Washing a muddy bike

[smithyandco]

Yeah, I need to look into a better bike oil... It seems ok on the chain and gears which is where I mostly use it. But the application effects only last a ride or 2.

 

[Muddy Ground]

Don't worry about lube not lasting; you'll be lucky if a single application lasts more than 20 miles even in the summer's that we have, especially where you live. Winter they can be gone pretty quickly. MTB'ers aren't pedantic or OCD about oiling, it's just that we become so familiar with the routine of it. Don't bother asking your bike shop which to use - they'll push some naff oil on you. Local riders know best.... although there is an element of all off-road lubes being Snake oil!

Some swear by Rock 'n' Roll, but I've never been keen personally. The new ceramic stuff works here in the Surrey mud.

Good luck with it all.

www.muddyground.blogspot.com

 

[Merlin]

Hmm. When I get home I hose down the worst of the loose stuff (garden hose with thumb over the end to get a jet) but I'm only concerned with function, not appearance. Then, I'm ashamed to confess, I sometimes spray a little WD40, more as a moisture dispersant than a lubricant. I got told off in my bike shop for having oil on the chain because it might get on to the brake pads. It never has but it made me more cautious. When the weather warms up a bit I'll degrease the chain and dérailleurs and look for a greener way to lubricate.

 

[sleekitcollie]

Cover the wheels & frame in degreasing snow & leave for 15 min.

ive been looking for this stuff without any luck where do i get some

 

[Muddy Ground]

Many people steer clear of degreasers, even bike ones. There's no real need for them; a bucket and sponge works well enough, with some car shampoo. Some of the products leave your paintwork dulled, can corrode aluminium or can creep between seals and strip grease from bearings. OK if you're a professional and want a nice clean bike for a photo shoot in ten minutes, but for the rest of us an extra 5 minutes with a sponge is cool.

www.muddyground.blogspot.com

 

[GrasB]

ive been looking for this stuff without any luck where do i get some

Local motorfactors, on-line car washing stores etc. To use the stuff you need a half decent pressure washer with the correct attachments. I have the stuff for washing the cars but its overkill for just washing a bike.

 

[postman]

Glad i found this .Just last week i hosed down the off road bike .Dried it with a cloth .Then sprayed it with gt85 .And a thing i found in Homebase 3 in 1 with ptfe .But i have got a bit paranoid about the water getting into the BB .Should i try to find a good lube .To get inside under the frame where there is a little hole .I guess thisl ittle hole is for lubricating ?

 

[Muddy Ground]

Little holes are usually there to let gases out during welding - but if you block it, and water gets into the frame via the seatpost [which it will!] then gradually your frame will fill with water. Best left alone my friend.

GT85 and the others last much, much longer if you spray it onto a cloth and then rub the bike down. Also avoids getting the stuff on to rims and brake pads.

Halfords do a big yellow toothbrush - if you're going down the "bikewash geek" route then those things are bloomin' brilliant for cleaning your sprockets. Quick spray with de-greaser, toothbrush it all over, spray with water, muck gone. Just be careful with the degreaser.

From my youth I remember that some bikes came with a cut-off leather boot lace tied losely around the hubs - was meant to keep the hub looking clean. Or my memory may be fading on that score....

www.muddyground.blogspot.com

 

[punkedmonkey]

From my youth I remember that some bikes came with a cut-off leather boot lace tied losely around the hubs - was meant to keep the hub looking clean. Or my memory may be fading on that score....

That is probably true given that when I was a about 10 my dad would put a bit of oiled string loosely around the center of the hubs of my bike to keep them clean. Was probably from the days when hubs weren't coated and were made of steel so would rust if they weren't kept clean...

On the cleaning front I generally tend to us Muc off, with a bucket and a dish washing brush. On big cleans (about every 3 months) I strip off the derailleurs, strip them back, full degrease (I have found 'Gunk Green' from halfords is particularly effective and apparently environmentally friendly), rebuild them and fully degrease the chain. Once lubed and re-setup it works like new This does take quite a while though (I usually allow 3 hours) - maybe I am a bit OCD, but it should reduce general wear and tear and keeps everything running smoooooth.

 

[Muddy Ground]

Nothing OCD about maintaining or cleaning a bike!

If you use a good quality chain lube, and not oil, it makes life so much easier on the cleaning front. But by crickey is this wet winter testing my patience with bike cleaning. I've been mountain biking for 20 years now, out twice a week, but I'm failing to remember the trails being this muddy for so long. Here in Surrey they just don't seem to be drying out, and we're not getting any frosts either. My kids are loving it mind.

www.muddyground.blogspot.com