Cleaning & Lubing the Giant

[UKDavo]

Hey guys!

I've done abit of googling and searching but would prefer some personal opinions from other RB'ers .

What products do you guys use? Need to spritz up the Giant before the weekend and was going to get the Muc-Off stuff, the brushes, chain lube etc but is it worth it?

What products do you guys use? Is there any stuff to avoid using?

Also getting some horrendous brake squeal also but goes to get the shop to look at it, must be something wrong, doesn't matter if it's wet/dry/hot/cold my brakes love to squeal like piggies!

Cheers,
Dave!

 

[Ezkaton]

I use the pink Muc-Off bike wash.
Engine degreaser from an auto store ($2.30 compared to $20 'bike specific' stuff from a bike shop - and it's practically the same).
I try various chain lubes all the time - just finished up a bottle of Muc-Off dry, but didn't like it much.

Otherwise I just use an old toothbrush for chain and cassette cleaning, and a dish cloth for frame cleaning as the Muc-Off loosens pretty much any dirt/dried mud.

What brakes do you have?
If you're using Avids it's unlikely you will get rid of the squeal for longer than 10 mins.

But you can try cleaning your rotors with isopropyl, sanding contaminants off your pads, and/or aligning your calipers properly on the rotors - if they aren't warped.
Any one or a combo of all may assist your squealing issue.

 

[UKDavo]

Yea think I'll go with the Muc-Off bike wash, toothbrush and a microfibres cloth.

As for the degreaser, I've heard bad things about not using bike specific stuff :/. Could just be a load of marketing mumbo jumbo though.

As for the brakes, I have Avid XO's. Think I'll try the Isopropyl and sanding pads. Not sure on how to align the calipers, YouTube May come in handy for that!

Thanks for the suggestions!

 

[teK--]

I had Autoglym car body conditioner/shampoo from back when I used to lavish the car, and find it works great on the bike without being harsh on any of the rubber or plastic components.

Buy a selection of different brushes from MucOff or other brand and all you then need is a bucket and hose. Also a rotating brush chain cleaner with degreaser solution.

 

[The Duckmeister]

I use Muc-Off bike wash, and currently working my way through a few samples of chain lubes given to me by a supplier at work.

Do NOT clean your rotors unless they're contaminated with oil or brake fluid; they rely on a layer of embedded brake pad material for proper performance, and cleaning removes this. Give the pads a spray with metho or an alcohol-based brake cleaner the while wet light it & burn off the cleaner/crap mixture. Sand the pads & leave the dust on the surface. Pre-heat the rotors with a heat gun, then go & ride up & down the street pulling some good hard braking efforts. That'll get the brakes reasonably quiet (although being Avids it's rarely going to offer complete silence).

 

[T-Rex]

CT18 truck wash, diluted 10:1 in a Bunnings garden sprayer. CT18 can be had from Repco and similar shops.

 

[redbruce]

CT18 truck wash, diluted 10:1 in a Bunnings garden sprayer. CT18 can be had from Repco and similar shops.

Ditto. Does the car and motorbike as well.

I only occasionally clean the chain but use cheap degreaser (comment above correct - cheap ones same as bike specific - look up the material safety data sheets for products), also used on motorbike infrequently.

I use Rock 'n' roll gold all year around (tend not to ride all day in rain anymore) so usually a wipe with a rag and a scrape of the jockey wheels with a screwdriver suffices.

 

[Ezkaton]

As for the brakes, I have Avid XO's. Think I'll try the Isopropyl and sanding pads. Not sure on how to align the calipers, YouTube May come in handy for that!

Thanks for the suggestions!

Just look down the caliper where the rotor slots in and you should see an even gap on either side between the pads and rotor.
You can spin the wheel to see if the rotor is warped.

If the rotor is straight but the gaps are uneven (ie: One pad makes contact before the other, 'bending' the rotor toward the other pad when you pull the lever) you can loosen the caliper bolts, shift the caliper accordingly and re-tighten.

At least that's how I did it with my old Elixir 1... thankfully my XT are pain free and silent!

