Mountain Bike Cleaning?

[scubadude]

Have started to ride my MTB regularly and have been trying a variety of cleaning methods/materials.

Anyone got a quick and effective method for drivetrain cleaning they can reccomend?

All my attempts get things "clean" but I always seem to end up with a certain grittiness around the drive train.

Thanks

[zasker]

I normally use a chain cleaner and some halfrauds citrus degreaser. Run the chain through the cleaner with degreaser in it and I then use a small brush to clean the chainset and cassette etc. I do occasionally take the cassette off and clean it and on very rare occasion the chainset also.

[Astarin]

I try not to take the chain off as I don't want to constantly weaken it as some people say happens. However, I spray with degreaser and make sure not to hit my breaks or any other areas where there may be bearings or bits that need to stay nice and lubed.

I'll finish off with reoiling. Simple as that really. I don't have a chain cleaner so I use a soft brush, also clean the cassette the best I can.

Clean the break disks with some spirit and make sure the rest of the bike has a general clean and check everything is tight.

I know a lot of people take the chain off and leave it to soak in degreaser for a night before putting it back on.

[scubadude]

Sorry should have said- "After each ride"

I do a deep clean and re-lube periodically but one proper offroad ride is enough to ruin all that work :-(

Currently its hosepipe/squirty bottle, rag, then quick squirt of something to drive the water out of the drivetrain and some lube.

Frame, brakes etc are piece of cake but how do I stop the transmission going to the dogs after less than 2hours riding?

[Pablo16v]

I'm using some unbranded citrus degreaser at the moment which works well, but before that I was using Hope Sh!t Shifter. Cracking stuff. Spray on...leave for a couple of minutes and rinse off.....drivetrain like new again.

[Astarin]

Ahhhh. I'll have to get some of this degreaser online. I always forget to get it in advance and its damned expensive to buy at any shops around here.

[Mike 820]

I have some Fenwicks degreaser that i have diluted down. I will use that and a microfiber cloth to clean the frame.
I will then use A stronger mix of the degreaser in my Parks chain cleaning tool to clean the chain. I will also use some stiff bristled brushes and more degreaser to clean the chainrings and cassette. Finally all dried off with a microfiber.

Then like others have mentioned I will relube the chain usually with Fenwicks 'wet lube'.

Through out the whole process I take care not to overspray anything onto the brake discs.

[dudleybloke]

i use mr muscle kitchen cleaner on my drivetrain. foams up just like the expensive cleaners but costs a lot less.

[Mike 820]

Just noticed your updated post.

It is difficult to keep the drive train clean. I know some people use ceramic lubes as they are 'dry' and it is harder for the dirt to stick to them. The only down side being you may have to apply lube more often to top up the coating.

Apart from that I think your best bet would be:

• Liberal sprayings of degreaser worked in with a brush.
• Hose/wipe off excess
• Some kind of light oil to drive out moisture
• Then relube and you're set.

[Astarin]

Are those funky mechanical plastic bike chain cleaner gizmos any good?

[Mr E]

Astarin said:

Are those funky mechanical plastic bike chain cleaner gizmos any good?

Yes, not bad.

However, I now have a powerlink, and simply pull the chain off to clean it correctly. An adde benefit is that I can easily carry a spare.

[P-Jay]

The plastic chain cleaners are pretty good, they don't last forever, it seems the degreaser makes the plastic brittle and they crack after a while, about a year or so in my experiance.

The Hope stshifter stuff works better than any other cleaner I've ever used, I wouldn't fancy leaving it on too long though!

All the cleaners state the best way to use them it to spray it all over, leave for a bit an hose off, TBH that just seems to be the best way to use a lot of expensive cleaner very quickly and doesn't do a great job. I tend to give the bike a quick hose to move the bulk, pour a splash of the cleaner in a small bucket of warm water and use a sponge. I also use a Halford Alloy wheel brush for the tight bits around the bb/front mech / linkages.

[Digga]

One of teh grease monkeys at my LBS reckoned you should dilute st Shifter - it saves money and stops it stripping grease out of bits wot don;t want the grease stripping from them. I've been diluting the stuff for a year or two without seeing any noticeable reduction in cleaning performance. HTH.

As for chains, I swear it is impossible to get 100% of the grit out of them, even with a Park Chain cleaner and degreaser. I've heard removing and cleaning in a sonic bath can do it, but that's a real faff.

[village idiot]

i always used to sell my mountain bike when it got dirty and then buy a new clean one... isn't that the pistonheads way?

[GadgeS3C]

village idiot said:

i always used to sell my mountain bike when it got dirty and then buy a new clean one... isn't that the pistonheads way?

Nah, real PH's would just bin it & buy a new one. You are a director on £250k+ aren't you

[NSFW]

Mine consists of a hose down, spray with MucOff and leave, hose off, GT85 the chain, the wheels and take them ff, clean out the callipers and then re assemble.

Trouble is m doing 18km off road everyday at the moment so it's that routing everyday and I'm going through a serious amount of Muc off.

[Engineer1]

Astarin said:

Are those funky mechanical plastic bike chain cleaner gizmos any good?

The Halfords one is actually quite good as it powered itself off the chain so didn't clog stutter or jam as much as the more expensive replacement of another design I purchased to replace it.

I do wonder if being over zealous with the Muc off may have stripped the grease out of my frame pivot bearings.

[oj113]

I'll second Fenwicks, lovely stuff. I can pretty much see it eating the grime off the chain as soon as I spray it on, with the rinse off and a bit of agitation with a cloth and brush gets the old girl clean in no time.

It's also cracking value bought as a tub of concentrate (way cheaper than muc off and the like)

[Zead]

I have never used a "cleaner" on any of my bikes. I just jet wash them after every ride with a mid fan spray, avoiding directing it at hub covers and back of the cassette and levers. It uses less than a bucket of water and really gets crap out of chains and sprockets. Towel off excess water, leave in the sun if possible, spray anything oily with GT85, a little around the stantions and pedals. Ride it up and down to work in the oil and dry the brakes, even the kids bikes!

Then the most important bit, park them in the dining room near heat if cold or ventilate room if warm. I rarely have issues with grit in chains etc. personally i think bike cleaners are a con. Chain cleaners are more trouble than worth. If your chain is that bad just bin it and buy another. 2 chains to every cassette.

If the family go out for a muddy ride I spend more time cleaning the fleet than I did riding:-)

[Gren]

After every ride ..... mostly nothing. If it looks crappy I'll hose it down and maybe squirt some Muc-Off on it to get it clean. Lube the chain afterwards usually and spray GT85 around the mechs and the seat clamp/stem etc.

Every couple of months I run the chain through a cleaner and then re-lube. Give the cassette a good clean at the same time.