The MTB thread

[Paul the 6th]

I've ridden 66 miles on mine this week - every single turn of the pedal I've been thinking "Why didn't I do this sooner??". It's absolutely outstanding

[Paul the 6th]

so how do you guys all clean and lube the chain on your bikes? As it stands I currently spray with this teflon lube stuff I've got, which is really loose and runny stuff, leave for a minute, then go over the chain with an old rag to clean off all the old crap & crud, try and clean as much crap out of the cassette and chain rings as I can with said rag, then lube with my bottle of dry chain lube.

.... but the gears still make that very quiet 'squeaky gritty slightly dirty sound' when I turn the pedals? Not loud like when the chain is caked, but I'd have thought cleaning it would have stopped this? Or do I need to get a toothbrush and clean every single link?

[maviczap]

I've got one of them chain cleaner gizzmo's bit of water & washing up liquid and run the chain though it.

Dry it with a rag, then lube it with dry or wet wax lube, the cycle specific stuff. Motorcycle wax chain lube is too thick

[Paul the 6th]

aye yeah it's all cycle specific stuff I'm using, I did wonder whether those chain cleaners were a bit of a gimmick? Do you pay much attention to the cassette or the hubs etc. to make sure they're cleaned out & lubed?

I should probably get someone to run me through a bit more intermediate cycle maintenance tbh..

Chain cleaner for about £8 , Clip over the chain and clean with paraffin , tip the ****e out , wipe clean , fill with oil and use the chain cleaner to oil the chain . Once in a while , take the cassette off and scrub with a Park Tools Cassette Brush

[Paul the 6th]

ta

I also don`t bother with fancy sprays and whatnot , a good light oil will suffice for the chain

[maviczap]

Originally Posted by xXBADGERXx

Chain cleaner for about £8 , Clip over the chain and clean with paraffin , tip the ****e out , wipe clean , fill with oil and use the chain cleaner to oil the chain . Once in a while , take the cassette off and scrub with a Park Tools Cassette Brush

Yep, +1 I prefer wax, as grit & dust will stick to oil better

If you ride in muddy conditions then clean more regularly.

Get a stock of new chains in, as its cheaper to replace a worn chain, than the whole drive train

Oh , and once done , place a cloth over the chain and wipe of any excess . Wax doesn`t work too well in North Wales for some reason

Heads up for anyone after a bike work stand, Lidl are doing them again for £29.99, and at that price, buy one anyway
Went and picked one up this morning and I think its got to be the best £30 I've spent in a long time and it comes with a 3 year warranty. They have beefed the design up from the last batch they sold according to another forum I'm on too. No more sitting on the floor to work on the bike