Mickling...

[hoski]

Okay. So I mickle. Not as regularly as I should so I suppose it isn't really mickling, but you get the gist.

Do you leave the crud that gets into the bits where the chainring/sprockets/etc go (see below picture sans crud), or do you clean it out? If you clean it out, how!? Cleaning it out seems to go against the principle of the mickle method.

Unless of course regular, proper mickling prevents the buildup of crud. In which case I'll get me coat.

 

[cosmicbike]

Cotton Buds, and only if you are OCD. Some here are....

 

[ianrauk]

Cotton Buds, and only if you are OCD. Some here are....

*cough*

 

[MisterStan]

Pipe cleaners work too.

 

[Mr Haematocrit]

Bike floss is the answer.

http://www.purpleharry.co.uk/#/

 

[ianrauk]

And let's not forget the cyclist's friend - the humble babywipe.

 

[RedRider]

Anything pokey enough to poke. Watch where you do it tho...you can't mickle a light-coloured carpet clean. (DAMHIKT)

 

[hoski]

AMAZING. It all seems so simple now. You've all made me a very happy man.

What about grubby nipples...? I clean my rim thoroughly but I always end up with a slight build up muck around the nipples...

 

[helston90]

Watch where you do it tho...you can't mickle a light-coloured carpet clean. (DAMHIKT)

I was very sensible and cleaned mine outside when I did this- top brownie points from SWMBO, until someone walked through a piece of the oily dirt that came off and mashed it through the house

 

[smokeysmoo]

What about grubby nipples...? I clean my rim thoroughly but I always end up with a slight build up muck around the nipples...

@Fnaar will be along soon enough to tell you how best to handle this

 

[Lanzecki]

@Fnaar will be along soon enough to tell you how best to handle this

And in excruciating detail.

As to cleaning out the chain, cotton buds as @cosmicbike suggest, but a fresh bud every link.

 

[Tim Hall]

Another way is described by the Sainted Sheldon here.

 

[Fnaar]

AMAZING. It all seems so simple now. You've all made me a very happy man.

What about grubby nipples...? I clean my rim thoroughly but I always end up with a slight build up muck around the nipples...

I find that close attention to the nipple area, possibly accompanied with some form of edible lubricant generally makes people happy.

 

[Pat "5mph"]

Take chain off, rinse in Gt85 to get rid of crud, wipe, clean sprockets and chainrings, then mickle

 

[hoski]

Another way is described by the Sainted Sheldon here.

I actually have to give myself a time limit when cleaning, otherwise that is exactly what I would do - I've been known to set five minutes aside to wipe the road salt off the bike and end up having stripped and regreased everything (apart from the chain... for now...).