Bicycles

Questions tagged [cleaning]

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A happy bike is a clean bike. How to keep your bike squeaky clean effectively and safely.

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COVID-19, disinfecting bike-share bikes (or rental bikes), and safely using them [migrated]

I don't own a working bike, but I do have a bike-sharing system membership. My city's bike-sharing system has many stations. I can borrow a bike and ride it to any other station. There's currently ...
2
votes
3answers
113 views

Are there any downsides to cheaper biodegradable degreasers?

I’m after a cheaper (than the bike-specific brands) biodegradable degreaser for cleaning my bike chain. I have found a few which are apparently biodegradable, however, I’m wondering if there is ...
9
votes
5answers
3k views

How to maintain the bicycle after a commute, when not home?

When I commute, which is a 20 minutes bicycle trip, I'm able to park the bicycle indoors at a facility, where I can rinse water off of it. See my other question regarding whether or not this is a good ...
5
votes
2answers
476 views

Should you hose down your bicycle after having used it on salty roads?

When using your bicycle on salty road, if you can opt for hosing it down or not hosing it down after a commute (without re-lubricating the drivetrain at this point!), what should you do? Do you cause ...
4
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2answers
183 views

Ultrasonic cleaner power requirements, for cleaning chains before waxing

This question is a follow-up to Ultrasonic cleaner advice, for cleaning chains before waxing. I plan to lubricate my chains by immersion in molten paraffin wax. The advantages and disadvantages are ...
3
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2answers
263 views

How to degrease a bicycle frame?

I have a carbon frame which I'm worried I will scratch the paintwork on. I know the basics of cleaning paintwork without scratching it, using two buckets, one to rinse and one to wash with, grit guard,...
3
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3answers
286 views

Ultrasonic cleaner advice, for cleaning chains before waxing

I'd like to avoid solvents, or use less solvents when I re-wax my chain. Are there any features I need to have in an ultrasonic cleaner? I've seen unheated 700mL cleaners for ~$30 USD and 2 to 3L ...
2
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4answers
284 views

How important is it to clean your drivetrain?

For the first time in my life I took the time to properly clean the drivetrain of a bike. How proper it was might be debatable, but for the first time I saw that the gears are not actually black. I'...
0
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2answers
132 views

Cleaning bike chain

I use paint thinner and an old tooth brush to clean my bike chain. Is there anything I can spray on the chain to dissolve the thinner or do I have to manually rub it off with a rag? I am open to ...
0
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1answer
132 views

Squealing/whistling noise that gets higher-pitched the faster I'm moving

My bike has started making a high-pitched whistling noise when I get moving and I'm not sure what's causing it, though I have a suspicion. It starts happening after a few seconds of pedalling It gets ...
4
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2answers
223 views

Washed my bike with water and muc-off only, now my brakes are weak

I took part in my first bike event at the weekend, a very muddy "gravel" ride which by the end had my bike covered in mud! Rather than put it straight in the car, I took it to the muc-off tent and ...
1
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2answers
933 views

How to clean tubeless tire sealant from rims

How to clean the stuck/dry sealant from the rim edge, and the rim tape, etc? (In order to replace my old tubeless tyres with new, and the new ones to sit on a clean/fresh surface). With water? Water/...
2
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2answers
80 views

Using a new but potentially dirty olive and barb when shortening hydraulic brake hosing

I wish to shorten the hose on a hydraulic brake system (model is TRP hylex) i have an unused TRP olive and barb, however unfortunately they have been knocking about in a tray with an old chain and ...
1
vote
1answer
197 views

Clean brake rotors and pads

I've seen plenty of how to clean my chain, but how do I clean muck off my brake rotors and the inside of the assembly that holds the pads? I see some posts specifying isopropyl alcohol, but that ...
5
votes
5answers
283 views

Chain Cleaning Frequency vs Cost

I got myself a new 2019 Giant Trance 2. I am loving it and am doing lots of off road trails here in Texas. A typical ride for me is about 4-6 hours and maybe 10-20 miles depending on the inclines. I'...
6
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2answers
285 views

How do I clean the inside of my frame? Is it even necessary?

