Quick Freehubs, Disposing Degreaser & Accurate Pressure | GCN Tech Clinic

[@gcntech]

Leave your tech questions below #AskGCNtech

[@Flojo-1]

#askgcntech: Hi GCN TECH: My Ribble has 11-Speed 105 on it. Would a harder wearing chain like a Sram XX1 or Shimano Ultegra wear out the cassette and chainrings faster than using a cheaper, less hard wearing chain? Or is a hardwearing chain always the best route for longevity for all the drivetrain components?

[@Sutlore007]

#AskGCNtech Hi, love watching your videos. Could I use tubeless tire sealant with tubular tires? Is it going to shorten the life span of the tubular tires because I think the sealant will stay there, dried in the tube, and unable to be cleaned? Also, could I use a tubeless plug repair kit to repair the tubular tires?

[@DealWithTheDevil.]

#AskGCNtech Hello from the Philippines! if I'm leaving my bike stationary, what gear should I have in my rear and front mech to ensure its longevity?

[@peterl3463]

Hello GCN , my question is not techie but i want to ask you guys this. In my country (Greece) we have a problem with stray dogs chasing after cyclists (including me of course). Do you guys know some way for avoiding or making dogs not attacking to you? Thanks a lot and keep it up. Love from Greece.

[@kipcc3918]

#askgcntech: In connection with degreasers, Are alcohol based degreasers better? I use Finish Line Bicycle Speed Degreaser what’s the worst it can do? I only see the cement being stained by the oils that the degreaser is taking, what’s the best way to clean it out?

[@TK-ov4hn]

The cleanliness of the chain is reason enough for me to be a waxing disciple!

[@bradrogers2427]

I second this, it may be a watt or two faster, but the real advantage to us normal people waxing chains is how clean everything is. I recently helped a club mate with a broken chain and he used a "dry" chain lube and my hands got black and disgusting. With my waxed chain, that wouldn't have been the case.

[@kovie9162]

I recently helped a friend clean and lube his bike chain. Took it off, gave it a really good scrubbing with Simple Green and one of those on-bike chain cleaners that are just as easy to use off the bike, back and forth many times, rinsed it off with water, let it dry, put it back on then applied wet lube as he rides in the rain. Very clean chain that looked almost new and which he said was super smooth when riding. He came by a week or so later so I could help him with some other bike tasks, and the chain was filthy again, and we both got chain tattoos. Meantime, my waxed chain is just as clean after nearly 300 miles as it was when I waxed it. Granted that only just over 20 of those miles were outdoors, in dry conditions on good roads, the rest on a trainer. But clean is clean and he didn't have that many more miles on his bike. If for no other reason, this is why to wax (or at least use a dry lube). But also so your chain, cassette and chainrings last much longer than they would with non-wax lube, and generally be quieter and smoother running. A bit higher cost and more work up front that more than pays for itself down the line. But a clean chain is priceless.

[@kidShibuya]

6:18 if only there were a cycling channel with the resources to gather a bunch of popular tyre pressure gauges and test them against a known good one. We can dream...

[@mtblover]

What is it with cyclists and tire pressure guages? You should know your personal preference by a thumb press, in my opinion.

[@SaHaRaSquad]

@@mtblover Yeah what is it with people wanting results not be random? Inconceivable.

[@mtblover]

@SaHaRaSquad tire pressure results. It's always the same if you know what it should feel like. But I get your point. People are so unintouch of late that only tech gives them security. Shame.

[@SaHaRaSquad]

@@mtblover I'm sure some people can sense the pressure more or less correctly but in general humans tend to be terrible with doing such things consistently unless they practice it for a long time. It's not shameful to aim for precision, just say you don't care as much and move on.

[@panzerveps]

GCN won't ever do product reviews because of their sponsors.

[@brianeberly3279]

After 3 years of me trying to convince my dad (a cyclist of 40+ year) to switch to waxing, Ollie managed to convince him when he was going around a world tour race touching everyone's chains. My pops likes his bike clean and the cleanliness of a waxed chain had him sold.

[@gcntech]

If he likes his bike clean wax is the only way to go 🙌

[@bateriayvr8988]

One phrase says perfectly why you'd choose wax over wet lube: NO MORE GRINDING PASTE! That used to be the bane of my cycling existence before discovering hot melt + drip wax.

[@gcntech]

It all last longer too 🙌 What's not to love

[@justsomedude7556]

Get two chains, rotate chains, it so simple to have a fresh waxed chain when needed and then you can re-wax the used chain at your leisure.

[@popejbryant]

4:43 if the user is using a Shimano 11-34 cassette, he probably is missing a spacer. That cassette is MTB 11 speed width and is a bit slack on road 11 SPD freehub bodies.

[@throx]

Cassettes need to be tightened to about 40Nm (which is a lot) or they will wobble and then bite into the freehub because the load isn't distributed over all the gears. When tight, the gears act as a unit from friction between them to minimise the individual forces on the hub, which (especially on alloy) will make it bite in. I made the mistake on my bike of not tightening it up enough and causing wear, but making sure it was at 40Nm was the solution.

