Heya Dave. Brilliant comment, thank you. Absolutely right. "wax, wax,wax...." This was filmed after monsoon season here where wax is just not practcial. In spite of me replying to those comments to the best of my ability that "correct lube for correct riding environment", the number of wax comments has become overwhelming. I am so pleased someone understand this.
I live in Costa Rica where we get 150 inches of rain a year. I find wax not to be a problem. After rinsing off my bike with the hose and wiping down the chain, I just apply some new liquid wax. No issues with this setup. Cassette doesn't need cleaning.
All of this is infinitely easier if you wax your chain. Even with waxing, you still need to clean your cassette from time to time but with no grease or oil present, the process is so much cleaner.
Easiest way to clean cassette without any tools or an expensive ultrasonic cleaner I find is put to put cassette in a small bucket or pail with mineral spirits (paint thinner) and just swirl the bucket in a circular movement , change mineral spirits a couple times. All the dirt comes away nicely and your cassette shines like new. If very dirty you may need a little brushing. Finish with a last rinse of acetone for fast drying. Put your dirty paint thinner in a plastic or glass jar, all the dirt settles to the bottom and you can use the same paint thinner over and over.
Actually been cleaning my cassette this way and it is super great to have some confirmation and tips on maintenance! Only thing I would do different is definitely wear mechanic gloves. Great vid and thanks!
Heya milkman. Thank you for taking the time to watch and comment. You’re very welcome. Each to their own, but personally, I prefer the dexterity gloveless provides.
This is definitely a thorough way of cleaning a cassette. However, I would guess it's overkill for most people. I would argue most of the grit removed by scraping is probably too deep in the cassette to even touch the chain and therefore shouldn't cause any wear. Personally, I would rather cover the rotors with a plastic bag if we're concerned about overspray. But this is still a great video showing the most thorough way.
Heya buddy. Thanks for taking the time to comment. You're very welcome. Don't let the big brands sucker you. You should be able to snap a good non branded one (probably out of the same factory) for under $5 U.S, and the all the tools in the video for $40. Unless you're after the full compliment of shiny, new, unused tools and spotless workshop as a backdrop on your vids :)
- First of all when it's all black, something was done wrong. Don't over-lubricate; I use drips of oil and wipe the excess off and only oil when the chain is almost dry. I do it when I first hear the chain hiss/squeal a bit. - After a while, you can easily scrape the hardened residual off from the pulleys, chainring and sprockets with a screwdriver. - Chains can be best cleaned in an inexpensive ultrasound cleaner. Of course when you have a quick link. - Gloves as said, but Rohloff chain oil comes off with hot water + dishwashing liquid easily... my chain almost doesn't leave marks at all.
Heya xj31. Yes, those work very well, too. Each to their own of course, but personally, I can’t justify the price of them vs a little elbow grease and good ol’tinker.
You can get rid of small contamination from brushing by using isopropanol wipe of rotors after a quick clean, just need to remember to do it before using the brakes. No sprays or degreaser though.
My option. Heavey paper shop rag folded to hand size, soak in WD40 wearing a protective glove. Grab chain and run through rag, refolding several times forward and backward till clean. Tear the hem off all your old Tshirts. Take a piecs 12-14 inches long, thin hem side down and run betwean gears while spinning the wheel.. I've never timed the process but it can't take more than 20 minutes.
Switch to wax, every other chain waxing while chain is off, use a soft brass brush to break up small clumps of wax on cogs, pro tip- take the wheel off brush straight down on the front facing teeth - use a rag or nylon bristle ( old toothbrush ) to clear build up on pulley wheels. If you need the cassette to be shiny…..you’re thinking about it too much- enjoy!!
