Drivetrain Deep Clean | Make Your Road Bike Ride Like New
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- Äas pĆidĂĄn 11. 03. 2018
- Riding in the wet is a pretty necessary part of riding a bike (unfortunately), but it leads to a lot of wear and tear to your bike, especially to your drivetrain. Here is how to give your drivetrain a deep clean and get it working just like new!
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Although you can generally get away with cleaning your drivetrain with your chain on the bike, every so often its good to really take everything apart and get rid of all the dirt and oil that accumulates in your drivetrain.
Let us know what maintenance videos you want to see next in the comments down below đ
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Let us know which maintenance video you'd like to see next on the channel.
How to maintain relationships
Now that the CX season is over, it'd be nice if you could show us how to service crankbrothers egg beaters :)
Nathan Burt blimey
Maintain cables.
How to apply a frame saver to steel framed bikes.
Jon. If you turn the 5L bottle on its side, rather than on its front it makes pouring much easier as it doesn't splash. Great show!!
Yep I thought I was the only one that found that painful to watch but the rest of the video was so satisfying so Iâll let him away with that one đ€Șđ
Still watching this 4 years later. For info, relaxation and the dulcet tones of Mr Cannings.
Tip: Use an old milk bottle for the chain - you can cap it and shake the chain around in the degreaser
I have been using the No Nonsense Degreaser for the past couple of years on my chain. Happy to see you using it too as it validates my decision. Always wondered if I was doing harm by using it.
I am a proper novice at all things bike. I enjoy the videos but would really like to see more details of actually how you remove the components using the tools and not just a quick flash (ie the chan whip and crank tool. Also do you have to use a new pin to rejoin? and can you use a speed chain link like a kmc 10 speed link on a shimano chain? If you're chain snaps when you're out and you only have a speed link to use (if you can), Is this only a temporary fix that you have to replace for a pin or will it last? I know, Sorry, so many questions!
Great video, good to see 'the full works' being done. Even with a chain bath my chain is still gritty so every now and then it's nice to do a proper full stripdown job
Here's something Jon won't hear every day, that was intensely satisfying.
Gleaming!
So,what does "dispose of carefully" mean? Sprinkled over the neighbors lawn, poured down the toilet or left in a plastic bottle in the garage to become covered in cobwebs and saw dust and ultimately forgotten about?
MrLikerBiker any of the above are acceptable so long as youâre careful about how you do it.
This is a critical point. Perhaps GCN could speak to the issue of safe waste disposal.
Yes, please let us know what's a safe way to dispose of it!
Evaporate it!!
As long as it doesnât trace back to you.
Remember to check if your chain needs replacing before you go through all the trouble of cleaning it đ
hihi I missed that and polished a dirty chain to perfection - just to see that it's worn out anyways :D
Tools you need:
- A chain tool, and a joining pin
- A 5mm Allen key
- A 3mm Allen key
- Brushes
- The blood of three virgins
- The egg of a white legged Australian Dragon
- A little piece of cloth from Jesus's cape from his last supper.
I mean honestly, if I had all those tools, I'd probably also have a guy for do it for me aswell. đ Good video regardless. đđ
Itâs really not much for anyone that likes bikes to have in their toolbox
Thanks for the reminder-Iâm getting low on virgin blood!
This comment is extremely funny. Watching this I was looking for a comment just like this - asking for it
đđđ I just get the Butler to clean my bike...because bottom brackets are like the Devilâs work! I prefer Simon Richardsonâs 5 minute bike wash - leaves more time for cycling đŽââïž đŠđšđšđšđš
Caffeine and Carbs I appreciate what you say but attempting this would surely frighten a newbie cyclist without some experience to hand?
"oz cycle ~ best homemade chain cleaner" inspired chain cleaner, I just use a wide mouth bottle and some degreaser. cleans up to 3 really mucked up chains to a shiny finish. As always, great channel!
Two words, ultrasonic clean. đ
According to this test it's not the best: czcams.com/video/D0eOxbnzDQA/video.html
I like the see a video of changing the cables on your bike thanks đ Pat from Belgium đČ
Yes, and tricks for getting internal cables through that don't involve buying a $60 cable routing kit.
use the old one to pull the new one in ;-)
Jonny Tech, one word....."ace". Thank you.
