Mountain Biking 2018

[Philpug]

View attachment 52814
Bear Pug sighting

FIFY.

 

[nay]

The new steed and I continue to expand our relationship.

 

[nay]

Good grief, getting into a high end bike means I actually have to maintain it. Bought chain degreaser and dry lube yesterday.

Another ride today in what will soon be the fading monsoon.

I’m getting into the downhill chops of this bike (riding up ^^^) and it’s freaking awesome.

 

[Monique]

Good grief, getting into a high end bike means I actually have to maintain it. Bought chain degreaser and dry lube yesterday.

"chain degreaser" - you mean Dawn?

I own several degreasers, but I honestly don't think they do any better. They're a bit more viscous. I bet they're the same stuff as the big bottles of orange goop (can anyone confirm?)

By the way, I got a spray bike cleaner free with some other thing. I was skeptical, but it actually did get rid of the dirt/grease sludge that accumulates around the moving parts. I'm not sure if it also got rid of the necessary grease, though. I'll try to post the name tonight.

 

[nay]

^^^^

It has Turbo Sprayer and therefore I had maximum confidence in its effectiveness.

OTOH, all I did was spray it on, let it dry which did happen quickly, and then lubed the chain. So that’s bueno and worth a little extra coin ($12 for the can) if it’s effective.

I’m still a little curious how a chain acquires grease. Are we making it out of natural compounds as we ride?

 

[Monique]

I’m still a little curious how a chain acquires grease. Are we making it out of natural compounds as we ride?

Well, applying lube isn't a perfect process. You want it just in the hinges between the links, but of course it gets everywhere, and you can't wipe it all off. Then you ride through dirt, and you get sludge.

When I'm cleaning the chain, I apply degreaser (aka sponge on some warm water with Dawn suds), then run the chain through a white tee shirt. Rinse, repeat, until the marks left behind on the tee are light brown rather than black. I've tried going to "all the way clean," but I'm pretty sure that's impossible without an ultrasonic cleanser. I have one of those, but then it removes the "good" lube, too.

I have no spray degreasers with the tube thing. Just a spray nozzle. I suppose the tube thing is more precise, at the trade of being a PITA over the whole chain, I'm guessing.

IANAE, etc.

 

[Erik Timmerman]

They don't really "get greasy", they get dirty. They also get dry. You want the chain to have lube on the inside, but not on the outside. So oil it up and then wipe it down.

 

[Crank]

Yes I switched back to good old 3 in 1 oil from various dry lubes and teflon sprays.

On another note - Headed to Moab in tomorrow morning!!!

I promise I will post pics.

 

[nay]

They don't really "get greasy", they get dirty. They also get dry. You want the chain to have lube on the inside, but not on the outside. So oil it up and then wipe it down.

Right. So why “degreasers” then? I get some stuff is just marketing, but if just dirt, then why not just water?

The point of dry lube is to repel dust vs. attracting it with oil.

So what works best with least effort?

 

[nay]

Well, applying lube isn't a perfect process. You want it just in the hinges between the links, but of course it gets everywhere, and you can't wipe it all off. Then you ride through dirt, and you get sludge.

Paging @Tricia for dirty double entendres.

The big question is “why care if the outer links are dirty, other than looks? And then is a spray cleaner for the hinges good with a dry lube?

 

[Ken_R]

Dont use that finish line lube. Use Rock n Roll or similar. Great for keeping the chain clean. I used to use the finish line for a while and its a pain because the chain requires much more thorough cleanings.

 

[Doug Briggs]

Dont use that finish line lube. Use Rock n Roll or similar. Great for keeping the chain clean. I used to use the finish line for a while and its a pain because the chain requires much more thorough cleanings.

QFT

I use Rock n Roll Gold. It cleans the outside of the chain and lubes the inside in one process. Clean chains shift cleanly. The outside of the links matters as does the cleanliness of the cassette.

 

[Monique]

Paging @Tricia for dirty double entendres.

The big question is “why care if the outer links are dirty, other than looks? And then is a spray cleaner for the hinges good with a dry lube?

Dirty chains don't shift as well.

 

[Tricia]

When we were approaching the fiberboard road, I heard something off to the right and looked. It was a bear cub.
I did not stop.

Today I got an email from Trailforks asking me to rate the condition of the trails. It turns out the name of the section where I saw the bear was Bear Trap. I'm not so sure that's a coincidence.

 

[AmyPJ]

QFT

I use Rock n Roll Gold. It cleans the outside of the chain and lubes the inside in one process. Clean chains shift cleanly. The outside of the links matters as does the cleanliness of the cassette.

That's what we use, too. Clean the bike with a rinse, spin the chain by turning pedals backward while holding a rag around the chain, apply lube by spinning the chain backward, then do the rag thing again many, many times. Works great, and is easy. It's amazing how dirty the chain gets after just one ride, especially while it's dusty.

 

[Wilhelmson]

Dont use that finish line lube. Use Rock n Roll or similar. Great for keeping the chain clean. I used to use the finish line for a while and its a pain because the chain requires much more thorough cleanings.

Prolink works fine for me, although the spray bottle wastes quite a bit of the lube. When I run out I might try the homemade mineral spriits:motor oil recipe. Once in a while I'll soak it in 2 cycle gasoline mix but I don't get around to that very often.

 

[Doug Briggs]

Speaking of cleaning bikes. I recently replaced my old and broken Bike Wash with a Brush Hero.

Brush Hero Starter Set

The spinning brush with its low flow of water is perfect for bike cleaning. It gets into the cassette nicely to keep it free of grit and grime. My clipless pedals keep releasing smoothly ride in and ride out with the Brush Hero. The one option I got over the start kit was the hose quick release, but any hose quick release will do as the brush fits standard hose fittings.

 

[Wilhelmson]

Wow that's cool.

Let's start a "Not Another Bike and Chain Clean and Lube" thread, or better yet a gender or no gender preferred bike washing swimwear calendar. tgif

 

[Tom K.]

IMO, the single best thing for effective chain lubing is to lube the night before you ride, then wipe the chain, derailleur jockey wheels and front chainring the next morning.

This REALLY lets the lube set up, and last longer.

 

[Doug Briggs]

IMO, the single best thing for effective chain lubing is to lube the night before you ride, then wipe the chain, derailleur jockey wheels and front chainring the next morning.

This REALLY lets the lube set up, and last longer.

In the case of Rock N Roll, wiping while wet is desirable.

The formulation goes deep down into the chain and traps any dirt. Then, with the energy of the chain freewheeling backwards, the dirt and grit floats to the surface so you can wipe it all off, leaving a new and clean application of lube inside the chain, where it’s needed. The lube down inside the chain creates a protective membrane to seal out dirt and moisture from the moving parts of the chain. As well as holding in place the best lube on the planet, for longer chain life, super smooth shifting and pedaling.

I'm one of those guys that reads the manual as I figure if they made it, they know best how to use it.

Edit: Dang. Sorry for the underline. When you italicize in a quote, it disappears!