I'm no expert, and I've had disc brakes for a while. Can someone explain to me why there is such a problem that something gets on the disc when I clean it afterwards? After cleaning the cassette, I thoroughly wipe the disc with a clean cloth, and then apply alcohol or isoalcohol several times and wipe with a napkin. It's a job for a few minutes. Personally, I switched to hot chain waxing and continuous liquid wax restoration. There is no dirt on the chain or cassette and I wash any dust down with lukewarm water (it won't stick to the surface when there is no oil). I will be happy if you refute or supplement my procedure. :)
Here is my cassette cleaning method.... (MTB cycle). Remove rear wheel. Prop wheel upright (as it would be on the bike). Put shallow dish under cassette. CAREFULLY brush white spirit into the cassette, with an old small paintbrush. White spirit will remove even old dirt and accumulated grit. Rotate cassette while cleaning to ensure all muck is removed. When clean, allow cassette to dry off. Before reinstalling the wheel, use brake cleaner (an aerosol) to make sure the disc has not been contaminated. Routine B: If you have more time, remove the cassette and after placing it in the shallow dish, use a brush and white spirit to completely clean the cassette. Using white spirit rather than a water based product, will help prevent rust, and the cassette won't need drying after cleaning. I use white spirit to clean my chain. I soak the chain in white spirit for a couple of minutes, then use an old paintbrush to make sure the debris between the links is cleaned off. Once the chain looks clean, I dry it off -a bit- with a clean rag. Perhaps 30 minutes later when the residue white spirit has evaporated, I reinstall the chain and oil it. I usually use the white spirit 3 or 4 times before discarding it. White spirit is REALLY cheap, is available everywhere, and it works really well.
I use white spirit for the cassette, but I wasn't sure if it would damage the chain links? It does do a great job of cleaning the black muck off, but is it doing long term damage to the drivetrain? 🤔🤞🏻👍🏻
most people won't remove the casette. And those who know how to do it, can simply use a Ultrasonic cleaner for this. Best is to use a wax chain and avoid getting the casette this dirty.
I clean all of my drive train components in a Gasoline bath. Let the components soak for a while then clean with a brush, you will find the gasoline soak has loosened if not fully removed all the crud from your components. Then rinse your components in alcohol. You will find all are perfectly clean, all that's needed is appropriate greasing and lubricating; re assemble and have a great ride. Return the dirty gasoline to its container let the crud settle, decant or syphon of the clean gasoline in to a clean container for re use. Do the same for the alcohol. Specifically for a chain put it in a Jar type container with enough gasoline to cover, close with the lid and shake for a moment allow to settle for half an hour, repeat twice, for bad cases repeat 3 times, your chain will be crud free, as above rinse in alcohol allow to air dry, lube as per your personal preference. - The gasoline and alcohol can be used many times; you will see the crud settled on the bottom of its container.
Heya veikop. Thank you for taking the time to comment. Whichever lube you choose to use is down to your preference. Or do you mean, the cassette wouldn't be so dirty if one was to use a wax based lube?
Heya MrJob. Thank you for taking the time to comment. I will agree with that in terms of lower frequency of cleaning, yet higher frequency of application in dry conditions. In my case: 1) Good lubes being expensive, I prefer higher frequency of cleaning, yet lower frequency of application. 2) I'm often riding in wet and muddy conditions so a higher frequency of cleaning, yet lower frequency of application makes more practical sense. Simply, I put lubes down to personal preference, and which is best for which environment rather than which one is better than the other. Very cool channel you have by the way. Subbed.
3:13 1. Hold on, right there. From THIS point just soak the cassette unit in a container of gasoline or diesel. Done! 1.a You SHOULD have OTHER cassettes to use while this is SOAKING. 2. It is wise to clean the rear derailleur jockey wheels, also. Done!
@@KansaiSprockets Wrong! Not chain lube,chainwax!! Do you have experience?? Surely not,I have,no lube on chain again! I use optimize,no dirt attraction,chain and sprocket are clean
@@daninja265 I just had a look at those, thank you. Yes. Those would work. Horses for courses, but personally, I can't justify $45 or thereabouts for neoprene in place of a little elbow grease, in addition to degreaser/cleaning products seeping into derailleur pivots and bushings.
I can't argue. Although I think removing the wheel and dismounting and storing the rotors in a drawer while you are doing any cleaning might be less hassle than removing the cassette. If you are running a 6-bolt set-up, you don't even need any other equipment, like a casette lock/unlock tool or a chain whip. You can spray on as much degreaser as you like and clean the cassette in-situ without fear of contaminating your braking surfaces. Cheers
@@BrianRPaterson Heya Brian. Great comment. Yes. I agree that would also do the job. Many ways to skin a cat of course, so I can only speak on my behalf as to sometimes being in the mood for a dirty ol’ tinker.😊
Super nice, not practical. I would like to have the time to do this, but with 2 kids i’m lucky to ride my bike at all😅. I’ll do take the tip to cover the rotors to prevent overspray!
