How to Degrease Bike Gears
The time is fast approaching where the lighter nights and longer days give you that extra freedom to take an adventure and embark on that much-needed bike ride. However, after some time of riding your bike, you may notice that your gears are starting to stick or becoming harder to change. This happens as the dirt, grime and debris attaches to the chain and gears, and starts to build up around them.
So, with this issue arising, you will need to know how to degrease bike gears, what to use to do so and the steps involved. This handy guide will help you ge back on track (literally!) and on your bike with perfect running smoothly gears and changes.
Things you will need
Bike stand
Rag
Brush
Water from a hose
Clean towel or cloth
WD-40® BIKE Degreaser
Step 1
Prepare the bike
Before starting the process of degreasing the gears, it is important to place the bike into a bike stand. This will secure the bike and also allow you to work on the bike freely, make sure the rear wheel can rotate freely.
Step 2
Apply the product
Once the bike is secure, spray liberally onto the gear set making sure you cover each gear. To apply, simply spray the fast-acting formula, letting it work into tight spaces and difficult angles. Be sure to rotate the rear wheel slowly clockwise whilst spraying the product onto the gears. This allows more of the gears to be covered and also allows for deeper penetration. Leave the product to soak into the gear set for around five minutes as this gives additional time for the degreaser to penetrate any grime. You may need to agitate any stubborn dirt or grime with a clean brush to remove them from the gears. Repeat as necessary until all dirt, grease and grime has been removed.
It’s important to note, the excess formula dries to leave no residue, and will remain on components to protect and maintain, extending the life of your bike.
Top Tip: The WD-40 BIKE Degreaser formula is the ultimate solution to remove any grease, grime, dirt, oil and other residues from chains, derailleurs, cassette sprockets and even cogsets quickly and easily, with minimal effort.
Step 3
Rinse
After the product has been left to soak in the gears for some time, rinse the gear set with clean water from a hosepipe. This will clean away any remaining dirt and grime as well as any remaining product left on the gear set.
Step 4
Dry
Once you have rinsed the gear set well, dry it off with a towel or clean cloth. This will leave the gear set ready for lubrication.
After following this simple step by step guide, you will now know how to degrease bike gears, allowing you to enjoy your rides more! Regular maintenance of your bike can help save you money and time as well as keeping your bike in great condition - prolonging its life and improving its performance. Learn more in our helpful guides like How to Wash a Bike and How to Clean a Bike Chain.
The uses shown and described for WD-40 Multi-Use Product were provided to WD-40 Company by the users themselves. These uses haven’t been tested by WD-40 Company and do not constitute a recommendation of suggestion for use by WD-40 Company. Common sense should be exercised whenever using WD-40 Company products. Always follow the instructions and take heed of any warnings printed on the packaging.
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