Originally Posted by
downtube42
Over the weekend I rode a 600km brevet, almost all in light to medium heavy rain. It included twenty or so miles of gravel/dirt roads. At times my shoe covers were coated with a layer of mud and grit, later cleared off by rain.
Due to a last minute issue, i had a rear fender only, so you can imagine how much crap was flung onto the drivetrain.
Frame is steel, bearings are cartridge. Chain is newish, wheels are new, BB is pretty new.
I wonder what level of cleaning is recommended.
The next day, I hosed the bike down, washing away as much grit as possible from the drivetrain, disc calipers, derailleurs, and other surfaces. I then cleaned the exposed surfaces with a rag and Simple Green, rinsed, and wiped down what I could. Finally i applied chain lube, and sprayed WD-40 in all pivot points.
Brake pads are shot, so those will be replaced.
I wonder if i should go to the next level, disassembling jockey pulleys, replacing cables, even inspecting and potentially replacing bearings.
Lots of good advice in this thread. The question none of us can answer is how good the seals are on your bearings. With good seals, you probably would have no issues. With poor seals you might need to repack all the bearings. As suggested, turn your hub axles and crank with a light touch and feel for any grittiness. And as suggested, use a better lube that WD-40 for the various pivot points. A drop of actual oil would be a better approach. Let it soak in and maybe even go for a few rides, and then wipe everything to prevent gunk accumulation on oily surfaces.