Wandering Justin takes a lap at 24 Hours in the Old Pueblo. Photo by Tyrone Minton.

A few weeks ago, I raced in the Kona 24 Hours in the Old Pueblo as part of the duo team Lost Nuts. We finished in the middle of the pack, with having few mechanical problems being our only distinguishing feature. It was my first 24 hour event, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. My partner, Harry, had a great question for me after the event. “So, what did you learn?” I rattled off a few things. But for this episode of Mountain Bike Monday, here’s my more considered list, in no particular order:

1. Pack meticulously, and don’t overlook food. I failed to bring some essentials that I used throughout my training: V-8 and coconut water, both of which are great for re-hydrating. I also, if you can believe this, forgot my freakin’ helmet. Fortunately, several local bike shops had set up camp there and I was able to score one on the cheap. A second helmet is going to be useful for riding at night more often. Which leads us to #2.

2. Ride at night lots before the race. That way, you won’t be a chicken like me. Night riding freaks me out, and I need to get used to it if I’m going to do this more often. Which I intend to.

3. Bring cash. You can score a lot of deals at a 24 hour race if it’s well supported. You can also get some much-needed real food. But bring twice what you think you’ll need. Few of the merchants take cards, and there’s no ATM close by.

4. Skip the Camelbak. Try riding triathlete-style instead … use a seatbag for tubes and tools, stash your food in a bento box and mount your pump on your frame. It’s very liberating, and you seriously don’t need 100 ounces of water per lap. Save the weight. I only used the Camelbak for my double set of laps, when I need to have my light batteries with me. Along the same lines, try using electrical tape to secure gel packages to your handlebars or stem. That allows your to tear them off one-handed, and prevents the torn top from falling onto the ground. Clever, eh?

5. Taking the first lap sucks. Most 24-hour races feature a Lemans start. So that means you have to run to your bike about a half-mile. Not a big deal (see a photo of me running). The thing that stinks is that the pack is really bunched at that point. So you’re having to get around super-slow people in tight singletrack, and super-fast people are trying their damndest to get past you. That can create some frustration, especially on a cactus-lined course like Old Pueblo.

Ready to roll to the start line.

6. Make sure it’s safe to pass. Too many people out there tried to pass in unsafe conditions. If it’s not safe for the passer and the passee, just don’t do it. It’s not worth putting yourself into a cactus or making someone else crash, okay? Most racers were good about this. But far from all. Far from all.

7. These races are a lot of fun. If you get in with the right sort of crowd (which I did), you’ll have fun. A 24-hour race is a bonding experience. It’s hard to explain, but there’s a kinship that develops among racers. Especially once you start recognizing each other.

8. Bring beer. It makes a great gift for the people manning the booths and the occasional volunteer. New Belgium 2 Below was my offering, and it was a hit.

9. Endurolyte and salt tabs can save you. Electrolytes are what mountain bikers crave. When we don’t have them, we cramp. These can prevent cramps.

10. Keep your sense of humor. Even when the prospects are grim, smile through it. Some false courage and plucky bravado can turn into a huge benefit.

11. Breathe Through Pain. On my third lap, I was suffering. I didn’t have enough electrolytes in me, and I could barely apply any torque to my legs. Then I remembered some wisdom from yoga class and the Brad Warner book Hardcore Zen: Punk Rock, Monster Movies & the Truth about Reality. First, concentrate on breathing. Second, (in a nutshell) accept pain as the status quo. Don’t think about it getting any better, and just embrace where you are. Doing these things helped me get through the rest of the lap and restored some leg power.

Got a question or idea for Mountain Bike Monday? Shoot it over to me at wandering.justins@gmail.com!

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Comments

• February 28, 2010, Sarah writes: I think you should mention that if you forget these things, you should have a wonderful spouse who will remember to bring some of these things for you! Oh, and deal with sleeping in a cold, farty tent with someone who has been riding a bike like mad and not showering
• February 28, 2010, admin writes: I really can't disagree with that. Thanks for bringing me coconut water and V-8 ... and beef jerky!

