You've got to love a 'why do it today if you can put off until tomorrow' mentality..... you could squeeze another 9 months if you embrace this way of thinking!
I prefer to just use the muc off chain cleaner, use a rag to wipe down the chain then use a brush to clean the cassette and jockey wheels quickly, oil everything and forget it. I’m primarily lazy.
Suggestion to clean chain quicker. Put the solvent and warm water into a small disposable water bottle (12oz+-). Slide the chain through the roof, install cap and shake away. The sloshing will clear the muck without splattering everywhere and it doesn't take long at all. Will clear all gunk and leave you with nice shiny chain. Replace solvent once or twice if needed. BTW, I use gasoline instead of solvent in the disposable bottle and chain is clean and ready to go in 1 or 2 minutes.
Same. Gasoline is a very good solvent, and costs less then 1$ for a 0.5L bottle which is more then enough for a chain clean with solvent replacement. Nestea bottles are the best, wide bottleneck allows to get the chain out to wash the bottle before pouring second dose of solvent. And it's even more eco-friendly then buying eco-friendly solvent, but wasting disposable gloves and napkins and more solvent to clean and wash all the mess :)
I wonder if Anna is a Shimano girl … the cage lock feature on that SRAM derailleur is really useful for this type of work! Love the first vid, looking forward to more! Also, I’m glad I’m not the only one who does these obsessive deep cleans 😏
Very good stuff. The „scrub the chain in a plastic box“ is a good idea. I‘d cut open an empty canister from windshield wiper frost protection for that. These also are good when you have to drain the oil from your forks.
Nice cleaning tutorial! I'm too cheap to buy a Ultrasonic cleaner, but I do have a air compressor. So, I put my chain in a container and put some mineral spirits, then set the container on the air compressor and turn it on (there's a spot where it balances nicely). The vibration is "like" that of the ultrasonic. I let that run until it's full of air, about 10minutes. I would like to find a small metal grate to separate the chain from the sediment. Anyway, Then I use the air to blow the chain dry. Works very well.
Great video Anna. Thank you. One lazy man suggestion I would make is to use a sonicator (ultrasonic bath) to clean the chain and cassette instead of brushing. Sonicators are pretty inexpensive now and allow you to clean without strong solvents. I use water with a little dish detergent and vinegar. It works well, is environmentally friendly and you save money on expensive (and often toxic) cleaners. One tip is to sonicate in a small reservoir (like the containers you use or a glass jar) placed in a sonicator containing water. That way you never have to clean the sonicator. This lowers the cleaning efficiency but extending the sonication time balances that out. The sonicator is useful for cleaning non-bike parts as well (jewellery, carburettors, etc ). Just don’t sonicate things like greased bearings (eg. jockey wheels).
Awesome job Anna =) I always give it a quick clean first with everything fitted, just to get the major stuff off, it keeps the work bench much cleaner. Also, give the chain a few additional rinses when it looks clean, theres often a lot of dirt and stuff still inside the links/behind the rollers. I would for sure not wait till after winter, riding a bike like that would ruin the drivetrain pretty fast. A drivetrain deep clean isnt just an annual thing. Its supereasy to do when you change the rear tire, discbrake, cassette, fix a flat ect ect. I would for sure pop the seal on those decent looking pulleywheels, flush the bearings with solvent, repack with grease, and reinstall seal. 98% good as new.
Thanks and welcome again, Anna! It's great to have someone else's opinion or perspective on a common maintenance video, (No offence to Doddy who has brilliantly given us plenty of useful advice on this topic and throughout this channel's existence) as there will always be a different take on a certain method, or even a hack/trick that someone else may not have thought of. The takeaway container trick will be very handy and one I will definitely use to save mucking up the bathroom sink (the only room safe to do indoor cleaning/maintenance jobs)
I deep cleaned three cassettes a couple of weeks ago by just getting them off the rear wheel of the bike they were on as you suggested....Chain whip, scrubbing brushes and some drivetrain cleaner did the job very well indeed. Lots of bits of vegetation came out of them all..... All 3 cassettes were with individual sprockets and it was a doddle...Got to remember to put the spacers back in though (SRAM)...
Wow I never deep clean my bike this thoroughly and I thought I was thorough rotating the jockey wheels one tooth at a time to scrub them still attached ha! I do love Muc Off stuff though, it makes washing the bike fun when the tools work so well! You're already inspiring me Anna!
