How much cleaning??

[dodgy]

you need to avoid the puddles.

 

[zzpza]

you need to avoid the puddles.

but they are the best bits!!!!

this one was awesome:

so was this one, too:

but they are all frozen this time of year.

​

 

[Dave5N]

Chain cleaning contraptions are gash. An old rag is all you need, as long as you can spare the 30 seconds it takes after every ride.

Bollocks.

I clean four bikes every week. Or twice a week, sometimes.

The Park chain cleaner is exceptional.

 

[dodgy]

Bollocks.

I clean four bikes every week. Or twice a week, sometimes.

The Park chain cleaner is exceptional.

I'm happy for you

 

[simoncc]

MTB maintenance is absolutely essential. An expensive bike will very quickly disintegrate into a heap of worthless metal if you don't maintain it. Unfortunately it will disintegrate into a heap of worthless metal only slightly slower if you do.

 

[User482]

In this order:

Hose with thumb over the end
Muc off distributed with a variety of special shaped brushes
Leave for 5 minutes
Hose with thumb over the end
Wipey cloth
Take chain off, soak in paraffin, rinse off, hang up to dry (when I can be bothered)

Same here, except I use a chain cleaner. Seems to work fine if half-filled with muc-off.

 

[wyno70]

Got myself a Park Chain Cleaner and you are right Dave, it's excellent and the gears run so much smoother now it's all clean and shiny!!!

Nice one

 

[jadlem]

I use a nail brush and some grease in a tin marked elbow, followed by a spot of the old halfords chain lube.

:OP

 

[Globalti]

Fit a proper Hozelock trigger spray on the end of your hosepipe to avoid wastage and because the water is freezing at this time of year. Buy a hand brush (the sort that goes with a dust pan) and rinse the dirt away while loosening it with the brush.

Dry and lube the chain. Make tea and relax.

 

[GilesM]

Fit a proper Hozelock trigger spray on the end of your hosepipe to avoid wastage and because the water is freezing at this time of year. Buy a hand brush (the sort that goes with a dust pan) and rinse the dirt away while loosening it with the brush.

Dry and lube the chain. Make tea and relax.

That sounds about right, although I did buy some Hope shoot Shifter on Saturday and that seemed to work really well, I find the Muc Off bike spray is pretty good to help get the water out of the more difficult to get to places, especially on cold days when the water just isn't going to evaporate. A bit of normal car polish after the bike is cleaned helps the dirt come off next time. I can't remember the last time I road my MTB on a dry trail and didn't have to clean it after just one ride.

 

[fossyant]

MTB maintenance is absolutely essential. An expensive bike will very quickly disintegrate into a heap of worthless metal if you don't maintain it. Unfortunately it will disintegrate into a heap of worthless metal only slightly slower if you do.

Quite true.

I had the misfortune of working with a guy last year - he was in his 50's thought he knew it all - fairly new to bikes...me late 30's been riding them all my life.

He had a top of the range Scott - carbon frame and XTR.... big bucks.... He asked what I use to oil my chain...

"erm...Finish Line Pro"..

"oh sounds expensive......"

"What ???? What are you using ?"

"GT85" was the response... "that might be why I went through a whole set of chain rings, cassette and chain very quickly......"

Absolute idiot - I kept my gob shut - he had the bike, no idea how to look after it....

To top it off he'd take the mick out of my regime....and that's for road bikes......just didn't have the heart to tell him he was a knob !

 

[Mirco]

awesome, guys. Just a note, if you use degreasers on your chain to clean it, RINSE WELL BEFORE APPLYING THE LUBE!!!!!! otherwise, the residual DEGREASER will, well, DE-GREASE your lube. May as well soak it in WD-40. I've found the best results by far with BoShield T-9 lube. I used to replace chains every month, to avoid replacing cogs, now I've used BoShield, I've been on the same chain since July, through the wet, salty, gritty winter, with very rare cleanings, and applying lube maybe, TOPS once a week. and no dirt/grease buildup whatsoever. Amazing stuff.

 

[wyno70]

So, now I thought my regime was much improved, cleaning the bike okay, chain, rings cassette etc cleaned with park chain cleaner, degreaser etc, rinsed with hot soapy water, then plenty of "GT85" applied.

Fossyant - is this stuf no good then, your post above implies not??? I'll change if it isn't, after all the effort I'm putting in, I want to make sure the lube is half decent!

 

[Sh4rkyBloke]

Fossy - how do you get your cassette so clean though??? The bloody thing looked brand new on your 18 year old bike... I was very impressed (sad, I know!).

 

[Simeon Jones]

I find that getting the servants to do such menial tasks frees ones time for more congenial activities such as tiger shooting and bear bating.