What are the biggest wastes of time in bike maintenance?
#176
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Biggest waste of time in bike maintenance? That varies by rider.
Some riders like to keep their bike impeccably clean, others don't. Some riders meticulously torque every fastener at every maintenance routine, others don't. Some riders clean and lube their chain regularly, others don't. I know of one rider long ago that re-wrapped his handlebar tape at least once a month whether it needed it or not. Whatever rolls yer socks. Live and let live.
What's the biggest waste of time in bike maintenance? There isn't one. People do what they enjoy. Go ride.
Some riders like to keep their bike impeccably clean, others don't. Some riders meticulously torque every fastener at every maintenance routine, others don't. Some riders clean and lube their chain regularly, others don't. I know of one rider long ago that re-wrapped his handlebar tape at least once a month whether it needed it or not. Whatever rolls yer socks. Live and let live.
What's the biggest waste of time in bike maintenance? There isn't one. People do what they enjoy. Go ride.
#177
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I turned the bars a couple degrees and it was AWFUL! Everything felt bad, and it made me doubt how much I loved the bike, till I turned them back to the original angle and suddenly it was Nirvana again.
When I loosened the seat my blue Sharpie mark was about 1/4" below the top of the seat tube. I thought the line had just rubbed off. Got the seat post where it was supposed to be tightened the bolt and PRESTO!! My old bike was back!
#178
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Vinyl tape on one side of seat post flush with top of seat tube to mark position, tape ~1/8” above the top to see if post has slipped.
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Ya buying more new tires so that you can purposely puncture the current ones to see how big of a hole the sealant can plug. Then of course Cos of the supply shortage before, hoarding more new tires when you find some.
#180
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"... hoarding more new tires when you find some.
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#182
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For me, by far the biggest waste of time is waxing my chain.
I have to turn on the crock pot to melt it. That takes over 0.2 sec.
Then I have to put the chain in when it has melted. That also takes over That takes over 0.2 sec.
Then I have to stir it around for 10 seconds.
Finally, I have to pull it out, which again takes over 0.2 sec.
That is more than 10.6 seconds of my life I will never get back.
I have to turn on the crock pot to melt it. That takes over 0.2 sec.
Then I have to put the chain in when it has melted. That also takes over That takes over 0.2 sec.
Then I have to stir it around for 10 seconds.
Finally, I have to pull it out, which again takes over 0.2 sec.
That is more than 10.6 seconds of my life I will never get back.
I went back to using carefully-applied Silca Synergetic (one drip per roller). I degrease every couple hundred miles with WD40 (which has the added benefit of displacing any moisture) and then re-lube with the Silca stuff. This routine takes maybe ten minutes every 200-250 miles and results in a very quiet, clean running drivetrain that will never rust.
#183
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I ran waxed three chain rotations on three bikes for about two years a few years ago. I agree that waxing is not more time-consuming than wet lubes, but every single waxed chain I've used ended up rusting quickly. That's a total deal-killer for me as rusting basically kills a chain and once it starts to rust you'll never be able to stop it from rusting further. This was especially irritating for me as I take very good care of my bikes. I don't ride in rain ever. I don't ride in mud ever. I store my bikes indoors in a dedicated bike storage room with a dehumidifier. I do sweat heavily, I suspect that's the culprit. Still, I was careful to wipe down my chain after every ride. I have never had rusting issues with wet lubes (forget about dry lubes) in 35 years of riding.
Our rusting issues are much improved after turning to waxing. Wet lubes just couldn't cut it in winter time.
#184
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I've never had rust. We have had over 70" of rain in the last few months, and I keep the bikes in a cold, probably damp, garage. (I don't ride in the rain.)
What kind of wax did you use the first time around?
What kind of wax did you use the first time around?
#186
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I went back to using carefully-applied Silca Synergetic (one drip per roller). I degrease every couple hundred miles with WD40 (which has the added benefit of displacing any moisture) and then re-lube with the Silca stuff. This routine takes maybe ten minutes every 200-250 miles and results in a very quiet, clean running drivetrain that will never rust.
On a dry surface, WD-40 leaves a thin layer of very light oil, which will make it slightly harder for water to reach the surface. On a wet surface, it just lies there.