Nice! That's very similar to my own deep cleaning regiment. I always found it easier to take off the chain for a good clean and relube - it actually ends up being faster that way because I don't have to clean the cassette and chainrings from access oil after the relube. And cassettes and chainrings that are free of oil are much easier to clean in the longrun. I usually just use cheap kitchen degreaser for less than 2 bucks, though - works like a charm.
Really like this vid, a lot of helpful tips like the Tupperware for the chain cleaning and I think Anna is a great counterpart for doddy on tech and can see some great vids coming in future.
nice! very thorough! 'what i find helpful is brushing as much dirt and grim off outside, with a nylon brush to avoid bringing that dirt in. also wiping the parts down with a paper towel can help get rid of a lot of grease before hand so that its not going down the drain and will help the degreaser work better!
I have a nail in my old work bench that I use for holding the chain in place using the open link hole. One vertical nail and one I bent at 90 degrees 👍
Wash my bike after each 2-3rd ride depending on trail conditions..deep about every two months, it'd surprising hoe much gunk still builds up. Great video thx for sharing
The best tool I've found for cleaning chains is an ultrasonic cleaner. They can be had for about $40 and work SUPER well! Just fill it up with some HOT water, a couple splashes of degreaser (I just use dish soap), and let it run for a few cycles agitating the chain every once in a while. Comes out squeaky clean and I can work on other stuff while it's in there!
All this is best done outside! And use a scraper or screwdriver to get the solid gunge off first. Maybe try TFR (traffic film remover) which is cheaper than proprietory cleaners and it can be used diluted. In the old days I used 'gunk' which was water soluble. Put chain in oven after washing to get water from under rollers
Welcome to the channel :) This is the way I used to do it and it works well. However if the time to spent scrubbing puts you off you can get a battery powered pressure washer you can get 90% of the dirt off all the parts... will blast it right out of the chain. To finish off i put the chain in a well sealing container like a plastic soup pot with a bit of degreaser and give it a good shake and soak. Degreaser is pricy, but you can just get a 2nd container to store the used stuff in and you can reuse it the next time, as all the muck will settle to the bottom.
For chains I find it easier to use a small plastic water bottle, fill 1/2 to 3/4 with your chemical of choice, put the cap on and shake it. Cheap, available, reusable, recyclable.
me2, and I believe that this method is also way quicker and take less work than using the brush. Just few minutes of shaking. After that just dry with a clean towel. For me a chain after that also looks cleaner than on the video when she puts it back in, but no judging here.
@@cosinus_square all of the chemicals and brushes used doesn't exactly make muc-off displeased right? If she would have put the chain in a glass jar and poured in a non label degreaser, wait, shake and rinse the sponsors wouldn't jump with joy.
I use, "Krud Kutter". It's biodegradable, doesn't attack anything, including carbon fiber, and removes grease a lot easier than soap and water. I use Muc Off dry chain lube, as I ride in the desert southwest. Lots of dry sand.
Another tip: If the drivetrain gets REALLY gunky from applying multiple coats of wet lube, soaking, shaking and brushing will not shift the stubborn bits. This is especially hard when cleaning one-piece cassettes (where the sprockets aren't/can't be separated). For this, I use a small set of dental tools (scrapers, etc.) that really let me get into the fiddle bits.
The takeaway containers are a great idea, but I favor a 5lt bucket with tight fitting lid. Mine was a caterers mayonnaise bucket. Hot water, detergent of some kind and send yer parts for a deep soak & swim. Let it soak for a bit and then don thick rubber gloves and swish & scrub away. Important: Repeat as necessary with fresh solution until the dirt stops coming out. Rinse with fresh water and then a spray of isopropanol or metho to speed dry the water. Relube asap or flash rusting will become an issue. You can also use various solvents - but these might also eat the bucket. This is where the giant catering glass bottle of pickles comes in handy. Getting the microscopic abrasive grit from deep inside a chain will often need multiple flushings & soakings with organic solvents. Hot water and detergent never seems to quite do it properly. If your jockey wheels don't spin nicely, the bearings & grease are already sick & dying. Either replace them outright or pick the seals, flush the bearings with aggressive solvents (spray brake cleaner works great at blasting the crap out!) & canned air to dry, then repack & reseal. Of course, 95% of all this becomes unnecessary when one goes down the hot-melt wax rabbit hole. Without grease or oil to glue crud to your bike, most of the dirt can be hosed off with minimal scrubbing. Being solid, hard wax also won't transport external crud inside the chain.