I ride motorcycles. So my way of cleaning a cassette is .... chain cleaner or brake cleaner from the motorcycle. It's a 10 minutes task, don't overthink it. I'm not a fan of this video, this makes a simple procedure far too complicated. If you're afraid of grease getting to your disc ... yes, you're right, just use brake cleaner. That's what it was invented for.
Too much all that cassette tear down - so much detail will deter riders from cleaning their bikes. I clean it on the wheel and on the bike. No need to stress about brake disc contamination - just make sure to coat the disc with soap before each brush scrub and rinse disc and reapply between brushing sets. Easy peasy. Been doing it this way for since disc brakes came out - never contaminated any yet.
Massive waste of time unless you are switching from oil to wax and the cassette will stay clean. The pro mechanic had it right, if you are worried about your discs, cover them, if you are worried about your derailleur, lube it after. With oil based lube it takes about 3 hours of use before the entire drivetrain is contaminated with grinding paste, all this work to stay clean for 3 hours, just use wax.
One is not better than the other. Right treatment/lube for the right riding conditions/environment. During July here is monsoon season. Wax lasts all of 1 day at best.
@@KansaiSprockets The heaviest mineral oil washes out too, you don't know what you are doing and you don't even have any cool Japanese bicycles like NJS track bikes, waste of time.
Too much work! Obsessing over a clean cassette is, well, interesting. The return you get for all this work is not worth it. Keep things reasonably clean and replace when needed.
Top to bottom, 15 minutes work at most. Cleaning methods like the one in this video along with others allows me to keep bikes in mint condition 20+ years onwards.
Not a huge fan of that video. A cassette is a wear and tear part of your bike. Don't overthink it. Don't put too much oil on your chain in the first place. Apply degreaser on the cassette without spraying it all over the place and use a cloth (with degreaser sprayed on it) to clean the cogs. You do not even have to take the wheel off the bike. Works well and it's done in 5 minutes.
Several comments advising waxing, but if you want to ride through a Scottish winter wax would be washed of before the end of your ride.
Heya Dave. Brilliant comment, thank you. Absolutely right. "wax, wax,wax...." This was filmed after monsoon season here where wax is just not practcial. In spite of me replying to those comments to the best of my ability that "correct lube for correct riding environment", the number of wax comments has become overwhelming. I am so pleased someone understand this.
I live in Costa Rica where we get 150 inches of rain a year. I find wax not to be a problem. After rinsing off my bike with the hose and wiping down the chain, I just apply some new liquid wax. No issues with this setup. Cassette doesn't need cleaning.
All of this is infinitely easier if you wax your chain. Even with waxing, you still need to clean your cassette from time to time but with no grease or oil present, the process is so much cleaner.
This! Discovered chain waxing this year and will never go back.
I don't even bother cleaning my cassette. Dirt doesn't stick to wax.
Easiest way to clean cassette without any tools or an expensive ultrasonic cleaner I find is put to put cassette in a small bucket or pail with mineral spirits (paint thinner) and just swirl the bucket in a circular movement , change mineral spirits a couple times. All the dirt comes away nicely and your cassette shines like new. If very dirty you may need a little brushing. Finish with a last rinse of acetone for fast drying. Put your dirty paint thinner in a plastic or glass jar, all the dirt settles to the bottom and you can use the same paint thinner over and over.
Actually been cleaning my cassette this way and it is super great to have some confirmation and tips on maintenance! Only thing I would do different is definitely wear mechanic gloves. Great vid and thanks!
Heya milkman. Thank you for taking the time to watch and comment. You’re very welcome. Each to their own, but personally, I prefer the dexterity gloveless provides.
@@KansaiSprockets Definitely! Me too, but I wasn't talking about dexterity at all.
@@Themilkmanskid. Oh? I must have dropped the ball somewhere there. Pardon me.
@@KansaiSprockets You seriously don't know why gloves are important for jobs like that?
