Mickle method - cleaning cassette and jockey wheels without solvents

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Ok, I'm ready to give the mickle method a go, but can't get my head around how to clean the cassette and jockey wheels without a yucky solvent.

There's just so much crud, please enlighten me! I tried jamming a cloth in the cassette but it's just snagging and tearing whatever I put on it, I considered using a bristle brush, but it didn't seem very effective. (insert pokemon joke)

What am I doing wrong?
 

ianrauk

Tattooed Beat Messiah
Location
Rides Ti2
I clean my jockey wheels by using a rag and just turning the pedals slowly whilst gripping each jockey wheel with the rag. Being careful not to allow the rag to be pulled into the chain.

As to the cassette. Wheel off. Degreaser on brush then rag between the cogs. An old tshirt or dishcloth does fine. Just have to take it easy so as not to let it rip.
For a much deeper clean, cassette off and clean each individual part. I do this once a month anyway.
 

Turbo Rider

Just can't reMember
What I do isssss...tear off a strip of kitchen roll, then fold it half. Then I refold it many many times until I have a long thin(ish strip). After that , I twist it round and round until I have something resembling a pipe-cleaner...or some of those g strings which roadrash linked. It's very effecitve indeed. I don't bother with a degrease.
 

deptfordmarmoset

Full time tea drinker
Location
Armonmy Way
What I do isssss...tear off a strip of kitchen roll, then fold it half. Then I refold it many many times until I have a long thin(ish strip). After that , I twist it round and round until I have something resembling a pipe-cleaner...or some of those g strings which roadrash linked. It's very effecitve indeed. I don't bother with a degrease.
Aldi and LiDL do cheap baby wipes which can be folded and inserted into the cassette wheel gaps - they're less teary and fluffy than tissues.
 

Cubist

Still wavin'
Location
Ovver 'thill
If you use an old t shirt or similar, tear the hem off as a long strong strip. Soak in GT85 and floss away. If the cassette doesn't have plastic spacers or dowels, stick it in the dishwasher.
 

Glow worm

Legendary Member
Location
Near Newmarket
Same as Ian above for the jockey wheels here. With the cassette, I usually use a small flat faced screwdriver that fits snugly between each ring and gently scrape out any crud while slowly turning the pedals. Mrs G loves it when I drop that stuff on the kitchen floor. :whistle:

For a proper clean its the same plus 'Muck Gone' though I must get hold of some of this GT85 stuff some day.
 
Go down to your local car parts store and buy a turtle wax wheel brush. It has long stiff thin bristles used for cleaning carbon residue from alloy wheels. You can buy one for a fiver. They are fantastic leaving your cassette all sparkly and new when used in conjunction with Morgan Blue Chain Cleaner. They last forever.
 
I clean my jockey wheels by using a rag and just turning the pedals slowly whilst gripping each jockey wheel with the rag. Being careful not to allow the rag to be pulled into the chain.

As to the cassette. Wheel off. Degreaser on brush then rag between the cogs. An old tshirt or dishcloth does fine. Just have to take it easy so as not to let it rip.
For a much deeper clean, cassette off and clean each individual part. I do this once a month anyway.


The individual part cleaning also applies to chains

First of all break the chain down into its component parts:

chain-apart.jpg



Using a pipe cleaners and cotton buds, thoroughly clean each part, and then grease:

chainclean10.jpg


Then reassemble

Full instructions are on the ShelBroCo website
 
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