Icknield Road Club
COMPOMOTIVE WHEELS

Club 76th year

Tech Corner

Bike Cleaning

This month's topic is bike cleaning. I'd be interested to see some feedback from other people on this subject. I used to use a bowl of hot water with detergent and a scrubbing brush, because that was the way my dad always did and probably still does do it. I now prefer to use a dishcloth instead of the brush, as it's much more effective for cleaning the inside of fork blades and seat stays.

I always remember Dave Morton - who was a bit of a perfectionist - saying that you shouldn't use detergent, as it washes the grease out of the bearings, but I don't think I've ever found that to be a problem. He used a dash of car washing stuff. Incidentally, does anyone know how to avoid the paint on the frame losing its gloss and going dull.

I recently won a voucher for an online cycle shop, and as there was nothing that really appealed to me, I exchanged it for one of those Barberi chain cleaners. Peter Jones said that he had one and found it to work "like magic". I must say that I was a little disappointed, so either I was expecting too much, or my chain has the wrong type of dirt on it!

Whilst on the subject of chains, I recently bought one of those chain wear guages. Every time I change my chain and cassette, I resolve to change them more frequently, so hopefully this will give me the incentive to do so. Normally, I change them when the bike's making a clanking noise, and there are only about three sprockets that the chain doesn't jump on. Hopefully, by replacing the chain when its only slightly worn, I won't have to change the cassette so often which could save money in the long run. I'll report back on this.

(Paul Abraham - Jan 2007)

Comments and replies

Posted by: Andy Parrish - 9th Feb 2007

Well, I use a bucket of hot soapy water too, but with a preference for car shampoo rather than detergent because it doesn't contain salt - and we all know what that does. Detergent also acts as a surfactant that tends to dull the surface whereas car shampoo will leave a residual layer of wax which not only resists the penetration of dirt and grime into the microscopic pores of the paint by beading away water, but also leaves a glossy shine. It also makes cleaning the bike easier next time.

You can give extra protection to the downtube area where it's in the firing line of the front wheel by spraying on a silicone spray (e.g. Armour All) which also improves the shine but importantly prevents dirt sticking easily! In the past I have found Halfords Cycle Maintenance Spray doubled as a good paintwork protectant, but they have recently changed the formulation.. d'uh, such that it now smells more acrid, less kind and messier.

Chain Care

The bike chain is arguably the most important part of the bike. It transfers the power of your legs to the back wheel. It's important that it does this smoothly and efficiently as any poor running here will represent a loss of power. A dirty, poorly lubricated, chain and sprockets can result in excess friction, as well as accelerating wear in these components. Worn chain and sprockets will cause chain jumping and poor shifting. It stands to reason that a clean and well lubricated chain is an efficient chain.

Regular inspection and cleaning of your bike chain is not difficult. I find the best time to do this is as part of a weekly or bi-weekly bike clean. First of all I use Muck Off sprayed liberally over the chain and sprockets whilst rotating the pedals slowly backwards (chain shifted into one of the middle sprockets for ease of access). I then use a medium sized paint brush to work the cleaner into the chain and sprockets so as to loosen dirt and oil before washing the bike off with plenty of hot soapy water. A further application of Muck Off can be applied if necessary. After rinsing off, again with hot water, I will wait 5 or 10 minutes for the bike to air dry, assisting the process with a quick spin of the wheels. I then apply a spray teflon lubricant such as TF2, using kitchen paper to wipe of the excess from the chain. This is also a good cleaner in itself and can be used to clean the chain ring teeth of any missed oily bits, or even the chain and sprockets if you're really keen; it can't do it any harm!

How to check for a worn chain

Stiff links are easily spotted by slowly rotating the chain backwards where any will be apparent as they pass round the tight curves of the rear derailleur. These can be caused by dirt build up, corrosion or simply poorly inserted pins. If cleaning and lubrication doesn't remove a stiff link, flexing the chain from side to side in the hand against the natural flex of the links can often free it up. Failing that, then the use of a chain tool to free off a link is a useful investment for a few quid.

But a chain may still result in poor shifting and jumping even though it is clean and well lubricated. A chain will naturally "stretch" during the course of its life such that the distance between links no longer fits snugly to the sprocket or chain ring teeth. The metal doesn't actually stretch, rather the play between the pins and the side plates increases, giving the effect of a stretched chain. This is normal and can't be prevented. A stretched chain, if left unchecked, will result in accelerated wear of the sprocket teeth with associated shifting problems and jumping, which a new chain will be unable to rectify. It is therefore important to replace a stretched chain as soon as possible in order to keep cassette and chain rings in good order. A stretched chain can be measured using a good steel rule or tape along the longest run whilst the chain is on the bike. 12 full links (i.e. 24 pins) on a new chain should measure 12". As a rule of thumb, it is time to change the chain when 12 full links measure 12 1/8".

(Andy Parrish - May 2009)

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