SoldSpartan

Yes I have a Marin Rock Springs 2 that I use for general trail riding. Right now after I go mountain biking I put degreaser on a grunge brush and brush down the cassette then I wipe it down with some paper towels. After that I do pretty much the same thing to the chain. Finally I lube the chain shift all the way up and down, let it sit for a minute or two and then I wrap a paper towel around the chain then run it through it.

Is this the right approach; do I need to do more; how often?

2cam16

How often depends on how much you ride and how clean/dirty your trails are.

SoldSpartan

Well lately I've riding every day for about 15 miles on fairly dusty trails.

xroadcharlie

I wonder about the use of degreaser. Since it does such a fine job on a cassette, derailleur and crankset, what is it doing when it invariably gets into the bearings?

I'm using a stiff bristle brush and knife or scraper to clean those parts mechanically.

SoldSpartan

I don't put any degreaser on the derailleur or crankset.

Wooderson

So many variables; trail conditions, weather, type of lube being used..

When I used wet lube, my drivetrain would get messy pretty fast. My bike probably needed a drivetrain cleaning every 2-6 weeks. I invariably put if off though, because it took a lot of effort to clean up a dirty drivetrain coated with dirty thick oil.

I switched to light lube (Rock N Roll Gold), which I apply before every ride. Rock N Roll Gold doesn't pick up contaminants like wet lube, so now I only degrease the drivetrain 3-4x/year. When I apply the RnRG, I wipe off the excess with a rag, which also cleans the chain. I also spray my bike down after some rides with the hose, and wipe chain and cassette with a rag (no degreaser or brushes though).

xroadcharlie:

If you use a mild degreaser (citrus, etc), and don't direct water pressure at the seals, your bearings will be fine.

MAK

I used to use spray degreaser on a road bike cassette and derailleur. It eventually destroyed the bearings. I ended up with the shiniest but useless malfunctioning hub ever seen. Perhaps brushing it on gives you more control when applying. Be careful.

Amt0571

3 o 4 times a year I remove the cassette and throughly clean it with degreaser while disassembled. It takes a couple of minutes to assemble and disassemble, it's way easier to clean it detached from the wheel and you can use degreaser or whatever you want without damaging anything.

frogman

I wouldn't use a degreaser and possibly ruin the bearings as mentioned. What I do is put some cardboard down on the garage floor under the bike stand so I don't get lube all over the floor and spin the cranks while spraying the chain, cassette and derailleur with WD40. Wipe everything down with a rag and then repeat the WD40 flush.
Then wipe down and spin some more till it is dry. Then squirt on my chain lube. Most of the WD40 is a solvent and it evaporates leaving a trace amount of lubricant and it won't hurt the bearings. If it is really grungy, use an old tooth brush and brush the junk off the chain, etc while spraying with WD40, then do the desctibed spin / flush.
Make sure you put down some cardboard underneath or you will suffer the wrath from your wife.

Amt0571

WD40 will damage the bearings too if it gets there. Maybe it won't cause as much damage as a degreaser, but it will cause it.

I'm against spray lubricants though. Too easy to accidentally contaminate brake pads and rotors.

prj71

Can someone please explain how degreaser will damage sealed bearings?

Spartan...you are fine doing what you are doing with the brush and degreaser. I do the same myself and I will also pull the cassette off a few times a year and soak it in degreaser and brush it and wipe it down. I'm actually doing that right now with one of my cassettes.

frogman

I have been using WD40 as a cleaning flush for over 20 years. Have not had any bearing damage from using it. You need to remember that WD40 is a lubricant too ! I learned about using WD40 as a cleaning flush from a Performance Bicycle store in their shop, and also in our shope in Napa Valley. Still need to follow up with your preferred lube on the chain though.

In regards to using spray lubricants, it is easy to spray all over the place and get on brake pads, etc if you go crazy with it. A little comon sense is needed when applying it. There is a red plastic tube to use to direct the lube to a small area. Speed Play sells their lubricant spray for their cleats. I was standing next to my bike and gave my cleats a spray before heading out and realized I was spraying in front of the front bike tire and was getting some of the spray on the rim ! Great for my rim brakes I cleaned the rim with alcohol before heading out. Rookie mistake by yours truly

prj71

LOL. WD40 is not a lubricant.

https://lifehacker.com/when-should-i...-wd-40-5891936

frogman

Exactly !

Amt0571

That you haven't had noticeable damage doesn't mean that's always the case. If WD40 manages to get to the bearings, it will mix with the grease and ruin it.

In any case I'm not saying you don't use it. From time to tome I wash the bike with a garden hose, which is also not recommended and never had problems. Well, It probably shortened some bearings life, like using WD40 or a degreaser, but I'm too lazy to always do it properly, especially when the bike is covered in mud.

prj71

Can someone please explain how degreaser will damage sealed bearings?

The only way bearings are going to get destroyed on any bike by spraying degreaser or any other chemical is if they are loose ball bearings that you will find on a cheap bike.

trailangel

Sealed bearings are sealed....not really... just water resistant. If you want to spray Smple green or WD-40 in there... go ahead. Degreaser will get into the bearings and wash the grease out.

prj71

Nope.

trailangel

I don't watch or believe in immature movie making.

prj71

Believe what you want. The bottom line is that degreaser will not damage SEALED bearings.

trailangel

Believe what you want off the internet:
https://www.sheldonbrown.com/brandt/...-bearings.html

prj71

Lol. An article from 1998.

Pssst...It's 2020. Bearing sealing technology has come a long way in 22 years.

cpach

What you're doing is fine, though frankly more than most (including myself, a professional mechanic) do to their bikes.

Simpler would be to wipe down your chain well after each ride, lubricate it every few rides or when it sounds noisy, and seriously scrub the drive train a few times a season.

Do make sure to wipe off the stanchions of your fork after every ride, check for brake pad wear, etc.

Wooderson

WD40 - great lubricant, or not? This isn't discussed enough on the internet.

prj71

LOL.

WD40 IS NOT a lubricant.