Great to see a female presenter, Anna welcome. My wife sat and watched the whole show and was well impressed as I, but lol you got to clean Neil's bike, honestly!
Just cleaned my drivetrain but with pressure washer and WD-40 😭 but that what i had on my hand as for right now my last grease/oil just didn't work at all, it's very old 3x8 so I'm not sweating will change to 1x9(11/46) with new x4 derailleur in few weeks and order proper drivetrain care products,TNX for very informative material happy to see more competent team members who share knowledge 👍
@@th_js That drivetrain is already busted beaten up chain with narrow links looking like wide ones at places(last owner didn't care) front gears have dents and cassette is sharp to the touch in many places i was just desperate to take off last grease which didn't help in first place after one or two short rides to the shop was already spiting rust allover the rim i needed to take it off,i have proper care products on the way with whole brand new drivetrain,cheapest hardware i could find but new which is going to be a massive upgrade for this bike,thx for comment 👍
I got a cheap 6 liter Ultra Sonic Cleaner. Best buy ever, to deep clean my chain and casette. Use sturdy ziplock bags, with the chain and cleaning liquid in. Then it is very cost efficient, and zero clean up afterwards.
Used gasoline: You can light a fire, or leave some cleaning paper in the jar and let it evaporate. You can wait 2 days until the dirt settles at the bottom of the jar and carefully use the rest, evaporating or burning only the dirty residue.
When the video started my first thought was "that actually looks pretty clean already!" Anna: "It's actually shocking how dirty it is" Me: 🤯 I guess I really should do a better job cleaning my bike 😂
I start by rinsing most gunk off. Preferable with something like a power hose and a brush. After that I'll disassemble everything and deep clean. (well I do measure first how worn the chain is because I did it once after reassembling it and I found out it was too worn and had to replace it.. cleanest chain I ever threw in the bin)
if you have a sink do all the cleaning in the sink. it keeps all the dirt in one area . can use dish soap to get all the grit off before using expensive degreaser. rinse with hot water . let chain dry before lube. its only after the lube is on the chain a day(and a wipe with a rag) do I install it on the bike otherwise I risk having lube drip on the cogs. just a dirt trap next ride out. I run 2 chains so I have one ready to install before a ride and one I can clean and lube and take my time with
Great tips in general what i like to do is also quite effective, just get a plastic box and use liquid drain opener. Obviously it is harmful on skin contact, you might want a jar with lid and shake the chain. That thing will melt down any grease, dirt, muck, hair, flesh. Also painful to watch someone cleaning that much dirt and chemical mix with bare hand, get a glove please and your nails will last much longer. It is very calm to watch Anna.
Very nice to watch, nice presenting! I personally wouldn't bother adding drivetrain cleaner to the warm water as the chain was just sitting in water an not touching the cleaner just as it doesn't mix, just sits on top(above the chain) so a little pointless
Single-use12s Shimano quick-links cost 6€ each in France, I'm buggered if I'm taking it off just for cleaning. Chain cleaner is oily, so it floats on top of water, I use it pure in a cheap Park Tool cyclone-like knock-off. For the cassette and derailleur, I just do my best while on the bike, also with chain cleaner and various brushes. Careful though, as I said, chain cleaner is oily, so keep it away from your brake rotor.
In the US, I get some degreaser called totally awesome from the dollar tree for $1 ($1.25 now) but it works really good, pick up a toothbrush for a $1(.25) too. Never removed my rear mech to clean it though, probably should, but I'm great at taking things apart and not remembering where one thing goes back in. I've got some park tool grease that I use and just regular old chain lube, but I'm probably going to swap over to just using red bearing grease to see how it works as a general bike grease once I get through my park tools tube.
Nice video. Instead of the bike specific drivetrain cleaner I use extremely hot water and a liquid dish soap. After this video I might consider Muc-off. Maybe it’ll clean better.
I'm in the process of trying out wax lubes for the first time in 20 years of riding. If it goes well on the new, "test" drivetrain, I'll be doing some deep cleaning to reset my other bikes.