This is definitely a thorough way of cleaning a cassette. However, I would guess it's overkill for most people. I would argue most of the grit removed by scraping is probably too deep in the cassette to even touch the chain and therefore shouldn't cause any wear. Personally, I would rather cover the rotors with a plastic bag if we're concerned about overspray. But this is still a great video showing the most thorough way.
Great video! Now I'm motivated to get my caad all cleaned up!
Heya Randy. Thank you! Nice. Hope to see a CAAD vid soon.Hope all is healing well for you.
I need to get that scraping tool, looks great.
Thanks for the tips!
Heya buddy. Thanks for taking the time to comment. You're very welcome. Don't let the big brands sucker you. You should be able to snap a good non branded one (probably out of the same factory) for under $5 U.S, and the all the tools in the video for $40. Unless you're after the full compliment of shiny, new, unused tools and spotless workshop as a backdrop on your vids :)
- First of all when it's all black, something was done wrong. Don't over-lubricate; I use drips of oil and wipe the excess off and only oil when the chain is almost dry. I do it when I first hear the chain hiss/squeal a bit.
- After a while, you can easily scrape the hardened residual off from the pulleys, chainring and sprockets with a screwdriver.
- Chains can be best cleaned in an inexpensive ultrasound cleaner. Of course when you have a quick link.
- Gloves as said, but Rohloff chain oil comes off with hot water + dishwashing liquid easily... my chain almost doesn't leave marks at all.
Clean cassette wouldn’t make a very good cleaning demonstration video now, would it?😊
quick link is one time use only so its expensive to take chain on and off
@@statom985 as per manufacturer. I'm reusing them (KMC, SRAM) without issues.
ultrasonic cleaner.
Heya xj31. Yes, those work very well, too. Each to their own of course, but personally, I can’t justify the price of them vs a little elbow grease and good ol’tinker.
Cost like 50$ in china, had one for many years.
You can get rid of small contamination from brushing by using isopropanol wipe of rotors after a quick clean, just need to remember to do it before using the brakes. No sprays or degreaser though.
1. Use rim brakes
2. Wax chain
Done ✔️
My option. Heavey paper shop rag folded to hand size, soak in WD40 wearing a protective glove.
Grab chain and run through rag, refolding several times forward and backward till clean.
Tear the hem off all your old Tshirts. Take a piecs 12-14 inches long, thin hem side down and run betwean gears
while spinning the wheel..
I've never timed the process but it can't take more than 20 minutes.
The number one problem is allowing your chain and cassette to get that dirty.
Not common practice, however good for demonstration purposes.😊
Take the wheel off , remove the Cassette, clean all the sprockets , then put it all back together .... Amazing you have just found this solution
Revolutionary to be sure :)
Switch to wax, every other chain waxing while chain is off, use a soft brass brush to break up small clumps of wax on cogs, pro tip- take the wheel off brush straight down on the front facing teeth - use a rag or nylon bristle ( old toothbrush ) to clear build up on pulley wheels. If you need the cassette to be shiny…..you’re thinking about it too much- enjoy!!
I'm no expert, and I've had disc brakes for a while.
Can someone explain to me why there is such a problem that something gets on the disc when I clean it afterwards? After cleaning the cassette, I thoroughly wipe the disc with a clean cloth, and then apply alcohol or isoalcohol several times and wipe with a napkin. It's a job for a few minutes.
Personally, I switched to hot chain waxing and continuous liquid wax restoration. There is no dirt on the chain or cassette and I wash any dust down with lukewarm water (it won't stick to the surface when there is no oil).
I will be happy if you refute or supplement my procedure. :)
Here is my cassette cleaning method.... (MTB cycle).
Remove rear wheel. Prop wheel upright (as it would be on the bike). Put shallow dish under cassette. CAREFULLY brush white spirit into the cassette, with an old small paintbrush. White spirit will remove even old dirt and accumulated grit. Rotate cassette while cleaning to ensure all muck is removed. When clean, allow cassette to dry off. Before reinstalling the wheel, use brake cleaner (an aerosol) to make sure the disc has not been contaminated.
Routine B: If you have more time, remove the cassette and after placing it in the shallow dish, use a brush and white spirit to completely clean the cassette.
Using white spirit rather than a water based product, will help prevent rust, and the cassette won't need drying after cleaning.
