Gears & Gadgets: Keeping a Clean Bike
Gears & Gadgets: October 2014
Keeping a Clean Bike
Gears & Gadgets is intended to provide IPMBA members with tips for properly maintaining their bikes and conducting emergency field repairs. I will also discuss current technological trends in mountain biking, and how they may be beneficial to Public Safety Cycling. Contributed by Jared Williams.
Let’s take a moment to go back to the basics – maintaining a clean and functioning bike. I know we talked about this in your basic IPMBA Public Safety Cycling course, but how much of it do you remember?
Keeping a clean bicycle is essential to the longevity of the bike, particularly the drive train. If you remember from your training, the drive train consists of the shifters, crank set, cassette, chain, and derailleurs. With the exception of the shifters, the drivetrain is easily the area of the bike most susceptible to damage and wear if not cleaned regularly. All of those greasy parts down there attract dirt and grime.
A dirty drivetrain leads to premature wear. By simply taking the time to clean and lube your drivetrain regularly, you can expect to get a long life out of it.
If you’re not sure the last time your bike’s drivetrain was cleaned and lubed, it’s probably time to do it. If your drivetrain has any inkling of squeaking (it sounds a bit like mice chattering), it’s time to clean and lube.
Choosing the proper lubricant is also important. There are two general types of lube: dry lube and wet lube. Dry lube generally keeps things cleaner, but must be applied more frequently. Wet lube stays on longer, but attracts more dirt and grime. Stop in at your local bike shop (LBS) and ask the guys behind the counter which lube is generally best for your area.
The following steps should keep your drivetrain happy:
1) If your drive train is particularly grimy and dirty, use a bicycle specific degreaser (I prefer citrus based) and a soft-bristle brush - a bike specific cleaning brush or toothbrush (both work well).
2) Spray some degreaser on a rag (not directly on the chain, cassette, and chain rings). Hold the rag over the chain and run the chain through it. Clean the drive-train thoroughly, making sure to scrub the built up grime off of the chain rings and the cassette. You may need to use a flat blade screwdriver to scrape the grime off of the derailleur pulleys (the two gears of the rear derailleur).
3) Liberally apply lube to the chain. The easiest way I have found is to hold a drip-bottle over the chain as it passes the top of the cassette, and turn the crank. Ideally, you want to apply one drop of lube to each link in the chain. Don’t wipe off excess lube at this point unless you are going out to ride. Ideally, you should be applying lube at the end of your ride, allowing the lube to penetrate the chain links while your bike sits until the next time you ride. Then, right before you take your bike out to ride, run the chain through a shop rag to remove excess lube from the chain. Any excess lube will be a magnet for more dirt and grime.
If you clean and lube your drivetrain on a regular basis, you will significantly prolong its life.
For cleaning the rest of your bike, get a bucket of warm soapy water (dish soap works well), and a soft-bristle brush. Under no circumstances should you be pressure washing your bike! Even a standard spray-hose nozzle is too much, as the pressurized water can work its way into the frame and bearings, causing corrosion and damage. Using an open-ended hose to rinse the bike works well enough to rinse. Clean any dirt or grime from the frame, fork and wheels. You can even do a general scrub down of the drive train this way as well. Dry the entire bike with a towel; you don’t want to leave any water sitting on the bike when you put it away.
That does it for this month’s column. Next month’s topic will be about shifting performance and adjustment, and properly measuring for drivetrain wear.
If you have any questions, or suggestions for future topics, please feel free to email me at jared.williams@ci.tacoma.wa.us
Jared is currently a Community Liaison Officer for the Tacoma Police Department. He loves to tinker, and can often be found obsessing of the mechanical state of his bicycles. Jared is the owner and operator of Piggies On Wheels, LLC, which exists for the purpose of public safety bicycle education. To learn more, go to https://www.facebook.com/PiggiesOnWheels.