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Welcome to this week’s installment of Mountain Bike Monday. Today, Wandering Justin shares how he got schooled by a problem with his tubeless tires.

A few weeks ago, I realized that I’d worn the front tire on my mountain bike down to nothing. I dropped in at my old buddy Cal’s shop, Bicycle Haus. They’re a Specialized dealer, and carry a lot of their parts. One of the Specialized tires looked like my bag – The Captain! Named after mountain bike icon Ned Overend and aggressively treaded, I figured I couldn’t go wrong. I carted it home, and it was a breeze to install on my rim. That’s not always the case – tubeless tires and sealant can be a right bugger to install.

And it had traction galore! It did great on my first ride at Black Canyon Trail. Then I took it to Trail 100. After about eight miles of riding, that rocky monster tore a hole in The Captain’s sidewall. And the sealant couldn’t slam the door on the leak. I limped back hom by sticking a tube into the tire, which really screws up the ride quality.

To replace The Captain (which I hereby demote to The Private), I dropped into The Slippery Pig (The Captain’s failure is no fault of Bicycle Haus – and I would’ve gone there for another tire, but they mostly had Specialized. I wanted to cast a slightly wider net.). The friendly staff member there recommended the Geax Saguaro tires, which come in a two-pack with a big ol’ container of sealant, probably enough for four tires! She said the price made it one of their best sellers.

Well, one tire mounted fine. The other was a cast-iron bitch. Nothing could get it seated. I dropped back into The Pig for some tips. It turns out that, sometimes, tubeless tires need to be inflated faster than a floor pump can muster. That means an air compressor. I had everything mounted right, but it required a speedy inflation. The Pig’s compressor did the trick in about five seconds.

Now, you might think it’s a good idea to use a CO2 cartridge system to inflate your tubeless tire. But apparently, CO2 reacts badly to the sealant and produces all sorts of nasty unhappiness. So, says the mechanic in charge at The Pig, just don’t do it.

The good news is tubeless tires don’t always exhibit this cantankerous behavior. And even if they do it at first, they won’t do it after a few rides anymore. That’s good news for when you have to remove a bit of the bead to squirt fresh sealant in there.

Let’s re-cap:

1. Use a compressor to et air in there fast.
2. Don’t use a CO2 cartridge system.

By the way, hit mtbikeaz.com for more about the Black Canyon Trail. I just rode it for the first time recently, and will eventually get around to posting about it, too.

Got a question or idea for Mountain Bike Monday? Send it to wandering.justins@gmail.com!

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Comments

• January 11, 2012, Dennis DeRosa writes: I've read a number of articles, posts, etc... about tubeless tire setup, but this article (Mountain Bike Monday - Two Tubeless Tire Tips/Feb. 8th - 2010) is the first about CO2 being detrimental to sealant. I'm guessing the mechanic at "The Pig" means it changes the sealant's consistency? If that's the case, I guess I'll have to shop for air compressor. Though, I'm happy to say, that at times, I've had good luck with my floor pump. Dennis
• January 11, 2012, WanderingJustin writes: You know, Dennis, I'm a little skeptical about that CO2 bit, myself. I interpreted his statement as you did - a consistency change brought on by the cold. I'd completely forgotten about this ... I might have to go straight to the source and ask a few different companies like Stan's what they think. Could be a good future topic. Thanks for your comment!

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Welcome to Mountain Bike Monday, my mostly weekly feature offering my favorite mountain bike tips and tricks!

A good sports drink can help you ride better. They keep you hydrated, supplying a lot of the electrolytes you sweat out during a ride. For my money, Cytomax by Champion Nutrition is still the best. It has a decent taste, and a good charge of electrolytes.