[@mtblover]

Thanks for this. I was always too scared to tighten it to that extent and have bite marks on all my alu freebodies.

[@KarlosEPM]

40Nm is even higher than what you can exert with your body weight over the wrench. It should be hard to remove. Too many bikes are ridden with very loose cassettes.

[@RenAigu]

Waxing is cleaner, more silent, makes the chain more durable, saves money. It also saves time in maintenance compared to maintaining a perfectly maintained oiled drivetrain. However, the thing is that with oil lubricants you can get away with a with a longer time between service, is my impression anyway. If the hassle getting the chain stripped and the maintenance of keeping the wax in good condition is keeping you from switching, like it did with me, you are not maintaining your chain and drivetrain enough! Switching to a wax regime will have double the effect! I'm waxing now for 3 months, ± 3000 km over two alternated chains, no measured chainwear yet, in some very wet months. When I did not maintain my oiled chain very well, I would have issues now, and when I started doing that better, I think I'd be fine, but only for a little bit longer.

[@overcookit1433]

The far much more cleaner cassette and chain is worth the "hassle" of chain waxing - I have no problem with rewaxing the chain before every third ride. The real hassle was cleaning a oil-based lubes chain up to years ago, and especially the cassette was a real mess to clean, not to mention the need for a brush and washing powder for getting the hands cleaner, and still in some areas, the black stuff from the chain remained in the skin. Now normal soap is sufficient for the hands, and they are really clean. And for rainy conditions, just choose the Squirt e-bike chain wax, it is more waterproof than any oil-based chain lube! Back in the days with oil, I had to relube after every rain-ride, but with Squirt, the rain had no chance of getting in the chain, it probably has some ingredients that help the wax sticking to the chain. It attracts a little bit more dirt than wax usually does, but with a more frequent cleaning with a cloth this is no problem.

[@Jay-qq7so]

Back in the day we wanted quieter Hubs.

[@owensnicholas]

I don’t wax my chain to save money or to extend the service life of the components. I suppose both of those are benefits. The biggest reason I wax my chains is cleanliness. A waxed chain doesn’t collect grime, and it doesn’t really leave gunk on your hands when you touch it. It’s clean to touch, and it’s far easier to clean the bike overall. That’s my favorite benefit of waxing.

[@roberttell1587]

For me wax being so much cleaner is worth the price of admission. Any gains or cost savings are gravy!

[@gcntech]

Say it louder for those at the back 🙌

[@graemetunbridge1738]

'degreaser' - If its a dilute detergent - compost it in the backyard. Why degrease (use a strong solvent) on your chain - maybe just use a paper towel (etc) to wipe the excess lube and grime from the outside of the chain and leave as much oil on the bearing surfaces as possible, sidestepping the solvent disposal problem altogether. Wiping also avoids the possibility of getting solvent into the other bearings (hubs and cranks)

[@gcntech]

So many waxing questions! There are enough in the comments so far for Alex and Ollie to do a 24hr Live Chain Waxing GCN Tech Special!

[@DDai-qd8uk]

What is waxing?

[@GregLanz]

I bought $6 of paraffin wax from the local grocery store 4 years ago along with a $15 crock pot from Amazon. I'm finally in need to replace the wax, this cost me under $6 per year and the next few years will be under $2/yr. The $100+/yr seems a bit high

[@untaintedwheelchair]

Wax without an additive designed for mechanical load/friction isn't nearly as effective as a lubricant, from memory only around 30% as effective

[@peterwillson1355]

​@untaintedwheelThere is no way i would pay £100/kg for wax. I think my paraffin wax was £5/kg.

[@ryuujinusa]

Thanks for answering my question. You guys rock! I ended up doing this by removing the wheel, but not the cassette from the wheel (didn't have a chain whip handy) and it worked great. Was careful to not get the hot water anywhere but on the cassette and gunk.

[@gcntech]

Great to hear that you've sorted your issue 🙌 Thanks for being part of the GCN Tech community!

[@taylorbrenn7191]

A lot of local auto shops will take your waste oils and the like. It may be a great place to dispose of your degreaser.

[@bikecommuter24]

I just figured out where my track pump is at the right pressure regardless of what it is reading and then use a tire gauge with a relief valve to get the pressure I want . I like to run 70psi on my Hybrid bike with 700x35C tires my track pump reads about 10psi above true pressure so I pump to about 81 psi on the track pump and then use the gauge to adjust to 70 psi. It really does not take that long, I usually do it when Im getting stuff ready for work the night before, get my gear ready and my lunch made and in the fridge. LOL I do the pinch-squeeze test before I roll out not scientifically accurate but it confirms I got tires with air in them.

