Cleaning

[SWSteve]

After having my bike for around a month, I've come to realise that I don't think I am cleaning/maintaining it as well as I should be...and when I think about how much I spent on it this is something I need to address otherwise I will be less than happy with myself. This is how I clean it, it isn't perfect so I'm looking for help with what products/things to use to ensure it is clean and well lubed.

1. 'flip' so is resting on handlebars/saddle (no stand)
2. remove wheels
3. with brush and hot soapy water, work from top down scrubbing off any residue/mud from the frame/between brake mechs/around the derailleurs at back of bike.
4. scrub wheels/wipe with rag to remove as much residue as poss.
5. with wet brush, place against chain and run chain through several cycles to clean off any dirt/grime
6. spray any moving parts with GT85 to dispace water/lubricate.
7. reassemble and pump up tyres.

I know this is not great, but I am unsure how to
a) clean chain properly as what I have read of some chain cleaners seems that my chain will grow a beard.
b) properly lube chain/moving parts as when I was cycling home today on seemingly every down stroke with my right leg it made an obvious noise.

 

[SWSteve]

There has also been a noise in the 3 smallest rear gears which sounds like it's rubbing against the derailleur

 

[lavoisier]

Noises could be due to cable stretch on gear cable.

 

[The Over 40 Cyclist]

I've tried various ways to clean the chain. None perfect. I tried one of those blue thingamyjiggies that you put cleaner in and wind the chain around in but I wasn't all that impressed, then I dropped it and it broke into dozens of pieces.

I use a commercial degreaser now, just spray it onto the chain as you wind it backwards, then rinse. Try and just get it on the chain though, you don't want to degrease rear bearings or anything like that. Spray downwards on the lower part of the chain so that's all it contacts. Don't do it on your lawn either, it kills the grass!

 

[SWSteve]

Noises could be due to cable stretch on gear cable.

That's one thing I was unsure about, as I had taken it in for the first free service, there were a couple of noises/it didnt always move into gear correctly...that cleared up and now it's doing this instead

 

[slowmotion]

Your bike sounds an awful lot cleaner than mine. Well done. The noise is almost certainly a gear/chain adjustment thing, not cleaning/lube. There are loads of tips on YouTube for all kinds of mechanical advice.

Baby Wipes are your special friends. They wipe away road grime really well. Cut some into thin strips, twist them, and you can use them to clean the junk from the spaces between the sprockets on the cassette. 1001 uses for them elsewhere too.

BTW,

 

[Nigelnaturist]

Your bike sounds an awful lot cleaner than mine. Well done. The noise is almost certainly a gear/chain adjustment thing, not cleaning/lube. There are loads of tips on YouTube for all kinds of mechanical advice.

Baby Wipes are your special friends. They wipe away road grime really well. Cut some into thin strips, twist them, and you can use them to clean the junk from the spaces between the sprockets on the cassette. 1001 uses for them elsewhere too.

BTW,

I just strip the cassette and clean each gear, much easier than fiddling with a brush ect, while its on the hub.

 

[slowmotion]

I just strip the cassette and clean each gear, much easier than fiddling with a brush ect, while its on the hub.

Good stuff NN! I have difficulty trying to put the stack back together, hence the listless wiping with baby products. Pathetic, I know.

 

[Mile195]

I use a cheap ikea washing up brush to brush the dried dirt and grit off before any water even gets near it. Makes for a much easier clean.

As for products, I use Muc-Off degreaser for the chain, back wheel and chainstays (anything with oil on it basically). Been using it on the motorbike for years. Wipe off the first lot with kitchen roll to get the real thick crud off. Then I do it again, but with water and a J-Cloth.

I clean the chain with a Muc-Off chain cleaning thing. Before I had one, I used to use a toothbrush or washing up brush, but to be honest it's painfully time consuming.

As for the rest of the paintwork, I use Muc-Off bike cleaner - spray on, leave for a few minutes, rinse down with warm water and wiping with a J-Cloth. The cleaner is not quite everything that it claims to be on the packaging which is why I use the degreaser on the heavy bits.

Both products don't damage paintwork or plastics - as I say, I've been using it for years (since about 2007 I think).

Incidentely, it's worth noting that Muc Off chain Cleaner, and Muc off Degreaser seems to be EXACTLY the same formula. I interchange them depending what I have left in the garage.

As for frequency, these days I clean my chain AT LEAST every two weeks if it's dry (don't forget to re-lube afterwards) although it's worth noting I use mine every day, so you may not need to do it that often. I clean it more often if it rains when all the grit gets in it. I brush off all the moving components (brakes, derailliers etc) every week or so and stick lube on them. As for the rest of the bike, that gets cleaned when I can be ar*ed with it basically (not very often!).

 

[MattHB]

Get some gunk. Paint it on the cassette with a brush (not too much so it doesn't get in the free hub/cones.. Rinse off with water? 30 seconds tops.

As for the chain.. Mickle it at least weekly if your ding some miles.

 

[wisdom]

I mickle the chain weekly.But every month or so dependant on the weather it gets a clean with "Fenwicks foaming chain cleaner" which is excellent.
Rest of bike gets a wipe down and every few weeks a wash down with bike huts bike cleaner,or Fenwicks which ever i have in

 

[Lee_M]

I'd wash my wheels, BB pedals etc before I turned the bike upside down. Why rinse all that filth onto the cleaner parts of the bike

 

[fossyant]

Turning a bike upside down is plain wrong !

Just wash with car shampoo, water and sponge. Let dry. Wipe chain with an oily rag - old cotton t-shirts are great for this. Wipe off dirt. Use a dropper bottle and put a drop of oil on each chain roller. Spin cranks. Then wipe chain again.

Cleaning chainrings and cassette, just run a folded edge of the oily rag between each sprocket. If very oily, just a quick squirt of WD40 on cassette teeth or the rag and wipe through to remove. You don't need any fancy chain cleaners. You also don't want to over oil. Gear mechs can be wiped down with same rag, and a little squirt of WD40 on the pivot points if the bike has been out in bad weather. You can also use baby wipes between sprockets too.

Quick polish - use Mr Sheen - it puts a silicone coating on the paintwork which makes cleaning a doddle - i.e. now't sticks. For a really good polish, use car polishes.

No rocket science, no silly magic formulas, a drop of oil, Mr Sheen, bucket of soapy water and an old t-shirt.

 

[SWSteve]

I mickle the chain weekly.

what the chuff is mickling

 

[Kins]

I use a very soft dustpan brush, doesn't scratch and cleans in between the cassette teeth lovely, and then a soft fluffy towel to dry my baby in case she gets cold.