That said, there is nothing worse than leaving some Cytomax (or any sports drink) in your water bottle and forgetting about it. Let’s put it this way: My wife recently posted on her Facebook status update that she figured out the origins of life: God went for a ride, and left his Cytomax bottles unwashed. He came back, and the Cyto had turned into a primordial soup that was soon sprouting intelligent life.

So this is what you have to do: The second you get back home, clean those bottles out. Otherwise, that stuff’s gonna sit in there and ferment. You’ll totally forget about it until your next ride. Then you’ll open it up and smell a cross between vinegar, stale beer and fruit punch. Nasty, eh? Then you’ll want to throw your bottle away.

So save your bottles. Save your appetite. Take a few moments to get those bottles washed out after you ride.

Got a question or idea for Mountain Bike Monday? Send it to wandering.justins@gmail.com!

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It’s Mountain Bike Monday! Today I’ve got a great tip that will turn the clock back on your shifting and make it feel nearly brand new again.

This weekend, I was working my wife’s Gary Fisher Sugar, which she wants to sell since she’s gone down the Dark Path of triathlon and roadieism. I figured the next owner deserves to have everything run smoothly as possible.

And man, did the shifting on this bike ever suck! I found that odd since I’ve got an XTR shifter/brake combo calling the orders out to an XT derailleur. But the huge amount of effort required to downshift told me that this was a problem with the cable and housing.

See, as you ride, your cables can start to fray. It can also get odd kinks in it, along with the housing. That means big drag on your cable. Nothing will run smoothly when your cable is hanging up inside the housing.

I yanked the derailleur cable out along with the housing (and the same for my Fisher Cake 2 DLX), and hauled it down to Bike Barn, the nearest local bike shop. There, the friendly staff cut lengths of housing to match, plus set me up with endcaps (which go on the end of the cables when it’s cut to length) and ferules (which go on the cut ends of the housing). High-quality cutters that will go through housing are big bucks – I’ve heard the Hosan cutters I used as a mechanic at Adventure Bicycle Company in Mesa go for close to $200.

I got back home and used a sharp, pointy tool to widen the plastic sleeve inside the housing. I then re-installed first the cables, and then the housing. I had the shifter set into the highest gear, threaded the cable through the anchor bolt and cinched it down. From there, I did just a few minor turns of the barrel adjuster to dial the shifting in. Then, I snipped the cable to length and put the end cap on.

And wouldn’t you know? That Sugar went from shifting like it had glue in the housing to super-fluid and fast. And it took barely any time and a paltry $10 in parts.  Here’s a video that might help you learn the process a bit easier than just seeing it written.

Got a question or idea for Mountain Bike Monday? Send it to wandering.justins@gmail.com!

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"I can haz new home?" Become Oscar's new human, and keep a little dog -and a dude recovering from hip surgery- happy.

Attention, Mountain Bike Monday fans! I’m pre-empting this week’s regularly scheduled feature to answer the call of a puppy in need. Read on!

Imagine what it’s like to be Oscar. This golden retriever/German shepherd mix was abandoned in an empty house with his littermate, left behind by the sort of people who shouldn’t have pets.

That’s when the mighty Doug burst into the house. My ol’ mountain bike buddy and his special lady friend were cruising around in Miami, Ariz., recently checking out houses. Something led them to this particular abandoned house. Good thing for Oscar and Molly, his sister.

Doug wasn’t about to ignore two puppies in need. So he loaded them up and took them home to care for them.

Here’s where it gets rough: Doug is about to head into some serious hip surgery, and he won’t be able to care for Oscar during his long recovery. He’s already found a home for Molly, but Oscar needs someone who will be able to keep up with him and his puppy antics. Plus Doug’s landlord isn’t cool with dogs, apparently.

This is one of those times when it’s really hard to be a travelin’ man with a dictatorial, possessive, territorial, imperialistic ol’ tomcat lording over the house. My frequent absences are okay for an independent animal, but the situation wouldn’t be very good for a dog.