I dilute degreaser and some muck off bike cleaner in a Tupperware, toss my chain in, close the Tupperware and give it a good shake, does a good job, then I rinse with hot water. Then air dry
Mate Soda Crystals is a natural degreser used in hot water it will deal with any oily gunky parts its an old skool oven and drain cleaner cheep and very effective
In answer to your request, yes, video very helpful thanks, including the close ups of how to do things such as re route the chain through the jockey wheels. After a thorough cleaning, any suggestions of what solvents can be used to get a chain down to a more pure metal surface in preparation for hot waxing or cold chemical “waxing” such as squirt? In fact it looks like many lubes claim they work best when they can bind to a pure metal surface This question applies to both used chains and to remove the manufacturer’s coating on brand new chains. Thanks.
Nice video! I very like videos with drivetrain cleaning. I'm very excited when the dirty transmission after cleaning becomes like new. Аnd I love watching bicycle restoration! Thanks!!! It’s a pity that I children without money for good bike , I dream about good bike
Great job on your first try at solo presenting, a great addition to the team :) I think Neil owes you a drink after this
Or 3!
Or 4!
Or 5!
Or 6!
Or 7!
Yooo it's her first vid in the gmbn tech!! So excited for her journey here in gmbn❤️
So are we Jose! Technically this is the 2nd as we had the bike build/intro video 👉 gmbn.tech/NewBikeDay
The “deep clean”. A job I put off for at least 18 months every time!
What you clean?
You've got to love a 'why do it today if you can put off until tomorrow' mentality..... you could squeeze another 9 months if you embrace this way of thinking!
I prefer to just use the muc off chain cleaner, use a rag to wipe down the chain then use a brush to clean the cassette and jockey wheels quickly, oil everything and forget it. I’m primarily lazy.
@@morganwilliams2863 are you bike mechanic?
@@mtb717 no, I just do it a lazy way. But I do it after every ride so it doesn’t build up in the first place.
Suggestion to clean chain quicker.
Put the solvent and warm water into a small disposable water bottle (12oz+-). Slide the chain through the roof, install cap and shake away. The sloshing will clear the muck without splattering everywhere and it doesn't take long at all. Will clear all gunk and leave you with nice shiny chain. Replace solvent once or twice if needed.
BTW, I use gasoline instead of solvent in the disposable bottle and chain is clean and ready to go in 1 or 2 minutes.
Same. Gasoline is a very good solvent, and costs less then 1$ for a 0.5L bottle which is more then enough for a chain clean with solvent replacement. Nestea bottles are the best, wide bottleneck allows to get the chain out to wash the bottle before pouring second dose of solvent.
And it's even more eco-friendly then buying eco-friendly solvent, but wasting disposable gloves and napkins and more solvent to clean and wash all the mess :)
How do you dispose of the used gasoline?
@@Outsideville Fire.... always fire
@@McKevittS how do I put out a gasoline fire that's running amuck? Asking for my neighbor.
It's a great weedkiller too
I use the park tool cyclone chain cleaner with Muc-Off degreaser. Works well, no scrubbing.
You mean with the Drivetrain Cleaner? Pure or dilutetd with water
@@Gieszkanne Pure. Seems to work better that way.
I needed this reminder more than my bike❤
As a wholly unqualified viewer. You are an excellent addition to the GMBN team. Keep up the great work!
I am really happy that their is finally a Video on the Internet how to clean the drivetrain. You are awesome
I wonder if Anna is a Shimano girl … the cage lock feature on that SRAM derailleur is really useful for this type of work! Love the first vid, looking forward to more! Also, I’m glad I’m not the only one who does these obsessive deep cleans 😏
I was thinking about what John was thinking, but Sander's answer actually makes sense.
Great content, great presentation, Anna's presenting style is so relaxing to watch.
Yes...sooothing
Well done Anna. GMBN has a great tech team now. Looking for more to come!!
Very good stuff. The „scrub the chain in a plastic box“ is a good idea. I‘d cut open an empty canister from windshield wiper frost protection for that. These also are good when you have to drain the oil from your forks.
Nice cleaning tutorial! I'm too cheap to buy a Ultrasonic cleaner, but I do have a air compressor. So, I put my chain in a container and put some mineral spirits, then set the container on the air compressor and turn it on (there's a spot where it balances nicely). The vibration is "like" that of the ultrasonic. I let that run until it's full of air, about 10minutes. I would like to find a small metal grate to separate the chain from the sediment. Anyway, Then I use the air to blow the chain dry. Works very well.
