water/bike care

[drmrboyalex]

What should i do to my bike if it gets wet? Do i just towel dry it or is there some better way i should do that. Also, how do i get my bike clean with out trashing it...like using some harsh thing that strips paint.

ok thanks

wow i suck with words

[Tetreves]

Actually it's best if you leave it out in the rain. And keep it outside all winter.

To dry it off, just spray liberally with WD40. :D







Not really. I just use a towel to dry it off. A little lube on steel parts to displace any left over water and prevent rust never hurts.

For cleaning, I just use some water and a rag. You can also use a mild soap. If you're really into having a shiny bike, there's products available for washing your bike (bike wash soap).

[manual63]

I throw some White Lightning on the chain and ride.......it's that simple....:)

[homebrewbiker]

When I was in Cable the guy at New Moon swore by White Lightning. Then I asked a guy at Free Wheel and he said it was the worst thing ever. The Freewheel guy said that it does not strip dirt at all and is even worse that plain old chain lube at attracting dirt.

[Ogre]

White Lightning uses alcohol for the water dispersment and wax for the lubricant.

It is probably the easiest, least maintenance way to lube your bike.

I like it on my mtb bike following a wet/muddy ride. After a thorough cleaning I use a FinishLine lube on nice clean bike.

I don't like the waxey buildup on my road bike, which rarely sees mud or water. So I only use normal chain lube on that bike.

There is some argument as to whether the wax attracts more dirt than normal lube. But it appears to disperse the water well. The wax seems to remain in the spots you want to be lubricated longer than normal chain lube.

Many bike mechanics and racers use White Lightning on any and all pivot points on a bike. You just have to occasionally wipe away the waxey buidup.

I have Mavic wheels which make "tinkerly" sounds where the spokes connect to the hubs. WL wax seems to stay in there longer than chain lube. I hate bike noise....

[Magic]

I like to use Boshields T-9 for my lubing pleasure. It works great in all temps and conditions.

[The Hammer]

After your bike gets wet you should ride it as soon as you can, without getting it wet again. It can help prevent damage to the bearings by dispersing the water and keeping a coating of grease on the bearings. If you get your bike wet you will need to repack the bearings more frequently than if you don't get it wet.

If you have disc brakes you need to be real careful when using lube/solvents. I saw a guy go through a pair of pads in less than a week. He sprayed wd-40 all over them.

I like white original white lightning. I find it is the cleanest. I'd rather apply chain lube more often and not have to clean my chain. I also avoid riding in mudy conditions but even when I've raced in mud I had good luck with white lightning.

A note regarding lubricating suspension pivots; some manufacturers warn against it. They say it can ruin the pivot/bushing material.

[SpecHR55]

I like to use Boshields T-9 for my lubing pleasure. It works great in all temps and conditions.

Lubing pleasure..................interesting

[drmrboyalex]

I like to use Boshields T-9 for my lubing pleasure. It works great in all temps and conditions.

i prefer lubriderm lotion....o wait different:p lol jk

[Lex]

There's always Kentucky jelly. Isn't that what it's called? :eyeroll:

[RedSquirrel]

Fancy lube for this and that. You'awl to slippery with your techno this time of year. I've fully cleaned & re-lubed my line before every, I mean every, event this year. I've become so sick of cleaning the right way...and re-lubin. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I didn't have too clean until it shined, I know...

This time of year, knowing full well I'm replacing the bike drive line in the spring (chain suck when dirty) I get real lazy. Yeah I'll re-pack it all too.

TWO COATS OF WD-40 ( sometimes wiping clean each coat) then re-goop on the wet CC lube, then wipe again & vwalla. Smooth as butter..cheap.

Come-on, anyone else guilty of "hey I have WD-40?"

[Tetreves]

No, I like my bike. :D


Come-on, anyone else guilty of "hey I have WD-40?"

[drmrboyalex]

Fancy lube for this and that. You'awl to slippery with your techno this time of year. I've fully cleaned & re-lubed my line before every, I mean every, event this year. I've become so sick of cleaning the right way...and re-lubin. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I didn't have too clean until it shined, I know...

This time of year, knowing full well I'm replacing the bike drive line in the spring (chain suck when dirty) I get real lazy. Yeah I'll re-pack it all too.

TWO COATS OF WD-40 ( sometimes wiping clean each coat) then re-goop on the wet CC lube, then wipe again & vwalla. Smooth as butter..cheap.