I'm trying to fix up a bike that has been abandoned outside for a while. When I first turned it upside down, rust brown water started coming out of holes in frame around the rear stays. I've fixed it ...
1
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2answers
2k views

How to remove an older Shimano Hollowtech crank?

I'm getting some creaking in my crank/bottom bracket and a good first step towards fixing this is to remove and clean the cranks and chainrings. If I still have the creaking, the BB is almost ...
8
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7answers
3k views

How can I dry a chain?

I've started cleaning my mountain-bike chain more regularly, using this process: Wash off mud. Use chain-cleaner tool with de-greaser. Wash off de-greaser. Dry chain (see below). Re-lube with wet ...
5
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5answers
534 views

New bicycle for commuting

I'm just retiring my old roadie and looking to buy a new bike, and am torn on what kind to buy. I cycle 34 miles per day on my commute, down roads and canal towpaths (which are bumpy and have on ...
4
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1answer
1k views

Cleaning and lubing bicycle chain with diesel

For last 3 weeks I am using diesel for my cleaning and lubing my bicycle chain, so far I am not facing any problems. Should I continue this or am I damaging my chains ? Has anyone else using this ...
0
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1answer
124 views

How to clean my full suspension bike [closed]

I have a full suspension canyon neuron and after each wash, I'm finding that just water doesn't cut it. Does anyone know of any good products to use when cleaning my bike? e.g Mucoff.
2
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1answer
102 views

Litespeed frame has clear film all over it

I never noticed the film on my Ti frame until it started peeling. What is this? Can I safely remove it? It seems to be flaking off on its own anyway.
2
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2answers
156 views

Can mountain bike dirt remaining on different parts for long time damage the bike?

My mountain bike is dirty from dust, mud and oil. Does it do any harm to the parts if I leave it dirty for a few more months - and for the sake of background information - or forever? I can imagine ...
5
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3answers
13k views

How to clean disk brakes?

I want to clean my disk brakes and am wondering if it is sufficient to only remove the pads and use water & soap when washing the parts. If not, is there a list of stuff to avoid when cleaning ...
1
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0answers
51 views

Will chain spray evaporate from its can when unused?

My bike chain cleaning spray has evaporated from its can while I stored it in my room after having closed it normally. I have used it only four times. Actually about a half of the bottle should be ...
3
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2answers
142 views

I have jetwashed my mountain bike twice… will it cause any damage? [duplicate]

I jet washed my bike around 6 months ago and decided to do it again having got it caked in crap! Only for a mate to tell me how daft I was. Will this have damaged my Carrera Vengeance (I know it’s ...
8
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6answers
3k views

Remove lubricant from seat tube and seat post

I recently bought a second hand bike. It rides pretty well, the only nuisance I have is that the previous owner has spread some lubricant on the seat post. I am pretty sure of this because I see on ...
4
votes
2answers
425 views

How to secure a fully carbon (aero) bike when washing/repairing on a stand?

My bike is fully carbon (frame, seatpost, saddle etc...) and I clean it regularly. I have read/heard from multiple sources that you should not clamp carbon materials when using a bike stand. However, ...
2
votes
1answer
236 views

How to clean this Helmet?

My son has that helmet for bicycles. Its brand new and was gifted to him recently. Unfortunately due to my mistake it was left in the backseat of our car and has accumulated some dust/lint which is ...
19
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4answers
3k views

Why should one clean a chain?

I do understand that this may sound like a troll question but please bear with me. I've always been a maniac about drive train cleanliness until I got a 11 speed bike and realized I didn't want to ...
3
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2answers
4k views

Is is safe to use WD40 as a matte paint protector for a carbon bike?

I like to take care of my bicycle and clean it regularly. After a deep clean I would use Muc-Off Bike Protect to protect and preserve the matte paintwork. This works, but is pretty expensive. I do ...
1
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2answers
1k views

Degreaser and oil recommendations for Nexus 8

Morning! i read a few articles about how to clean and lube the nexus 8, but i didnt found a good degreaser here i can leave my internal hub inside for a hour at least to breakdown the old grease, ...
2
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3answers
2k views

What sort of wipes should I use to clean a bike with disposable wipes?