Great video Anna. Thank you. One lazy man suggestion I would make is to use a sonicator (ultrasonic bath) to clean the chain and cassette instead of brushing. Sonicators are pretty inexpensive now and allow you to clean without strong solvents. I use water with a little dish detergent and vinegar. It works well, is environmentally friendly and you save money on expensive (and often toxic) cleaners.
One tip is to sonicate in a small reservoir (like the containers you use or a glass jar) placed in a sonicator containing water. That way you never have to clean the sonicator. This lowers the cleaning efficiency but extending the sonication time balances that out. The sonicator is useful for cleaning non-bike parts as well (jewellery, carburettors, etc ). Just don’t sonicate things like greased bearings (eg. jockey wheels).
Didn't know what it was called. Thanks Hugh!
Great recommendation, thanks 👍👍
Awesome job Anna =)
I always give it a quick clean first with everything fitted, just to get the major stuff off, it keeps the work bench much cleaner.
Also, give the chain a few additional rinses when it looks clean, theres often a lot of dirt and stuff still inside the links/behind the rollers.
I would for sure not wait till after winter, riding a bike like that would ruin the drivetrain pretty fast. A drivetrain deep clean isnt just an annual thing. Its supereasy to do when you change the rear tire, discbrake, cassette, fix a flat ect ect.
I would for sure pop the seal on those decent looking pulleywheels, flush the bearings with solvent, repack with grease, and reinstall seal. 98% good as new.
Nice addition to the team. Good to see additional staff as more content can be made.
A great no-frills option for chain cleaning is to use two nail brushes. Really gets in amongst the dirt and grime.
Such a great presenting style.
Thanks and welcome again, Anna! It's great to have someone else's opinion or perspective on a common maintenance video, (No offence to Doddy who has brilliantly given us plenty of useful advice on this topic and throughout this channel's existence) as there will always be a different take on a certain method, or even a hack/trick that someone else may not have thought of. The takeaway container trick will be very handy and one I will definitely use to save mucking up the bathroom sink (the only room safe to do indoor cleaning/maintenance jobs)
I deep cleaned three cassettes a couple of weeks ago by just getting them off the rear wheel of the bike they were on as you suggested....Chain whip, scrubbing brushes and some drivetrain cleaner did the job very well indeed. Lots of bits of vegetation came out of them all.....
All 3 cassettes were with individual sprockets and it was a doddle...Got to remember to put the spacers back in though (SRAM)...
*gets popcorn* (I LITERALLY have popcorn) and settles down to watch Anna's first GMBN Tech vid!
I shouldnt watch these at night, Annas voice is too damn relaxing that i almost fell asleep 🤣
Wow I never deep clean my bike this thoroughly and I thought I was thorough rotating the jockey wheels one tooth at a time to scrub them still attached ha! I do love Muc Off stuff though, it makes washing the bike fun when the tools work so well! You're already inspiring me Anna!
Such a great addition to the channel, looking forward to more videos from you, Anna!
Nice! That's very similar to my own deep cleaning regiment. I always found it easier to take off the chain for a good clean and relube - it actually ends up being faster that way because I don't have to clean the cassette and chainrings from access oil after the relube. And cassettes and chainrings that are free of oil are much easier to clean in the longrun. I usually just use cheap kitchen degreaser for less than 2 bucks, though - works like a charm.
Really like this vid, a lot of helpful tips like the Tupperware for the chain cleaning and I think Anna is a great counterpart for doddy on tech and can see some great vids coming in future.
Perfect timing again I was trying to figure out how to deep clean it to keep running smoothly
nice! very thorough!
'what i find helpful is brushing as much dirt and grim off outside, with a nylon brush to avoid bringing that dirt in.
also wiping the parts down with a paper towel can help get rid of a lot of grease before hand so that its not going down the drain and will help the degreaser work better!
I have a nail in my old work bench that I use for holding the chain in place using the open link hole. One vertical nail and one I bent at 90 degrees 👍
I just put my drivetrain in diesel and petrol mixed together and it works WELL
Same, i also set it on fire sometimes for that extra cleaning.
@@gnarlykoala ???
Wonderful first video here on GMBN! Your doing great! Can’t wait for more!
You're*
@@th_js 'You're' being pedantic, it's a mountain bike maintenance video, not a literacy class?
