Great method, thanks, Clint! Using this. A couple of personal mods on this procedure - 1) As Clint says in vid #2: No need for dish soap. Simple Green works great for the whole bike. I use full strength spray on the chain, cassette, and derailleurs. Then a 50/50 mix w/ water in a bucket for the rest of the bike - 2) I spray full-strength SG on the derailleur at the same time I spray the chain and cassette. Let it sit for a few minutes. Then I use the flathead screwdriver to get all the gunk off the derailleur *first*. It didn't make sense to do that at the end.
Good video! However instead of a gearbrush I'd recommend using two nailbrushes and letting the chain run in between them. With that method even a very dirty chain will shine like new in no time. Learned that from a GCN tech video, btw.
When spraying the degreaser and lube don't get any on the disc it can make your brakes slip. You can put a towel behind the cassette to protect the rotor and catch any excess lube.
agree with the comments comparing car detailing to bike cleaning (dish soap is too harsh, simple green not good for AL, quality microfiber towels are a must on any painted areas). Love the vids BTW. Thanks to you I have a trance 29 2 on the way (my first FS bike).
I can't imagine dish soap as being too harsh, IDK who started that, after all it's made to be gentle enough on your hands as you wash dishes, I can't imagine it hurting a bike in any way. These bike specialty product companies will usually tell you that everything but their products is bad.
Clint, it seems like you might have more experience selling bikes than the average cyclist. It would be great if you did a video on how you sell your bikes, pros and cons of different forums, etc, including whether you find it best to try to sell locally, sell to a bike shop, or use Ebay.
I would recommend using a car shampoo instead of the soap, the UV protective kind with wax added works really well for me. Worth keeping in mind that soap is a very good degreaser so you don't want it in your bearings unless you frequently service them.
MustardDonkey it doesn't ruin them but it does make them squeak horribly for a while until it goes away. You definitely want to try to avoid getting it on the disc and the pads but it's not the end of the world if it happens, regular brake cleaner should remove the wax.
I use a car-washing brush instead of the sponge. It's soft and the brushes get nearly everywhere. Actually no need for this shower-thing as well even it's nice to have.
Using the degreaser on the cassette, I worry about the grease in the hub bearings and the freehub. Have you noticed a need for regreasing more often when using degreaser on the cassette?
Hi -- thanks for the awesome tips! What is the tape you have around your frame next to the rear tire? I know it's to protect the frame. Where did you get it and what material is it? Thanks!
Sup Clint! Nice quick wash tips man! I'm using chain lube Smoove and it turns out the chain gets pretty dirty. Which desgreasear do you recommend in order to clean the chain and cassette?
Regular WD-40 is not a good lubricant. It gets very dirty. They do make bike specific products that I have not yet tried. But stay away from WD-40 except for getting rust off of bike parts or for putting on an alloy seatpost that goes into an alloy or steel frame
Water cannot get inside the fork. There are wiper seals on the stanchion tubes that will prevent that. Remember mountain bikes are made to ride in muddy and wet conditions. The only way water could get inside is if you peel back the seal and force water inside.
Geo Gal don’t stretch before a ride. Stretching is bad for your health. The best pre-ride warm up you can do is carbo loading. I suggest a large slice of chocolate cake. 1 in 10 entomologists could potentially agree with my claims
Paper towel with some rubbing alcohol on it. But, like I show in the detail cleaning video, do not spin the wheel freely while you do this unless you want to lose a finger!
Car detail workers specifically warn against using concentrated dish washing liquids as car shampoo as the acidic nature eats on any wax and polish on, and dim the finish. If you got a shiny bike and want to keep it that way, I'd recommend more foamy alternatives that even dollar store car shampoos give.
It works great on grease, no debate there, but it's not very good for maintaining shine finishes for the above reasons, in long term. Of course the reality is that MTB's especially will get beaten on trails regardless of the product.
As a professional detailer, yes you're correct. Dish soap is harsh on plastics and paint. It's not because of it's acidic nature, however. Why doesn't matter though. However you're wrong about the dollar store car shampoo. Most of the time the surfactants chosen for cheap shampoos are just dish soap derivatives. When I wash my bike, I use something called Meguiar's D114. It functions exactly like a hoseless bike wash. It doesn't have any wax/sealants that most of the rinseless washes for cars have. It also has a dilution ratio of 1:128 so it's cheaper too.