So Oscar needs you, if you’re an big-hearted animal (even better if you have a yard to match that big heart).  In exchange for taking him in, he’ll be your ever-loyal friend, protector and therapist. Contact me at wandering.justins@gmail.com if you want to get in touch with Doug to become Oscar’s new human.

“It breaks my heart to give him up, but it will be best for him,” Doug says.

I know it’ll help Doug to see his new buddy paired up with a good human. So c’mon, animal lovers. Let’s come through for Doug and Oscar.

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• January 13, 2010, Bree writes: Don't know where the dog is located, but you may want to connect with Retrieve a Golden of Minnesota (ragom.org) to help Oscar get placed - they have connections across the country. Good luck.

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For today’s somewhat late edition of Mountain Bike Monday, Wandering “I Like Referring to Myself in the Third Person” Justin is dishing up the goods on a driving habit that puts a bunch in his chamois like few others.

At one portion of my super-idyllic ride at McDowell Mountain Regional Park, the trail crosses the main park road. Bicycliusts have a stop sign. We’re supposed to stop, look both ways and proceed when clear.

My plan was to do exactly that with minimum fuss.

However, a driver had other ideas.

He stopped 100 feet from the intersection. He smiled beatifically and benignly. He waggled his fingers to indicate I could cross.

Um, no, thanks. I jabbbed my finger at the stop sign on the trail, pointed at him, then gestured for him to get his butt in gear and clear the road.

Now, motorists, I now you think you’re being friendly and benevolent when you do this. But you’re not. You’re making things unpredictable and dangerous not only for bicyclists, but for every other driver around you. Here are the problems:

1. If you don’t obey the traffic signs, you are unpredictable. Who the hell knows what you’re going to do?
2. If I cross in front of your car, guess where it’s aimed? Right at me. I’d much rather cross the road with you headed away from me, thnxsomch.
3. Not every other driver around may sure your inclination. So do I have to negotiate some sort of seperate treaty with each driver?

So let’s do this, in the future: Show your courtesy and understanding by obeying the posted rules, and allowing cyclists to do the same. And bicyclists, you really need to obey the signs, too. Don’t be fools and/or act above the law. Be as predictable as you want drivers to be.

Got an idea or question for Mountain Bike Monday? Send a virtual carrier pigeon to wandering.justins@gmail.com!

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Comments

• January 4, 2010, Rick writes: I agree. I am more of a roadie and so I deal with this sort of thing more. Like when I slow to make a left and someone stops mid-block to let me go. It is always easier for me if you just hurry up and get out of the way. Also I agree, fellow bikers lets obey the signs. One thing that upsets drivers and creates more anti-cyclist drivers is when we run stop signs and lights. And while you're at it, PLEASE wear a hard hat!
• January 8, 2010, Teresa writes: So nice to see bikers who follow the rules as opposed to the ones in my neighborhood who like to pretend they are cars and ride in the lane and stay there even when I tailgate their little 1" wheels. I have a truck...they either have balls, or are just stupid! So Thank You!
• January 8, 2010, Jason Price writes: Nailed this one on the head. Not just for Bicyclists, but for other motorists as well. When it's your turn, just go. If you don't have a stop sign, don't stop. Cheers to you.
• January 8, 2010, admin writes: You're welcome, Teresa. Now, you be careful tailgating those cyclists, though - in most cities, they're allowed to use as much of the lane as they need to stay safe. There's lots of nasty crap near the sides of roads, you know, so we'll often distance ourself from it so we don't puncture our tires. If you're driving in a neighborhood, you should probably ease of the gas a little, anyway.

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Hey, it’s the pre-New Year’s edition of Mountain Bike Monday! That’s the weekly feature where I drop a great mountain biking tip on you, from gear reviews to technique tips.

To me, the real fun in mountain biking is in the turns. My absolute favorite sort of turn is slight bermed, slightly downhill and a medium radius. I love to enter a turn like this at just a hair below 20 mph, and feel my tires bite into the dirt.