[@gcntech]

Great to hear you're taking tyre pressure seriously! 🙌 The night before trick is great! That can really help keep you motivated and organised 👌

[@JonCannings]

The fastest freehub is the one that you don't freewheel on

[@smithandshortdogs]

On the math problem at the end.... Domingo is right (I assume, I did not check his math), up until the point that he starts talking about multiple bikes... If you have n+1 bikes you are not typically going to do (miles/n)*(n+1) miles... You are simply going to do n miles just shared over more bikes. So your chain wear on each individual chain would be reduced, such that you would need the same number of chains per year. *For those checking me, the formula in the middle is my quick WAG at a calculation which assumes a direct and fixed correlation between the number of bikes you own and the number of miles your ride... essentially assuming that no matter how many bikes you own, the average miles ridden per bike remains constant as the number of bikes rises.... or to put it another way, if you buy more you will ride more, and therefore be more fit (in the British slang sense) so your partner should encourage more bikes or potentially more distracted riding, if they no longer find you fit, so win win.

[@douglasbooth6836]

As long as you use the same tyre pump/gauge all the time it does matter if it’s out 1psi.

[@noptimized]

#askGCNtech Okay, not tech specific, but while watching the Giro I was wondering if domestiques ride at 100% in time trials, or do they sometimes save their legs a little to ensure that they can feel fresher in a supporting role?

[@simonsimon8213]

They often Save their legs if they arent tt specialists

[@gcntech]

Great question! We love the pro content 🙌

[@deadmold]

Or just use a steel brush on your cassette to remove the wax. Works like a charm.

[@dawn_rider]

For removing cassette wax you could always try brushing on some Ceramic speed UFO Drivetrain Cleaner as its designed for this. It dissolves wax unlike the Silca cleaner and at a minimum should remove any wax on the brake disk as highlighted at 3:57 . However the CS website states " Do not apply to Disc brake pads " 😞so wheel removal from the bike is still best and protect your pads. You still might need boiling water if things are really gunked up ? If Silca have such a product please tell me, as their Ultimate Brake and Drivetrain Cleaner " will not attack wax on paint or drivetrain " ( quoted From the Silca website ) .

[@Llanchlo]

Degeaser - I use the most eco-friendly products I can. Taking it to recycling centre is not practical - they do not allow pedestrian / bike access and I have no car. Rightly or wrongly I use the nearest road drain. It may not be 'correct' but it is a drop in the ocean compared to the rubber from millions of tyres and the particulates from the degrading asphalt.

[@ebikescrapper3925]

I put old degreaser in a used milk bottle and stick it in the rubbish

[@douglasbooth6836]

The more noise something makes the less efficient it is. That noise is energy transfer(loss).

[@Fluff3H]

This is why I use Muc-Off de-greaser and Muc-Off Dry Lube, they state they are fully bio-degradable so I dont mind cleaning my components outside as everything that is coming off the components came from nature originally as well

[@yonglingng5640]

Muc-Off Drivetrain Cleaner degreaser leaves an oily film behind, I don't like it.

[@Fluff3H]

@@yonglingng5640 I have never had this, it removes majority of the gunk for me.

[@morellish]

Find a rough plastic brush and go to work on the cassette. When the wax is hard you can brush it off.

[@user-cx2bk6pm2f]

How to dispose of degreaser... can it not be re-conditioned and re-used, sort of like filtering out the suspended gunk? As you may imagine, Adam at ZFC goes through a ton of degreaser. I seem to recall something to this effect in one of his videos where he explains the use cycle for the chemicals he uses.

[@nicholasfitzgerald1999]

#askgcntech Hey Alex and Ollie, for people running latex inner tubes and don't want to make the shift to Tubeless just yet, should they look to run Tubeless Ready Tyres or just normal clincher tyres. It seems all tyre brands are shifting their efforts to improving TLR tyres and ignoring clinchers. Would it be faster to run Pirelli P ZERO Race TLR or (RS when available) vs P Zero Race clinchers despite the weight penalty? Please avoid the old " just go tubeless answer " and provide some pros vs cons. I travel a lot and need to constantly pack the bike, so sealant is messy, and I rotate tyres constantly for my indoor trainer as I use a wheel on the trainer. So tubeless is a hard no for me. hahaha Cheers

[@yonglingng5640]

Using tubeless-ready tires while still sticking to a clincher setup will only make tire removal and reinstallation harder half of the time as they need to be tight-fitting in order to work well for tubeless setups. If the need to switch to tubeless isn't there yet or never arises, I don't see the point of making things harder by buying a pair of tubeless-compatible tires.

[@nicholasfitzgerald1999]

@@yonglingng5640 Appreciate the reply. It's interesting, I get what you're saying. The issue is all the R&D is going into tubeless tyres at the moment to make them faster, more grippy etc. So even though it's more of a fuss if you get a puncture because it's harder to remove etc. Does the performance benefits say for race race justify using the TLR

[@edb8120]

A good mechanical pressure gage is at least as good as any digital gage. Digital gages are very sensitive to temperature and need to be checked regularly.