I use white spirit to clean my chain. I soak the chain in white spirit for a couple of minutes, then use an old paintbrush to make sure the debris between the links is cleaned off. Once the chain looks clean, I dry it off -a bit- with a clean rag. Perhaps 30 minutes later when the residue white spirit has evaporated, I reinstall the chain and oil it. I usually use the white spirit 3 or 4 times before discarding it. White spirit is REALLY cheap, is available everywhere, and it works really well.
I use white spirit for the cassette, but I wasn't sure if it would damage the chain links? It does do a great job of cleaning the black muck off, but is it doing long term damage to the drivetrain?
🤔🤞🏻👍🏻
Як просто!! буду завжди користуватися цим методом...
Great vid thanks
Heya cheshire. Thank you for spending the time watching and commenting. Much appreciated.
most people won't remove the casette. And those who know how to do it, can simply use a Ultrasonic cleaner for this. Best is to use a wax chain and avoid getting the casette this dirty.
Exactly how I clean mine, although very infrequently 🙂
Hey Brad. Thank you for taking the time to watch and comment. Lol. Shame with all the tech out, manufacturers aren't producing self cleaning parts.
Really good video
Hello Le20100. Thank you for taking the time to watch and comment. I'm pleased you liked it. Hopefully you were able to pick up a new trick or two.
If you're going to take it apart, drop it in an ultrasonic cleaner with some degreaser, comes out as good as new.
Put it in kwasek cytrynowy for 2 days, after that there will be only metal left, that's what you want
I spayed a citric acid solution on the video :)
I clean all of my drive train components in a Gasoline bath. Let the components soak for a while then clean with a brush, you will find the gasoline soak has loosened if not fully removed all the crud from your components. Then rinse your components in alcohol. You will find all are perfectly clean, all that's needed is appropriate greasing and lubricating; re assemble and have a great ride. Return the dirty gasoline to its container let the crud settle, decant or syphon of the clean gasoline in to a clean container for re use. Do the same for the alcohol. Specifically for a chain put it in a Jar type container with enough gasoline to cover, close with the lid and shake for a moment allow to settle for half an hour, repeat twice, for bad cases repeat 3 times, your chain will be crud free, as above rinse in alcohol allow to air dry, lube as per your personal preference. - The gasoline and alcohol can be used many times; you will see the crud settled on the bottom of its container.
Hello David. Thank you for taking the time to watch and comment.Yes. Many ways to skin a cat :)
Someone watched the Silva video but you forgot the part about using coffee filters to clean contaminated spirit and alcohol
i just soak mine in diesel, brush, degreaser, rinse.
Maybe use a wax based lube next?😂
Heya veikop. Thank you for taking the time to comment. Whichever lube you choose to use is down to your preference. Or do you mean, the cassette wouldn't be so dirty if one was to use a wax based lube?
Wax makes cleaning easier@@KansaiSprockets
Heya MrJob. Thank you for taking the time to comment. I will agree with that in terms of lower frequency of cleaning, yet higher frequency of application in dry conditions.
In my case:
1) Good lubes being expensive, I prefer higher frequency of cleaning, yet lower frequency of application.
2) I'm often riding in wet and muddy conditions so a higher frequency of cleaning, yet lower frequency of application makes more practical sense.
Simply, I put lubes down to personal preference, and which is best for which environment rather than which one is better than the other.
Very cool channel you have by the way. Subbed.
3:13
1. Hold on, right there. From THIS point just soak the cassette unit in a container of gasoline or diesel. Done!
1.a You SHOULD have OTHER cassettes to use while this is SOAKING.
2. It is wise to clean the rear derailleur jockey wheels, also. Done!
I will get to what other other servicing can be done simultaneously in other videos. Please stay tuned :)
I just use very hot water to take the wax off where does the grease come from. Using oil is a lot of work 🤣
If you’re going to go through the trouble of removing your cassette, why not soak it in a solution for even more thorough clean?
All the magic is in the solution I sprayed :)
Just how I've always done it :)
Heya Pompey. From the comments section here, seems we’re a dying breed😊
or you can use brake cleaner if you don't want or can't remove the cassette every time ☺️
I feel, the chances of that being too little too late is high for beginners.
