Cleaning/Maintenance

>clean and grease chain twice a year at most
>rub leather dressing on the saddle pretty much as often or when whether is exceptionally bad
>clean with a damp rag like once a year or when visibly dirty
>hose almost never
>still works like a charm

I rarely clean my bikes since they will just get dirty again right away. Most likely to clean a bike after a wet winter ride.

If I go for a wet ride I'll wipe the chain with a paper towel that I sprayed WD40 on, then add some wet lube to displace the water. Otherwise I just add lube when the chain gets noisy. I don't even clean off the chain unless there is a lot of gunk on it.

Really depends on the type of riding. The clay dust I've been riding in this fall has required reapplying chain lube twice a week. The dust has been pretty much scouring the chain clean after a few rides, kind of like using kitty litter to clean up oil spills.

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>>1010573
I perform cleaning when the chain gets noisy.
That cleaning could be performed each 20~80 km depending on the kind of path biked (dusty gravel or asphalt).

>put wd40 on both derailleurs to clean the shit out of them
>brush all chainring, chain, cassette and derailleurs with a kerosened paintbrush, removing hard shit with a piece of fabric
>use pic related to clean chain with kerosene
>remove kerosene and shit from chain and other transmission parts with fabric and wait until kerosene dries up by itself
>lub chain with green epic ride without cleanning the lub excess

Other parts of bike are less cared than this. I only clean the other parts of the bike when last rain of year pass out.
When i plan to bike on asphalt only, i use old-fucked-up-used engine oil to lub the chain, because is more viscous, it last longer on chain than green epic ride, it's cheaper and lubs well. Because its viscocity and stickiness, used motor oil is a way to stick dust and sand to your transmission and fuck it up, so i avoid riding offroad when lubbed with motor oil.

I use kerosene and wd40 to wipe the shit out of the frame often instead soap and water.

>>1010598
I forgot to say that i wipe the oil excess from the chain after lub with used-motor oil using a fabric to avoid sticking dust and shit to the chain.

>2016
>not using squirt wax lube
You literally only have to clean it once; before applying the lube for the first time. No degreasing required and the wax makes a good shine when you buff your chain with a rag.

>>1010573
>What's your maintenance schedule?
hose-down and buff-out after every ride

spray down drivetrain with brake pad cleaner, brush, clean and re-lube as needed or every other month if it's been generally good conditions on the trails

full disassembly, deep-clean and regrease every 6 months, including suspension components

bleed brakes and replace pads as-needed

replace all cables and chain as-needed

I'm not as pedantic about cleaning my bikes as I used to be. These days I clean and lube the chain every 200 km or thereabouts, or after any rain ride.
A few times a year (per bike) I'll clean and lube both derraileurs, and the cables. For my drop bar bike that was yesterday.
feelsandlooksgoodman

>>1010615
Also, I should probably add that I only ride on the road.

>>1010612
>hose-down and buff-out after every ride
I'm guessing you ride MTB in the mud?

I wipe the chaindrive down, lube the chain, and wipe it down again every week. I clean it with a toothbrush and soapy water about once a month. I wipe the rims once a week too.

>>1010619
>chaindrive
Drivetrain*

>>1010616
>I'm guessing you ride MTB in the mud?
some of the shit down by the creek is gnarly. lots of horse manure and wet clay.

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150 miles, take the chain off and soak in gasoline, scrub off rest of drivetrain, oil chain.

Yearly, service hubs, headset, bb, pedals, etc.

Actual washing, only when there's poop involved.

>>1010573
Hey you should look into waxing your chain. Not wax lube, but a little hot wax bath.
I use molten speed wax. I don't recommend it to many people since the initial cleaning can be a pain but you should like it wouldn't bother you. I know plenty of guys who wax and race cross they literally just hose the just off the chain and you're good to go. I use it on my race bikes only cause my training stuff I've accepted the dirt and grime.

