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Any cyclists out there?
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I bought a new bike a few weeks ago, and the guy in Halfords insisted that I'd need GT-85 for proper maintenance of it.
But does it do anything beyond displacing water?
And when I'm lubricating the chain will it cause any problems if I use oil and GT-85 at the same time?
I'd rather keep the maintenance sessions as infrequent as possible.
But does it do anything beyond displacing water?
And when I'm lubricating the chain will it cause any problems if I use oil and GT-85 at the same time?
I'd rather keep the maintenance sessions as infrequent as possible.
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I prefer chain wax on my bike chain and steer clear of oil. Oil makes the chain look dirty and it collects dirt more readily - which isn't good for the chain/cogs.
Remember as well - only oil/lubricate the inside of the chain. Applying to the outside as well will collect even more dirt quicker.
Keep the chain clean(ish) as well. Soap water and old toothbrush or nailbrush will do the trick. Or there's a nice little chain cleaning contraption that clips onto the chain and takes the effort out of cleaning it. About once a month works for me, but depends on how often you use your bike.
Thanks... sounds like good advice.
Every now and then when the chain gets gunked up - particularly in the winter with all the dirt on the roads - I get a little jar and pour in a bit of white spirit, using this with a toothbrush to clean the chain and cogs gets the dirt off miraculously. Then at least two washes with soap and water afterwards using the same toothbrush to make sure the white spirit has been removed, and once rinsed and dry back on with the chain lube.
The biggest problem for me with a properly maintained cycle is it's almost silent (thin 700c tyres make very little noise on the road) and people have a habit of not looking before they step out into the road, so a bellowing voice is also a handy asset!
They're about as good as a chocolate fireguard for me at the speeds I cycle at, by the time someone's heard a little 'ding-ding', registered it in their head, looked around, seen me - I'd have hit them by this point causing both of us damage.
Nothing shifts people off the road like a good 'STOOOPPP!!!'
You beat me to it,
I'm amazed not all bikes have bells...is it not the law?
Try ringing a bell when you're cycling on the south circ, or, come to that, anywhere in zone 1. They don't have any affect. It's not unheard of for some cyclists to use air horns in zone 1.
I never did any regular maintenance to my bike, and it seemed to still work.
(Although now that I don't use it for months on end, the chain does tend to seize up with rust. I might give that GT-85 stuff a go, as WD-40 does nothing)
Apart from the brakes and tyres which obviously you check before setting out, what maintenance issues would cause it to become dangerous?
Yes air horns, work friend has these'
I understand the bell isn't too audible, but a little tinkle on one when a pedestrian is in the way...and a thankyou as you pass by is better than OIY!!!!
I think all bikes should have at least a bell
Point taken about a bell being better than nothing, but I certainly keep up with the traffic around town and at that speed a shout (or airhorn) is definitely needed rather than a little tinkling bell. As I've said before on other threads, depending on the situation I am a pedestrian, a cyclist and a motorist. There are good and bad types in all three groups, but because I do all three activities I am always thinking about acting appropriately to be safe for all three groups.
Pedestrians who just step into the road need to go back to the green cross code!
Going back on topic, I would never use WD-40 on a chain. It is only a very light lubricant, picks up a lot of dirt and evaporates quickly. Any proper chain lube is better than WD-40. It always has to be applied to a clean chain, don't be tempted to think the chain looks a bit dry so you'll stick some on (we've all been there in the past). You should only need to do this about every 3-5 months in the warmer months and every 1-2 months in the winter if you are an on-road cyclist (more frequently if you are off road picking up a lot of dust).
But normally coiled up and bathe it in a degreasant and a bit of brushing, then dip in oil and wipe off the excess.
I have tried waxing the chain but not recently
Some bells are louder than others. Forget the ones where pressing/releasing the lever gives you one tinkle. You need one of those where the ringing is continuous.
On those, sometimes they can be too loud (coming up behind walkers along a path for example; you don't want to startle them); then putting your hand over to muffle it is more polite than shouting or using a horn.
GT-85 is a water displacer only!!!!!
i spray it on my nuts & bolts and cables to repel water & grime as it leaves a teflon film.
NEVER use it [also wd40] as a lubricant on yer chain.
after cleaning a chain u could use GT-85 to get rid of water then apply proper lubricant.
if i was 2 give any tip it woulkd be treat yer chain with utmost respect !!
Not it's not, it's also a lubricant as it contains PTFE.
i'm reeading this thread back to front?!
i've tried wax and its pants for anything other than v short distances
i prefer to disagree. PTFE is nice/usefull but it dont = a decent lubricant. Granted its better than nothing, but if that was all i used on me chain then i'd be replacing it [chain/sprokets] every other month !
If you're having to replace chain/sprockets every month then there is something seriously wrong, and lubrication is the least of your worries.
You initially said it wasn't a lubricant, and now you've changed that to "not a decent lubricant". That fact is that it is a lubricant.
the amount of cycling i do if i only sprayed gt85 on my chain i'd woul;d be lookin at replacement every other month to maintain optimum efficiency
if u think gt85 is a good lube then good for you squeeky
you just answered you own question twice. First your chain seizing up and second with brakes and tyres can get dangerous if not checked.
My bike often gets dismantled for transporting in the car, I have to check if the brake cables have been tensioned properly.
The other issues come up because the bike isn't used much; and neither the tyres being low (which I would notice anyway) and a 'lumpy' chain are particularly dangerous (it's not a racing bike).
But when I did ride more often, lack of maintenance never caused any serious problems.
One thing which I do find dangerous is a chain jumping off and getting stuck, so you're in the middle of traffic (I was on that giant roundabout in Rome last time it happened) with no way to propel it. But that tends to be on meticulously maintained rental bikes, never on my rusty old one.
how many hands do you have ? So you are supposed to ring the bell, cover it at the same time, steer and cover the brakes all at the same time ?