Next step, take all those parts to your local mechanic for reassembly
Fully Upgrading a 7speed groupset to a shim 105 group but on a 80's Peugeot frame with an old school bb. It's on my list of things to do. Cheers
I love to see the next maintenance Monday video being a full service of my bike or you fitting etap or Di2 to it!!!!!!
Just a tip for the degreaser can, hold it sideways and them poor it usually doesn't spill.
Yepp pouring decreaser like a newbie ;-) great job otherwise
Was just gonna say this! Stops the âgluggingâ effect.
It's spring I think a lot of people are going to be taking their bikes out and doing some maintenance I would love love to see a series of videos once a week of you know how to clean and lubricate from the front top of the bike to the bottom back that would be absolutely perfect to get some new life out of your bike before we all start hitting the long days
Love your channel and love to see a more detailed video of disassembly and reassembly of the cassette.
I bet I can watch a different GCN cleaning video after every ride that I do for the rest of my life...
Absolutely excellent. Thank you. Since you asked, I would suggest that you wash the entire bicycle prior to cleaning the drive train. Very well done though.
The MSDS for No Nonsense degreaser shows that it's primarily ethoxylated alcohols which is the surfactant used in Simple Green in the USA, or in citrus degreasers. If you can, buy the concentrate and dilute it yourself so you're not paying for shipping mostly water.
For degreasing with an organic solvent you could a number of petroleum distillates used as paint thinner like naphtha, which makes up almost half of WD-40 AND Finish Line 1-Step Liquid.
Sure, the MSDS doesn't disclose every chemical, or the precise amounts of chemicals. So we don't know if we're paying for a proprietary blend of special oils, or the extra marketing to give us a placebo.
I gave that Screwfix No Nonsense brand Heavy Duty Degreaser that Jon was using here a go last night with a dirty chain, taken off bike and given a shake in a screw top container. It wasn't very effective neat and just foamed up when shaken, but when diluted with 3 to 4 parts hot tap water and it was transformed and did a really good deep clean.
5:43
No Jon ... That is NOT a fidget spinner ... keep up man ... those were like SO 2017 smh
nice vid btw :D
Pipe cleaners are very handy for day to day cleaning of the drive train. They fit right in between the cassette sprockets and the chain links. They really suck up dirt. I use them after every other ride. It makes it pretty quick and easy to have a clean drivetrain for the next ride.
I love these videos. Great tip on the degreaser bulk savings.
Nice one Jon, you're like The Wolf from Pulp Fiction đ
doing that this week. great tuto
I would appreciate a video on what bike maintenance tools should be in everyone's home bike tool kit.
Awesome video đđ„
Hi Jon, loving these tech videos!, A quick tip for pouring from those large containers with handles is to pour it from the side (perpendicular to how you had it), it stops the liquid sloshing as it comes out especially when the container is full. No mess!
good job
I use an ultrasonic cleaner that heats the degreaseing solution. Hot degreaser, it really helps getting the chain and gears clean. Also after washing the degreaser off with water, soak the chain, cassette, jockey wheels with bushing and screws in isopropanol alcohol for about a minute. The alcohol displaces any water that's still trap in the chain plates and rollers, it drys in seconds and leaves no residue and will not contaminate the lube when everything is put back together.
Interesting. If we don't want to take everything apart, spraying some isopropanol alcohol to dislodge water would work?
Thank you John! Two questions, After about how many miles would you do this? and Thoughts on wax. I know you did Si's and have done your own; is it worth it?
Also, hint to others, Make sure to relate your chain after immediately cleaning. If you let it sit our to air dry overnight it could begin to rust!
Hi guys, thanks for all the videos, great show! Iâve just bought a new Shimano Ultegra groupset to upgrade my bike from its current 105 groupset. Could you make a video to show how to proceed?
Cheers from Scotland.
great video really useful
Love the video, the bike frame was absolutely filthy after though đ€Ł
Just finish my ride a gcn vid to cool down nowđ
I enjoy working on my bike and tearing into when needed. But watching this video reminds me why I never deliberately ride my road bike in the rain. Cleaning the drive train after a ride in the rain is fine. But all of that grit and dirt grinding away on my expensive gear as you're riding in the rain has to shorten the useful lifespan of the parts. Expensive!!
I would like to see a video on changing sealed hub bearings. The bearings need to be changed on my Giant disc brake hubs.
Would love to see a video explaining how to install a.full.groupset
love the channel...
How to index gears would be really helpful thanks.BTW great video on chain cleaning.
