Which Cleaning and Lubricating Products?

[Bristolian]

Hi folks,

As we get further into Spring and the weather continues to improve (?) my mind is turning to giving the bike a damned good service this week in preparation for the Tour de Bristol on 13 April. I'm confident in my ability to strip and reassemble the various parts of the bike and will be replacing brake and gear cables (inner & outer) during the service.

Before I get into stripping the bike down it needs a really good clean and I was looking for recommendations about which cleaning products (e.g. degreasers, brushes, towels, etc.) others use? In the past I have used Muc-Off and Silca spray-on degreasers with old paint brushes on the frame and drive train, and a mixture of cloths and micro-fibre towels for drying off. This time I expect to be using more degreaser than normal as the bike is in such a shitty state so was thinking of buying in bulk rather than several squirty bottles, and this is where your experience may just save me from wasting time (and money).

Also, I normally use a standard Castrol LM grease (originally bought to grease Land Rover wheel bearings) for things like hub bearings but this is rather thick and I guess adds to the rolling resistance of the bike. What should I be using?

My thanks in advance for any suggestions

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

As far as degreaser is concerned someone on here suggested a basic large bottle of own brand degreaser from ScrewFix

I used it for the chain and gears and seems to work well - basically like stronger washing up liquid - but a lot cheaper.

Oil seems to be a subject that starts arguments so I'll stay out of that!!

old toothbrushes seem to be good for getting into gunged up bits - just keep and eye on kids - had to stop the 3 year old grandson trying it out on his teeth after several years of oil cleaning and lying around on the shed floor!!!

 

[Paulus]

I use white spirit and an old paint brush as a degreaser to get into tight places.
As far as grease goes, for the last 50 years I have been using a large sweet tin of grease from the railway depot I was first attached to. It was good enough for carriage and wagon bearings, bikes, motor bikes and cars that I needed to do the various bearings on. Your Castrol grease will be fine.
Too much is sometimes made of greasing and lubrication of bikes.

 

[Emanresu]

How does everyone deal with the degreaser run off? Always have a concern letting it run into the drains.

 

[Bristolian]

How does everyone deal with the degreaser run off? Always have a concern letting it run into the drains.

That's a good question. I have seen that several of the branded products that warn it is harmful to aquatic creatures with "long term effects" so flushing it into the drains doesn't sound like a good idea.

 

[fossyant]

Screwfix degreaser 5l tub is cheap. Dilute it into a spray bottle. Really good for general cleaning around the house too. Just general car shampoo to wash bike. The screwfix stuff isn't overly harmful.

 

[geocycle]

I use very little cleaning product, usually just an almost dry cloth around the frame and wheels. I do spray some Muc off degreaser on the drive chain and Mickle method that a few times but otherwise not much more than water.

 

[simongt]

As far as degreaser is concerned someone on here suggested a basic large bottle of own brand degreaser from ScrewFix

Paraffin does the job and that IS cheap - !

 

[cyberknight]

I use white spirit and an old paint brush as a degreaser to get into tight places.

yup me too

 

[HLaB]

I use Muc Off Spray degreaser which is supposed to be component and environmentally friendly and clean pretty regularly, on the odd occasion I need to clean deeper I use babywipes and scrub.

 

[november4]

I stopped using mucoff when found out how salty it is, I just use car shampoo. I degreased all our chains and use squirt, which is water soluble, makes chain cleaning easier
In general I've learnt to do less, wipes are great 👍

 

[Gillstay]

How does everyone deal with the degreaser run off? Always have a concern letting it run into the drains.

I use citrus degreaser and ecover detergent. About the best I could find.

 

[slowmotion]

I use Jizer in an ultrasonic bath for chains and cassettes. If you let the solution settle at the end, you can decant the clear Jizer and reuse it several times over. I then rinse the bike components in clean water many times and dry them in a very low oven. FinishLine Green is my oil of choice.
I lube the bikes so rarely that I don't see myself as a one man environmental disaster. Others might.

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

Cleaning the chain off the bike involves breaking the chain on some bikes

Our folder doesn;t which makes it much easier - I just take it off and dump it in a bowl of degreaser and leave it while I do everything else - and probably the other bike as well

but for bikes where it involves breaking the chain I prefer to use a chain cleaning gadget (blue plastic thing - Park Tools sell them)
works well - just need to make sure it is well rinsed after and re-lubed

 

[Jody]

If it's getting a proper wash, Muck off for the drive train and car shampoo for the rest.

Most of the time it's just a spray off with the hose (no washing) and then a chain Mickle