@@lanapearce9968 I'm sorry, had a bad day.
Wash my bike after each 2-3rd ride depending on trail conditions..deep about every two months, it'd surprising hoe much gunk still builds up. Great video thx for sharing
I always reuse the speedlink/quicklink, whatever you want to call it, unless it's damaged. Never had one fail on me.
Great addition to the gmbn squad🤙🤙🤙
Doddy's new makeover looks good!
The best tool I've found for cleaning chains is an ultrasonic cleaner. They can be had for about $40 and work SUPER well! Just fill it up with some HOT water, a couple splashes of degreaser (I just use dish soap), and let it run for a few cycles agitating the chain every once in a while. Comes out squeaky clean and I can work on other stuff while it's in there!
All this is best done outside! And use a scraper or screwdriver to get the solid gunge off first. Maybe try TFR (traffic film remover) which is cheaper than proprietory cleaners and it can be used diluted. In the old days I used 'gunk' which was water soluble.
Put chain in oven after washing to get water from under rollers
I still use gunk for the cassette! Effortless degreasing. Keep hold of the empty Celebrations tub after Christmas, bigger than the Chinese tubs 👍
Welcome to the channel :) This is the way I used to do it and it works well. However if the time to spent scrubbing puts you off you can get a battery powered pressure washer you can get 90% of the dirt off all the parts... will blast it right out of the chain. To finish off i put the chain in a well sealing container like a plastic soup pot with a bit of degreaser and give it a good shake and soak. Degreaser is pricy, but you can just get a 2nd container to store the used stuff in and you can reuse it the next time, as all the muck will settle to the bottom.
MAN! SO THOROUGH DEMO ON YOUR BIKE . I HAVE E BIKE AND THIS IS VERY USEFUL INFO . THANK YOU .
For cleaning you could also use dishwashing soap because it has a grease cutter. You could also use simple green too.
An episode dedicated on a parts cleaner would be great! Think about it, I personally have been thinking about getting one.
In the old days, casettes used to come apart so it was really easy to clean the individual cogs.
For chains I find it easier to use a small plastic water bottle, fill 1/2 to 3/4 with your chemical of choice, put the cap on and shake it. Cheap, available, reusable, recyclable.
me2, and I believe that this method is also way quicker and take less work than using the brush. Just few minutes of shaking. After that just dry with a clean towel. For me a chain after that also looks cleaner than on the video when she puts it back in, but no judging here.
That doesn't sell as many products though
@@revolversntulips to be fair to her she's not selling anything in this vid, but yeah GMBN is not a charity, afaik.
@@cosinus_square all of the chemicals and brushes used doesn't exactly make muc-off displeased right? If she would have put the chain in a glass jar and poured in a non label degreaser, wait, shake and rinse the sponsors wouldn't jump with joy.
@@revolversntulips muc-off stickered water bottle + muc-off degreaser ( aka fairy) = sorted, lol
I use, "Krud Kutter". It's biodegradable, doesn't attack anything, including carbon fiber, and removes grease a lot easier than soap and water. I use Muc Off dry chain lube, as I ride in the desert southwest. Lots of dry sand.
Excellent, Helpful Presentation.
Another tip: If the drivetrain gets REALLY gunky from applying multiple coats of wet lube, soaking, shaking and brushing will not shift the stubborn bits. This is especially hard when cleaning one-piece cassettes (where the sprockets aren't/can't be separated). For this, I use a small set of dental tools (scrapers, etc.) that really let me get into the fiddle bits.
The takeaway containers are a great idea, but I favor a 5lt bucket with tight fitting lid. Mine was a caterers mayonnaise bucket.
Hot water, detergent of some kind and send yer parts for a deep soak & swim. Let it soak for a bit and then don thick rubber gloves and swish & scrub away.
Important: Repeat as necessary with fresh solution until the dirt stops coming out.
Rinse with fresh water and then a spray of isopropanol or metho to speed dry the water. Relube asap or flash rusting will become an issue.
You can also use various solvents - but these might also eat the bucket. This is where the giant catering glass bottle of pickles comes in handy.
Getting the microscopic abrasive grit from deep inside a chain will often need multiple flushings & soakings with organic solvents. Hot water and detergent never seems to quite do it properly.
If your jockey wheels don't spin nicely, the bearings & grease are already sick & dying. Either replace them outright or pick the seals, flush the bearings with aggressive solvents (spray brake cleaner works great at blasting the crap out!) & canned air to dry, then repack & reseal.