Use chainwax and you forget about that😊
Right lube for right environments. Wax lube during monsoon season here is as useless as tits on a bull😊
@@KansaiSprockets
Wrong! Not chain lube,chainwax!!
Do you have experience??
Surely not,I have,no lube on chain again! I use optimize,no dirt attraction,chain and sprocket are clean
@@KansaiSprockets try chain wax and you will never have to clean anything except chain, it is even better on wet than any oil
Or you could just cover your disc rotors
Heya daninja. What would you cover them with out of curiosity?
@@KansaiSprockets I use the Muc-Off neoprene rotor covers. Works well
@@daninja265 I just had a look at those, thank you. Yes. Those would work. Horses for courses, but personally, I can't justify $45 or thereabouts for neoprene in place of a little elbow grease, in addition to degreaser/cleaning products seeping into derailleur pivots and bushings.
I can't argue. Although I think removing the wheel and dismounting and storing the rotors in a drawer while you are doing any cleaning might be less hassle than removing the cassette.
If you are running a 6-bolt set-up, you don't even need any other equipment, like a casette lock/unlock tool or a chain whip.
You can spray on as much degreaser as you like and clean the cassette in-situ without fear of contaminating your braking surfaces.
Cheers
@@BrianRPaterson Heya Brian. Great comment. Yes. I agree that would also do the job. Many ways to skin a cat of course, so I can only speak on my behalf as to sometimes being in the mood for a dirty ol’ tinker.😊
Super nice, not practical. I would like to have the time to do this, but with 2 kids i’m lucky to ride my bike at all😅. I’ll do take the tip to cover the rotors to prevent overspray!
Wax your chain and you’ll never have a dirty cassette to clean.
Sure. That is unless one's riding environment is muddy, wet and rainy.
I ride motorcycles. So my way of cleaning a cassette is .... chain cleaner or brake cleaner from the motorcycle. It's a 10 minutes task, don't overthink it. I'm not a fan of this video, this makes a simple procedure far too complicated. If you're afraid of grease getting to your disc ... yes, you're right, just use brake cleaner. That's what it was invented for.
Too much all that cassette tear down - so much detail will deter riders from cleaning their bikes.
I clean it on the wheel and on the bike. No need to stress about brake disc contamination - just make sure to coat the disc with soap before each brush scrub and rinse disc and reapply between brushing sets. Easy peasy.
Been doing it this way for since disc brakes came out - never contaminated any yet.
It’s so easy to buy or make a plastic disc guard … easy peasy.
Massive waste of time unless you are switching from oil to wax and the cassette will stay clean. The pro mechanic had it right, if you are worried about your discs, cover them, if you are worried about your derailleur, lube it after.
With oil based lube it takes about 3 hours of use before the entire drivetrain is contaminated with grinding paste, all this work to stay clean for 3 hours, just use wax.
One is not better than the other. Right treatment/lube for the right riding conditions/environment. During July here is monsoon season. Wax lasts all of 1 day at best.
@@KansaiSprockets The heaviest mineral oil washes out too, you don't know what you are doing and you don't even have any cool Japanese bicycles like NJS track bikes, waste of time.
Get it dipped in petrol to degrease it!!
I use a kerosene base mix as a degreaser :)
It's very clean for sure. But it's only dirty in the spots that nothing ever touches it. So, kinda pointless.
Please excuse me, I am not entirely sure what you are referring to with "But it's only dirty in the spots that nothing ever touches it"
#noshortcuts
Indeed!
Half Ass try? Play Videos Games instead. Your Bike will Appreciate this.
Bike may, wallet may not :)
Get rim brakes
Gloves
Hats, coats?
Too much work! Obsessing over a clean cassette is, well, interesting. The return you get for all this work is not worth it. Keep things reasonably clean and replace when needed.
Top to bottom, 15 minutes work at most. Cleaning methods like the one in this video along with others allows me to keep bikes in mint condition 20+ years onwards.
Not a huge fan of that video. A cassette is a wear and tear part of your bike. Don't overthink it. Don't put too much oil on your chain in the first place. Apply degreaser on the cassette without spraying it all over the place and use a cloth (with degreaser sprayed on it) to clean the cogs. You do not even have to take the wheel off the bike. Works well and it's done in 5 minutes.