Come-on, anyone else guilty of "hey I have WD-40?"

i have WD-40-ed my dad's old Coast-to-Coast to get the chain movin

[manual63]

WD-40 is actually a pretty good cleaner. One mistake people make about it, it's not a good bike lube. So, if you use it to clean, make sure you use a proper bike friendly lube for all your moving parts afterwards.

[badandyruh]

dude. don't use wd-40. its not a lubricant or a cleaner. its a penetrant. only use it to breake loose a bolt of some kind(liquid wrench is even better). if you're bike gets wet, dry off what you can. lube chain and all pivot points. i recommend finish line dry lube on pivots and chain. if you are always riding in wet conditions use finish line cross country lube. also check out the new Finish Line Metro lube. its a lubricant and a cleaner all in one. cleaning parts? white lightning clean streak is the best. otherwise any citrus degreaser. cheers :beer_yum:

[manual63]

dude. don't use wd-40. its not a lubricant or a cleaner. its a penetrant.

If it does a good job cleaning, why not use it? It's never done any damage to anything I have ever used it on.

[Aaroneous]

Y'know what the WD stands for? Water Displacement.

I squirt it inside my steel frames cuz I'm too cheap/lazy to get actual Framesaver. Also good on chipped/scratched paint to fend off rust.

[RedSquirrel]

WD-40

Yep, it's a cleaner, degreaser and very fine lube. In a pinch....
It's not the sort of lube you want on a chain for long periods (because it won't last)...it's too thin. Also, I get nervious about it getting into my hubs and BB upon application.

However, it's great in a pinch & cleans well. Cables and non brearing parts too.

Agree, for chain I use it to break up black sludge then wipe off, then add cross country wet lube. Unless I'm in a pinch and need quick fix before a short ride.

[badandyruh]

its just not my #1 choice. i think there are better things out there for bike parts. just my opinion.

[Lex]

Being from The South, it makes up half of the two parts of the universal tool kit; Duct Tape and WD-40. :D

[Paul Swenson]

Being from The South, it makes up half of the two parts of the universal tool kit; Duct Tape and WD-40. :D

Is that why they call duct tape Kentucky Chrome?

[Lex]

Is that why they call duct tape Kentucky Chrome?

It's actually like The Force; It has a dark side, a light side and holds the universe together.

[Aaroneous]

degreaser

I'm not trying to start a fight here, but this is totally wrong.

WD40 is OIL. It leaves a fine film once it dries, which is why it's good for displacing water and keeping moisture out of electrical connections, etc. If you're using it as a cleaner/penetrant, you have to use an actual degreaser (I use fake Simple Green from the $1 store) to get the film off. Otherwise, the fresh grease/lube that you put on isn't going to work like it should cuz there's a little layer of WD separating it from the metal.

[drmrboyalex]

another quick fix i have used on my old bikes is good old motor oil:D

[Aaroneous]

another quick fix i have used on my old bikes is good old motor oil:D

Actually, 3 parts mineral spirits to 1 part Mobile One Synthetic motor oil makes a really good and ridiculously cheap chain lube.

[drmrboyalex]

Actually, 3 parts mineral spirits to 1 part Mobile One Synthetic motor oil makes a really good and ridiculously cheap chain lube.

ill have to keep that in mind....i just poured it on the chain:D made it ride smooth...but a couple drops got under the seat and so you couldnt really sit and move:shocked:

[The Hammer]

Actually, 3 parts mineral spirits to 1 part Mobile One Synthetic motor oil makes a really good and ridiculously cheap chain lube.
I'm not trying to be jerky or whiny here :D but I have to ask, How did you come up with that? It doesn't seem likely that it was a coincidence.

[drmrboyalex]

I'm not trying to be jerky or whiny here :D but I have to ask, How did you come up with that? It doesn't seem likely that it was a coincidence.

thats a good point

[Aaroneous]

I'm not trying to be jerky or whiny here :D but I have to ask, How did you come up with that? It doesn't seem likely that it was a coincidence.

I make stuff up to test you guys, and then if you question me, I flame you. That's how it works. ;)

Actually, it's an old school roadie formula... I heard about it here (http://www.fixedgeargallery.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=3255&highlight=forum+lube), but I don't know who originally came up with it...
I still use Finish Line Cross Country on my MTB, but I have a batch of this stuff under the workbench. $10 will make more than you will ever use, which is good and bad.
Hooray for DIY!

