Best Degre/Lube/Bike Maintenance for NJ trails

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BiscoJosh

Guest
Hey everyone - just looking to get some opinions on what are the best products to use for general clean-up and maintenance on our bikes here in the dirty jerz. Im about to just go and buy some pedros stuff, but I was wondering if there is better stuff out there that I should get.
 

walter

Fourth Party
For regular cleaning I use the pink Finish Line cleaner, it works with or without water. I use any good biodegradable degreaser and have been using Dumonde Tech chain lube.
 

ArmyOfNone

Well-Known Member
For regular cleaning I use the pink Finish Line cleaner, it works with or without water. I use any good biodegradable degreaser and have been using Dumonde Tech chain lube.

Hey! You must be a customer at Halter's! Me too!
 

clarkenstein

JORBA Board Member/Chapter Leader
JORBA.ORG
one of the things i like to do is do my drivetrain cleaning/lubing right after a ride - right where i am parked. it saves time pre-ride. that way all i have to do is pick the bike up, check the air in the tires, and go the next time i go out...

i have had great luck with white lightning. after a ride, i wipe down the chain, run a coat of white lightning over it, wipe off the excess (so it doesnt drip on the car on the way home) and off i go.
 

743power

Shop: Bicycle Pro
Shop Keep
I use meguiars quik detailer or equivalent (im a car detailer so I have plenty of it). It doesn't have cleaning or degreasing properties, but it's a bit soapy and slippery, so it is good for wiping residual grime off your frame and works good with a toothbrush for the nitty gritty stuff.

The pink finish line stuff is about 4X as expensive as the meguiars spray.

white lightning for lube.
 
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BiscoJosh

Guest
1. So the pink finish line cleaner can be used on all parts of the bike (excluding the disc breaks) - meaning that when im done with a ride, I can use that stuff on the cranks, cassette, chain etc...then dry it off, use a degreaser, then use some lube.

2. the white lightening is lube?

3. can I just use water for the initial cleaning?
 

Frank

Sasquatch
Original White Lightning (chain lube)has always worked the best for me and Allaire's sand. I tried Pedros but was not as satisfied with it.
 
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BiscoJosh

Guest
Wobbe - thanks. thats a great link.

Frank - I think I am sold on the white lightening, esp with all the Tuesdays coming up ;-)
 

walter

Fourth Party
is an air compressor bad for removing sand and dirt from the bike?

I will go out on a limb and say as long as you are extremely careful and dont spray any pivot points, seals, bearings, headsets, brake calipers, etc you should be ok.

Pretty much if you are careful enough to keep it concentrated to the frame itself you will be fine. High pressure air sprayed into moving parts can damage the internals I would think.

All that being said, it is probably best to just wipe your bike down with a damp cloth.
 
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BiscoJosh

Guest
what LBS should I go to get it and other cleaning products? My go-to LBS doesnt have anything other than Pedros. Anywhere b/w Newark and Freehold I can get to.
 

Frank

Sasquatch
My go-to LBS doesnt have anything other than Pedros.

A lot of folks really like Pedros Ice Wax...it just isn't my cup o' tea. It sure is better than running nothing. Try it, you may like it. I always TRY to support my lbs.
 
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BiscoJosh

Guest
A lot of folks really like Pedros Ice Wax...it just isn't my cup o' tea. It sure is better than running nothing. Try it, you may like it. I always TRY to support my lbs.

allright - sounds like a plan. I really do like the guys at my LBS, so I think youre right.
 

Shaggz

A strong 7
chain

my 2 cents - how you lube is almost as important as what you use. my preference is to lube the chain the night before i ride. try to get a drop of lube on each link, and then wipe the excess off with a rag. too much lube will attract dirt and grit, and could ultimately run your chain and drive train. if the chain is really munged i will soak a rag with simple green or some other bio degreaser, and use that to clean the chain.

works for me, YMMV.
 

743power

Shop: Bicycle Pro
Shop Keep
A lot of folks really like Pedros Ice Wax...it just isn't my cup o' tea. It sure is better than running nothing. Try it, you may like it. I always TRY to support my lbs.

I was using ice wax on my road bike. I don't like it either. It's a lot stickier than white lightning. They tout it's cleaning ability on the bottle. "leave it on for 10 minutes and wipe off to reveal a sparkling chain" . . .or something like that. I found that it doesn't wipe off like white lightning and it leaves residue. After using it all winter, my cassette, chain and RD pulleys were completely gunked up and sticky.

I would imagine this to be a bad situation to leave your bike in for riding at allaire. It would be like lathering your drivetrain in rubbing compound after a ride in the sand.

With that said, pedros makes great stuff and I'm sure they have other dry lubes.
 

GSTim

Formerly M3Tim
Pedros Extra Dry

I use Pedros Extra Dry on my chain, put one drop or so on each link, let it sit for about 5 min then wipe it off. Seems to work pretty good for me, although I haven't tried White Lightning.

Tim
 

Nimrod

New Member
will soak a rag with simple green or some other bio degreaser, and use that to clean the chain.

Simple Green contains know Cancer Causing stuff. Learned this at a "Living Green" home show a couple of weeks ago.
 

Shaggz

A strong 7
can't do anything right these days. i guess i shouldn't have thrown that bottle of TCE down the drain :rolleyes:.

any advice on a good substitute?
 
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