 

[Keachy]

Best thing I ever did was regardless of how I cleaned my chain (I use muc off in a chain device) was get a 99$ compressor with a nozzle gun attachment. Dries the drivetrain and brake caliper a and nooks and crannys instantly. Then you can lube up and walk away so lube has dried on before next spin.

 

[UKDavo]

Thanks for all the ideas!

I bought the Muc-Off products, they seemed like good quality products for an okay price.

I bought the bike cleaner, wet lube (supposedly better for wet conditions) and brake disc cleaner, oh an some degreaser from Bunnings.

Speaking to the guy in AvantiPlus in Croydon. Told him about my brake squeal and he pointed me to the Muc-Off cleaner product, he said he swears by it. It was only $15, so worth a shot before I paid over $100 and get the bike serviced .

 

[Ezkaton]

Let us know how the brake product goes for you.
Got a friend running Avids, that's all.

 

[redbruce]

Best thing I ever did was regardless of how I cleaned my chain (I use muc off in a chain device) was get a 99$ compressor with a nozzle gun attachment. Dries the drivetrain and brake caliper a and nooks and crannys instantly. Then you can lube up and walk away so lube has dried on before next spin.

Be careful pointing that at the piston area in the calipers.

 

[UKDavo]

Let us know how the brake product goes for you.
Got a friend running Avids, that's all.

Haha will do, I'll be giving the bike a spritz tonight ready for tomorrow.

I shall report tomorrow

 

[richie_gt]

I try wash my bike straight after a ride - that way the dirt/mud is removed easily just by spraying it with the garden hose!

To remove excess dirt/mud I then use truck wash diluted in a bucket and grab a Chux wipe and clean the frame and rinse with the hose. Then I wipe the chain clean with the Chux wipe and throw it in the bin!

Post wash I lube the chain (road bike 'race oil') and put a dab around the seals of my forks, rear shock and dropper. I usually do a quick lap of the carpark running through all the gears, moving the shocks, dropper etc. and do some hard stops on the brakes to get rid of excess water. Bike is now ready to be ridden again!

I avoid touching my brake rotors with anything except the hose, no matter how dirty the bike is the braking surface of the rotors is clean so I don't see the point of 'cleaning' the rotors!

 

[danielb]

I find muc-off the best for cleaning; drive train cleaner (make sure to cover your brakes) pink stuff for wash down and brush with muc off brushes, dry with towel. Lube wise I use rock n roll.

Muc off needs the least amount of scrubbing which could scratch your paint.

 

[Optic]

I recommend the muc off stuff as well.

I've been using it on my brakes and haven't had a problem, am I retarded or what?

 

[Rabble bukes]

Ditto. Does the car and motorbike as well.

I only occasionally clean the chain but use cheap degreaser (comment above correct - cheap ones same as bike specific - look up the material safety data sheets for products), also used on motorbike infrequently.

I use Rock 'n' roll gold all year around (tend not to ride all day in rain anymore) so usually a wipe with a rag and a scrape of the jockey wheels with a screwdriver suffices.

This is the way to go.

 

[Shadow Puppet]

This is the way to go.

+2

I never "clean" the chain so to speak. After a ride I stick dirty bike in the shed as it's usually late after a night ride and beers. Next day I thoroughly wipe the chain with a rag and apply some rock n roll gold. Wipe it off, reapply, wait 10mins and give it another light wipe. Get gunk off jockey wheels......Good to go. Bike only gets cleaned when I can't read the brand on the down tube. I'm really fussy with my bike but I ride it too often to clean it each time (trails at the end of my street).

Been doing this for years and it works for me.

 

[Pebble]

I like the idea of using Chux wipes for cleaning the chain! Especially if you buy a roll of them from Bunnings etc. Better than having to put my greasy microfibre cloths through the washing machine

 

[UKDavo]

Let us know how the brake product goes for you.
Got a friend running Avids, that's all.

Just a quick update for the Muc-Off disc brake cleaner.

Works exactly as specified! Spray on, run it through the pads and leave it 15mins.

Came back and bam, no squealing and brakes are firm!

Then I hit and puddle and the squeal was ear piercing haha!