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So past USCF cycling mechanic and past shop owner.
Spray down bike, dawn dishwashing detergent diluted in bucket. Soft bristle brush to scrub down. Freewheel w said brush on cassette/chain/sprockets. Rinse. Blow chain dry w blower attachment on compressor. Drop of lube on each roller, blow into chain w rag under chain.
Next bike. 10 minutes.
You guys are making this rocket dentistry when it’s really not that fucking hard
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So that is what I do, less the blow dry and I use simplegreen. Is Dawn better...same?Quote:
Originally Posted by detrusor
Dawn, actual dawn not the generic is awesome. Cuts grease so well with no residue
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vfJ9gcLDs0A
We had a dishwasher but my mom always like Tony orlando and Dawn
Was hoping there was something simple and cheap to convert to cable lever.... Oh well.Quote:
Originally Posted by Roxtar
Dawn is kind of harsh on paint, but not strong enough to be an effective chain degreaser on its own.
I use simple green diluted 50% with water, spray on chain, scrub with a stiff chain cleaner brush. Rinse. Wash rest of bike with car wash soap. Bounce to dry. Towel off bike, use different rag to wipe chain dry ish. Leave in sun to finish drying.
Then immerse entire bike in hot tub cranked to 150* and filled with liquified canning wax.
I just power wash the dirt off the chain. Then take out the seat post and fill the frame with grease. Keeps all the pivots quiet.
Well this was certainly a new one for me..Quote:
Originally Posted by Canada1
I pulled out the valve core so I could add some sealant without breaking the bead and.... air did not come out. Put a spoke down through the valve itself, pushed against what I'm assuming was the insert, and air came out (along with a spray of sealant). Let as much air out as I could without making too much of a mess but then when I went to inject more sealant, it wouldn't go in. Didn't have time to investigate further so just cleaned things up, put the valve core back and added some air for now.
That's a great idea. I'm sure it cuts down on frame scratches and increases the resale value tremendously.Quote:
Originally Posted by El Chupacabra
Then climb in real quick for the world's most legit pube waxing.Quote:
Originally Posted by El Chupacabra
Speaking of poison oak ... and Dawn
I always have a little 4 oz squeeze tube filled with Dawn either in my shower or in my car on road trips specifically for poison oak. A little bit of dawn plus washcloth and a lot of vigorous scrubbing - zero PO rash.
Just dripping some on a wet washcloth at the back of the car/truck, then surface rinsing with a squeeze water bottle or bladder and a clean washcloth after a ride is really damn effective.
But I’m sure soaking my body in a hot tub full of wax would prevent the need to ever wipe off the urishiol...
Mmmm Wax Tubs.
So, if I'm soaking with my bike in a hot tub full of wax to lube stuff, protect the paint, remove unwanted hair, and prevent a poison ivy/oak rash, is my chain on the bike soaking in the wax, is it in the pot of queso, or is it in the chocolate fountain?
Not to carry on but: what is a normal ratio of bike riding : bike maintenance? How many days a week, and for how long, are you riding?
These convos make me think a rigid singlespeed is something I want to have. I don't mind occasionally lubing a chain but the idea of a needing cleaning so thorough it requires partially disassembling my bike every 50-60 miles, which for me could be every week, is not very appealing.
Changes dramatically based on what kind of dirt you are riding on and how much moisture you are riding in. Over the years I have reduced and reduced down to what I consider the bare minimum. I do the dawn and hose thing when it gets really bad - it rarely gets that bad. I rarely if ever take the chain off anymore to clean it. I lube things that creak, and lube the chain liberally with progold prolink every ride. I bleed things only when they aren't working right.Quote:
Originally Posted by mall walker
All in all, I spend very little time on maintenance and we've got a fleet of bikes, of which 7-8 get quite a bit of use. That's why I cut down so much.
I actually like wrenching but when I had kids and then those kids started riding a lot, it got too much to be anal about it. I've mentioned it before, but I once lost a Chris King front mtb wheel when my kids were little and I wasn't sleeping very much, and I responded by riding my cross bike instead of my mtn bike for a year cause I didn't have time to build a new wheel. So I'm pretty committed to lowering wrenching time when it matters to me.
You are in a similar climate to me. Get a lube like progold and keep your chain swimming it. Other than that, never wash your bike unless you have a rare ride in mud. When things stop working right fix them. Bleed things now and then. You'll be fine.
Or tell me you need a favor and I'll make my son go over to your house and clean your bike. I just bought him a new ride as an xmas present. He owes me. Plus he owes you for telling us about that trail...
Yup. Dry climates are much easier to deal with. My normal routine is chain lube every couple rides and wipe dust off suspension/dropper dust seals with a rag when I can remember. Brake bleeds when they need it, buy a chain checker and replace your chain when it tells you to. A good once over- checking bolts, etc. while having a beer once in a while is a good habit to get in.Quote:
Originally Posted by EWG
Usually pay a shop to do fork/shock service annually or so.
Totally depends on conditions. If its not muddy or dusty you can go hundreds of miles without needing to touch your bike. The dust we get in SLC summers requires at least a quick wipe down of the chain after most rides.Quote:
Originally Posted by mall walker
Personally: 3 rides/week, about 2 hours each on average. I never fully disassemble the drivetrain. It gets drip lube before most rides, and washed about once every week or two (mostly just for the look of a clean bike). The Muc-Off I use for bike wash seems to do an adequate job of getting gunk off the cassette, chain, and jockey wheels. I actually follow suspension service intervals, converted from hours to miles based on my typical rides, which works out to be about 700 miles. Most of my riding buddies (even those who ride every day) are washing at a similar rate, but tend to only do suspension every year, or worse. The high end SRAM drivetrains last longer than I keep a bike.Quote:
Originally Posted by mall walker
ah alright. that’s much more reasonable. and EWG i may take you up on that one of these days :fm: but first I need my new bike to get here... no point polishing the old turd lol. I did a fair amount of mud riding this fall, but won't do it again... not worth it, when it's muddy in the future I'll just ride on the road. spraying the pink bike cleaner stuff + hose off + chain lube has been my most intense cleaning regimen, and I probably won't change that...
for the Squirt using dentists who can't read, use it after the ride
so the product can dry in the chain before the next ride
and before water can wash the wax suspended in water off the chain
It sounds like you're not using insert compatible valves. Get some of the Cushcore valves and it'll solve your problem.Quote:
Originally Posted by radam
Instructions unclear. Queso is now seeping out of my bottom bracket.Quote:
Originally Posted by Roxtar
Put a nacho drip pan under it.
You didn't use sealant in your BB? Rookie queso move.Quote:
Originally Posted by toast2266
My digestive tract had led me to believe that queso was self sealing.Quote:
Originally Posted by EWG