[Paul Swenson]

I'm not trying to be jerky or whiny here :D but I have to ask, How did you come up with that? It doesn't seem likely that it was a coincidence.

I think Sheldon Brown (surprise) had something about this. The problem with standard motor oil is that it's too viscus to penetrate the chain parts so it needs to be cut.

[nigel]

Keep in mind I only read the first post so i may be repeating information.

First off I will never use water to clean my bikes.

Step 1: get the big chunks of stuff off with your hands or a soft brush

Step 2: remove wheels clean chunks off

Step 3: spray pledge on the frame and wipe down with soft cotton cloth

Step 4: wipe down rims/spokes with clean cloth, pay special attention to braking surfaces, if you have discs, use Brake Clean (auto parts store have it) to clean the rotors, remember no touchy the rotors or pads with your fingers, only a clean cloth. For linear pull or canties, clean the pads off with a clean cloth.

Step 5: put wheels back on

Step 6: degrease chain/cassette on the bike if they are not that bad using Finish Line Citrus Degreaser, if they are really bad remove the chain and cassette and clean by hand

Step 7: lube chain with your favorite lube, I reccommend Finish Line Dry Lube (spray bottle, cuz it contains a solvent and does extra cleaning and sprays out the bad stuff you may have missed as you apply it) Lube chain by putting the gearing in the middle in front and the smallest in rear, put rag under chain, apply lube to the inner part of the bottom chain section and pedal backwards until chain is fully lubed. Then wipe the sides of the chain and bottom off, since you only need to lube the inner pins and parts that touch the cogs. By not wiping the excess off you will actually collect more crap than you want, making your cleaning needed more often and causing undue wear on your parts. Then if you have a bike stand (doesn't everyone?) shift through all your gears to get your cassette lubed and yor done.

Step 8: go ride

Yeah i dont know if that helped at all but i felt like saying how i clean my bikes :crazy: If your bike gets wet and your not going to have time to clean it, at least make sure you wipe it down and lube your chain. In the winter my crap bike gets cleaned at the end of the season, so i lube it with Finish Line Cross Country (i only reccommend this lube for winter use, not during the summer, its too thick) when its gets inside and leave it and it makes it fine.

D

[dejorn]

After your bike gets wet, or after you have carefully sprayed it down, bounce your bike (wheels down obviously) on the ground a couple of times. The vast majority of water that gets into the drive-train is flung off during the operation. Then lube it back up and you are ready to go. It also helps to cycle the drive-train a little to allow the lube to penetrate into the rollers and pins on the chain.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p>

[Pete Hamer]

I know that this thread had been dead but it ties into another current thread on winter bike storage and it is also relevant now that there is snow on the ground.

This is a quote from the Rock Shox (SRAM) website.
"Don't: Use a solvent (think WD40) to clean or lubricate your RockShox suspension.
Use suspension or Teflon-based lubricant. Solvent will damage o-rings, seals, and bushings."

This is a quote from the WD-40 website.
"http://www.wd40.com/Brands/gifs/pht_wd_faq_golf.gifWhat about using WD-40 on my sports equipment?
WD-40 is safe and effective to use on all types of sporting goods. Use WD-40 on your bike to clean, degrease and lubricate your chain, derailleur, gears, cogs, and moving parts. It will help remove stickers."

And another quote from the WD-40 website.
"What does WD-40 do?
WD-40 fulfills five basic functions:

CLEANS: WD-40 gets under dirt, grime and grease to clean. It also dissolves adhesives, allowing easy removal of labels, tape and excess bonding material.
DISPLACES MOISTURE: Because WD-40 displaces moisture, it quickly dries out electrical systems to eliminate moisture-induced short circuits.
PENETRATES: WD-40 loosens rust-to-metal bonds and frees stuck, frozen or rusted metal parts.
LUBRICATES: WD-40's lubricating ingredients are widely dispersed and tenaciously held to all moving parts.
PROTECTS: WD-40 protects metal surfaces with corrosion-resistant ingredients to shield against moisture and other corrosive elements."
These quotes don't exactly contradict each other but it goes to show why WD-40 is so misunderstood. Someone mentioned earlier in this thread that the "WD" in WD-40 stood for water displacement. This left me wondering what the 40 stood for. Apparently took 40 attempts to create the formula.