WonderMonkey

I really need to do a better job of that. I apply some chain lube about once a week but the other day I really looked at my chain and gears and they were nasty. Almost caked with grime. I also mess up my brakes each time I try to do any work on them. Usually because I'm in a hurry. This weekend I am going to clean my chain and rings and take my brakes apart and clean them. If they won't go back together properly I suppose I will take them to the shop but at least I will have tried.

Kai Winters

YouTube for all your maintenance needs.

donalson

youtube is a great location... also know that maintenance is much easier if done regularly than waiting till it piles up... the sooner you fix something after a ride the better...

Erwin8r

I find that over greasing my chains (motorcycles and bicycles...) leads to the type of build-up you describe. Nice clean (WD40), and a bit of chain wax (or dry graphite lube on the bicycle) keeps 'em nice and shiny and quiet...

donalson

for not to much you can pick up a chain cleaning brush kit like this https://www.pricepoint.com/Brand/Sett...n-Scrubber.axd for cheap... add your preferred bio degreaser

then I use a wax based lube... doesn't get gunky and has worked well for me for the last few years

SwampDude

Does the wax flake off as dirt accumulates on the chain? My local shop guy described such a wax lube to me recently, and he said it works well.

donalson

that is the theory... its 'ride clean" but I can't recall the brand at this second

jsigone

I like the park tool chain cleaner with simple green on the first pass then follow with two rounds of water in the tool. Use the park tool cassette brush and water hose to clean up the cogs in the rear D and cassette.

For lube I live by this stuff, great for both MTBs and roadie. My mtb rides are super dry or can be bit muddy in the winter. Dirt sticks to the chain but I know its still doing it's job underneath.
https://www.bikebling.com/Rock-N-Roll...xtreme-4oz.htm

Kai Winters

You want lube between moving parts not on the surfaces where they attract nasty stuff.

Altair 4

Here is my routine at every 100 miles. First I use a cassette brush to clean between the gears. Then I use the Park Chain cleaner. First pass with biodegreaser, one pass with water and a little laundry detergent, final pass with plain water. I use a rag to dry the chain and then either set up a fan to blow dry the chain or use an electric heat gun on low, if I'm in a bit of a hurry. I like Boeshield as a lubricant that I apply drop-by-drop at every link and run the chain through all the gears, up and down a couple of times. I let it set overnight then wipe the excess off with a clean rag. The chain stays quiet, shifts well, and seems to be wearing well, too.

brianogilvie 

Park Tools has useful online repair and maintenance info, including videos.

I prefer to clean my chain off the bike; it's easy to do with a master link. Put the chain and a small amount of degreaser in a wide-mouthed plastic container (an old peanut butter jar works well), and shake the stuffings out of it. Repeat with water, then hang to dry. Meanwhile, clean the chainrings, cogs, and derailleur with a brush for the big stuff and then a rag. I do that about every 500-700 miles. Riding with fenders and a proper mudflap in front keeps my drivetrain much cleaner than riding without. In between cleanings, I lube regularly: first, wipe off the grime on the chain; second, apply a drop of lube to each roller, on the inside, and run the chain around the drivetrain a few times to allow it to get to the inside; third, take another rag and wipe off the excess lube that's still on the outside. After the next ride I wipe off again with another rag to get any additional lube that oozes out. If it matters, I'm a member of the Church of Tri-Flow.

JakiChan

I feel so lazy...my shop has free lifetime tuneups. The price delta for a tuneup and a tuneup with a drivetrain/bike clean is $40. They take the drivetrain off, clean it in the ultrasonic cleaner, and the wash the bike. It comes back looking brand spanking new. So nice.

donalson

being that the shop will do that as part of the package of buying a bike I can understand using it ... and yet another good reason to use that shop

vesteroid

I just use bug and tar remover (the stuff for your car) I take the rear wheel off, spray down the cassette, let it sit a few, then spray it down again. I take a tire brush (the small round brush thats about 2 inches in diameter and has a reservoir for soap in the handle.) and brush it against the free wheel, and then spray it down again...then rinse and its clean as new. I use the same stuff on my chain while its on the bike, I spray it let it soak, then run the chain through a rag by holding the rag and turning the crank. comes out brand new looking.

Then I just reassemble and lube with a dry lube.

TrojanHorse

I tried that Chain-L stuff when I put my new bike together in Feb... took the chain off, soaked it in mineral spirits and swished out all the gunk. Baked it in the toaster oven to warm it up and put that thick lube on it. I haven't touched it since (about 500 miles) and it's quiet as heck. It smells like the gates of hell though, for a few days.

As for cleaning, I have a bunch of bike wipes that I use for routine cleaning. A white bike just loves dirt. I got this spray bottle of white lightning clean streak that does wonders on the cassette without having to remove it.

InOmaha

I bought a 2005 Trek SU200 off craigslist that was used in salt/sand and looked like it was lubed with Crisco on a regular basis.

I had to use brake cleaner on it. I had it for my car disk brakes and figured it would work on my bike disk brakes and other parts. You have to be careful as it desolves grease and any lubrication you may want to keep on the bike. It cleans up greasy things chainrings and cassettes easily and evaporates dry so there is nothing left to clean off. Keep it away from anything with a bearing in it. Its not the best thing for your skin either.

I threw the chain away because it had been ground down too far, replaced all the cables because they were installed incorrectly at the ends and were frayed and replaced the brake pads which were misaligned, worn down, and squeeling.

donalson

lol as a teen I'd use gasoline... an excellent solvent... diesel or kerosene is a better option but dad didn't keep that around like he used to...

but it sounds like your bike is a prime example of why you have to be careful shopping used... if you noticed it and the price was still right then it's still a good deal, but it's not uncommon for someone to buy something for what they see as a good deal only to need to replace a few hundred $$$ in parts

TrojanHorse

I'm probably extreme but I seem to have this habit of disassembling my bike and reassembling it once a year to really get it clean. things like the derailleur pulleys really seem to attract gunk.

WonderMonkey

Thanks for the excellent suggestions. I am going to be more intentional about taking care of the bike. Fear makes me hesitate as I usually mess things up like this and it keeps me off the bike by taking it in to somewhere and having to wait for it to come back. Kills momentum.

skilsaw

A bike maintenance thread, and only one mention of WD40.
And nobody dissed him.

Glad to know others started out with gasoline and brake cleaner.
Lucky I didn't blow up the house, filling it with fumes.

Now I'm into liquid dish detergent.
Drizzle it on,
Brush it in.
Rinse with water,
Dry off,
Apply new lube.

apollored

My mechanic cleans my bike and lubes it for me for free lol.

I havent really got anywhere at home outside where I can leave it while I change water etc and no exterior hose pipes etc so I either take it to my mum's and clean it or to my mech who does it for me

donalson

lol on the wd40... the stuff never comes near my bike (and hasn't since I was 8 or 9)... but being he was using it to clean and not lube I gave it a pass lol..

for the Gasoline... that was always done outside... dad didn't keep brake cleaner or carb cleaner around unless he was going to use it (same way my garage is 90% of the time lol)... but we always had a bit of gas in the can for the mower