Anyone use or try the Tru Tension Grime Guard?

You could make one out of a plastic folder if you wanted to...

But you should use spray lubricants/cleaners on your rear wheel, anyway.

Maybe get a pair of Muc-Off disc protectors--at least they can be used in the winter for transit, too.

wschruba said:

But you should NOT use spray lubricants/cleaners on your rear wheel, anyway.

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pretty sure this is what you meant to say.

Harold said:

pretty sure this is what you meant to say.

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Guilty.

Harold said:

pretty sure this is what you meant to say.

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ok, I might need the explanation on this. i have always used spray degreasers on the rear cassette. why not?

The Muc-Off disc protectors look sweer!

Every time I see the add for that pop up on a feed. I'm always horrified by the amount degreaser they spay at that cassette. I've been wrenching on and racing bikes for over 3 decades... Never in my life have I had to use that much of a cleaner on my own stuff. Sure so stuff brought in the shop when I wrenched was pretty gross but i still don't think I would ever hose down a cog set with such vigor. Seems like a product looking for a problem to me. The Muc-Off guards I do like and use when cleaning my bikes. You just missed out on the 40% off sale they were having unfortunately.

just my $.02

hdave said:

ok, I might need the explanation on this. i have always used spray degreasers on the rear cassette. why not?

The Muc-Off disc protectors look sweer!

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because when you spray **** near your cassette, it will inevitably splatter. some of it is going to wind up on your disc rotor, where you will now have problems with contamination and loss of braking performance.

The answer to this is if you need to hose your cassette off that badly, then remove it from the wheel so you can really be thorough about it. that has the side benefit of keeping splatter away from your rotor.

if you are using the right lube and have your cleaning and maintenance routine down, you should be able to do most quick cleaning with just a rag. and removing the cassette to be more thorough on those rare occasions that you want to clean the junk out from the deeper nooks and crannies shouldn't be that big of a deal.

Gotcha - thanks! Makes sense.

hdave said:

i have always used spray degreasers on the rear cassette. why not?

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I keep the drivetrain clean and well maintained and have never needed any degreasers. Ride, wipe-down chain, lube, wipe-down chain lube residual before next ride.

Aerosols and disks don't need to be in close proximity.

hmmm Thinkin I should put more into cleaning the drivetrain more often...

thanks guys!

hdave said:

hmmm Thinkin I should put more into cleaning the drivetrain more often...

thanks guys!

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Chances are, you are over-lubricating.

Seems that's how it goes. Maybe they start out under-lubricating and they get chastised somewhere (riding buddies, LBS, randos on the trail commenting on how awful the bike sounds, whatever) for it, and then they transition to using too much (or maybe they start out using too much because they're afraid of under-lubricating). Either way, it doesn't really matter what chain lube you use, if you use too much, it's going to get really nasty. Some collect grime more than others, of course, and some need to be applied more frequently or less frequently (which means you have to figure that out for yourself, the conditions you ride in, and the lube you've chosen). But the result of over-lubrication is the same. Dirt sticks to it.

When I stopped over-lubricating, the need to clean it reduced substantially.

hdave said:

hmmm Thinkin I should put more into cleaning the drivetrain more often...

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Maybe not so much 'cleaning', but just keeping the chain and drivetrain wiped down.

Harold said:

Chances are, you are over-lubricating.

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Maybe. I use Boeshield T-9 Bicycle Lubricant. I apply before most rides by running it over the chain as I spin the crank and then running the chain through a rag to pick up all the excess. TBH I dont clean my bike all that often. Where i rode most of last year was quiet dusty tho. I should just brush it off more often maybe to stop the build up.

If there is a better chain lube recommendation I am all about trying something new.

thanks for all the input.

and not everyone knows that the lubricant is for the pins and connections within the chain, you don’t need any lube on the outsides of the plates. Don’t over lube, and make sure to wipe down after lubing which helps clean the chain too and you are good to go. Unless you are riding super sloppy conditions, in which case i would hose down with water (not pressurized), brush if needed, then relube and wipe.

I can't tell you exactly how long that lube should be able to last, but applying before every ride is probably a lot more than necessary.

Maybe you should do some longevity tests with it. How long can you ride after applying it before your chain starts making noise?

Never degrease your cassette while on the bike as in the video. Degreaser can get into the freehub or hub bearings. Always remove your cassette to degrease (unless it just requires a regular clean).

I agree with this - it's best to remove the cassette then degrease. At least then you can really get into the cogs from both sides.

If I spray anything on the cassette it's isopropyl alcohol, and then the chain gets cleaned/oiled. If you really want the cassette clean, remove it.