I dont think we need to dismantle everything just to clean the chain. Some people dismantle the chain. Some just remove the rear wheel and use chain hanger. Some use the chain cleaner tool. Some just wax their chain like mr kenc.

For me, if i rajin, i took off the the rear wheel, put on a chain hanger, and use the chain cleaning tools. If i malas, i just let it be, spray all purpose cleaner, and use tootbrush to clean the pulley and the chain. Done!

All depends on what condition your chain and gear components get.

The old school way is brush the chain and everything that come into contact with the chain with diesel/kerosene/spirit/thinner with a 1inch paint brush. Hose it down after brushing. Wipe dry with cloth. A few round if you must.
Once you are satisfied, re-lube the chain with whatever lube of your choice. Wipe down the excess lube.

No experience with Simple Green but often use dish washing detergent.

As for my own bike, I only clean my chain once or twice a year. Don't even have oily problem since I use older than old school home brew wax lube. Dust oso don't stick…

This post has been edited by KenC: May 1 2018, 12:04 PM

Nice, how much u spent?

Thx Fatani and Ken,

I went the lazyman way..degreasing and hosedown without dismantling..but i scrub the sprockets good and proper and i think i screwed the back hub now, probably the crank square taper bottom bracket. There is now some creaky and grindy tiny noise when i pedal..
I think i might have either got the gunks into the hub, or bottom bracket..i cant tell which 100%..
However, when i push the bike fwd with hand, i can hear tiny grindy sound from the back wheel..so, more likely the back hub is shot..

Hub service is needed now i guess.

Sifus,

Question on crank set..mine dahon is with square taper bracket. Does changing to a hollowtech kind bottom bracket and crank, like the litepros..gives any significant performance gain and lighter?
The litepros crank and bottom bracket sure looks much sexier for sure than my stock crank.

i am no sifu
but changing to hollowtech crank does make a different. how much the different?depends on ur budget.

lighter?the lighter ur bike setup, the more lighter ur wallet i can say

performance does improve. but there also a good perfomance square taper bb that feels like hollowtech (price like a new hollowtech crank) if u insist on staying on the current crank.

Thx azam,
Just wanna know if its worth changing to newer hollow brackets, in performance gain. Does it gives better freespin, like lesser effort to pedal.?
Im looking for more budget upgrade, like the litepros crankset all in bicyclebuyandsell website. Not looking at those ultegra ot higher end cranks set.
The stock single chainring looks darn pretty heavy and not attractive.

Yes.

you'll definitely notice the effect of the reduced weight on your bike's rolling parts. if you put ceramic bb, i think the litepro's crankset is probably lighter than the stock 105 crankset. Just don't lose the crank nut, otherwise u'll get headache trying to get the replacement parts

btw, both of my fb i installed litepro's crankset. but somehow the diameter of the crank nut is different. one is M18, and the other one seems to have even smaller diameter.



This post has been edited by fatani: May 2 2018, 04:10 PM

You did not kill your hub. You degreased and washed off the lube in your hub…
Look up YouTube for tutorial showing you how to lube your hub...

Bicycle are ultra robust… 100years of existence has its strength.

This post has been edited by KenC: May 2 2018, 05:57 PM

Thx Fatani,

Probably the price of Litepro cranks at Bicyclebuysell can get me a new Tiagra crank as well, but to me Litepro looks so much nicer on FB. The color and design, tho Tiagra could be better quality?
Im actually thinking of just getting the single chainring Litepro, since my bike is 8 spd only...or can i buy the double chainring, and remove the inner ring..just in case wanna go 2x8 in the future.

Another question, my derailleur is 105 mid length i think ( how to differentiate huh)..can it be use for say 11-34/11-36 sprockets ? Worried it might be too short. Mine is 8 speeder on 11-32 now.

to answer ur question
yes.. the litepro crankset is lighter and smoother than ur stock tapered crankset. but do keep ur chainring, coz litepro chainring are quickly used than ur stock chainring. my friend already change his litepro stock chainring after 3 years using it.

do remember the ceramic thing in cycling is prone to tear faster than stock bearing. besides, ceramic bb is only 5-7% different compare to stock, but the price?

last sunday event

Tiagra largest i think is 52-36. Litepro 53-39. Single chainring of coz got larger. And im guessing is both of litepro's single or double chainrings are using the same crankarm. Durability, hard to beat a Shimano.

The challenge with your setting is, is the chainring going to be compatible with your chain?

11-36 is already in the long cage category.

This post has been edited by fatani: May 2 2018, 09:53 PM

"Not attractive" is the most ligit reason for changing your Crankset. Others are just excuses… LOL. While you are at it, might as well change to a correct chainring teeth number for your fitness level.
I swear by my ancestors' graves I change my Crankset because they are ugly.

This post has been edited by KenC: May 2 2018, 11:02 PM

Yeah ken, thats the other way of looking at it..smaller chain ring instead of more back teeth.
But then again..bigger chainring more attractive looking, eh

Dont quite get u on that chainring compatible issue...im currently using 9 speed chain on my 8 speed, with 53t chainring.

Azam,
If ur friend is as hard riding like u, i would say 3 years useful life of the litepro is already money well spent!! My kinda riding probably gonna last me 30 years!!

no lah.. my friend not hard riding like me, i think maybe half the milage lah..

if u think u wanna spent for better investment, get a shimano. at least if u wanna sell it back still price are good. also can keep it for a long time. i till keep 90s shimano 105 square taper crank and still rocking until now!

llitepro's chainring are for 9/10 speed. if u say your 9 speed chain works on on your 8 speed components, then probably it should works too on your future chainring. i've got bad experience mixing those components before. but maybe mine was the case from 8 to 10 speed. so compatibility issue did arise.

Ok..Fatani..got what u meant now..

I didnt know that Chainrings are speed rated as well...Now that get me thinking how about those <53T chainring compatibility