Glad to be corrected. Also, I was going for "abrasive" instead of "acidic" in my head but , well, you got the idea anyway. I'll have to take a closer look at those rinse free washes and whats really in those bottles i use.
I am a mountain biker and used to detail cars. You are right the degreasing agents in dish soap strip wax on car finishes. However on bikes they are far more tolerable. I suggest eco friendly soap that does not kill your grass or taint your soil.
WD-40 does a really bad job of lubricating a chain and it gets really oily and nasty and it attracts dirt. Now WD-40 does make bike specific products which I have not tried but plain WD-40 that you can buy in a hardware store is not a good bike Lube. but it is good to help with rust and a creaking seatpost if the parts are not carbon.
Hi ... what[s the name of that bike stand , and degresaer is a degreaser, i mean, can I use any kind of degreaser as long as it says on the tag degreaser, How about car shampoo instead of dishwashing ... thanks
Very strange that you didn't clean the usually dirtiest part of the bike at all: the two pulleys of the rear derailleur. These 2 little wheels collect all the dirt from the chain and always look very nasty. I always start with them first.
My god I need a house. When you live in a shitty dorm the "rinse" part is more like "go up and down the stairs ten times with a bucket of water, gently pour it on the bike and hope for the best".
Yan Doroshenko get yourself a cheap garden sprayer, the pump up kind. Uses less water and is easy to direct. Can turn the nozzle for a jet or a spray. Carry that down and a bucket full to top it off
I've found mineral spirits clean TOO well. It strips the chain too much. I had a new chain break within a few weeks after cleaning with mineral spirits. Just a heads-up.
@@ClintGibbs Thanks for the heads-up Clint, I will keeping a close eye out for issues. So far so good for me though, but it has not been very long since I have been using mineral spirits. I'll let you know if I have a problem. I have also changed to lubricating with a dry lubricant which is a bit off topic for your video. I use a paraffin wax solution for lubricating which keeps the chain a lot more clean than oil does. Both the cleaning and lubricating techniques are still pretty new to me so I can't swear to them from first hand experience but I got these approaches from other riders that have used them for a long time. Turns out that oil vs. dry lube can be quite the hot topic among bicycle riders.
Not if you wash it off immediately. I've been using it for 20 years. If you let it sit on for a long time and dry out in the sun then yes, you would have issues.
Do not use dish soap!! In the long run it will strip away the protective coatings (especially important for carbon bikes) on the bike. There's a reason car guys (and girls) don't use it on cars.
Like I said and many other comments, I've been using it on very very expensive bikes for over 20 years. No issues. If you put it on and rinse it off immediately it will be totally fine. But if you're not comfortable with it by all means use a bike specific cleaner.
No WD40 usually means "not using regular WD40 as an oil lube". It's a water displacement product it penetrates small metal parts nicely, but it does a poor job as a dedicated lubricant for chains and whatnot. Clint mentioned that they have a line of dedicated bike products, but it's currently under an initial heavy marketing push (check gmbn tech, they're full of it), so I'd rather wait for opinions from people I know.
A meaningless "5-minute" chain cleaning does nothing but makes the chain Look cleaner. It does nothing to get grit and grime out of the rollers where the damage is worst. If you want to extend the life of your chain and more importantly the gears, use a Park cleaning tool with a good degreaser and thoroughly "wash" the chain, then use ACF-50 to dispel all the moisture then apply a coat of T-9 and let it dry overnight. If you are riding in dry conditions wiping the chain clean nightly and doing a deep clean weekly is enough.
The purpose of this video is not to substitute a detailed cleaning. It is how to clean your bike if you only have a few minutes before or after a ride. In my more thorough video I use a park chain cleaner ua-cam.com/video/Z-lGLbd3BWE/v-deo.html
Great method, thanks, Clint! Using this. A couple of personal mods on this procedure - 1) As Clint says in vid #2: No need for dish soap. Simple Green works great for the whole bike. I use full strength spray on the chain, cassette, and derailleurs. Then a 50/50 mix w/ water in a bucket for the rest of the bike - 2) I spray full-strength SG on the derailleur at the same time I spray the chain and cassette. Let it sit for a few minutes. Then I use the flathead screwdriver to get all the gunk off the derailleur *first*. It didn't make sense to do that at the end.
Good video! However instead of a gearbrush I'd recommend using two nailbrushes and letting the chain run in between them. With that method even a very dirty chain will shine like new in no time. Learned that from a GCN tech video, btw.