I'm the sort of person who doesn't have time to clean his bike after every ride in the rain. It occurred to me that there are probably 'bike wipes' like there are for everything else these days that ...
3
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7answers
1k views

How do I best clean the cog wheels?

Would it be best to take it off first then soak it in soap, or should I use petrol to get the grease off first?
4
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4answers
2k views

How to prevent chain looking dirty one ride after cleaning it!

I try and clean my chain regularly and particularly when it's wet or dirty. Despite my chain looking pristine clean once I have finished it often looks black and oily again after just one commute of ...
11
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4answers
3k views

We offer our riders shared helmets. What sanitizing spray or barrier product can we provide alongside the helmets?

We are lucky enough to have four shared bikes at work, which are available for any employee to ride. Due to New Zealand's compulsory helmet laws, we must provide some shared helmets. Some people don'...
7
votes
4answers
241 views

Are there big differences in maintenance/care between different types of clipless pedals?

I was reading this article http://www.bikeradar.com/us/road/gear/article/best-road-bike-pedals-33045/ and it talks about maintenance/care with a couple of the pedal options, even mentioning that "...
2
votes
2answers
452 views

Easy Clean Handlebar tape

My white handlebar tape is an absolute nightmare to keep clean even using Sprint Spitfire Spray and I don't have time in my life to keep on top of it. Are there any bar tapes out there that are very ...
5
votes
1answer
272 views

cleaning v-brake arms with riveted inner sleeve

I've got avid single digit 5 v-brakes, those with an inner sleeve riveted into the arm; the sleeve isn't supposed to move around the pivot, the arm itself moves around the sleeve instead. Arguably due ...
0
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1answer
535 views

Restoration and upgrading old bike

I have an old Huffy from my uncle that he bought at around the 90s and I'm thinking of restoring it and maybe upgrade some of the parts. But Huffy doesn't seem to have any much information for bikes ...
6
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2answers
1k views

What to do with a frozen bike?

My bike was outside and it snowed. I thought it was ok because it was undercover but the tarp broke and now my bike is covered in snow. I had 3 locks on it, 2 of them came off but one is frozen. I ...
1
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2answers
294 views

Can I clean out a set of old handlebars with water?

I've bought these bars second hand and would like to clean them out before I use them. Right now they're full of dust, dirt, spiders, etc. Will it do any damage to run water through them? I'll, of ...
4
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3answers
2k views

Washing a vintage bike—special considerations?

I've watched several tutorials on washing bikes, and the general gist seems to be to use a degreaser on the drivetrain, then wash the rest with soapy water, and don't spray hard when rinsing so water ...
3
votes
4answers
851 views

Cleaning leather bike gloves

I have fingerless leather gloves which are smelling pretty bad and stink my hands up when I wear them. So I've been googling ways to clean them. Most methods seem to need exotic stuff like saddle soap ...
7
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6answers
5k views

How do I wash a bike indoors?

There are many sources describing how to wash your bike but all of them are for people who live outside town with a nice garden and a lot of space. Provably most of people live in small flats in a ...
1
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2answers
285 views

How to clean sticky brake dust from carbon fiber fork?

After having wiped by Specialized Langster 2017 carbon fiber fork with a water soaked cloth, there's still some sticky brake dust left. How do I remove that without harming the carbon fiber or the ...
9
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4answers
2k views

Where do people in Netherlands wash their bikes?

This would seem to be an absurd question, but I would like to know (especially from the Dutch or people staying in Netherlands) where do they clean their bikes? I am talking about: a) Cleaning bike ...
1
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2answers
829 views

Helmet headband is getting wet from sweat [duplicate]

I cycle to work on a daily basis, however I do like to also sweat a lot. Most of this is ok, I have a change of clothes and can managed, but when it comes to my helmet, it's a different story. There ...
2
votes
1answer
3k views

How to remove skid marks from fabric

What is an effective yet safe way to remove skid marks from fabric originating from keeping a bicycle on it?-- The back tire of my bicycle has been standing on a piece of rug and I need to clean the ...
2
votes
2answers
178 views

Power washing a bicycle [duplicate]

I'm moving from the UK to Australia later this year, and shipping most of my stuff, including two bicycles (simply hybrid bikes, nothing fancy). Australia has strict biosecurity rules about what you ...

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