looking for advice on bike maintaince

kala85

bought a bike last year on the bike to work scheme and used it for a few of the bigger cycles this year. rok etc. i havent oiled the chain or done any maintainance with it yet in case i did damage. im looking for advice on how to maintain my bike and what i should do - oil the chain and with what product. for example i suggested wd 40 , which was wrong...

funkyjebus

clean the chain and cassette with water and degreaser as well as the deraileurs (halfords sell this cheap) and the buy a specific lube for the type of bike. if its a road bike, i use white lightening epic ride, it a nice light lube, doesnt collect too much dirt. get that in cycleways.

funkyjebus

oh forgot to say. to clean the chain, you can break it off, use a chain clearner (about €20) or got at it with a toothbrush. take the back wheel off to get the cassette. if you have a pressure spayer or hose, you live will be aloy easier.

tomasrojo

I've never used a hose or pressure sprayer, but apparently you must exercise caution with it around the bottom bracket, headset and hubs. High pressure can drive water into those areas, which you definitely don't want.

I just use old washing-up brushes, j-clothes and old tooth brushes, and the maximum pressure I use to wash off suds is whatever is provided by squeezing the walls of an old Fairy Liquid bottle, but I can see that using a hose would be faster.

tomasrojo

On the subject of cleaning, this seems to be good advice:
http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/article/workshop-how-to-clean-and-lube-your-bike-18259

kala85

any chance of the handlebars snapping or breaking or pedals breaking??

so degreaser on chain and then oil the chain.. how long to leave the degreaser on. would white spirits work and help to clean the chain and then use bike lub to lubricate the chain..

blorg

Degrease the chain using a chain cleaning device and citrus degreaser (really is the easiest way IMO), rinse it off with water and then drip a bike specific lube into each roller while rotating the chain backwards. When done wipe off any excess with a rag and you are good to go. In this country I would generally use a wet lube as the dry ones wash off if it rains. The dry ones are cleaner and do work well in dryer countries.

White spirits does work but then you have the problem of disposal; it is nasty stuff. I'd use citrus degreaser. You can try using a rag or a toothbrush but honestly a chain cleaning device works so much better.

Why do you think the handlebars or pedals would break from cleaning? I don't quite understand where you are coming from there.

Some useful resources:

http://bicycletutor.com/
http://www.parktool.com/repair/
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/
http://techdocs.shimano.com/

funkyjebus

tomasrojo wrote: »

I've never used a hose or pressure sprayer, but apparently you must exercise caution with it around the bottom bracket, headset and hubs. High pressure can drive water into those areas, which you definitely don't want.

I just use old washing-up brushes, j-clothes and old tooth brushes, and the maximum pressure I use to wash off suds is whatever is provided by squeezing the walls of an old Fairy Liquid bottle, but I can see that using a hose would be faster.

I'd only use it on the cassette. spray on degreser, quick scrub of a toothrush, spray some more degrwaser, leave for 5 mins and spray with pressure sprayer and it'll sparkle.

white spirits might work, but a personally wouldn't use it. its a tenner for a litre of the degreaser, which will do a couple of big cleans. i doubt white spirits would break down the grease as well.

funkyjebus

blorg wrote: »

Degrease the chain using a chain cleaning device and citrus degreaser (really is the easiest way IMO), rinse it off with water and then drip a bike specific lube into each roller while rotating the chain backwards. When done wipe off any excess with a rag and you are good to go. In this country I would generally use a wet lube as the dry ones wash off if it rains. The dry ones are cleaner and do work well in dryer countries.

White spirits does work but then you have the problem of disposal; it is nasty stuff. I'd use citrus degreaser. You can try using a rag or a toothbrush but honestly a chain cleaning device works so much better.

Why do you think the handlebars or pedals would break from cleaning? I don't quite understand where you are coming from there.

Some useful resources:

http://bicycletutor.com/
http://www.parktool.com/repair/
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/
http://techdocs.shimano.com/

I find breaking the chain and trowing into a milk bottle with degreaser the best. but i suppose for more regular cleans, not beaking would be best.

I was freaked out the first time i boke my chain, but its rather simple and the best wasy if its filthy with months of dirt.

must agree are your handle bars and pedals not secure looking or somthing, cus degreaser wont make them fall off???

petethedrummer

Bike cleaning is much easier if you have a workstand and if you do it regularly.

This chap's video is decent. You can get those sprayers in tesco for a few quid, though I prefer to use the mist option on my hose.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EYEz8OVd9S4

petethedrummer

And also...Francesco Moser's mechanic doing his stuff before Paris Roubaix. More for entertainment than education.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ktTXjSqvJc

cdaly_

I've used white spirit to clean a cassette when it's off the hub. Leave it soak for 15 mins, swill it around a bit and maybe a bit of a wipe. Used spirit goes into a spare bottle to settle and get re-used next time...

Citrus degreaser for the chain though.

wersal gummage

kind of on this subject,

i brought my bike back for its first service. after the service it would not change into the second sprocket on the front - i.e. the big gears. cycled around like this for a few weeks but got fed up.

brought it back, they took it in the back and 'fixed it' so i dont know what they did - but i do know they but a new cable on it.

i then cleaned the chain and re-lubed it. first time after about 600kms.

now when i change into the big sprocket on the front, the chain just wants to jump over and off around the pedal..... as i cleaned the chain at the same time as they readjusted it i dont know which is to blame.

is it likely that the bike shop adjusted it wrong - or that after cleaning the chain, i put too little or too much lube on it ??????

thanks.

tomasrojo

wersal gummage, it sounds as if you need to adjust (or get the shop to adjust) the front derailleur again. Lubing doesn't affect gear changing in the way you describe.

You might need to adjust the High-Low screws on the front derailleur.

I'm sure there's a nice video online showing you how to do it. I don't know of one off-hand.

captain P

Hello!

I'd love a bit of advice... I've looked at the links above about cleaning and have a fair idea of what to do.. but not what to do it with.

Thinking of buying this Muc-Off kit.

Is it a decent product to buy to clean my bike, or should I just get a degreaser/bike wash & lube separately in my local bike shop?
Just wondering if this is decent value for money or could I do better...


Thanks!!