Of course, 95% of all this becomes unnecessary when one goes down the hot-melt wax rabbit hole. Without grease or oil to glue crud to your bike, most of the dirt can be hosed off with minimal scrubbing. Being solid, hard wax also won't transport external crud inside the chain.
Great to see a female presenter, Anna welcome. My wife sat and watched the whole show and was well impressed as I, but lol you got to clean Neil's bike, honestly!
Get the newbie to clean off Neil's DH drivetrain - is this some kind of new presenter hazing? I hope Neil's going to return the favour soon...
Better than being sent to the local hardware store for a 'long weight' (wait) or left handed screwdriver😜😂
Chain in a old jam jar with boiling water & degreaser mix then do the shake shake. Scrubbing with a wire brush always gets good results too. 👌
Why do i love watching people clean stuff but hate cleaning stuff?
@@paulh1860 it's therapeutic to watchhhh
heavy duty degreaser from screwfix and soak parts in takeaway tubs - works a treat.
I'm already your fan Anna! Great video!
So part of the GMBN initiation is to clean Neil's bike... Nice. ;)
At least he avoided the dog eggs…….
Park tool chain scrubber using simple green works well. My gold chain glistens in the sun afterwards.
For Drivetrain I cleaned w Dwan platinum dish liquid :) Fabulous results! Of course Using Muc Off lube Dry& Wet!
This looks to be some real work.. I am doing it similar than as showed, but I was hoping for a much more easy way to clean this
Good video. I think the trick is, don't let your chain get that bad. I just make sure I clean it when I clean the rest of the bike.
Just cleaned my drivetrain but with pressure washer and WD-40 😭 but that what i had on my hand as for right now my last grease/oil just didn't work at all, it's very old 3x8 so I'm not sweating will change to 1x9(11/46) with new x4 derailleur in few weeks and order proper drivetrain care products,TNX for very informative material happy to see more competent team members who share knowledge 👍
Do not clean your drivetrain, or anything else either with WD-40.
@@th_js That drivetrain is already busted beaten up chain with narrow links looking like wide ones at places(last owner didn't care) front gears have dents and cassette is sharp to the touch in many places i was just desperate to take off last grease which didn't help in first place after one or two short rides to the shop was already spiting rust allover the rim i needed to take it off,i have proper care products on the way with whole brand new drivetrain,cheapest hardware i could find but new which is going to be a massive upgrade for this bike,thx for comment 👍
I got a cheap 6 liter Ultra Sonic Cleaner.
Best buy ever, to deep clean my chain and casette.
Use sturdy ziplock bags, with the chain and cleaning liquid in. Then it is very cost efficient, and zero clean up afterwards.
Used gasoline: You can light a fire, or leave some cleaning paper in the jar and let it evaporate. You can wait 2 days until the dirt settles at the bottom of the jar and carefully use the rest, evaporating or burning only the dirty residue.
When the video started my first thought was "that actually looks pretty clean already!"
Anna: "It's actually shocking how dirty it is"
Me: 🤯
I guess I really should do a better job cleaning my bike 😂
Brilliant! Thank you Anna, next episode let’s all drink ale & watch Neil clean your sweet new Rallon, Cheers Anna!
I clean it after every ride. OCD can be a blessing.
Mr Popo - a new presenter - Chill
Smoooooth....soothing....
By the girl a damn parts washer, GMBN!!
Well done Anna 👏
Clean as you go is my motto... Carry a toothbrush for big goopy chunks and a wash after EVERY ride (almost 😉)
Great video!
Thanks! 🙌
I start by rinsing most gunk off. Preferable with something like a power hose and a brush. After that I'll disassemble everything and deep clean. (well I do measure first how worn the chain is because I did it once after reassembling it and I found out it was too worn and had to replace it.. cleanest chain I ever threw in the bin)
if you have a sink do all the cleaning in the sink. it keeps all the dirt in one area . can use dish soap to get all the grit off before using expensive degreaser. rinse with hot water . let chain dry before lube. its only after the lube is on the chain a day(and a wipe with a rag) do I install it on the bike otherwise I risk having lube drip on the cogs. just a dirt trap next ride out. I run 2 chains so I have one ready to install before a ride and one I can clean and lube and take my time with
She is awesome! Way to keep it clean! Woo! 🤘
This chick is cool! Thanks I needed to do this badly
No joke i was just thinking i wish they had a girl presenter in gmbn like gcn to add some other perspectives in the mix. And here she is lol
Where has Anna been hiding all this time! Bring on more hosting of video's!!!
