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New to Bikes

killjoykilljoy
in New Users Start Here
I've had mt Rambler for about a week now and was wondering if there is any info on procedures cleaning and lubricating my new treasure. I've not really had a bike worth maintaining prior to this plus the tubes etc are new to me...any suggestions?

Comments

  • Jrobiso2Jrobiso2
    Green foam cleanser, rinse, dry,then lubricate with a good chain lube like Gold lube or perhaps Boeshield T9. Repeat every 50 - 100 miles if riding on pavement, 30 - 50 if riding on crushed stone.
  • Florida_boundFlorida_bound
    I've owned my trike for over 3 years, lubed the chain only after it was on the back of my car on a rack for 2 days in extreme downpours while I was moving here. I've never washed it. I have brushed off some dust but it doesn't really get dirty if you are not riding though rain or mud.
  • CaptainbobCaptainbob
    My Rover is 7 years old. I use Boeshield T9 on my chains every 300 miles , and never wash them. Keep my SA 8 adjustment monitored, usually doesn't have to be adjusted. That's about it. 14,000+ miles trouble free.
  • mjrodneymjrodney
    Thanks for the tip on Boeshield T9.

    White Lightning Clean Ride has a re-lube requirement of 50 miles.

    Boeshield's re-lube requirement is 200 miles under the same conditions.

    If I re-lube every 150 miles, it's still big time saver.
  • Jrobiso2Jrobiso2
    I use Boeshield T9 on the flat surface of all my woodworking equipment. Wood slides over it like it was wax, but lasts longer than wax. I depend on that stuff!
  • TCEdTCEd
    I'm planning to switch to Bioshield T9 over the winter when I swap out to new rings and chain.
  • TrikesterHalTrikesterHal
    TCEd wrote: »
    I'm planning to switch to Bioshield T9 over the winter when I swap out to new rings and chain.

    Bioshield T9 is great as it doesn't pick up a lot of dust. It's really dusty here in Tucson.

    I use a Cyclone Park Tool chain cleaner with Simple Green cleaner to scrub the chain. The tool also has a magnet in the bottom which grabs small metallic particles and keeps them from getting back into the chain.
  • djeoutdoorsdjeoutdoors
    TrikesterHal wrote: »
    TCEd wrote: »
    I'm planning to switch to Bioshield T9 over the winter when I swap out to new rings and chain.

    Bioshield T9 is great as it doesn't pick up a lot of dust. It's really dusty here in Tucson.

    I use a Cyclone Park Tool chain cleaner with Simple Green cleaner to scrub the chain. The tool also has a magnet in the bottom which grabs small metallic particles and keeps them from getting back into the chain.

    That’s great Info. Thank you
  • IdahoTrailLizardIdahoTrailLizard
    Not impressed with Bioshield T-9. Not even 50 miles and chain was squealing. Bioshield obviously cannot take Idaho's warmer months.

    Put Dumonde Tech chain lubricant on the way home this evening, and ended the chain singing.

    ¬ ITL
  • TCEdTCEd
    The key with any lubrication is starting with a clean chain.
  • IdahoTrailLizardIdahoTrailLizard
    Am aware of this. Did degrease & clean the chain prior to using Biosheild. Maybe it works better in areas with higher humidity that 11%.

    ¬ ITL
  • JamesRJamesR
    horse hockey! if the chain is not worn and had been lubricated properly to begin with it would not have made noise. a few shots of wd-40 would have you had you home noise-free.

    put a gage on your chain and measure it for stretch.

    proper way to clean a chain is soaking it in kerosene or stoddard ps-661 solvent since this leave a lubricating film on the metal parts when clean. dunno where park comes up with the notion that washing a chain with water-based products is a good practice.
  • IdahoTrailLizardIdahoTrailLizard
    WD-40 is the worst thing to lubricate anything with. It is a penetrating solvent.
    Also great for ruining bearings and drive chains.

    ¬ ITL
  • Florida_boundFlorida_bound
    I don't know. A garage door repairman told me to put it on the spring above the door. I had already bought special grease and have been using it.

    Did you now WD-40 also does a great job cleaning a white board. A pilot taught me that many years ago.
  • Finn59Finn59
    I heard it evaporates. PB Blaster is good. Heated tranny fluid penetrates rusted together nuts n bolts. Learned that from an ex Navy sailor.
  • TCEdTCEd
    Funny, as a kid I may have put 3 in 1 oil on my bike chain once a year and the bike sat outside all the time. But that was a larger and probably stronger chain.
  • Florida_boundFlorida_bound
    Me too. My parents built a garage after all the kids left home.
  • JamesRJamesR
    yeah, squirted 3-in-one in the hub of the old schwinn every now and then, maybe some on the chain if the rust looked too thick.
  • TimCTimC
    edited August 2
    Just my 2¢ worth, but when I used to ride dirt-bikes we stayed away from WD-40 if we had changed to an o-ring chain, because it could cause the o-rings to break down prematurely, but it worked great on regular chains. Of course, we rode through water and mud, plus we normally took the dirt-bikes to a car wash after hard rides, which washed off all lubricants, so we had to lube on a regular basis. WD-40 was a whole lot cheaper than chain-lube! I still use it on regular bike chains.
    When riding two wheel bicycles, I was taught by a bike mechanic to lube usually when rust spots start showing or the chain would get noisy.
  • TCEdTCEd
    TimC wrote: »
    Just my 2¢ worth, but when I used to ride dirt-bikes we stayed away from WD-40 if we had changed to an o-ring chain, because it could cause the o-rings to break down prematurely, but it worked great on regular chains. Of course, we rode through water and mud, plus we normally took the dirt-bikes to a car wash after hard rides, which washed off all lubricants, so we had to lube on a regular basis. WD-40 was a whole lot cheaper than chain-lube! I still use it on regular bike chains.
    When riding two wheel bicycles, I was taught by a bike mechanic to lube usually when rust spots start showing or the chain would get noisy.

    Did the same, directly to the car wash and spray everything. Once home whatever I had in the garage went on the chain including motor oil.
  • TimCTimC
    Exactly!
  • TrikeBirderTrikeBirder
    BTW, WD-40 now actually makes multiple types of bike chain lube that all rate between 4.5 and 4.7 stars from reviewers. Check it out HERE
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