Now, when I see a big, juicy opportunity like this, I use a great steering technique called “countersteering” to get through the corner ever faster, and to really smoosh by bike into the turn. Here’s how you do it – I’ll walk you through step-by-step in a hypothetical sweeping right turn:

1. Just before you enter the turn, put your left (outside) leg at the bottom of the pedal stroke. Put a good chunk of weight on that outside pedal.

2. Point your right (inside) knee into the turn.

3. As you enter the turn, stiffen your right (inside) arm.

4. Hold that position!

5. As you leave the turn, start pedaling.

It’s pretty easy, though kind of counter-intuitive. In fact, there are certain extreme circumstances in which your wheel will be facing the opposite direction of your turn. But give it a try. It works beautifully, and makes fast fun turns even faster – which equals a boatload more fun!

Got a question or suggestion for Mountain Bike Monday? Send it to wandering.justins@gmail.com!

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Welcome to the Holiday Edition of Mountain Bike Monday! Today, I’m giving you 6 ideas for last-minute, affordable holiday gifts for the bikers in your life. Enjoy!

1. New Chain – Okay, so it’s not exciting. But a new chain every 1,000 miles is like an oil change f0r your car every 3,000 miles: cheap insurance. See, if you use your chain too long, it stretches out and wears the cogs and chainrings all funny. And then it’s too late for a new chain to cure your shifting woes – you’ll need to spend all sorts of cash to replace the worn bits. I recommend SRAM chains.

2. Ergon Grips – I love these things, especially the GP-1 model. I consider them the best $30 upgrade I’ve ever made to my bike. They’re head-scratchingly odd at first sight, but one ride will turn just about anyone into a believer.

3. A big box of energy gels – Find out your favorite mountain biker’s energy gel of choice and fill the stocking with it. It’s not long-lasting, but its totally practical. It’s something we use on every long ride, so there’s no way this will get returned to the bike shop like an ugly tie.

4. A bunch of fresh water bottles – Yeah, I know … this also doesn’t sound fun. But every biker makes the mistake of letting water bottles sit with a bit of energy drink in the bottom. Then it gets all funky and turns into a totally grody-to-the-max science project. A few fresh bottles can make it easier for your MTB friend to get that next ride started without scrounging for the least-disgusting bottle in the house.

5. A gift certificate for a tune-up at the local shop – This might run you about $50. And you’ll give the gift of a smooth-shifting, powerfully braking off-road machine with true wheels. And there’s the luxury of a tightened headset and properly adjusted hubs and bottom bracket to go along with the package.

6. A cleaning kit – You can opt for a $40 Pedro’s Pit Kit. Or you can save some clams by getting a bucket, some used t-shirts, a big bottle of Simple Green and a Park  GearClean Brush. It’s a perfect set-up for a do-it-yourselfer.

Got a question or tip for Mountain Bike Monday? E-mail me at wandering.justins@gmail.com!

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• August 26, 2011, Taylor writes: This is great Talk about a highly focused blog post. I was looking for some gift ideas for my friend who is an avid mountain biker and came across your site. Now instead of wimping out on a gift certificate I can come up with something that is going to look like I made a real effort! thanks

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Wandering Justin's Pivot Mach 4 XT test bike.

Welcome to Wandering Justin’s ongoing Mountain Bike Monday feature! That’s where I throw down some mountain bike advice, from gear to riding technique. Check out this review … just one thing: I realize some things about my review could be taken out of context. Be cool and don’t do that – if you want to use this review on your own site, use all or nothing. No cherry-picking!

I recently had a chance to test-ride a Pivot Mach 4 XT, which occupies a different address on Planet of the Mountain Bikes than the value-packed Santa Cruz Superlight (a bike I consider the Subaru STI of mountain bikes – huge performance for the money). The Mach 4 is nearly double the price at $4,300, though the same frame with lower-end components goes for about $3,600. In either case, it’s a big step up in price from the Superlight.

