A Stupid Question About Oils And General Bike Maintenance

[S-Express]

When I was a kid I'd wash my bike with some fairy liquid and my dad's old car sponge. Then I'd throw some 3in1 all over the chain and crank and ride off into the sun.

Nothing has fundamentally changed in bicycle design or technology which would make any difference to that approach.

 

[Gravity Aided]

Except you may not wish to spill any pasty or kebab on your carbon fiber bicycle.

 

[Blue Hills]

The marketing folk are there solely to relieve you of your hard earned pennies..
GT85 seems to have a better reputation than WD40. In fact, some here actually use it as a body rub on themselves due to its lovely aroma.

recently available for 99p a tin in some Aldis. Though not unusual for some places to try selling it for close to a fiver.

 

[Blue Hills]

Don't necessarily dismiss the fancy branded stuff out of hand, Muc Off wet lube was cheaper than Halfords own brand bike oil recently... look out for things on offer. But yeah it all works, it's all oil.
I use fairy liquid to wash my bike, it's a perfectly good bike cleaner.

Can't actually remember the last time I washed the body of a bike, Not needed unless you are going for showroom appeal. Dry it or let it dry. Wipe any dried muck off with an oily rag. Note, this is for a road/hybrid/urban bike - not a mud-rolling MTB.

 

[Sheffield_Tiger]

TF2 is good stuff for cables and chains. Just don't use half the bottle. One drop per link, wipe off excess. do regularly

 

[Sheffield_Tiger]

GT85 seems to have a better reputation than WD40. In fact, some here actually use it as a body rub on themselves due to its lovely aroma.

We had someone at work once used it as "air freshener". Using some kind of logic that baking bread sells houses because it smells "homely", ergo particles of GT85 in the olfactory system will make the customer buy a new bike

 

[Fab Foodie]

As long as you do something, it will probably be better than doing nothing. Washing up liquid and hosepipes are just a couple of the things that people warn against that I use (kebabs and pasties are a couple of others), My bikes haven't spontaneously combusted, or melted or gone horribly wrong. (Well, not horribly horribly wrong, anyway)

I have a little bottle of Fancy Expensive Chain Lube that is nearly empty. I think I'll get another because at it lasted ages and did its job, but I'm under no illusions that it will be better than some generic oily oil.

+1 to chains not being what they used to be. And we've gone over the reasons in other threads. Something to do the fact that they don't grow on bushes these days I think.

Spot on. Especially regarding Pasties.

Chains are also relatively cheap. Replace often.

 

[Ajax Bay]

Can't actually remember the last time I washed the body of a bike, Not needed unless you are going for showroom appeal.

I can imagine if you do the amount of mileage you do, @Blue Hills , you'd take a 'no need' approach. You want to get out of the smoke into real countryside and ride past a few farms. When you've gone down a hill so slimy with the proverbial that any braking is nugatory/bike down, that stuff is not coming off with a quick wipe of an oily cloth. A good clean regularly also allows/encourages inspection of the bike generally (including rims and tyres).

 

[Blue Hills]

Er, how do you know how much mileage i do? And there is countryside near london you know. I was out in the lanes today, pedalled through the night to brighton recently with a downpour chucked in. I didn't say i kept my drivetrain dirty. I don't. And I clean my rims very regularly. All moving parts, cables etc. I was talking about the frame while stressing that I was not referring to off road MTBs. Oh and i also cycle in rural lancashire. Plenty of muck there. But the biggest problem is road debris puncturing you. Still don't wash the frame.

 

[Ajax Bay]

how do you know how much mileage i do?

Because [EDIT] in other posts you've implied you did a fair few miles (so what I meant was, because you do so much, you can't afford to spend time cleaning bits that don't need cleaning). Must be quite hard, though, to avoid washing the frame while cleaning the rest of the bike, but each to their own.

 

[CanucksTraveller]

Because in another post you said you had done 12,000 odd miles last year. Must be quite hard to avoid washing the frame while cleaning the rest of the bike, but each to their own.

Yeah it also seems odd to me to wash your drive train, wheels, and all other moving parts, but not bother with the frame. You're 90% there once you've done those tricky parts, the frame is about 90 extra seconds with the soapy sponge / cloth that you already have handy.

 

[Blue Hills]

Because [EDIT] in other posts you've implied you did a fair few miles (so what I meant was, because you do so much, you can't afford to spend time cleaning bits that don't need cleaning). Must be quite hard, though, to avoid washing the frame while cleaning the rest of the bike, but each to their own.

Sorry, don't really understand your posts. In your post upthread it seemed to me you were implying i did few miles and was just an urban wuss, then in your now edited post you said i'd claimed to do 12,000 miles a year - that wasn't me. I find it quite easy not to get the bucket of water and shampoo out. I have come across others who think the same.

 

[Blue Hills]

Yeah it also seems odd to me to wash your drive train, wheels, and all other moving parts, but not bother with the frame. You're 90% there once you've done those tricky parts, the frame is about 90 extra seconds with the soapy sponge / cloth that you already have handy.

Except, as i've said, i don't wash my drivetrain with a soapy sponge. Why would I? Equally I don't take the bike in the shower with me.

 

[Ajax Bay]

it seemed to me you were implying i did few miles and was just an urban wuss

Sorry, Blue. No and partially yes - Distance: lots of miles (12000 was someone else, hence post edit (after ten minutes) to 'fair few miles' ie lots) and therefore less time to wash your frame, but Urban/rural: assumed this was mostly not rural as I could not imagine someone picking up normal amounts of rural mud on frame and then choosing not to wash off. But as you say, no doubt others leave their bikes dirty as well.

 

[Blue Hills]

Hi aja. Ta for reply, not after a ping pong argument but just to clarify. I do not leave my frame dirty, i just don't wash/shampoo it or go for showroom appeal. I don't leave mud on it either.