?

[Brandane]

If anyone else dislikes the feeling of stickiness that tends to manifest itself on rubber brake/brifter hoods after a while.....
I have found that a clean up with silicon lubricant does the trick. Spray some onto a cloth (to avoid contaminating brake discs/rims when spraying it onto hoods directly) and then give them a good clean. Use a white cloth if you want to see how much filth comes off (from even supposedly clean hoods after a normal soap and water wash).
Both WD40 and 3-in-1 do a good silicone lubricant. NB.... normal WD40/GT85 etc. does NOT work for this!

 

[vickster]

Gloves/mitts

 

[presta]

The rubber that my BL-R400 brake hoods are made from started to liquefy and turn into a sticky mess eventually, I thought this was going to be a thread about that.

 

[Kingfisher101]

Any kitchen/bathroom spray, like zoflora or dettol would sort out any problems.

 

[annedonnelly]

I've found older plastic things degrading and becoming sticky - not necessarily bike related. I Googled a solution and the suggestion was to use baking soda. I successfully sorted the handle of an old, but unused, Radley umbrella meaning that I could donate it to a charity shop.

 

[MontyVeda]

I've found older plastic things degrading and becoming sticky - not necessarily bike related. I Googled a solution and the suggestion was to use baking soda. I successfully sorted the handle of an old, but unused, Radley umbrella meaning that I could donate it to a charity shop.

I always figured it was due to the rubber content of some 'grippy' coatings starting to vulcanise. I had a clip guitar tuner that was perpetually sticky after ten years or so... tried (almost) everything to clean off the sticky before throwing it away.

 

[rydabent]

I have found that sun screen lotion causes hoods and grips to soften. If you put on sun screen, be sure to wash your hands before you ride. It is the old oil on rubber deal.

 

[wiggydiggy]

Surgical Spirit is also good for cleaning, mixes well with Lime too

 

[presta]

If you put on sun screen, be sure to wash your hands before you ride.

I always have, and it leaves me wondering why my hands never get sunburnt.

 

[Richard A Thackeray]

I have the opposite issue (it was even worse when they were new)
The Tiagra hoods on my work-bike get very slippery to bare hands in the first rain, after a long dry spell
(the Tiagra hoods on its predecessor, one of the blue ‘7005/winter/training’ Ribble frames were just as bad)

 

[derrick]

fit new one's.

 

[T4tomo]

Surgical Spirit is also good for cleaning, mixes well with Lime too

View attachment 740896

I'm quite posh, I like a few cubes of ice and a mint sprig too.

 

[Brandane]

fit new one's.

Have you ever tried to source new hoods for older Shimano systems?
And to replace hoods, you also need to replace cable inners. Which means it's also good practice to replace the outers. And since you've unwrapped the bar tape to get at the cable outers, you might as well replace that too.
So thanks for your helpful suggestion, but unless my hoods are in basket case condition, I will stick with a 30 second clean up with silicone lubricant. It might just prevent them getting to basket case condition in the first place.

 

[presta]

Have you ever tried to source new hoods for older Shimano systems?

My BL-R400 levers were thick end of 20 years old when I put the new hoods on.

to replace hoods, you also need to replace cable inners

No, you just pull the old hoods off and push the new ones on. No tools required, but a loop of string through the hood to tug on helps.

 

[T4tomo]

My BL-R400 levers were thick end of 20 years old when I put the new hoods on.

No, you just pull the old hoods off and push the new ones on. No tools required, but a loop of string through the hood to tug on helps.

That rather depends on whether you cables run under that bar tape or come out of top or side of the levers. I.e. non Sti brake cables come through the hood cover so you need to, at the very least undo the inner cable, to fit the hood i.e.