My goal was to find out if the Pivot is really worth that extra ding in the bank account. I got a bit more than an hour over the rougher parts of the Desert Classic Trail in Phoenix, Ariz., to find out.

First off, why is it so much more? Pivot uses a rather complicated rear suspension system called the DW Link. Pivot takes it to the nth degree, using CNC machines to carve hunks of aluminum into the right shape. The DW Link’s goal is to prevent you from losing power through pedaling. The long-time goal of rear suspension designers has been to create a design that moves independently of brake and pedaling influence, so all your pedaling power goes to propelling your bike. Not eating power up by bobbing uncontrollably. The linkages are mated to main triangles built overseas.

Pivot also sought to reduce flex. Everything in the suspension system is overbuilt, including a super-wide bottom bracket shell that houses a Shimano XTR bottom bracket. The result is serious rigidity.

View from the cockpit. That's a wide bar!

Pivot’s technicians set my test bike up with 25 percent sag in the shock and front fork. They usually recommend 30 percent. In other words, they want the barrel of the shock to compress through 30 percent of its travel when I’m seated on the bike in a normal riding position. That sticks the bike to the ground and absorbs the small bumps.

Speaking of the rear shock, Pivot uses the RP-23 ProPedal shock from Fox. The ProPedal is designed to prevent bob. If it’s rear suspension is designed to do this, why use the expensive RP23? Pivot’s Web site language clearly shows its spare-no-expense approach: “First, the RP23 is Fox’s top of the line performance shock and we like to give our customers only the best.” The site also adds that the RP23 offers more tuning options to add more flexibility. Clearly, “value” is not on Pivot’s agenda.

Clearly, the fabrication accounts for the big price tag. But will the ride justify the whole package?

The Mach 4’s rear suspension certainly feels more connected to the ground than any 4-inch-travel bike I’ve ever tried. I looked at the link to see if it was actually moving, and it was. It was definitely intercepting and eliminating bumps of all sizes, but maintaining an extraordinarily solid feel. I definitely didn’t feel energy loss when I pedaled.

And yes, the huge bottom bracket transferred the pedal power straight to the wheel. This frame is solid. No wag, no detectable flex at all. It was also very noise-free – apparently, each pivot in the suspension uses two cartridge bearings per side. That will keep everything tracking smoothly and accurately. If you plan to keep your Pivot for a long time, I imagine you’ll need to replace those pivots at some point in the future. And I’m certain it will ding your wallet. But if you’re willing to splurge on a Pivot in the first place, you might not care.

The suspension stroke was also consistent, though the Mach 4 loves rocks and drop-offs. The rear suspension smoothed the nasty bits out effortlessly.

Now, here’s where the Pivot was less than pleasing: The front end of the bike was completely unpredictable. At times it felt leisurely, and required a lot of input to change direction. Other times, mostly when hitting obstacles or pushing into a corner, it seemed to wander on its own. Some of this could come down to bike setup and tire choice. My Shimano XT-equipped test bike had a super-wide handlebar, and its brake and shift levers were moved several millimeters too far inbound. This combination created a very odd riding position – or put more strongly, completely unpleasant. The odd front-end configuration also made the Mach 4 prone to accidental wheelies on slow, steep, grinding climbs. The front end would not stay down, even on climbs I could tackle seated on my Gary Fisher Cake 2 DLX. I also think the Fox fork may have been over-sprung for my weight. A few less pounds of pressure in the chamber may have solved the problem.

Some people may point out that the sketchy handling could be from not being familiar with the bike and not having much time. However, I’ll point out that I spent the same amount of time on a Specialized Stumpjumper FSR 29 in Whistler, and felt absolutely at home on it from the first pedal stroke. With an unfamiliar wheel size and on trails I didn’t know front and back. So, that argument holds no water.

