Quote Originally Posted by maillotpois
I always take the chain off if I am doing a good cleaning. And the cassette. I just did it all this afternoon. I use an ultra sonic heated cleaner, but you can also put everything into a tub of hot water/cleaner and put it on your clothes dryer while running/vibrating. If you take the cassette off use a zip tie to keep the pieces together in order!
I haven't figured out how to take the chain off, at least not far enough so I could put it in a pan on the dryer! But this sounds like a really cool idea, since it would rattle the dust-crud out of there without scrubbing each link.

and, I'm not even sure what the cassette is, though I think it might be those gears on the back wheel. Taking that off -- probably a good way to clean, but hmmmmmmm.

And since we're cleaning, any easy way to do the front rings? Parts of them seem to be mighty hard to get at!
When I was puttering the other night, DH's bike was gross -- but then, I've taken a scrub brush to mine once or twice this summer already, and he hasn't! It's about time for me to do that again on mine. He needs to do his himself, though. It's not that much fun to do the cleaning!

And once again, just in case I don't say it enough: Thank you ladies one and all for all the great information I've been finding here!!!!!

Karen in Boise