Thanks for a great video. Plain & simple and the same goes for your responses in the comment section.
When spraying the degreaser and lube don't get any on the disc it can make your brakes slip. You can put a towel behind the cassette to protect the rotor and catch any excess lube.
Snowcrest Mountain Sports True but this is a five minute wash for traveling or in a rush.
Well you're going to be in a rush (down the mountain) if your brakes can't grip the rotors!
Yah I noticed that too. I would have added break or contact cleaner to the vid
Yeah same
nah when your brakes slip it makes your 300 dollar full sus sound like its having 3000 dollar bike problems
That bike looks so clean !! ( I'm not talking about dirt/mud wise clean)
Dry with leaf blower
I use an air compressor.
@@kilgoretrout3470 alright rich guy
Been MTBing a week, thanks a lot sir. God knows how long it would have taken me to figure that out
agree with the comments comparing car detailing to bike cleaning (dish soap is too harsh, simple green not good for AL, quality microfiber towels are a must on any painted areas). Love the vids BTW. Thanks to you I have a trance 29 2 on the way (my first FS bike).
I can't imagine dish soap as being too harsh, IDK who started that, after all it's made to be gentle enough on your hands as you wash dishes, I can't imagine it hurting a bike in any way. These bike specialty product companies will usually tell you that everything but their products is bad.
Up here in PA we have had nothing but constant rain for over a week. I can leave my bike outside then lube the chain and my bike will be clean!!!
He pops up..."Just a little bit." ~ fave!
Clint, it seems like you might have more experience selling bikes than the average cyclist. It would be great if you did a video on how you sell your bikes, pros and cons of different forums, etc, including whether you find it best to try to sell locally, sell to a bike shop, or use Ebay.
Don't forget to protect the brake disk when cleaning down.
Clint Gibbs- born to wash the bike
Don’t clean your frame you will just see all the scratches and wonder how the hell they got there
I would recommend using a car shampoo instead of the soap, the UV protective kind with wax added works really well for me. Worth keeping in mind that soap is a very good degreaser so you don't want it in your bearings unless you frequently service them.
i hear car shampoo w wax wrecks brakes D: is that true?
MustardDonkey it doesn't ruin them but it does make them squeak horribly for a while until it goes away. You definitely want to try to avoid getting it on the disc and the pads but it's not the end of the world if it happens, regular brake cleaner should remove the wax.
I wish I had a hard tail. I love how it bounces so quietly. My full is a rattling piece of crap
I use a car-washing brush instead of the sponge. It's soft and the brushes get nearly everywhere. Actually no need for this shower-thing as well even it's nice to have.
That's Great 😇
Awesome cool video...
Thanks
this is very slovenly clean!
Thank you so much!
Using the degreaser on the cassette, I worry about the grease in the hub bearings and the freehub. Have you noticed a need for regreasing more often when using degreaser on the cassette?
No, I've had no issues at all.
Thanks for the video. GT 85 is no longer available in the US. Can you please recommend a different spray lube?
Finish Line Dry Teflon.
@@ClintGibbs Thank you. I enjoy watching your videos and learn from them.
Do you have to dilute simple green or is it good to go right from the bottle?
I buy concentrated in dilute it about 10 to 1 for cleaning the bike and then do about 50% water for the chain cleaner
Nice vid Clint!
Hi -- thanks for the awesome tips! What is the tape you have around your frame next to the rear tire? I know it's to protect the frame. Where did you get it and what material is it? Thanks!
ua-cam.com/video/A7NuMIzMtX4/v-deo.html
Could you send link for the bike stand that is shown...thanks for helping.
Thanks for the tip
Simple Green is very corrosive to aluminum. The FAA even has a service bulletin on the subject. Nasty stuff.
Richard Wilkinson that’s why you clean the drivetrain first then rinse everything off.
Do you have to put stuff on your chain everytime it gets dirty?
Like cant you just wash it of with watef and then its done?
I love rock and roll!
Put another dime in the jukebox baby...
Sup Clint! Nice quick wash tips man!
I'm using chain lube Smoove and it turns out the chain gets pretty dirty. Which desgreasear do you recommend in order to clean the chain and cassette?
I really like the products made by Pro Gold...Blast Off Degreaser and Citrus Degreaser.