I bought myself a ultrasonic clear which I use for my chain or cassette. No need for elbow grease anymore :)
I'd like to see maintenance done on STI shifters or even how to show your derailers some love.
Pro-tip, when pouring from a big can hold it sideways when you pour and you wont spill. Also works with big juiceboxes and jerrycans etc.
How about a video on maintaining and setting up cantilever brakes?
Thanks
Can you please make a video on how to get your bike ready for a race, eg: Crit or even just a grand fonda. Thanks
Yesssssss very nice good video đ
Jo, small tip. So as not to "splash" when poring from a can then rotate 90 degrees and you will not get an air trap" and glugging happening, thus a smooth stream. enjoy the education / information and keep up the good work.
you forgot to say this should all be done in a vacuum during a lunar eclipse or else it won't be quite as spotless
Yes. Also when Venus is in retrograde orbit during our autumnal equinox for optimum results.
Wheel truing vid or maybe checking gear hanger is not slightly bent and adjusting
Did the same today, cleaning the cassette is a bit of a pain. Looking at this cleaning i guess i did everything right.
A tip: When you pour from a 5ltr plastic container (like the degreaser) do so with the opening at the top - that lets the air in smoothly and doesn't cause the liquid to surge as the air replaces the liquid.
Good video,
Oh ya, can i use 10 speed easton crankset on 11 speed ultegra 6800 groupset?
I've always been told never to break the chain on the joining pin, you have to pick another one. For me personally I never take the chain of for cleaning. I use a chain scrubber called the "Fasi KettJet", I chose that one for a few reasons: it's all plastic, no chance for rusty metal parts and it has gears that force the brushes to rotate.
Before I begin I put the chain in the highest gear, spray some morgan blue chain cleaner on the sprockets, chain rings and jockey wheels. Then the chain scrubber comes into action, again filled with morgan blue, I just put it in the bottom since the button thingy is just nonsense, also I hold it with my hand because the floppy thing doesn't really work. When my chain is as dirty as that I might use dishwasher soap first in the chain scrubber to get the worst off first. Then when the chain is clean I use a toothbrush and run it on the sprockets while backpedalling, same for the jockey wheels and chain rings. Rinse it all of with plenty of clean water and then dry it with my air compressor. It gets everything super clean and is a lot less hassle.
For the rest of the bike I use a water gun for my air compressor with biodegradable bike wash, with that it gets super foamy, let it soak in, wash a bit with a microfiber mitt and then rinse it off with a garden hose.
My bike shop mechanic tells me I clean my bike very well, he's surprised to see there's no hidden sand pileups. So I must be doing something right without taking half of my bike apart.
Stuff doing all this every time after a dirty ride. âčïžThis is the reason why most of us have a winter bike with mudguards and use our 'nice bike' in the finer weather. A useful maintenance video though.
What about ultrasonic cleaner for the chain, cassette and so on? It seems easier with great results
I remove my cranks and degrease and grease it myself every 300 km thank you Shimano XT M8000 hollowtech set up for making this easier for me
Easy to setup. A little difficult to get used to using.
I don't go through the hassle of removing all of that. I just remove the wheels, install a dummy hub, which gives access to the jockey wheels. I then use Parks Tools stiff brush to get at the jock wheels, the cassette and the crank and use the chain cleaner for the chain. I rinse it down and then wash the bike and clean the wheels off the bike and get deep into the cassette. I just did this today. I can see doing this deep, deep clean once the bad weather breaks, but not every time after a ride in the rain.
So no one else showers with their bike?
I always shower with my bike.
I always bathe with my bike
Hot tub!
Yes- and ruined my bath tub :(
Mine has a regular bath đ
I often dry my newly washed chains in the oven for about 15mins, quick and easy, works best for me
Good Heavens, how many times per year this procedure?
how to service a Pressfit bottom bracket ?
I am interested in chain waxing. I have been waxing for a season. It seems to be working well and not nearly as much grime. Maybe you already have a video on this...
I'm assuming that his advice on lube for the chain is referring to the wet weather oils and not the rock-'n'-roll dry lubes which evaporate away leaving the chain feeling dry but latex lubricated.. right?
I love a deep clean of the drive train, but the one area I have a problem with is the B.B. area. Sometimes I get a gritty sound coming from there - whatâs the best way to clean out the B.B. area and protect it? Thanks
I want to know how to use those fancy chain removal tools with loads of pins that look like they are meant to work as guides so you can't push out pins all the way but I can't work out how to set it.
