What's the best way to clean one's MTB?

[Older]

Hi, was wondering what is the best practice to clean (wash) one's MTB. 

 

Do you put on degreaser on the chain, BB, drive train, rear and

 

front derailleurs and the hubs and then take a hose and wash the grease

 

off. If not, what is the best practice to get the greasy grime of the bike? <?: prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

  

L2climb2008-09-08 00:48:22

[Mudsimus]

Why do you want a clean mtb? If you must, use some hot water and soap.

[mountain_lion]

Leave bike to dry, then brush off worst mud.

Rise with water (low pressure). Soap optional. Wipe down frame with rag.

Remove chain and degrease, rise thoroughly and leave to dry.

Clean chain rings and deraileurs with rag / brush. Degreaser optional.

Remove rear wheel and clean cassette with rag & brush. Degreaser to be avoided - don't want degreaser to get into the freehub.

Fit wheel and chain; lube chain when dry, wipe off excess lube before next ride.

 

I have some "clean" rags & brushes, which I only use on the frame etc. and some "grease" rags & brushes, which I only use on the drive train.

Works for me.

 

[intern]

The best is to start with the right looooob before you even get the thing dirty. Made in SA Squirt looooooob is the best...looooooob...cause it is wax based. You do have to remember to looooooooooob more often, but when it comes to cleaning, wax-based means you can wash your chain and cassettes and derailleur and anywhere else the chain happens to spray gunk, with good ole sunlight and hot water with a scrubbin brush.

Use that soapy water on the rest of the bike as well, but try not get it into hub and other bearings. And remember, no spraying jets of water directly into the hubs and BB and whatnot either.

 

 

[mountain_lion]

of course this topic has been discussed before; e.g.

 

https://www.bikehub.co.za/forum_posts.asp?TID=31048

 

 

[Jackes]

Why do you want a clean mtb? If you must' date=' use some hot water and soap.[/quote']

And a sponge 

[Older]

of course this topic has been discussed before; e.g.

https://www.bikehub.co.za/forum_posts.asp?TID=31048

 

Thanks!

[Kritzie]

Get your wife to do it!!!!!

[GoLefty!!]

Allow to dry and brush down is the best cleaning method.

t oget it spotless i use sunlight dishwashing liquid and hot water, a soft brush for the frame and hard narrow brish for the sprockets and chainrings.

I'venoticed that people tend to focus on cleaning the side of the sprockets and rings. Thats not good practice. The dirt that affects the chain is the dirt stuck between the teeth, just like in your mouth. Floss the teeth with pipe cleaner  or small cyclindrical brush. The rest is cosmetic

[Slowbee]

so a wax lube is easier to clean and an oil lube ?

 

 

 

[Dirtbreath]

so a wax lube is easier to clean and an oil lube ?

 

I disagree. Wax is a pain in the backside to get off but definitely stays cleaner than an oil lube. An oil lube goes all black and dirty.

[Slowbee]

Dirt - this sounds like one of those moments where its about .... just do it ...

 

what happens happens ... deal with the PT then.

 

 

 

[Dirtbreath]

Dirt - this sounds like one of those moments where its about .... just do it ...

what happens happens ... deal with the PT then.

 

Yup, lube is one of the most personal things on a bike. What works for you wont necessarily work for the next person. Try it and see. You wont break it.

[Iwan Kemp]

Products:

Dirtclean Bike wash

White Lightning

Citrus Chainbrite http://www.parktool.com/products/detail.asp?cat=8&item=CB%2D2

Tools:

Chain scrubber with half water and half citrus chainbrite http://www.parktool.com/products/detail.asp?cat=8&item=CM%2D5

Sponge www.spar.co.za

Drying Towel

GearClean Brush http://www.parktool.com/products/detail.asp?cat=8&item=GSC%2D1

Procedure:

 

Rinse my bike with tap water and hose

Remove excess dirt with my hands or soft spounge 

Clean chain with Chain Scrubber

Scrub Cassette with GearClean Brush

Rinse whole bike again

Spray Muc-Off

Wash Bike with sponge

Rinse Bike

Dry with soft Towel

Lube chain with White Lightning

Take bike for a quick spin to get rid of water in funny places

Viola!

Giant makes a product that you spray on a dirty chain. It then makes a white foam that disolves the crap/muc/dirt on your chain. Works great. Couldn't see on the label what it's called anymore.

[GT oke]

give it to your "tuinbooi"

[Baaisikilist]

Buy a squirt bottle from builders warehouse (the kind you'd mix pesticides/weed killer in), the nicest are those hand held ones you pump pressure into then only have to pull the trigger n lock it to keep it spraying (as opposed to the constant hand numbing squirting of say, a windowlene bottle for instance). Dilute some cleen green in it (or another type of biodegradable cleaner). Hose bike down (avoid spraying hubs n bb's etc etc directly), spray cleen green solution all over the bike and leave to stand. Use a sponge or bike specific washing brushes to remove stubborn dirt and to clean hard-to-reach areas. Degrease chain with prepsol or any other biodegradable degreaser (undiluted cleen green) and a chain scrubbing tool, and scrub casette and pulley wheels with prepsol too. Hose bike off, bounce it up n down a couple times to shake off excess water, leave in sun to dry for a bit, backpedal chain thru a rag to dry off excess water n lube immediately to avoid rust. Ride, repeat...

 

That's how i do it anyway...