Mountain Biking - Dumb newbie questions....

Sorry in advance..... :o

Ended up getting some sand in my drivechain and now it sounds awful when I ride....I lubed the chain and wiped it down but it still sounds bad....any suggestions on how to remedy it?

Sorry in advance..... :o

Ended up getting some sand in my drivechain and now it sounds awful when I ride....I lubed the chain and wiped it down but it still sounds bad....any suggestions on how to remedy it?

You need to purchase some degreaser (I like the citrus stuff that comes in the aluminum bottle), mix it with some water (per the instructions), remove the chain and clean the snot out of it! As well as cleaning the chain, you're also going to need to give your entire drive train a good once-over in order to ensure that you've removed all the grit and grime.

You'll probably need a chain tool to remove the chain and I would suggest getting a SRAM Powerlink to put the thing back together. The Powerlink will allow you to take the chain apart whenever you want without your having to use the chain tool and worry about replacing pins (ask the mechanic at your LBS, they'll be able to tell you how to remove and replace a chain.) Have fun; cleaning the drive train is just worlds of fun! :rolleyes:

nah, i rekin the problem lies with the bottem bracket, take it out grease it see if it helps,

You need to purchase some degreaser (I like the citrus stuff that comes in the aluminum bottle), mix it with some water (per the instructions), remove the chain and clean the snot out of it! As well as cleaning the chain, you're also going to need to give your entire drive train a good once-over in order to ensure that you've removed all the grit and grime.

You'll probably need a chain tool to remove the chain and I would suggest getting a SRAM Powerlink to put the thing back together. The Powerlink will allow you to take the chain apart whenever you want without your having to use the chain tool and worry about replacing pins (ask the mechanic at your LBS, they'll be able to tell you how to remove and replace a chain.) Have fun; cleaning the drive train is just worlds of fun! :rolleyes:
Hehe, do that and maybe try my method :p : Get an old toothbrush and just scrub away the sand and other grit, it won't (as far as I know) rub the lube off.

nah, i rekin the problem lies with the bottem bracket, take it out grease it see if it helps,
:eek:

I hope you were kidding. It would be far easier to make sure the chain was clean before regreasing the BB. Besides, he would probably have to take it to his LBS to do the BB work for him since he's "new".

yeah, you have to clean AND lube.

i suggest those chain scrub boxes. no need to take the chain off the bike, and i've found they do a good job at getting the grit out.

or you could get out the ol hose and spray the **** outta it and then re lube everything..., still dpends on how dirty the drivetrain is, and how much work you want to do.

I just got some degreaser from my lbs (water soluable) and used it on the chain and derailers. Then hosed it off and re-liubed the chain. Seems much, much better now.....although I think the rear derailer already need an adjustment.

r/d adjustment is typical...I would seriously suggest learning how to do it yourself, otherwise it can be a pain in the butt to take a bike in for a simple adjustment

park tool has a very good guide for that. i dont have the adress for it now but im sure someone here does. mabey do a search.

http://www.parktool.com/repair_help/FAQindex.shtml#drivetrain

Be careful using degreaser/solvent about your bike. If you get it inside the wheel or bottom bracket bearings, you will degrease them. Modern bottom brackets cannot usually be "regreased". The std type is a sealed, replaceble carttidge unit. Only on more expensive models can you do any maintenance, otherwise it is bin and replace.

Remove the chain, soak it in degreaser and wash all the crud off.
Rinse the rear cogs in plain water to dislodge sand.
When you have your transmission clean and dry, then consider the type of lube you are using. An oil will attract sand. For dry sandy condition, a dry lube will cause less problems.
The Sachs Powerlink is a good idea. You can remove the chain without using any tools, but it takes a bit of practice.

Don't as put above "spray the ****" out of it with a hise, that's how you screw bearings, bushings and pushes grease away from needed places is drivetrain and bushings.

I just put the degreaser on the chain, rear cogs and derailers being careful not to get any on the bottom bracket. I then lightly hosed it off and wiped it down with a rag. That got almost all the crud out. I then re-lubed the chain and wiped off all the excess....seems to be in good shape now....I'll tackle the rear derailer adjustment tonight I guess....

The first bike I ever had was a miss-mash of different parts scabbed from my brothers hand me downs back in the late 70's when I was just 10 or 11. Did all the work myself so I feel pretty comfortable tearing things apart and putting them back together if I have too.....;)

[QUOTE=TPW]Sorry in advance..... :o


the only thing dumb would be if you did nothing about it. that would do some major damage to your chain and maybe the gears too as well as the sprokets in the derailer

My bike was outside in the rain today for a couple of hours, and all the sticky crap that used to be on it is gone. It wasn't really lube, it was taht stuff that the chain comes out of the factory with. Makes squeaky noises though now :(