>go months without washing bike
>chain squeaking from the lack of lubrication
>dust here and there

>>1010573
I get this real fine "moon dust" like dirt in everything. /k/ommandos will recognize this as being notorious for causing weapons to jam. On a bicycle, it is probably not a life/death thing (I don't think it will kill your brakes) can still be problematic. It gets in the brake caliper on a disc brake, derailleur gears, and everything else. I have to brush them and put lithium grease on them and they still squeak. Generally after off roading on my MTB, there ends up being something squeaky.

>>1010573
I ride up to 200 miles a week, training and racing.
I'll typically clean and re-lube the chain once a week. The exception is if I ride it in the rain, in which case it gets cleaned and lubed the next day, after it dries.
If the bike gets ridden in the rain, it get hosed down (with LOW PRESSURE water!) as soon as I get home, and left to sit to drip-dry. The next day it gets cleaned carefully, including the chain (as above).
In dry weather the bike gets cleaned as necessary to keep everything working properly.
Components get cleaned and lubed as necessary. No schedule needed.
The one thing that needs to be paid attention to more than anything else other than the chain is the cable guide on the bottom bracket. Unless I'm only putting straight water in my bottles, it inevitably drips down the seat tube and down tube, and onto the bottom bracket, at the lowest point where the shift cable guide is located. Over time it accumulates and dries, and makes a sticky mess that gums up the cables and makes shifting sticky. Needs to be kept clean. Adding something waxy (like chapstick) to it helps keep it from getting gummed up, but it still needs to be cleaned once in a while.

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>>1010573

I usually lube the chain every few months if I've been commuting regularly. Twice a year I'll take the chain off, scrub the drivetrain with a toothbrush. Sometimes I'll soak the chain in Simple Green degreaser. I've been told that this destroys the internal lubrication but I haven't noticed much of a problem

Honestly, I run the cheapest chains I can find on Amazon.com -- more often than not I just buy a new chain when the one I have looks too gritty

FULL FENDERS keep things so much cleaner if you ride in the city.

I want to get one of these and really pleb my ride

>>1010573
>What's your maintenance schedule?

Lube chain when it squeaks.

>>1010573
>steel frame
Why?

>>1010687
Why not dry it with a towel? Is there a reason?

Just a quick clean-grease chain every 600 km. For my commuter I never wash or oil anything becase thats the ghetto bike and I like the soy d of the screaming chain, it makes people get out of the bike lane without shouting at them.

>>1010719
Why because steel is reel

>>1010701
This. Anon knows how to maintain his bike.

Also, I like to check my brake pads every now and then.

>>1010573
>What's your maintenance schedule?

DRY TEFLON LUBE

T
E
F
L
O
N

used to run wet lube - it attracted dirt like shit, teflon is a discovery

>>1010767
This,I've become too lazy to my wet,slippery redhot drivetrain

>>1010740
>making purchases based on tired memes

Thorough cleaning every 1-2 months.
Big sponge and water. No soap.
Simple Green is used on the drivetrain.
Towel dry.
Lube chain and derailleur pulleys.
A hearty coat of carnauba cleaner wax is applied to everything that isn't lubricated.


Wipe down bike with Pledge after every ride.

>>1010783
steel rides better

>>1010806
Wrong,Carbon rides better

>>1010807
Wrong,Steel rides better

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I didn't want to start a new thread but would appreciate anon's input on my problem

Problem: My rear wheel constantly gets flats

Things I've checked:
>No sharp objects in rim or inside tires
>Rim tape is intact
>tires are new <100 miles (replaced them because of the flats)

Gear:
>700c DT Swiss R450 (kinda low end I'm a student and poor) I got this wheel about 4 months ago
>4000s Conti 700cX25

I weigh 190 lbs. I though my problem was under-inflating (was pumping to 90PSI) so I pumped to 110PSI. I rode for 1 mile and got a flat.

I'm so frustrated in getting these flats all the time. Every single ride I get one. What is going on? I used to ride for years without getting a flat.

I'm getting so angry that I just want to give up cycling and go back to running.

Please help me out anons. I've taken my wheel to shops and they can't find a problem with it.

What causes these flats all the time?

>>1010809
>>1010807
>>1010806
what about aluminum?

>>1010811
It doesn't ride at all.

