Bike cleaning - Groupset, Cassette etc

[Ecko_1]

My question is more around the moving parts. My intention is to give these parts a brush clean with either Kleen Green of Powasol (depends on what is available at the time). How do I safely rinse the bike after the clean? Am I safe to use a jug and rinse all the soap away? Let the bike drip dry and then lube properly? Do I need to perhaps blow dry the cassette with the wifes blowdryer on cold setting for a bit?

 

I ask this as my search did not prove very fruitful on the forum, and the topic i posted a reply to got no response. I am hoping for better luck here.

[rouxtjie]

My question is more around the moving parts. My intention is to give these parts a brush clean with either Kleen Green of Powasol (depends on what is available at the time). How do I safely rinse the bike after the clean? Am I safe to use a jug and rinse all the soap away? Let the bike drip dry and then lube properly? Do I need to perhaps blow dry the cassette with the wifes blowdryer on cold setting for a bit?

 

I ask this as my search did not prove very fruitful on the forum, and the topic i posted a reply to got no response. I am hoping for better luck here.

hahahaha dude that would be so funny

[rouxtjie]

What do you want to clean

 

Cassette

Chain

Crank

 

I assume?

[SaKiwi]

You can rinse the bike with a garden hose, and dry with compressor and rags, or sun dry and rags.

[Ecko_1]

What do you want to clean

 

Cassette

Chain

Crank

 

I assume?

I will clean the whole bike, but to date my bike cleans have really been limited to the wheels and frame (had bike for 2 months). So I want to clean the bike properly this weekend, and am worried about water and the moving parts of the bike like the cassette, chain and crank and deraillers and pouring water on them.

[Ecko_1]

You can rinse the bike with a garden hose, and dry with compressor and rags, or sun dry and rags.

No compressor, and I dont think my wifes hairdryer is anywhere as strong enough then. Sun dry it will have to be. I usually dry the frame with a microfibre cloth

[henk]

I use a good quality paintbrush and Paraffin. Gently spray off with garden hose. Wash the rest of the bike, as the gunk you have removed from the cassette, chainwheel etc is now on your wheels and frame. Wash the wheels and frame with a soapy water (or a car wash solution), spray off and chammy dry. New Bike!. When dry, re-lube.

[Ecko_1]

So it isnt a problem to spray the cassette?

 

My big concern is water seepoing into places the cloth cant reach and seizing up things like bearings.

[rouxtjie]

I will clean the whole bike, but to date my bike cleans have really been limited to the wheels and frame (had bike for 2 months). So I want to clean the bike properly this weekend, and am worried about water and the moving parts of the bike like the cassette, chain and crank and deraillers and pouring water on them.

Ok cool, lets focus on the chain, cassette and crank(ring in particular)

 

You need

1 x bottle car shampoo(non waxy kind, motoquip makes 5L that works quite nice...not sunlight soap please)

1 x bottle degreaser(clean green will do)

1 x quicklink installed in your chain already that enables you to remove and install the chain in seconds

1 x brush set, parktool makes a pretty nice pack for about 200 zars

1 x bakkie that you can put clean green into..Butro ones work well

1 x lockring remover tool

1 x chainwhip

 

Take chain off bike and put in bakkie, cover with cleangreen and put lid on, leave it for a couple of hours. Go and wash bike as per usual with new brush set and car shampoo, scrup all the parts but make sure to have a brush that you will always use just for the parts that are greasy, don't use that for the rest of the bike...Scrub as clean as you can and rinse with water....NO PRESSURE HOSE AND NO CLEANGREAN OR DEGREASER. Remove cassette from freewheel using whip and lockring tool. Using clean green and brush to really get between the cogs and into all the gaps. wash with water. Put cassette back with lockring tool. Your crank should be easy to clean with a rag since there is not chain on the bike. Wipe clean between teeth and rings.

 

After a couple of hours, remove chain from cleangreen bath, rinse under a warm tap for about 2min. Dry chain with rag and install with quicklink.

 

Job done

[Face Plant]

i clean my bikes after every ride, the process i follow is:

 

i put prepsol in a spray-bottle which i spray on the chain, derailleur etc, let it stand for a couple of minutes then spray down with garden hose, i sponge wash the whole bike with car shampoo, spray down again and dry off with a old gym towel, i leave the bike outside to dry properly and then lube before putting the bike to bed.

[rouxtjie]

So it isnt a problem to spray the cassette?

 

My big concern is water seepoing into places the cloth cant reach and seizing up things like bearings.

You can wash it with a normal hosepipe but no pressurized spray, this will eventually force its way into those bearings you are worried about.

[Eugene]

Just clean the whole thing. You are not going to damage anything. All you need to worry about is keeping whatever degreaser you use away from your bb, wheel bearings, headset and freewheel. The rest is fine. I also put degreaser on my cassette, making sure none of it goes into the free wheel

 

Hose everything off with a hose pipe. Let it dry. Slide the cables back and put a drop of lube there and on your jockey wheels. Then lube the chain.

 

I normally spray a bit of Q20 onto the deraileur pivot points and the brake pivot points too and wipe off any excess with a paper towel.

 

You are actually doing more damage to your bike by not cleaning the drivetrain. Dirt is a moving parts worst enemy. It acts like grinding paste

[rouxtjie]

Just clean the whole thing. You are not going to damage anything. All you need to worry about is keeping whatever degreaser you use away from your bb, wheel bearings, headset and freewheel. The rest is fine. I also put degreaser on my cassette, making sure none of it goes into the free wheel

 

Hose everything off with a hose pipe. Let it dry. Slide the cables back and put a drop of lube there and on your jockey wheels. Then lube the chain.

 

I normally spray a bit of Q20 onto the deraileur pivot points and the brake pivot points too and wipe off any excess with a paper towel.

 

You are actually doing more damage to your bike by not cleaning the drivetrain. Dirt is a moving parts worst enemy. It acts like grinding paste

mmmmm I wouldnt do that

[Cippo]

I scrub cassette and cranks with a soft hand brush using Kleen Green and then rinse lightly with a hose on spray. I spray from top or non drive side of cassette. I then spin cassette and lay wheel cassettefacing down in case any water got in. Remove skewer and push an earbud through hub to dry water out. Drop some lube in hub where skewer goes in. Dry between cogs on cassette using rag pulled through side to side. Run chain liberally through dry rag.

[Eugene]

mmmmm I wouldnt do that

Since I have been cycling (since 1998) I have done that and have never had an inch of trouble.

[Tjokkits]

also had a chuckle

 

spray powasol (i sommer use the normal cleaner but if you want to spend cash the aerosol degreaser is quicker) on chain and casette/crank, leave for a while the brush off whle rinsing with water, leave outside to dry then lube