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#187
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the end result is that the chains look pretty gnarly on the outside but are pristine on the inside. I've taken chains apart to verify this.
#188
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WD-40 doesn't displace moisture from surfaces. If you think it removes water from metal surfaces, congratulations. You've been taken in by marketing hype.
On a dry surface, WD-40 leaves a thin layer of very light oil, which will make it slightly harder for water to reach the surface. On a wet surface, it just lies there.
On a dry surface, WD-40 leaves a thin layer of very light oil, which will make it slightly harder for water to reach the surface. On a wet surface, it just lies there.
#189
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This uniquely irritating combination of smugness, bizarrely misplaced aggression, patronizing arrogance, assumption that everyone else is a moron, dismissiveness, seeing any declarative statement as a challenge and neckbeard-style "acktuwally" is very on-brand for this forum.
It's bike chains people, relax.
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#190
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This uniquely irritating combination of smugness, bizarrely misplaced aggression, patronizing arrogance, assumption that everyone else is a moron, dismissiveness, seeing any declarative statement as a challenge and neckbeard-style "acktuwally" is very on-brand for this forum. It's bike chains people, relax.
#191
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He is not wrong. WD-40 is a mixture of chemicals that are hydrophobic. It does not, nor cannot, displace water. If you are going to degrease, you should just use the solvent that is in the WD-40 without the oil. Mineral spirits are readily available at hardware stores and cost less.
See how marketing works?
#192
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He is not wrong. WD-40 is a mixture of chemicals that are hydrophobic. It does not, nor cannot, displace water. If you are going to degrease, you should just use the solvent that is in the WD-40 without the oil. Mineral spirits are readily available at hardware stores and cost less.
I agree but people want some complicated cleaning procedure so that is seems like they are “doing something”. Bikes shouldn’t need to be degreased and cleaned every 200 miles. After all, “it’s bike chains”.
I agree but people want some complicated cleaning procedure so that is seems like they are “doing something”. Bikes shouldn’t need to be degreased and cleaned every 200 miles. After all, “it’s bike chains”.
You forgot, wiped down after every ride. Unless every ride is through mud and rain.
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#193
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It was originally formulated to spray over ICBMs to prevent corrosion.
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WD actually stands for Water Displacement. But most people misunderstand what that means. That means if there is WD-40 already on a surface, it will repel water. That does not mean you can spray WD-40 on a wet surface and water will magically go away or "be displaced". Rather the water that is already there will actually repel the WD-40. Not sure what type of proprietary chemicals are in the substance, but I wouldn't be surprised if WD-40 is mostly a mixture of oil and mineral spirits with a few other chemicals.
See how marketing works?
See how marketing works?
Other than the chemical used for scent, there isn’t much that is proprietary in in WD-40. It’s mineral spirits and a light oil in a 75/25% split.
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#196
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I probably won’t even wipe down after mud and rain. I think I still have cow crap on my dual suspension bike from a ride I did in 2018.
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Gold Fever Three days of dirt in Colorado
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Dinosaurs in Colorado A mountain bike guide to the Purgatory Canyon dinosaur trackway
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Stuart Black
Plan Epsilon Around Lake Michigan in the era of Covid
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Gold Fever Three days of dirt in Colorado
Pokin' around the Poconos A cold ride around Lake Erie
Dinosaurs in Colorado A mountain bike guide to the Purgatory Canyon dinosaur trackway
Solo Without Pie. The search for pie in the Midwest.
Picking the Scablands. Washington and Oregon, 2005. Pie and spiders on the Columbia River!
#197
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I use WD-40 to remove tree sap from my hands or whatever, clean up grease on car parts. Sounds like plain mineral spirits might work better, but isn’t as convenient as a quick spray.
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#198
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I sure don’t do it. Only when things look pretty grimy- the pulleys usually indicate when things need to be cleaned.
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#199
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My gravel bike and MTBs generally get a hose and wipe after every ride. Maybe not the same day, but at some point before I ride that bike again. My road bike doesn't always get wiped down after every ride because it generally sees much less harsh conditions. I would guess it averages about every 3-4 rides (approx. 120-150mi).
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