I’m new to road biking. Why you taped part of the bike frame near chain?
ua-cam.com/video/A7NuMIzMtX4/v-deo.html
I need to get one of those brushes, I still have the old toothbrush.
or you could get a toilet brush from the dollar store... works just as good plus you save your money
Why is GT85 better than WD40? What other products are comparable?
Regular WD-40 is not a good lubricant. It gets very dirty. They do make bike specific products that I have not yet tried. But stay away from WD-40 except for getting rust off of bike parts or for putting on an alloy seatpost that goes into an alloy or steel frame
Is it alright if the water goes inside the fork? There are sensitive moving parts inside the fork right? Sorry for the newbie question 🤭
Water cannot get inside the fork. There are wiper seals on the stanchion tubes that will prevent that. Remember mountain bikes are made to ride in muddy and wet conditions. The only way water could get inside is if you peel back the seal and force water inside.
@@ClintGibbs Thanks for your professional inputs. I assume it works the same way for the rear shocks. Keep on posting quality stuff 😎👍
hello, could you show us hamstrings stretches or any stretches for mtb?
Geo Gal don’t stretch before a ride. Stretching is bad for your health. The best pre-ride warm up you can do is carbo loading. I suggest a large slice of chocolate cake. 1 in 10 entomologists could potentially agree with my claims
+Clint Gibbs What do you use to clean disk rotors?
Paper towel with some rubbing alcohol on it. But, like I show in the detail cleaning video, do not spin the wheel freely while you do this unless you want to lose a finger!
Car detail workers specifically warn against using concentrated dish washing liquids as car shampoo as the acidic nature eats on any wax and polish on, and dim the finish. If you got a shiny bike and want to keep it that way, I'd recommend more foamy alternatives that even dollar store car shampoos give.
I’ve been using dish washing liquid for 20 years on bikes with no issues. Not saying it’s the only thing to use, but it works for me.
It works great on grease, no debate there, but it's not very good for maintaining shine finishes for the above reasons, in long term. Of course the reality is that MTB's especially will get beaten on trails regardless of the product.
As a professional detailer, yes you're correct. Dish soap is harsh on plastics and paint. It's not because of it's acidic nature, however. Why doesn't matter though.
However you're wrong about the dollar store car shampoo. Most of the time the surfactants chosen for cheap shampoos are just dish soap derivatives. When I wash my bike, I use something called Meguiar's D114. It functions exactly like a hoseless bike wash. It doesn't have any wax/sealants that most of the rinseless washes for cars have. It also has a dilution ratio of 1:128 so it's cheaper too.
Glad to be corrected. Also, I was going for "abrasive" instead of "acidic" in my head but , well, you got the idea anyway. I'll have to take a closer look at those rinse free washes and whats really in those bottles i use.
I am a mountain biker and used to detail cars. You are right the degreasing agents in dish soap strip wax on car finishes. However on bikes they are far more tolerable. I suggest eco friendly soap that does not kill your grass or taint your soil.
why not wd 40 ?
Why we should not use wd40 please tell me
WD-40 does a really bad job of lubricating a chain and it gets really oily and nasty and it attracts dirt. Now WD-40 does make bike specific products which I have not tried but plain WD-40 that you can buy in a hardware store is not a good bike Lube. but it is good to help with rust and a creaking seatpost if the parts are not carbon.
do you ever contaminate your pads or rotors with spray lube or cleaning of chain with brush and spray degreaser?
Actually never. Just don't have the water go in that direction... Do it like I show in the video and you should be fine.
Right in this video, 1:32
Hi ... what[s the name of that bike stand , and degresaer is a degreaser, i mean, can I use any kind of degreaser as long as it says on the tag degreaser, How about car shampoo instead of dishwashing ... thanks
It's a Scorpion Bike stand from Feedback Sports
www.feedbacksports.com/shop/scorpion-2pc-turquoise/
Only works for hollow cranksets
Very strange that you didn't clean the usually dirtiest part of the bike at all: the two pulleys of the rear derailleur. These 2 little wheels collect all the dirt from the chain and always look very nasty. I always start with them first.
That's in the detailed cleaning video.
dont you need to lube the gears? sorry new to this
Only the chain and derailleur
My god I need a house. When you live in a shitty dorm the "rinse" part is more like "go up and down the stairs ten times with a bucket of water, gently pour it on the bike and hope for the best".
Yan Doroshenko get yourself a cheap garden sprayer, the pump up kind. Uses less water and is easy to direct. Can turn the nozzle for a jet or a spray. Carry that down and a bucket full to top it off
What's your Hub?