[@hbrameus]

8:18 instead of having multiple bikes, not buying one of your additional bikes would save you more than you need to go to the Alps.

[@BoloGrubb]

I really dislike loud free hub, much prefer a quieter one

[@degooogled1624]

Tire question. My son and I are riding the MS150 soon (Charity ride - 150+ miles over two days). Outside of this ride we're riding 150-200 miles a month, (Blacktop roads & bike paths, and occasional car traveled gravel). Do you have any tire recommendations? At least one Pirelli would be nice as I've had such a great experience with them on cars. Bikes are a Windsor Bristol & an Orbea Avant. Thanks!!!!

[@Lacking_something]

As Silca Josh pointed out... Even if the degreaser is environmentally friendly, what about the lube/degreaser that is mixed with it once used.

[@ftekkie]

Not a pro, didn’t think much of waxing either, but switched to UFO Drip last year. Not looking back. Just brilliant in every sense.

[@gcntech]

Whoop whoop! It's pretty great isn't it 👌

[@massimoserafini8115]

@askgcntech Andy and Oli, thanks for your vids. Question, with the advent of super light TPU tubes in recent years, is dealing with tubeless tires and sealant really worth it anymore?

[@oOoACFREEMANoOo]

Love how at 1:25 you see how Alex gets uncomfortable with Ollie's knowledge. Just check his body language 😂

[@XXXENOWRAITHXX]

well he does have his PHD in chemistry...

[@alexgold1981]

Something to watch out for when pouring boiling water is that it can/will damage the bearings in the wheel/Freehub/jockey wheels. I did it a few times and after replacing all of the above I decided to stop being lazy and just take the cassette off and put it in boiling water..

[@foxy1706]

Waxing my chain for last while, for cleaning ive started using a mild heat gun to melt wax and whip it off. is this dangerous to the chain, obviously if heat near other parts paint etc could be damage that but if can focus the the chain would that be safe?

[@untaintedwheelchair]

It depends on the temperature you're heating it to. What temperature you think* you're heating something to is different from the actual*/measured temperature, and that varies depending on material type. Resins, plastic, seals, paints, etc. will degrade pretty quickly above a certain temperature, and that includes cassette spacers. Metal is also highly thermally conductive. Use water at around 80-90C rather than a heat gun.

[@ahenrytheninth]

Simple Green, best citrus based degreaser.

[@DealWithTheDevil.]

#AskGCNtech Hello from the Philippines!, if I'm leaving my bike stationary, what gear should I have in my rear and front mech to ensure its longevity?

[@yonglingng5640]

Front derailleur: Small chainring Rear derailleur: Smallest cog This is what's known as a small-small cross-chain, where both shift cables have the lowest tension possible, which won't stretch the cables overtime.

[@DealWithTheDevil.]

@@yonglingng5640 ohhhh got it! Thanks for answering brother

[@MrGazingdown]

#askGCNtech You compare hot waxed chain longevity to wet lube, however how does hot wax compare to wax lubes (e.g. Squirt Chain Lube that I use). Am struggling to really see benefit of going from wax lube to hot waxing (I do c2000 miles a year and chain is still all good and not worn using wax lube). Chainset is 12 speed sram rival btw....

[@ltrtg13]

#AskGCNTech. As someone who has 2 mountain bikes and living in the sunny UK. 🤣. How well would the either hot melt wax or drip on wax last on a typical wet and muddy off road ride?

[@feedbackzaloop]

Most of waste disposal is carried out through simple burning, so I wouldn't count on them. Unless you live in woodland reserve or run a bike shop (for what you are already equipped with a washing station with recirculation and filtering, I hopefully presume) you don't create enough of a hazard by letting waste evaporate or getting flushed down the drain.

[@SlickCycler]

#askGCNtech My bottle of chain drip wax froze for a few days while in my garage over the winter (I live in Canada). There is a warning on the bottle to not let it freeze. Is it still OK to use? And this got me to thinking, what about the wax on my chain when my bike is stored in my garage or shed over the winter? If the wax in the bottle shouldn't be frozen, what about the wax on our chains? Should we be dewaxing our chains when storing them for winter? I realize that this question isn't seasonable anymore, but I've been asking it for many weeks, hoping it will get onto to the show soon.

[@apt8012]

Once the water has evaporated (after application) only wax is left on your chain, then freezing doesn't matter anymore. As for the bottle: I would give it a good shake and try. It won't break anything.

[@johnandrus3901]

Interesting. Don't most degreasing systems, which have spraying wands, circulate the solvent and filter it out? I would think that you would get a decent amount of use out of the solvent and have less waste to dispose of. If you don't have a system like that, you could filter your used solvent through a coffee filter and reuse it.

[@Basti_97]

Hi, I can't afford a disc wheel for a triathlon (7.3 and flat terrain). Is it worth having a disc cover made for the wheel, or is the effect of a cover too small?"

