Vo2 said:Just finished cleaning my bike. This is usually a 1 to 2hr session. I HATE cleaning the chain! Was wondering how you guys cleaned your bike chains?
I'm going to try Boeshield this year and see how that works out. It's a wax based lubricant so it shouldn't attract the dirt and grit from the road, thus (hopefully) keeping chain cleaning to an absolute minimum. I have two road bikes broken down in the living room for cleaning right now and am going to use it everywhere it makes sense - pivot points, cables, housings, chain (obviously), yadda yadda.Vo2 said:Just finished cleaning my bike. This is usually a 1 to 2hr session. I HATE cleaning the chain! Was wondering how you guys cleaned your bike chains?
dhk said:Agree the little plastic chain cleaners are a great advancement. I have the Performance brand, which came with a water-based citrus cleaner that works just fine. Takes about 5 minutes to clean the chain and have it looking shiny.
I don't do this often though, just when the chain is really dirty or gritty. Normally, just wipe down the chain and relube with Finish Line Dry Lube, one drop per bushing. The new lube seems to flushe the old gunk out onto the side plates.
Absent_Husband said:Just cleaned up the chain from my oooold Giant Nutra hybrid for my wife to use (making her first tentative steps into cycling.
I painted heaps of engine degreaser over the chain, cogs, etc with an old paint brush. Let it sit for 15 minutes, then LOW-PRESSURE hosed it all off. Finished up by wiping off remaining excess, then going through the usual lube routine (I'm trialling "Inox" as a lube on this bike, to see if it works OK... )
Cheers,
Absent Husband
Yes, I'm over 5000 miles on my SRAM PC-99 as well with wear still less than the 0.75% side of the Park gauge. I'd like to think the chains and lubes are better now, not just that we are older and weaker!Brian Cotgrove said:G'day dhk, those chain cleaners are a definite step in the right direction, mine gets a workout at least every two to three months, I haven't had to buy a new chain for yonks now as they don't seem to wear out like they used to in the dark days of crispy bacon after the war. There maybe another reason why they don't wear out, I don't push so hard or go as fast now.
Just recently a friend of mine introduced me to "ROIL" it's obtainable from "Neways" organisation and is a metal conditioner, I've treated all the ball bearings, wheel axles, bottom bracket, head set, pedals, etc.etc., and seems to have made a difference. On my mates track bike we treated the ball bearings with the "ROIL", when he hangs the bike up between races the front wheel just keeps on spinning, almost as though it's being driven, no kidding.
It was made to add to car engines and gearboxes, I've teated them also and the difference is very noticable, the gear changes are smoother and the engine seems to develop more power, noticably when I'm running the air condtioner.
Ok that's it, keep the wheels in motion, and don't look back, unless it's to see who you droped on the last climb? TBC
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