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Active Member
There's a handful of drive train degreasers reviewed here https://cyclingtips.com/2018/12/the-best-degreaser-for-bicycles/ . But what's wrong with washing up liquid and water? Thanks.
drive train cleaning, washing up liquid?
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Dogtrousers
Kilometre nibbler
Two possible answers.
A. It contains salt that will first rot your chain, then your entire bicycle and then your soul.
B. Nothing
A. It contains salt that will first rot your chain, then your entire bicycle and then your soul.
B. Nothing
winjim
Smash the cistern
The problem is that you then need to dry things off with some sort of water dispersant and then relube everything. I find soap and water doesn't work well on the really gunked up stuff anyway.
I'll happily use WUL for the big bits, frame and stuff but for drivetrain it's GT85, an old toothbrush and a rag. I don't own any special degreasers, just IPA for the tiny bits as needed, it's a bit nicer to use than white spirit.
But otherwise meh, whatever. It's just soap and water.
I'll happily use WUL for the big bits, frame and stuff but for drivetrain it's GT85, an old toothbrush and a rag. I don't own any special degreasers, just IPA for the tiny bits as needed, it's a bit nicer to use than white spirit.
But otherwise meh, whatever. It's just soap and water.
Just get the cheap ass degreasers that motor workshops use. The bike degreasers are the same just much more expensive as though it was designed specifically for bikes which is not the case.
Try this experimenting with cheap ass degreasers and washing up liquid. With the latter you have do it multiple times. Just squirt the degreaser, wait for 30 seconds and then use water. You will see the shine come thru.
ColinJ
Puzzle game procrastinator!
- Location
- Todmorden - Yorks/Lancs border
I use a rag soaked in WD40 or GT85. (I think GT85 is probably better because it contains PTFE lube, and it smells nicer!)
Ajax Bay
Guru
- Location
- East Devon
This. But an oiled (and dirty) chain will not be properly cleaned by just a washing up liquid in solution.
I use WD40 as the first step for casstte, chain and (occasionally) chainrings (if I'm not removing cassette and chain for a 1000km clean). Then they will be reasonably clean after that and plenty of wiping. Then washing up liquid in warm solution, at the end of cleaning the rest of the bike.
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Dogtrousers
Kilometre nibbler
Having read an article a couple of years ago on the interwebs I tried a mixture of meths, washing up liquid and water (I think, it may have had other mystery ingredients maybe sodium bicarb I forget). It's probably a totally stupid idea but it seemed to work and I made up a container of it and it's still working and going strong. And probably rotting my chain and my brain.
bbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbb
Active Member
OK, great, thanks all 
Bonefish Blues
Banging donk
- Location
- 52 Festive Road
Because Screwfix basic degreaser's very cheap and more effective than Fairy.
BurningLegs
Guru
Do you mean this sort of thing??
https://www.screwfix.com/p/no-nonsense-heavy-duty-degreaser-5ltr/88668
Bonefish Blues
Banging donk
- Location
- 52 Festive Road
That's the badger
newts
Veteran
- Location
- Isca Dumnoniorum
I've been using this recently on the Rudge restoration. It's good value, works very well, even when diluted down.
slowmotion
Quite dreadful
- Location
- lost somewhere
I use that stuff in an ultrasonic bath. It works really well. Don't forget to flush it all out with lots of water rinses. Then dry in an oven at over 100C, and then re-lube.
A bad idea for all the above reasons..
Paraffin is good but you potentially end up with a disposal issue (not a problem if you have a wood burner / open fire chiminea etc as you can do the job on newspaper and use the ensuing rubbish as fire lighters
).
Muc-off's water-based stuff's pretty nice too since it will actually wash off, but it's expensive and doesn't appear to be too environmentally friendly if you're stuffing a load of it down the drain.
Of course if you wax your drivetrain this all become a moot point after you've cleaned it for the first and only time
Paraffin is good but you potentially end up with a disposal issue (not a problem if you have a wood burner / open fire chiminea etc as you can do the job on newspaper and use the ensuing rubbish as fire lighters
).Muc-off's water-based stuff's pretty nice too since it will actually wash off, but it's expensive and doesn't appear to be too environmentally friendly if you're stuffing a load of it down the drain.
Of course if you wax your drivetrain this all become a moot point after you've cleaned it for the first and only time
