A tip for when you clean your bike....

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mrandmrspoves

Middle aged bald git.
Location
Narfuk
Useful tip........When you clean your bike don't turn it upside down while you do so...
I spent the best part of the evening on Wednesday sorting out a friends bicycle. She had started to have trouble with the gears and had gone on to YouTube for some tips and made things worse. I soon sorted the front derailleur, but the rear derailleur was just not playing ball and the gear change (Shimano Brifters) felt horrid. I decided to strip the cable and also look more closely at the shifter so I took the cover off to find it was full of sand like grit. It took ages with a syringe and a paintbrush to cleanse the shifter re grease it with silicone grease and change the cable inner and outers and re tune the gears. When I asked whether she had been on a beach and got some in her changer, she said not......and then she realised how all the grit had got into the shifter! SO when your bicycle is filthy and needs a good clean don't turn it upside down while you hose it off. ☺

Can this grow into a useful maintenance tips thread?

What is your most useful cycling tip?
 

fossyant

Ride It Like You Stole It!
Location
South Manchester
Never turn the bike the wrong way round. Shouts noob.

You'll also scratch your Garmin.
 

deptfordmarmoset

Full time tea drinker
Location
Armonmy Way
On the other hand, the only way you're really going to see the filthiest bits is either with a very high work stand plus floor lighting or with the bike upside down. Bike upside down and a wad of baby wipes was the easiest option this afternoon.
 

Gravity Aided

Legendary Member
Location
Land of Lincoln
When restoring old brakes and chainrings and other brightwork, I use an old toothbrush or battery operated toothbrush, and autobody rubbing compound, followed by autobody mud, a red clay compound. Then I wash thoroughly and reassemble. Makes everything look new.
 

2clepto

Guest
When restoring old brakes and chainrings and other brightwork, I use an old toothbrush or battery operated toothbrush, and autobody rubbing compound, followed by autobody mud, a red clay compound. Then I wash thoroughly and reassemble. Makes everything look new.

nice tip thanks. i had a search around but cant locate the mud or the rubbing compound. i dont own a car. do you have any links? thanks very much.
 

Moodyman

Legendary Member
I guess I'm a permanent noob, then, because sometimes it's convenient to have it upside down, to more easily clean the bottom bits. I never, ever hose the bike, though.
with you living Down Under, isn't your bike permanently upside down?

edit: someone beat me to it above
 

arch684

Veteran
I have somewhere (in the garage i think ) a small wooden frame with 2 slots. if i want to turn a bike upside down the bars fit in the slots and it keeps the brake levers up off the floor.Handy if your working on a vintage bike where the cables come out of the top of the levers
 
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