>>1010810

You are incoherent. How many tires are having this problem

Obviously you are doing something wrong and there is a solution. If this is going to make you "give up" on cycling then something else would have eventually. Just sell the bike

>>1010810
Where on the tube is it puncturing? Same place all the time? Outmost face or inner? Sidewall maybe?

>>1010813
Sorry.

Only my rear wheel. This literally happens every time I ride. Even if a mechanic replaces my tube for me.

>>1010814
No it's different places last time it was near the valve inner.

Rim tape is fine.

>Alternative new bike: $400-600 looking for a road bike good for climbing. only used for working out no commuting

>>1010573

If my drive train becomes louder than a whisper it's cleaning time.

At night my bike is quiter than a cat.

>>1010811
Heavily depends on the frame and wheels/tires.

>>1010810
Do you replace the tube or patch it up?

>>1010854
both but usually I replace the tube

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>>1010810
Try another outer tire on the the rim or if poorfag,swap the front and rear tire to see if you now puncture on the front.
Once I had to patch a tube four fucking times,each time checking for the cause but didn't find it.
The 4th time I finally found a small metal wire that was even thinner than an individual strand of an inner gear cable,it was so uberhard to detect and I hope never to experience such a thing again

Are there any holes on uncovered by the rim tape?
Some rims I've seen caused a flat by the tube schafing against the relatively sharp,burred hole,mind you I'm not talking about valve/spoke holes,but tiny millimeter holes the manufacturer decided to put there for reasons only they understand.

>>1010861
>Some rims I've seen caused a flat by the tube schafing against the relatively sharp,burred hole,mind you I'm not talking about valve/spoke holes,but tiny millimeter holes the manufacturer decided to put there for reasons only they understand.


Thanks for the advice. I'll switch the tires. They are new. I was having this problem with a similar set of tires but 23mm. Noticed there was a tiny hole in the rear wheel. I think that was the cause then.

The rim tape seems to cover all the holes but I'm not sure what width rim tape I'm supposed to be using.

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>>1010701
I'm fat so im not concerned about the weight of the bike, steel makes for a comfy ride, and the thin tubes look rad.

>>1010823
>near the valve inner
Well then it's pretty obvious, the tube is going inside a spoke hole and puncturing. I had the same problem, the rim tape didn't even rupture yet the tube popped. Though in my case the tube was too narrow for the tire, don't know about you. Consider adding a second rim tape, or some electrical tape or whatever.

>>1010607
Seconded. Wax is the best performing lube and you only have to re wax it every 10 weeks.

>>1010811
It probably rides like shit in comparison, but it will last a decade or two if you don't abuse it. And it's still lighter than steel.

>>1010810
This has happened to me a few times before. I solved by putting some electrical tape on top of the rim tape. I know it's fucking ghetto but otherwise I get punctures every few days. Even if the rim tape is intact.

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this thing is incredible

>>1010908
thanks for the tips anons. I just discovered this board but live 2 ride

>see you in the bike lane kiddos
g o t t a g o f a s t

Every 100-150 miles or when my chains seem dry, I lube my chains with wet lube. I let it sit for 10 minutes to sink in, then wipe it off with a dry cloth, and keep wiping until no more is coming off (since the point of lube is to sink into the internals of the chain; the outside of the chain, as well as the sprockets, should be dry).
If the chain is pretty dirty, I'll use citrus solvent before lubing it.
If my frames are pretty dirty, I'll wipe them down.
If my mountain bike is really muddy, I'll hose it off, being careful not to hit the bearings with high pressure water.

>>1010579
>If I go for a wet ride I'll wipe the chain with a paper towel that I sprayed WD40 on
I really fucking hope you are trolling.

>>1010767
Fuck dry lube. You are just too fucking incompetent to clean/dry your chain after lubing it.
The point of lube is to sink into the internals of your chain. The outside should be dry.
Use wet lube, let it sit for 10 minutes, then wipe off the outside of the chain. I guarantee it's not going to attract much dirt if you do that and clean/lubricate semi-regularly (every 100-150 miles or so, which is how often you should be lubing your chain anyway).

I use wet lube on all four of my bikes and the chains never get very dirty. Most of the time when my chains are in need of lube, they're still so clean I don't even need to use degreaser first.