[@kevjr_kev7218]

What about ceramic bearings in BB hubs and pullies wheels etc.. would they make a difference with less friction than normal bearings..??

[@yonglingng5640]

In those two areas, the gains are marginal. Overtime, the bearing races will wear out sooner than steel bearings if the races aren't hardened for use with ceramic ball bearings. Some cyclists would rather use industrial-grade steel bearings, such as SKF, NTN, etc.

[@Kim_Miller]

If Ollie holds his head in just the right position we can see the golden halo surrounding him. Is he running for sainthood? 😀

[@KarlosEPM]

😂

[@hebijirik]

I always hope to see something usefull for me in the chain lubrication / chain lifetime parts of these and I keep coming back to the same conclusion: none of this works the same for me. I ride a recumbent with 3x longer chain so it costs 3x more to replace. I am not into super expensive cassettes, basically my cassette costs me the same as one chain replacement. The chain can last pretty long because with the longer path it is bending sideways less for the same gear combination. It also runs through plastic tubes, the top one loosely covering it and the bottom one guiding it above the front fork and back down. This means that friction of the outside of the chain against those tubes (polyamid) is a factor so a chain completely dry on the outside is no good here. Also removing and re-installing the chain is a lot more work than a road bike. So when I put this all together I always come back to the same conclusion: clean it with the device that clamps rotating brushes onto the chain in front of the rear deraileur, wet lubricate, repeat regularly for about 15.000km, then change chain and cassette together. I have not yet found a more economical and/or convenient solution that would work. Waxing is nonsense for me even if I ignore the friction in the tubes problem: spending an hour twice a weak to remove the chain and re-install it is just always gonna put me off even if my cassette was much more than 50 EUR it is and someone convinced me that doint will make it last literarly forever. I would rather pay 50 EUR every two years to have 2 hours more time each week. Even if I could streamline it down to 1 hour per week it still sounds like something for racers who have mechanics to do it for them, not commuters who just want to ride to work and back in all weather.

[@dawn_rider]

If your drivetrain is totally enclosed like in a velomobile ? , then try some Silca Synerg-E ( oil base ). In the zerofrictioncycling tests , currently in clean / dry conditions it's got the longest single application longevity he has ever seen. You might be able to make chain removal / reinstallation easier by quicklinking an old chain to the one for cleaning to feed it out. It's better to use a hand removable unlimited use link like the connex one. You can clean the quicklink when you've got the old temporary chain in place by hooking the ends with a U shaped wire hook so you can remove it. When you've re-waxed / cleaned the new chain and link , just quicklink it back onto the old chain and feed it back onto your drivetrain. You might be able to wrap / tape a cloth to your chain and rotate back and forth to clean the inside of the plastic chain guide tubes ?

[@hebijirik]

@@dawn_rider Some nice tips, thanks. I don't have a velomobile any more but I know someone who does. I'll send them the recommendation. The trick with old chain is what I use to install the new one when I do it. Just a piece of wire to connect them, the connection doesn't need to go smoothly over chainrings and pulleys. I hang the bike on a ceiling winch for it so I can turn the cranks in either direction. It goes better going forward, tensioning the side that is normally under tension. It can be done on the ground backwards too... With the wax it seems like the deeper tests I find the shorter the recommended re-waxing interval gets. Like 6 hours of riding and shorter in rain. That would be almost twice a week for me. And the freshly waxed chain seems a bit stiff for some km so part of that interval it does not even ride that well? What I do now is just spraying the lubricant into the chain tube while turning the cranks and then wiping the excess with a rug once the chain is properly drenched in the oil. Doing that takes like two minutes so having to do it twice a week in rainy weather and once a week in good weather feels like no problem. When it seems some dirt has accumulated I use half of a paper towel wrapped around the chain to clean the PA tubes and it takes out some gunk from the derailleur pulley cage too. When the next paper towel is not getting much dirt any more I either put the brush cleaner on the chain and run it throught it a bit or if not needed just straight back to lubrication. Doing it this way and last few years being sick and not riding a good part of every winter has resulted in one chain/cassette combo lasting me about 15.000 km. On a bike where the wheels can spray dirty road water onto the chain. So I guess while it is not technically very clean or perfect method it is low effort and good enough. I envy velomobile riders their 60k chain lifetime though. Must be nice 🙂.

[@dawn_rider]

@@hebijirik For your friend with the velomobile , the section of ZFC vid showing the single application longevity of Synerg-E is kzbin.info/www/bejne/aZrJgnamotKNd6s. From the ZFC data , the wax drip lube that has the best chance in harsh conditions is effetto mariposa flowerpower . ZFC have not done a review video yet and I think the manufacturer is modifying it due to customer feedback so It's just a product to keep an eye on. I don't use it and ZFC may have to do a retest if they change it ? With my freshly immersive waxed chains I ride the first few km's in the larger cassette sprockets to avoid chain skipping. Setting off with a straight chainline also reduces the chance of an unplanned gear change.