GMBN (Global Mountain Bike Network) Actually uses WD-40 that is Meant For Bike Just letting you know.
Yes, I’ve seen that. Thanks. I’ve actually never tried the bike specific WD-40 products.
@@ClintGibbs You should review it soon! I'm planning on getting it so would really love to hear what you think about it before buying.
Bam bam!
I use mineral spirits to degrease the chain, cassette and rings. It degreased well.
I've found mineral spirits clean TOO well. It strips the chain too much. I had a new chain break within a few weeks after cleaning with mineral spirits. Just a heads-up.
@@ClintGibbs Thanks for the heads-up Clint, I will keeping a close eye out for issues. So far so good for me though, but it has not been very long since I have been using mineral spirits. I'll let you know if I have a problem. I have also changed to lubricating with a dry lubricant which is a bit off topic for your video. I use a paraffin wax solution for lubricating which keeps the chain a lot more clean than oil does. Both the cleaning and lubricating techniques are still pretty new to me so I can't swear to them from first hand experience but I got these approaches from other riders that have used them for a long time. Turns out that oil vs. dry lube can be quite the hot topic among bicycle riders.
Hi Clint. Just wanted to share , dawn dish soap , eats thru tubes
Not if you wash it off immediately. I've been using it for 20 years. If you let it sit on for a long time and dry out in the sun then yes, you would have issues.
Thanks Clint !! 👍🏼.
What bike is that?
Niner air 9 RDO
Do not use dish soap!! In the long run it will strip away the protective coatings (especially important for carbon bikes) on the bike. There's a reason car guys (and girls) don't use it on cars.
Like I said and many other comments, I've been using it on very very expensive bikes for over 20 years. No issues. If you put it on and rinse it off immediately it will be totally fine. But if you're not comfortable with it by all means use a bike specific cleaner.
I don´t clean my bike. All the dirt and filthy stuff is holding it together.
LOL, i have a bike like that too, really all my bikes but I buy decent bikes cheap on craigslist (in USA).
Why do you say no wd40?
Regular WD-40 gets black and dirty...good for creaking door hinges but not for Bike drive trains.
Btw WD-40 does a line of bike products but as of now I don’t have hands on experience with them; in the video I’m referring to plain ol WD-40
Okay, understand. I use wd40 for pedal and derailleur pivots. :)
WD 40 does a good job at protecting from rust, and I use it on an alloy seatpost in an alloy frame to prevent creaking.
No WD40 usually means "not using regular WD40 as an oil lube". It's a water displacement product it penetrates small metal parts nicely, but it does a poor job as a dedicated lubricant for chains and whatnot. Clint mentioned that they have a line of dedicated bike products, but it's currently under an initial heavy marketing push (check gmbn tech, they're full of it), so I'd rather wait for opinions from people I know.
It seems too much chain lub imho
And on the wrong side of the chain. I know the rollers roll, but I prefer to apply lube to the inside of the chain where it contacts the gear teeth.
Yikes on the aerosol cans.
Why not wd40?
WD-40 is good for keeping parts from squeaking but it does not make a good bike lube, at least the traditional formula. It gets nasty and dirty
I like my chain dirty. And that looks like way too much work.
Who
or you could use baby wipes and do it without the need of anything.
I would always recommend washing your bike with water. If you just wipe dirt and grime you could scratch your frame.
A meaningless "5-minute" chain cleaning does nothing but makes the chain Look cleaner. It does nothing to get grit and grime out of the rollers where the damage is worst. If you want to extend the life of your chain and more importantly the gears, use a Park cleaning tool with a good degreaser and thoroughly "wash" the chain, then use ACF-50 to dispel all the moisture then apply a coat of T-9 and let it dry overnight. If you are riding in dry conditions wiping the chain clean nightly and doing a deep clean weekly is enough.
The purpose of this video is not to substitute a detailed cleaning. It is how to clean your bike if you only have a few minutes before or after a ride. In my more thorough video I use a park chain cleaner
ua-cam.com/video/Z-lGLbd3BWE/v-deo.html
@@ClintGibbs For the bike rider that cares what his chain "looks" like... got it.
👍🏻👍🏻
That takes a lot more than 5 minutes. At least 20.
Not after you do it a few times.
Well thanks for clearing that up in the new video. Cheers!
Do a giveaway