Mountain Biking - clean your bike

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Encrypted
09-02-03, 02:41 PM
my buddie says to just hose down the mud from my bike then WD-40 the chain to clean it. are there any better ways?
Maelstrom
09-02-03, 02:59 PM
WHOA!!!...nasty...no dont do that. Wd40 is not a lubricant it is a degreaser. Use proper oil to lubricate it. And hosing down the bike washes the dirt and crap in bearings that might be exposed...You can hose down the tubing and wheels but wipe down anything that might have bearings in (aka headset and bottom bracket). You can also end with water sealed in the seat tube causing other nasty problems. Here is a decent thread
http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?s=&threadid=29073&highlight=wash+bike
Encrypted
09-02-03, 03:01 PM
whats a good oil to use?
mindbogger
09-02-03, 03:10 PM
i use finish line xc andfinish line teflon plus
Transparent
09-02-03, 03:20 PM
i balst the tubes with a hose and then wipe down with a soft cloth.... making sure i get into the bearings and stuf with a dry cloth... i only oil the chain every month or so but it does the trick
Encrypted
09-02-03, 03:32 PM
What do u mean by bearings and where are they?
Originally posted by Encrypted
What do u mean by bearings and where are they?
They're in a lot of places. Almost anywhere where two parts are rotating with respect to one another, you'll find one or more bearings or bushings.
Encrypted
09-02-03, 04:35 PM
so how can you colean them?
Originally posted by Encrypted
so how can you colean them?
Bearings are either changed, rebuilt or repacked. You don't "clean" them per se. You clean around them. Don't spray directly at/into them since as others have said, that will only serve to drive the contamination further into their surfaces as well as flush out their lubrication. Some bearing systems do have grease injection ports which will allow you to flush them clean of old grease by pushing new grease in. Sealed cartridge bearings on the other hand are much either to both service and are less prone to contamination than open bearings but you still shouldn't spray directly into them.
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