A few questions

[Yorkshire Rich]

sorry n advance a few questions to follow. I have a 2019 focus jam which has done just over 50 miles, love the bike just need to get out more. Anyway after a ride on the old coach road last weekend i cleaned the bike in the lakes and brought it home . storm desmond and a suspected bout or corona virus (common cold ) i totally forgot to lube the chain . Just done it today and although iv'e cleaned it well its got some slight rust still on it. Now the questions
*How well do you guys clean your bikes i somewhat ocd try get it like it was delivered to me although i can never match that always looks dusty in places.
*whats everyone cleaning with i used water and a mixture of soap/wax and muc off for frame wheels ect ,for the drive chain iv'e some muc off drivechain cleaner and some degreaser for the chain then leather it off.
*Now the exciting bits when buying new chains, crank and cassettes what have you guys bought .

Once again sorry if this is a boring thread but i'm basically seeing if people chuck their bikes around the dirt and just clean all the important parts or they are very ocd like me and try get the bike looking like its still in a showroom.

 

[TheBikePilot]

Park Tool do a chain cleaning device. I use it, it's very good indeed. There are other cheaper ones out there but don't do as good a job..Use Wet or Dry lube as appropriate but don't over lube as that's as bad as none at all.

You don't really need expensive bike cleaners, muc-off is a rip off to be honest. Standard Car Shampoo (without wax) is just as good but nothing beats old fashioned water.

I use a Worx Hydroshot washer which gets the crap off and you can reduce the pressure for the bearings etc. You could do this trailside if you take water with you as not letting the mud cake on is the key.

With that in mind, you can apply GT85 to the frame prior to riding and the mud can't stick as easily.

You can use any general-purpose polish to make the bike shine again, I wouldn't bother with bike-specific stuff.

I changed my cassette for a Steel one which will last longer. As for chains ignore the chain wear indicators you can buy. Run it til it breaks or change at about 1000miles. Bear in mind your cassette may need changing at the same time or slip hence waiting til it breaks and then change the lot. A lot depends on how you change gear, try not to change under load in a climb as the extra torque through the drive chain really chews the cassette. Best is to bump up the assist level in a climb if your in the wrong gear or back off the power as you change.

 

[Waynetta]

I’m pretty ocd with chain and sprockets and buy two chains and rotate every 300 miles, Bung the dirty one in a tin with diesel and white spirit. Put a lid on and shake for a few seconds, repeat until no grit in the mix.( I lube and clean after most rides but not as thorough as this)
I put the dirty diesel mix in a jar and leave to settle for a few months and use the cleared stuff again. Saves a lot of waste.
I’ll also take the cassette off the free hub and use same diesel mixture and a paint brush. Amazing how much crap gets in between cogs! Frame and wheels I hardly ever bother with except a hose down straight after a ride. I’m still looking into which e bike to buy but I’ve been doing this for 25 years on non assisted Mtb and get 2000 miles plus out of a chain set. I don’t expect I’ll get anywhere that with an e bike though.

 

[miPbiP]

I wash the worst crud off my bike and lube the chain. Usually.

When it's going to get filthy again within 5 minutes riding I don't see the point getting all OCD about it. Life's too short.

 

[Yorkshire Rich]

Park Tool do a chain cleaning device. I use it, it's very good indeed. There are other cheaper ones out there but don't do as good a job..Use Wet or Dry lube as appropriate but don't over lube as that's as bad as none at all.

You don't really need expensive bike cleaners, muc-off is a rip off to be honest. Standard Car Shampoo (without wax) is just as good but nothing beats old fashioned water.

I use a Worx Hydroshot washer which gets the crap off and you can reduce the pressure for the bearings etc. You could do this trailside if you take water with you as not letting the mud cake on is the key.

With that in mind, you can apply GT85 to the frame prior to riding and the mud can't stick as easily.

You can use any general-purpose polish to make the bike shine again, I wouldn't bother with bike-specific stuff.

I changed my cassette for a Steel one which will last longer. As for chains ignore the chain wear indicators you can buy. Run it til it breaks or change at about 1000miles. Bear in mind your cassette may need changing at the same time or slip hence waiting til it breaks and then change the lot. A lot depends on how you change gear, try not to change under load in a climb as the extra torque through the drive chain really chews the cassette. Best is to bump up the assist level in a climb if your in the wrong gear or back off the power as you change.

Thanks for the reply all helpful stuff. forgot to mention i used simple car shampoo today and it was good. I use a karcher battery powered pressure wash too and took that to the lakes last week to clean the bike after the ride i really rate the karcher one as its not as mental as a normal pressure wash but does a great job plus i got it for half price. I also have the chain cleaning park tool you mention and agree its bloody brilliant and you can see just how much crap it cleans in the colour the liquid turns.

 

[Nicho]

i really rate the karcher one as its not as mental as a normal pressure wash but does a great job

I second this!

It holds enough water and battery power to do a good job removing the worst of the mud, especially if you use the brush attachment, and this is not likely to do any damage as long as you are careful as it is very gentle compared to a pressure washer.

 

[Simoto123]

I wash the worst crud off my bike and lube the chain. Usually.

When it's going to get filthy again within 5 minutes riding I don't see the point getting all OCD about it. Life's too short.

You sir, talk a lot of sense.

 

[Yorkshire Rich]

I’m pretty ocd with chain and sprockets and buy two chains and rotate every 300 miles, Bung the dirty one in a tin with diesel and white spirit. Put a lid on and shake for a few seconds, repeat until no grit in the mix.( I lube and clean after most rides but not as thorough as this)
I put the dirty diesel mix in a jar and leave to settle for a few months and use the cleared stuff again. Saves a lot of waste.
I’ll also take the cassette off the free hub and use same diesel mixture and a pain

I second this!

It holds enough water and battery power to do a good job removing the worst of the mud, especially if you use the brush attachment, and this is not likely to do any damage as long as you are careful as it is very gentle compared to a pressure washer.

It's so good i'm surprised more aren't using it . i got mine at a knock down price on ebay as it has scuffs under the feet half price for a few scuffs bargain i am very happy.