It would be revealing to see what the Pivot would be like if I could dial in a better handlebar setup and let some air out of the fork. I also really, really missed my Ergon GP-1 grips – going back to a round, skinny standard grip did not make my hands happy. The GP-1 grips are essential for me.

Okay, so what’s the bottom line?

The Pivot Mach 4 has a suspension system that’s unlike any other I’ve ridden. It tracks the ground and delivers a defined but smooth ride. Here’s the thing: I don’t feel like it made me any faster. If it did, it didn’t make me faster by much. It didn’t help me climb any technical bits I couldn’t already climb on my Gary Fisher or Santa Cruz Superlight (an older model that preceded the Fisher).

That said, it’s highly unlikely that I’d buy one. And that puts Pivot in dire straits: The company’s novelty factor will erode. And the fact that a Mach 4 equipped comparably to a Superlight RXC or Specialized Stumpjumper Comp will cost $1,500 more isn’t going to sit well with buyers seeking value. Pivot really needs to think about a few things – how to keep a really excellent rear suspension, but making it more affordable. Or possibly selling to a larger company that can use its buying power to bring the production costs down.

As things stand now, though, Pivot’s performance doesn’t justify the sticker shock. The Mach 4 will make a rider moving from a low-end suspension bike far more capable. But riders moving from other proven, race-worthy designs will see little gain. If you have a big bank account or don’t mind eating Top Ramen for a spell, go for it. It’s certainly not going to hurt your performance once you dial in the handling.

Got a question for Mountain Bike Monday? E-mail Wandering Justin at wanderingjustin@hotmail.com.

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Beware the Squeak Side, Obi-Wan! To dry chains, WD-40 leads. And to annoying squeaks, a dry chain leads.

That’s right, it’s time for another edition of Mountain Bike Monday – that’s when I pass along a bike tip or just give you bike info you need to know. Got a bike question for MTBM? E-mail me at wandering.justins@gmail.com!

I’m pleased that my co-workers regard me as a go-to guy when they need bike knowledge. One of them recently asked me why his bike chain squeaks. He didn’t think it should … because he liberally applies the WD-40.

“There’s you’re problem,” I told him.

Listen up, folks: In the name of everything that is in good and right with the universe, keep WD-40 away from your bike chain. Look, this stuff isn’t a lubricant: It’s a solvent. Inside your bike’s chain, there are all sorts of nooks and crannies filled with a nice greasy substance that keeps stuff rolling smooth. WD-40 pushes that happy grease out. Then, the WD-40 evaporates. That leaves metal-to-metal contact, and the unhappy, joyless noise of a squeaky chain. Soon, you will enjoy bad shifting performance, and smarter cyclists will nudge each other in the ribs while pointing and laughing at you.

Use Simple Green instead of WD40 to get your chain and cassette clean!

Cleaning Bike Chains: Yes, WD-40 can do this. But there are better ways. Instead of WD-40, remove the chain from your bike. Get an old bike bottle with a 4-1 solution of water and a biodegradable degreaser like Simple Green. Put the chain in there, put the top on, shake vigorously for a minute. Let it sit for 30 minutes. During that time, the degreaser will-degunk your chain. the gunk will float to the bottom. Fish the chain out, carefully pour the degreaser back into its container, and then clean the gunk out of the bottle for the next use.

Driving Moisture out of the Chain: Yes, WD-40 can handle this, too. But the right type of moisture is good for chains.

So, no more WD-40 near your bike, especially as chain lube. Try something from Phil’s, Pedro’s, White Lightning or ATB instead. I promise your chain will thank you for it.

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Comments

• December 10, 2009, Spot Cool Travel writes: And to think of all those times I made it a point to ALWAYS take long bike trips with WD-40. Thanks for the tip.
• December 11, 2009, admin writes: Anytime, Wil. WD-40 has its place, but on your chain is not one of them!

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