[@mikehoward7777]

Wax saves the chain or chainring tattoo. I have ruined white socks with chain lube. So another saving by using wax.

[@hockysa]

when my son was a bit younger what i used to do to dispose of solvents and degreaser was pour them into a diaper 😅

[@Lacking_something]

Was he still wearing them!? 😂

[@hockysa]

@@Lacking_something 😂 don’t tell mum

[@gcntech]

still wearing them! @neil_down_south you are evil!

[@bikeanddogtripsvirtualcycling]

used bike degreaser. i just smear it on my chest and enjoy the summertime sheen (i also rub it in to my legs as it saves on shaving)

[@grahamaustin9085]

#AskGCNtech My bike has covered something like 70,000km. In addition to ongoing cable replacement and chains, I've replaced the BB once, the front mech, rear mech, crankset, chainrings and cassette once. The levers are the originals and work fine. In that distance I've worn out 3 sets of alloy rims and have put about 5,000km on the fourth. However, I'm still using the original Ultegra brake calipers. They work but have clearly stopped me thousands of times. Should I think about replacing them? Do they lose efficiency with age, even though they still work? After all they do get sprayed with water and road muck. I do lube them regularly. Thanks.

[@peterwillson1355]

I'm still using the original calipers that came with my new bike 28 years ago. As long as the springs are still strong and there is no excessive play in the pivots, carry on.

[@davidheathfield5040]

If you were to plot a graph of pro riders hight’s/weights vs power would it go up proportionally? Looking for an excuse after failing to get under 30 mins out of Sa Calobra 😅👍

[@savagepro9060]

6:49 GCN Tech: Will a basic "Drive-Train Cost" GCSE maths problem defeat Alex and Ollie?

[@gcntech]

seemingly not!

[@DavidJR1903]

#askgcntech - Extending life Hi Alex, Ollie, Manon, On a maintenance check, I have been told that I need to replace my drive train ( bottom bracket, chain, sprocket). I have a 1986 6 speed Miyata, I don't race, as I'm just an avid , fair weather, enthusiast cyclist. With the cost running $250 (CAD) that i don't have now, as I just paid for a new rear wheel that was about $300, I was wondering if there is a thicker oil that I could use on the chain to help prolong the life for this season of riding? Can you also suggest any other things that I can do? Thanks, David

[@yonglingng5640]

You can try wet weather chain lube, this is usually more viscous than regular chain lube, but it attracts dirt more easily.

[@veggiechowder8877]

Can you use an ultrasonic cleaner for waxing your chain

[@JonCannings]

They typically don't get warm enough, to my knowledge

[@dawn_rider]

They are used mostly for initial chain prep and deep cleaning already waxed chains and some will go above 60°C. Take a look at kzbin.info/www/bejne/qHnCcp54fN-kaJI and the ZFC Ultrasonic-Guide-and-race-chain-guide. You can ask Adam Kerin the question but he's on holiday in the USA at the moment so a reply may take a few weeks.

[@griffithd05]

#askgcntech how often should I clean off my cassette on a waxed drivetrain? And can I just do the hot water bath and rinse?

[@feedbackzaloop]

Lube vs wax cost comparison lacks cost of replacing cassettes. But I would rather save money for the trip with efficient brake pads use.

[@professorsogol5824]

#askgcntech How to clean a helmet? My significant other complains that my cycling hats smell of sweat. That part is easy: put it in a laundry bag with a wire support to protect the visor and throw it in the laundry with the rest of the kit. But what about the helmet? It smells too, but I don't think the washing machine would handle washing it well.

[@yonglingng5640]

Take it into the shower with you, that's what I've always done with mine.

[@paulgrimshaw8334]

Immediately after a ride, blot the sweaty padding with dry paper towel. Then soak a piece of paper towel in fresh water and dampen the headband. Blot again using a piece of dry paper towel. Job done. Don’t worry about the polystyrene inner shell. Polystyrene is closed cell and won’t absorb sweat.

[@rickcski8082]

#askgcntech I enjoy the show guys...always good info. My wife has a road bike with a Shimano 8 speed drive train. The KMC Narrow chain does have a quick link installed. Can I push out the necessary pins and install a proper sized quick link or do I need to continue to replace pins when removing/installing the chain?

[@dtsybulskyi]

Sorry, don't quite understand the question. If the chain doesn't come with quick link, you definitely can modify it to use one - just remove two pins and replace with a quick link of proper width/speed number. KMC quicklinks are reusable for several times, as long as there's a click when engaging them.

[@LegSpinna]

3:03 Ooooooh matron!

[@gregknipe8772]

responsible shops in my area use the cleanser called Simple Green. the only toxin then, is your choice of lubes. and dont over lube.

[@s7r1d3r7]

If waxing the chain increases the life of the components, would it be better to wax the chainring, pulley wheels and cassette as well?