Great tips in general what i like to do is also quite effective, just get a plastic box and use liquid drain opener. Obviously it is harmful on skin contact, you might want a jar with lid and shake the chain. That thing will melt down any grease, dirt, muck, hair, flesh.
Also painful to watch someone cleaning that much dirt and chemical mix with bare hand, get a glove please and your nails will last much longer. It is very calm to watch Anna.
Nice one! 😀
Use always the most eco friendly stuff, this would be also a nice advice and in the smallest possible amount.
GREAT INFORMATION Great video really Great job
Very nice to watch, nice presenting! I personally wouldn't bother adding drivetrain cleaner to the warm water as the chain was just sitting in water an not touching the cleaner just as it doesn't mix, just sits on top(above the chain) so a little pointless
Good job, Anna 👍🏻
Personal, I’d invest in a cheap Ultrasonic parts cleaner. They work a treat with some degreaser!
Solid effort 👍👍
Single-use12s Shimano quick-links cost 6€ each in France, I'm buggered if I'm taking it off just for cleaning.
Chain cleaner is oily, so it floats on top of water, I use it pure in a cheap Park Tool cyclone-like knock-off. For the cassette and derailleur, I just do my best while on the bike, also with chain cleaner and various brushes. Careful though, as I said, chain cleaner is oily, so keep it away from your brake rotor.
Muc-off disc brake covers😜....or a plastic bag!
Genuinely contaminated my rear brake once with cassette cleaning flick-off...lesson learnt
In the US, I get some degreaser called totally awesome from the dollar tree for $1 ($1.25 now) but it works really good, pick up a toothbrush for a $1(.25) too.
Never removed my rear mech to clean it though, probably should, but I'm great at taking things apart and not remembering where one thing goes back in.
I've got some park tool grease that I use and just regular old chain lube, but I'm probably going to swap over to just using red bearing grease to see how it works as a general bike grease once I get through my park tools tube.
Great job Anna and no gloves for the jockey wheels either! Proper mucky hands, nice one. 👍
Best Hot wax promo video ever😂
Great video Anna. Hope to see lots more.
Nice video. Instead of the bike specific drivetrain cleaner I use extremely hot water and a liquid dish soap. After this video I might consider Muc-off. Maybe it’ll clean better.
I'm in the process of trying out wax lubes for the first time in 20 years of riding. If it goes well on the new, "test" drivetrain, I'll be doing some deep cleaning to reset my other bikes.
Well done, thanks!!
Nice video, thanks! How about a DIY parts washer video?
I dilute degreaser and some muck off bike cleaner in a Tupperware, toss my chain in, close the Tupperware and give it a good shake, does a good job, then I rinse with hot water. Then air dry
u could soak bushing jockeys....but If u do soak-clean jockey wheels with bearings in, its a great time to overhaul the bearings and regrease.
Dude. How many comments do you post on a single video? 😂
How cliché: first solo video with the new presenter, who's a girl, and the guys put her to clean their dirty bikes?
Welcome Anna!
And it's naturally a video that they've done 5 times in the past.
Mate Soda Crystals is a natural degreser used in hot water it will deal with any oily gunky parts its an old skool oven and drain cleaner cheep and very effective
What is soda crystals? Is that baking soda?
In answer to your request, yes, video very helpful thanks, including the close ups of how to do things such as re route the chain through the jockey wheels. After a thorough cleaning, any suggestions of what solvents can be used to get a chain down to a more pure metal surface in preparation for hot waxing or cold chemical “waxing” such as squirt? In fact it looks like many lubes claim they work best when they can bind to a pure metal surface This question applies to both used chains and to remove the manufacturer’s coating on brand new chains. Thanks.
Nice video! I very like videos with drivetrain cleaning. I'm very excited when the dirty transmission after cleaning becomes like new. Аnd I love watching bicycle restoration! Thanks!!! It’s a pity that I children without money for good bike , I dream about good bike
Great one, thanks 👍👍
Great job and welcome to the community!
I have vague memories of cleaning my drivetrain 😂. #gatescarbondrive #piniongearbox