Well how many times we're out on a ride and I hear someone complaining that his bike gears are not shifting!!!! Normally this comes from the guys that buy a bike and after 2years using it ,pretend it does'nt need any maintenance or check.As most of you know one of the most fundemental parts of a bike is it's drivetrain.How can you pretend to go riding in, mud ,dirt ,sand or grass and leave your bike dirty ride after ride and pretend to have good shifting.When cleaning your bike you don't do this for entering any "Pimp my bike" contest,cleaning your bike is crucial for all the mechanical parts to work in harmony and trouble free.While cleaning your bike you will also be inspecting it automatically,and that's how most of the cracks in frames are discovered.I met people that had there casettes clogged with all kind of stuff and instead of cleaning after each ride they just put some oil on it!!! to make an example this is like not taking a shower and putting deodorant.
So cleaning is very important the best way to do it is using warm water ,liquid soap and a brush if you are using any type of degreaser make sure it's not too strong and never use this on bearings or hubs as this will penetrate inside and dissolve the grease and that's trouble.Also don't use a powerwash as this will do the same.A chain with a missing link is also usefull as this will allow you to remove the chain for better cleaning.If you use your bike on a regular basis you should consider changing the inner and outer cables within one year this also depending on the type of riding conditions you ride.
Hope to see some shiny casettes and chains on the next ride and don't forget to oil the chain after cleaning.
Comments
Good post man!