[@traderz13]

Wax build up in the cassette can cause chain slipping problems

[@manuelrl2598]

#askgcntech I dread the brutality of removing press-fit bottom brackets from carbon frames, especially because of how bike stand clamps seem like they leverage the impact necessary to push bearings out. Are there any less violent ways to accomplish this? Conversely, do you have any recommendations in terms of how to lessens the risks of impact-based removal?

[@yonglingng5640]

Impactless bottom bracket pullers exist, Park Tool and BSC Tools have their own versions. Even when you use impact to remove a PressFit bottom bracket, it's simply a no-brainer to brace the bottom bracket shell when hammering so that the frame doesn't sway sideways in a flexing manner (I mostly brace it with my hip). Less movement in the frame means more of the hammering is translated to removing the bottom bracket.

[@manuelrl2598]

@@yonglingng5640 Thank you for your prompt reply. Bracing a frame with your body may seem a no brainer, but it is not a predictable, controlled method for lessening the effects of hammering out press-fit BB cups. The tools suggested, on the other hand, seem much like a better alternative.

[@bmlanner]

#AskGCNtech My GF is anti tubeless, refuses to use anything bigger than 28mm tires, and pumps them up to 120PSI. She refuses to listen to me about proper tire pressure, the benefits of tubeless or wider tires despite the new version of her Roubaix coming with 32mm tires. How do I convince her of the benefits of wider, tubeless, at a proper pressure?

[@bpfastfeet25]

One day, for gits and shiggles, you should expand the "allotted time" to do a 2hr long podcast-style GCN Tech Clinic. See how many questions you can get through.

[@gcntech]

Live too, the viewers firing in questions! Putting them to the test!

[@Cycle.every.day.]

Louder freehubs must be slower when freewheeling because they're essentially a 'mini-brake'

[@yonglingng5640]

Yes they are.

[@jonathanshaw6784]

Realistically, the drag from the bearings would be far more than the power loss from the sound. Often, the better hubs in terms of bearing efficiency are also louder

[@mosstyn1604]

#askgcntech - It seems 'effortless' for the pro peleton to reach speeds of over 90km/h - even over 100km/h - on downhills that are often long but don't seem particularly steep. I can only just touch 80km/h by being absolutely on the rivet on relatively steep descents. Admittedly, I don't have a particularly aero frame or general setup (and only have a semi-compact chainring setup), but my wheels are aero optimised. What element of kit/machine/rider really accounts for the difference in max speed between a pro seemingly descending effortlessly and an in-good-shape amateur at full stretch?

[@yonglingng5640]

Tire rolling resistance plays a role too. If apparel did play any role, tighter fitting Lycra apparel may provide marginal gains.

[@martinsi1996]

Hi guys! I recently swapped a 50/34T RS 510 crankset for a GRX 46/30T on my bike. I spent some time on the front derailleur settings but it seems to work well now. One thing I didn't consider: as the rings are smaller, should I change the length of the chain? Thanks! #askgcntech

[@dtsybulskyi]

Any reason, why you want to avoid shortening the chain? In theory you should, but in in practice check the rear derailleur - if it doesn't collapse all the way so that pulley wheels rub on cassette, and they chain isn't too loose at the buttom, you should be fine. That being said, the risk of chain slap or drop is bigger, I think. When I was sizing my chain, different measurement methods gave wildly different results, so I went with the middle one. So there's no single one right length - it's always a spectrum.

[@kge420]

I’ve recently made that same change. I didn’t shorten the chain and the bike shifts fine.

[@martinsi1996]

@@dtsybulskyi I don't particularly want to avoid shortening the chain, I just didn't think of it when I swapped the crankset. But I just checked by shifting to small chainring/small cog, and the chain is way too slack, it lies on the front derailleur. As I have now four less teeth on each chainring than before, sizing the chain shouldn't be too difficult, I guess I just have to accommodate for those four "missing" teeth as the original sizing seemed okay. Thanks!

[@rbonn3880]

Dr. Bridgewood...can you explain a comment I heard on a Giro broadcast claiming that sometimes a slow speed crash can be more dangerous than a faster speed one. Seems counterintuitive.

[@johndef5075]

Ive experienced this. At speed your forward motion will let you hit the ground at an angle and slide sometimes, lessening the impact. At slow speeds you slam straight into the ground focusing all the force into that body part.

[@tofu521]

#askgcntech hi tech team so my free hub starting to sound really quite and this has never happened before so i was wondering if the cause was because the hub was catching too many dirt or was it because of something eles

[@Kim_Miller]

The guy who asked the question about noisy/quiet freehubs being more efficient or faster must have been trolling you. Efficiency and speed are only relevant when the rider is pedaling but a noisy freehub is only noisy when it is freewheeling/coasting.

