Time to get your bicycles ready for summer

[Kelemvor]

I don't think this belongs in Health and Fitness since most people here ride for fun and not for health nor fitness....

Anyway, here in WI it's finally getting warm so I want to try to get my bike cleaned up.

I found the site below which seems to have a really nice write up on cleaning the gears, chain, etc.

http://www.teamestrogen.com/articles/asa_happy.asp

Just wondering if anyone else has any tips or tricks to share with others who might want to tune up their bikes for the summer.

 

[JulesMaximus]

I ride year round so cleaning/lubing is just part of routine maintenance.

A few rules I follow though:

Never pressure wash your bike. Hell, I don't even use water to clean my bike. A rag with some Pedros Bike Lust will clean up all the painted surfaces and most of the functional bits. Use a quality degreaser for gears and chainrings. Never use WD-40 to lube your drivetrain. WD-40 is not a lubricant.

Cleaning and lubing your chain is something you should have done before you put it away for the winter so all you should need now is a little lube and you're good to go. Same with the rest of the drivetrain. Winter is a time when you should address any maintenance issues so that your bike is ready to go come springtime.

 

[Kelemvor]

Is there a difference between motorcycle chain lube and bicycle chain lube? I have some left over stuff from when I had a motorcycle I could use... hmm.

 

[Dirigible]

I ride year round too. During normal use I don't do much. When it starts to squeak I lube the chain with white lightning, which is pretty much self-cleaning. Lube the pivots every so often. Most other stuff makes itself known if maintenance is needed.

Before a big race I do the following (mtn bike specific, so don't know if all this will apply):

Frame: clean all the mud off it. I use water with a brush and cloth. Check for frame cracks. Lube pivots.
Suspension: Check fork stanchions and whatever the stanchion thingy is called on the rear shock for scratches or wear. Change fork oil if it's time, grease rear shock if it's time. Re-pressurize fork and shock, lube stanchions/shock analog.
Drivetrain: Clean chain and check for wear. If worn, replace. If severe wear or I've gone through a few chains, may need to replace cassette and/or chainrings. Make sure bottom bracket feels nice, repack or replace bearings if necessary.
Brakes: Check pads, replace if worn. If I've noticed sponginess or weirdness in lever feel, bleed the system.
Shifters/derailleurs: check for friction in housing, wear in cables. Replace if necessary. Tune for proper shifting.
Wheels: check for trueness and loose/broken spokes. True if necessary. Spin wheels and try to detect if bearings need repacking/replacing - do if necessary. Clean and regrease freehub.
Tires: Check for wear, any small sidewall tears. Replace if necessary. Pump to desired pressure.
Seatpost: I've got an on-the-fly adjustable seatpost, so I clean and relube it.
Make sure no bolts have come loose.

That's about it.

 

[Dirigible]

Originally posted by: Kelemvor
Is there a difference between motorcycle chain lube and bicycle chain lube? I have some left over stuff from when I had a motorcycle I could use... hmm.

I dunno, but it would likely work. People use all sorts of stuff for chain lube (wax, motor oil, etc.), and some lube is better than no lube. As long as you keep it "lubed" and check your chain for wear often enough so you don't destroy the rest of your drivetrain, it's not something I'd worry about. Bikes are simple and most parts are easy to replace if you screw something up.

I also looked at that cleaning link. I've never gotten my bike as clean as that person, and never will.

 

[ItTheCow]

I use WD-40 to degrease parts like the chain, derailleur, and cassette. I then use some lube that I got at my LBS. Whenever I want to clean the frame, I use Pledge and paper towels. Oh, this is for a hybrid, though, and I never take it onto any mountain trails so I don't have to deal with any dried on mud.

 

[thedarkwolf]

I just pumped the tires up and hit the trails. Getting my ass and legs ready seems to be the hard part.