Hi GCN could you please do a video on how to set up cable disk brakes. How do I set up my cable disks as it seems to be all or nothing. Do I have the disk rubbing all the time or nothing when the wheel is free to run and then the brakes are useless. I'm that fed up of adjusting my disk brakes after every ride what I'm I doing wrong? Thanks
Hi John, how are you? I'd like to know if you measure and split a chain for a long cage derailleur in the same way you measure and split for a short cage one. If not, could you please explain? Cheers!
Shouldn't a Shimano chain be split at a different rivet from a previous joining pin?
David Thomas yes. Normally I do it a few links along.
I don't know why, but I was oddly satisfied with that video
What Grease do you recommend for the Spindle chainset?
How do you recycle the degreaser? I mean environmentally friendly especially if you need serveral reloads.
I think Shimano says that you should not open the chain at the pin you used to install the chain. Just open the chain at any other pin and use a new one to install it again.
Chain waxing for the win - far easier for drivetrain maintenance with an ultrasonic cleaner as well.
I wonder why more people don't use quicklinks on their chains? They're so easy - surely using a chain tool and joining pins every time is much more of a faff?
Have you ever tried using an ultra sonic parts cleaner? I was thinking about getting one and charging my club mates 10 bucks a go for drive chain cleanings.
3:20 the degreaser would flow without spilling if you held the bottle the other way around i.e. with the handle being closest to the tub.
Bottom bracket service please. Thanks.
Nice job! đ Wax your chains instead of oiling, and you don't have to do 90% of all this â
Great content! But do people actually own all these tools at home??
After the job is done, would you teach us how to clean the tool, brush, cloth and sponge off all the grease for next reuse?
My white bike are getting to light yellow color, do you have some great ideas to let become bright again?
Maybe a bottom bracket removal and installation video for next week i woud love to see that
How about a video on how to maintain your shifters.
If u don't carry any degreaser at home then u can use Kerosene or unleaded fuel as a substitute. Also, a lot of people
wouldn't carry all of those tools at home. The chain tool u can get on Ebay.
Listen guys, month ago I decided to switch to the paraffin chain wax. I've used a pretty standard and cheap automotive degreaser (kinda heavy duty, also mentioned in this video). Obviously, everything was brilliantly clean, even tiny spots of the rust gone. And now very important to talk about anionic alkaline detergent as that! I have a Shimano 105 FC 5750 black groupset next to. Right after I started cleaning one I've got massive white corrosion streaks in the shape of lightning strikes all over both chainrings. Looks clean and more than offensively I have to say. So, remember to use dissolved with water degreaser or don't use it black anodised aluminum parts at all.
The chain is supposed to be cleaned taken off and away from the bike. I put new chains in a glass jar and shake it with degreaser and gasoline in multiple stages.
How about a good servicing of your shifters they seem to be a neglected part of the bike
where u do chuck the dirty water afterwards?
Can I use wd40 multipurpose product (not the exact wd40 bike degreaser!) as a degreaser?
Wow. I have never done all this and I have had bikes all my life, including 10 speeds.
you're pouring the degreaser wrong. when it's that full, pour with the nozzle on the high side. great video
Changing out shifters
Tip for you Jon when pouring your full 5 litres of degreaser - Pour it sideways!
Maintenance is much more simple if you use a master link for the chain regardless of what Shimano says. Pins installed at the factory are installed differently and more securely than what the average biker can achieve. Every time the chain is broken, it becomes weaker and this becomes a real problem for people who ride off road where the stress on the chain is much greater. The only time I break a chain is when I size a new chain for installation. A master link such as those made by Connex is far safer and much more convenient. Also, cleaning the drivetrain is much easier when it doesn't get filthy in the first place. Learning how to heat soak a chain in a combination of canning paraffin and motor oil means that the chain performs better and does not attract dirt nearly as much.
are you doing alll this, after every muddy ride?
Shimano now do missing link for 11spd so no need for a joining pin
if you can stretch to one a ultrasonic bath.
Also do a deep clean on new parts to get the manufacturers grease off and put some proper lube on such as Molten Speedwax for the race chain or Squirt Lube (ceramic wax ) for the training chain.
Bin the stock Shimano jokey wheels, they don't use a proper bearing and are at best crap
,
I heard that Simple Green contains surfactants, which is bad, but it's the only degreaser that I have. Is it ok for me to use it GCN?