Sandy bike paths from recent floods, my simple cleanup fix.

The river near us flooded last week and left all the bike trails SUPER sandy. I've had three bikes in this morning with seized chains. My go-to move is a bucket of warm water and an old toothbrush for a simple clean. It gets the grit out so it doesn't cause real damage. Honestly, it's saved me a LOT of repair time already.

3 comments

3 Comments

taraw1629d ago

Seized chains are the worst, that gritty sand gets everywhere. I hit a sandy patch after some rain last month and my drivetrain sounded like it was chewing rocks. Warm water and a toothbrush is a solid move, I do the same but sometimes follow up with a cheap degreaser spray from the auto parts store. It's crazy how much longer your parts last when you get that grit out right away.

dakota_king329d ago

Does cleaning it that much really make a difference? I've seen chains last just as long with a quick rinse and no deep scrub.

troyramirez23d ago

My buddy Jake's chain snapped at mile 40 last week (total nightmare). He never cleaned it, just a hose-off, and it was packed with this dry, cement-like gunk. After seeing that, I'm with @taraw16 on getting the grit out fast.