[@Jayman5281]

Bro. Take the degreaser to an automobile mechanic. They’re able to properly dispose of it. If they don’t charge you bring them a 6er of cold snacks🍻

[@Horus-Lupercal]

I despise loud freehubs. All three of my bikes' are near silent, and I like it that way.

[@mickgtir]

I've never seen a chain last 3 years because you've waxed it.

[@dausmoithai6198]

What's with the obsession with loud freehub?

[@yonglingng5640]

The noise. Some would come to regret it and attempt to overgrease the freehub mechanism in hopes to tone it down, but it's something I'll never do. I don't care how loud the freehub mechanism is, I only lubricate for smooth, slip-free operation, never for noise reduction. I'd rather the freehub mechanism to be loud than for it to slip when my customers ride. If it's loud, it's loud.

[@mistermoore5784]

It just boggles my mind at how many riders DO NOT remove specific components while cleaning said components. Like washing a car as it remains within the garage.

[@yonglingng5640]

Most of the time, they don't have the tools. Secondly, not all of them are confident in removing their cassettes. Some may not even have the strength to crack loose 40 Nm.

[@Lacking_something]

Squirt wax lube needs to be removed with degreaser etc

[@BigBailBikesandBeer]

Wax chain = no more chain tattoo on the inside of your calf

[@adzaharmdsharipin641]

#askgcntech why do pro riders ride on their stationary bikes after a race?

[@yonglingng5640]

Warm down.

[@JFomo]

Take the cassette off, grab a used toothbrush, and brush off the gunk with turpentine.

[@paulallen6378]

Loud free hubs are the equivalent of a mid-life sports car. Quiet bikes are much nicer.

[@SaHaRaSquad]

Every bike is quiet if you keep pedaling. Also loud hubs are better than bells.

[@ernestporee3697]

Loud hubs are wrong ! Friction is bad and if you can hear it it’s worse ! FOSS hubs would be a great idea if they get it right.

[@gcntech]

the alternative is keep pedalling!

[@yonglingng5640]

I got to take a spin on a bike with FOSS hubs before, it picked up speed on descents like no other hub!

[@SaHaRaSquad]

The sound only makes up a tiny fraction of the friction losses and also depends on materials and design, a louder hub can still be more efficient overall.

[@JayLato]

Ollie is sleepy.

[@gcntech]

💤

[@2.old4this]

Trip to the Alps? How much? 15 years? Sell your bike and enjoy the Alpine holiday. This will not be read out…..

[@clp91009]

Freehub sound is largely determined by the viscosity of the grease or oil used on the ratchet and pawls. The thicker the grease the quieter the sound. Personally I have tried thick and thin grease and mineral oil. My preference is mineral oil as it results in a nice loud freehub sound which I like 😊

[@Padrae22]

chain replace every 3 years with wax....... i have to replace it every 3 months minimum i aint no gcn rider/pro you dont cycle alot do you damn

[@SaHaRaSquad]

If you need to replace it every 3 months you're either doing something wrong or sitting on your bike almost 24/7

[@Padrae22]

@@SaHaRaSquad cycle everyday and also ride through rain harsh weather

[@saxon1376]

Can’t be arsed with all that waxing , I’ll happily bite a new chain every now and then and spend longer riding my velo 🤷🤷🤷

[@123marijn321]

When you've got chain waxing dialed in it doesn't take any more work than wet lube. There's no more degreasing, components last longer. Just dunk your chain in a wax bath every couple of rides and you're done.

[@dawn_rider]

If you wax , especially immersive , there is no more oil on your spokes and repairing punctures is a lot more pleasant ( I know you can wear gloves ). The drivetrain is a lot quieter as well and you start to hear other noises which may indicate problems you may otherwise miss. If you want to stick to ' oil ' , Silca make Synergetic and Synerg-E which contain Tungsten DiSulphide you you could try those.

[@stephencharles6932]

Waxing is waaay easier! Oh boy. *betting you don't actually even clean your drive train properly and let a grinding paste build up.

[@Mavrik-60]

I don't know bout that but if your bike makes noise you WON'T be riding in my group. And you'll be setting and yeah by golly silent is faster. Tootaloo keepemcoming k?

[@TroubleshootGamingMeds]

Loud hubs are awful

[@gcntech]

some love them!

[@SaHaRaSquad]

Loud hubs are amazing

[@Theharrisonvictor]

First

[@gcntech]

🥇

[@jeremyemilio9378]

I reuse my degreaser as much as possible until it gets too black and gritty,then dump it down a drain hole😅

[@gcntech]

😬

[@mtblover]

What's up with tire pressure guages for cyclists? I can't understand the need for it. I have seen it become an issue on the trail. After a puncture, the people who are so dependent on it become paranoid, not knowing their pressure......🤦‍♂️ nothing beats knowing your tire pressure, for what you riding, with your own, can never get lost, thumb guage......😂😂😂😂

[@Mullinino]

Degreaser? Where are all the stupid carbon frames, forks and parts going when they reach the end of their (ridiculously short) lives?