Maintain your drivetrain, pt2

Last month we looked at the chain and jockey wheels, now it’s the cables and front mech

Most of us have good intentions, but when it comes to cleaning our bikes it’s tempting to just give them a quick once-over and head indoors for a shower and some food. This being the case, every month or so it’s worth carving out the time to give your drivetrain a proper deep clean. This will not only make your bike run much more smoothly and quietly, and prolong the life of expensive components, but also allows you to spot any problems early and replace worn-out parts. And, of course, you’ll have earned a sense of glowing self satisfaction as you survey your gleaming steed.

In part two this issue we’re looking at how to clean your gear cables, front mech and rear cassette. You’ll probably be surprised by the amount of gunk that collects in the nooks and crannies, so fill up your bucket with steaming hot soapy water and be prepared to give it some elbow grease! It’s strangely addictive so it might even become a habit…

02 Wipe cables

Slide the outers to expose the previously covered sections of inner cable. Give the entire inner cable a wipe-over with a section of rag that has been soaked in degreaser. If you come across any sections that are rusty, fit a new inner cable. Most dry cables can be reinvigorated with a little bit of light grease.

03 Lube cables

The best way to apply grease evenly to a cable is to put grease on a clean (lintfree) rag. Holding the rag in one hand with the greased section between thumb and forefinger, gently pinch the section of inner cable in the rag and draw it through. You want the grease to get into the fine strands of the cable without any excess.

04 Scrub front mech

Front mechs are easily neglected and are often jammed full of dry mud, with pivots drier than a Jacob’s cracker. The first thing to do to get your front mech swinging happily again is to use steaming hot soapy water and give it a good clean. Use a toothbrush to get right into the parallelogram and underneath the band.

05 Wipe front mech

Give the mech a good going-over with the rag. Use a thin strip of rag to thread though the body of the front mech; this allows you to floss the body. Don’t overlook the inside of the front mech cage, as this gets pretty grubby from rubbing the chain all day. After a couple of minutes you should have a gleaming front mech.

06 Lube front mech

Use the lube dropper bottle to apply a few drops of lube to all the pivots on the front mech. These take a lot of load so can use all the help you can give them to remain mobile. Shift the mech into the smallest chainring and then work the parallelogram with your fingers to get the lube worked right in.