q-tip cleaning obsessive?

[silver]

Oh, great! I'm not alone! Q-tips users unite!

OK, more about MY methods. I never hose down my bikes. I use a spray bottle of bike cleaner (it's pink), spray it on a soft cloth and wipe the bike clean. I do not clean it for every ride, but once a month or so, with the q-tip cleans 3 or 4 times a year. I don't take much of the bike apart, I do take off the wheels. Every thing else I clean on the bike, reaching into little spaces with q-tips and I do also use Mr.'s toothbrush . But I do clean until squeaky clean. I even clean the tires. I did all of this cleaning in my kitchen.

I actually don't like using that chain cleaner contraption. I do a better job myself.

I only use degreaser when the bike cleaner won't get a spot clean.

Then I re-lube the chain (with prolink, I think) and lube the derailers and shifters with triflow. A couple of times a year I will touch up any nicks with clear nail polish and finally I polish the bike with pledge.

Oh, for cleaning the cassette, the best way is to remove and clean each piece, which I've done occasionally when I've changed cassettes, but without taking the cassette off.....I hold the wheel in my lap and take a cloth with bike cleaner on it and fold it. I hold it straight and tight threaded between the cogs and pull in the direction that the cassette doesn't turn (I think to the right) then pull the cloth to the other direction so that the cassette rotates and pull again in the other direction so that eventually I get all the way around the cassette, then repeat between the next pieces. That made perfect sense....right?

[SouthernBelle]

I do clean my bike regularly, but don't do the every nook and cranny every time. The stuff I had on my cassette simply didn't come off with your usual cleaners. I think it's partly because we had no rain to wash off the streets this year.

But since I wanted to put my old tire on this evening to go on the trainer, it seemed a good time to do it while watching the Titans. This required lots of newspaper in the floor. My cassette is now beautemous. But the big black tire on the back looks funny compared to the skinny orange tire on the front.


BUT... I find the chainrings a pain to clean. I have a triple in front and it's a PITA.

Still have to lube it. I used halftime to make white chili.

[divingbiker]

OK, every time I see the title of this thread I think "well, yeah, of course it's obsessive." This comes from someone who wipes down the chain and lubes it regularly, and wipes off the frame, but seldom does any thorough cleaning of the bike. Yes, I'm bad.

But this morning I decided to clean up my "new" Bridgestone before I take it to the LBS to turn it into an Xtracycle, and I used toothbruses, q-tips, rags, nail polish, etc. And the bike looks and works great!

So I have to say I'm a convert, and am on my way downstairs to work on the other four bikes.

I apologize to Silver, Kalidurga, and others for doubting your sanity when it comes to obsessively cleaning your bikes.

[coyote]

All this talk about cleaning finally got me motivated, although there were no q-tips involved .

I solved the problem of my squeeky drivetrain. It must have been the rear derailler. I finally took the back wheel off and found that one of the little wheels in the derailler (I'm not too good with the technical terms) was completely caked on the back side. I seriously do not know how it was turning at all. The funny thing is that its been making that noise since I bought it

Oh, well and now they are forcasting rain! I guess the bike washing works like the car washing.

[Zen]

Yes, I'm bad.

I've seen your bike.
Yes, you are bad

[Brandy]

I clean my bikes when George comments on how dirty they are. No really, I've gotten better lately!

[Starfish]

I use baby wipes for quick wipe downs, and since they don't disintegrate like Qtips can, I use baby wipe in little strips to thread through tight places and floss clean, sort of.

I do use a citrus degreaser...I apply it with a small paint brush to get it just where I want it, and not where I don't.

I also use mild bike wash in a spray bottle, and use a spray bottle of plain water for rinsing, when I'm not outside.

I have a variety of brushes, from large to small, and use different ones for the rims than I do for the drivetrain.

I find that a really nubby towel is great for the cassette.

I also keep alcohol and face pads handy for the rims.

I will use a hose outside when it is warm enough, but only with a nozzle that can produce a very broad, fine mist that has virtually NO pressure to it.

In the better weather when I'm riding all the time, I do a quick wipe down every time I ride (less than 5 minutes...basic frame, chain, rims, brake pads). Then, I do a regular wash every couple weeks. Then, every month or so I do a nit-picky clean. I realized I was doing OK with the cleaning when I apologized to my LBS for bringing the bike in dirty and they gave me really weird looks.

I have yet to take too much apart by myself, because I'm nervous about getting it back together. I need to get throught this barrier.

I enjoy detailing my bike the way I used to detail my horses. My brothers cannot understand why this does not carry over into detailing my car?

[short cut sally]

I also use q-tips to clean my chain. i use carb cleaner--i know, shudders abound here---to get the initial grime loosened. then i use the hand held chain cleaner thingamabob that one puts degreaser inside and spins the chain thru the plastic bristles inside. then out comes the q-tips to get between the links, yes more carb cleaner is used. then a rag damped by more chemicals is used to clean my cassettes, along with more q-tips if needed. of course i do reapply lubricant to the chain after it is thorougly cleaned. i usually wash and wax my bike at the same time my chain is getting cleaned. touch-ups were done last year at a local paint shop..free of charge- they were more interested in asking questions about biking and how much I had invested in this obsession.