>>1010719
Because steel frames are the best frames available for poorfags. The only better option than steel is titanium (and in some situations, steel is better even than titanium) and titanium is expensive as fuck.
>>1010720
Probably because he is lazy
>>1010811
Aluminum is good for full suspension mountain bikes. That's about it. Steel is generally best (or titanium if you're a richfag).

>>1010930
why is aluminum not good for road
>lighter than steel
>no rust

seriously what am I missing
>fractures?
don't crash faggot

>>1010933
dubs comfirm

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Hey >>1010810

I have some theories about your situation.

-Maybe you have to upgrade your rimtape to a high pressure one, avoiding damage it while mounting on rim. Rimtape can puncture the tube if it's damaged, even in the valvle hole.

-Maybe you are mounting tire on rim with "spoons" in a bad way, so you puncture your own bike while mounting the tire.

-Maybe the quality of the tube internal surface is shit, so it get flat just by inflating it to high pressure.

-Maybe the tube is quite large than the size of the tire, so it gets folded while inflating. in the folded zone the flat can happen.

-Maybe Little particles of garbage (sand or glass specks due dirty cassette, dirty tires, dirty hands or dirty tools, even a Little metal shard) can board the tire while you are mouting it into rims.

-Maybe fucked up tire bead core (due spoons in mounting) can flat the shit all the time.

I hope you can solve this mistery.

i only wash off my bike when applying new stickers, and even then, it's only the section where the sticker is going.

>>1010929
>Use wet lube [...] then wipe off

>1 take new rag
>2 wipe chain
>3 rag is still dirty
>4 goto 1
Send help.

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>>1010992
Put a bit of degreaser on the rag to wipe down the chain. You don't need lube on the outside of the chain, or even on the outside of the rollers. It's just the inside of the rollers that needs the lube.

Sometimes I wipe down the reflectors to help with visibility. Gotta stay safe out there.

>>1010573
Hose it off if it's dirty.
Put lube on the chain if it starts making noises.

You'd have to be some sort of autist to do anymore than this.

>meticulously clean whole bike
>get sick and can't ride it for weeks
still waiting and life is suffering

When my chain breaks I replace it, when some thing break I replace it. riding in the rain is its bath.

>>1014486
this tbqh

I lube my chain once a month, replace it and my cassette once a year, and pump my tires up to max psi every two weeks

anything else is replaced as-needed

>>1014506
What size are your tires? I have 700x23 that I like at 90-100 psi and I pump them every two or three days.

Anyone use silicone based lubricant?

>>1014593
700x38 schwalbe marathons with thorn-resistant tubes (I don't use them for the puncture protection since nothing gets through the schwalbes, I use it because there is less gas transfer)

>>1014602
Anyone?

I've used wax and wet lube. Never tried silicone.

Is it difficult to apply? Dust resistant? Long lasting?

>>1015695
Silicone chain lube? Sounds like the worst idea ever. It's sticky and migrates. Silicone is good for some things, where it can be kept clean and contained, but I can't see how bike chains would be one of those things.

Is that even a real product?

I wipe and re-lube the chain after about 50-60 miles. I use dry lube. I wipe the bike down with a wet towel hen it looks dirty or about every 200 miles. every 500 miles or so I take a rag and get into the cassette and chainring really well.

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Should I worry about the state of the grease on this gear, or is it OK?

>>1015839
Clean your dirty ass chain and pulleys

>>1015839
are you worried about losing 3 watt of power ?
did you paid 50$ for your chain or 500+$ for the groupset ?
are you a clean bike maniac ?

If you answered yes to one of this questions then yes you should worry and clean that shit up. If not then don't worry. You could also clean this though, or at least the jockey wheel, it'll take 30seconds and change basically nothing.

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>>1015714
silicone isn't sticky, you must be thinking of some other product.

I use this, I mean I don't use it on my bike, but I use it for a lot of stuff around the home.

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Is it weird that I use gun cleaner/lube for all my moving parts on both my gun and bike?

>>1016045
nope, that shit (not that brand in particuilar, I've no experience with it, but gun cleaning stuff in general) works fantastic