Mountain Biking - lubing bike after rain

Hi,

I often cycle in very heavy rain and am wondering what I should be doing maintenance wise when I get home to ensure that I don't get any damaged or rusty bike parts.

I will be especially concerned about this when I get my new bike which has disk brakes.

How often should I be putting lubricant on the chain ? Is it necessary to wipe it down immediately and then run the chain through a rag to get off the dirty water etc and then apply new lube ?

When the disk brakes get dirty, what is the best way to clean them ?

Justen

I normally just spray on some WD-40 or RP-7 immediately to remove any corrosion resulting from the rain. That is usually enough in the short term. I generally wait until the rain stops before I give my bike a proper clean.

Originally posted by Justen


...snip....I will be especially concerned about this when I get my new bike which has disk brakes.Don't be


How often should I be putting lubricant on the chain ? [/qoute] Depends on the lube and the amount of riding. [quote]Is it necessary to wipe it down immediately and then run the chain through a rag to get off the dirty water etc and then apply new lube ? Wouldn't hurt but I'd wait for the chain to dry before relubing as the water would carry the new lube off[/color]


When the disk brakes get dirty, what is the best way to clean them ?

Justen They won't get so dirty that you'll really have to worry about it. The worst thing that can happen is if they get some grease or oil on them. DON"T TOUCH THE ROTORS OR THE PADS WITH BARE HANDS Oil from your hands can degrade performance and contaminate the pads. The best way to clean the rotors (because everybody puts thier mitts on them) is with denatured alcohol. Keeping this in mind a little water / dirt isn't going to hurt them.

Originally posted by Chris L
I normally just spray on some WD-40 or RP-7 immediately to remove any corrosion resulting from the rain. That is usually enough in the short term. I generally wait until the rain stops before I give my bike a proper clean. Keep in mind WD-40 is NOT a proper lube it is a solvent that has a slight penetrating lube like property. It will eat at ANY grease it comes in contact with (including the stuff you WANT) It can be used to clean rusty spots but don't use it as a lube. WD-40 is one of the worst things to use if you're going to have disc brakes because invariably some will end up on the rotors which (if you read the other post) you know is a BAD THING.

Originally posted by Raiyn
Keep in mind WD-40 is NOT a proper lube it is a solvent that has a slight penetrating lube like property. It will eat at ANY grease it comes in contact with (including the stuff you WANT) It can be used to clean rusty spots but don't use it as a lube. WD-40 is one of the worst things to use if you're going to have disc brakes because invariably some will end up on the rotors which (if you read the other post) you know is a BAD THING.

Hey..thanks for the tip re: WD-40. I didn't think that would be a good thing to use..especially with disk brakes. I use this cross-country lube and it seems to work pretty well.

Justen

<nods> If it's the cross-country lube that I'm thinking of you should have no proplem

Problem even

Enh, I just rinse everything down, and dry everything off. Then I re-lube the chain with a little XC lube.

Get a Sram Power Link when you buy your bike. It's a quick disconnect link for your chain.

After muddy rides, I hose down the bike, remove wheels and get all the big chunks off. I fill a bucket with Dawn detergent and water and use a sponge to wash the bike off, using a seperate sponge for the drivetrain. I'll then remove the chain, soak it in some degreaser for a while 5-10 mins and then hang it to dry overnight. If you don't, and apply lube you can trap moisture in between the links.

I lube the chain the next day, (or next time I ride) by applying a drop to each link, backpeddaling for a minute and then wipe off any excess.

FYI, I use Dawn dishwashing detergent b/c I had a Cannondale with CODA disc brakes and that was Cannondale's recommended solution for their brakes. I got rid of that bike buy still had a lot of Dawn left.

BTW, I like the Brodie's better!

L8R

Originally posted by a2psyklnut
Get a Sram Power Link when you buy your bike. It's a quick disconnect link for your chain.

FYI, I use Dawn dishwashing detergent b/c I had a Cannondale with CODA disc brakes and that was Cannondale's recommended solution for their brakes. I got rid of that bike buy still had a lot of Dawn left.

BTW, I like the Brodie's better!

L8R

Hi !

Thanks for all the great tips. I have to admit that I have never washed a bike as thoroughly as you do but then I have not really gone mountain biking before and got them full of dirt either. Still, I am going to take really good care of this new bike.

I am glad to hear that the Brodies are so well thought of. I have pretty well decided on the Brodie Bruzza even though it is almost $300.00 CDN more than the Fury.

Thanks for your feedback !

Justen