Best accessory for cleaning an ebike

[Jumbleross]

Thought I would share this with you. Cleaning the drive train on an ebike is a pain cos you can’t pedal it backwards. I spotted this in Decathlon and thought I would give it a go as it‘s not expensive and although it’s not super stable it works a treat to just get the back wheel off the ground when cleaning your drivetrain and rear wheel:

https://www.decathlon.co.uk/p/adjustable-rear-bike-stand/_/R-p-X8241260

My mate actually made me a a more sturdy version at his metalshop at work and I use it for checking my spoke tension on my rear wheel and truing the rotor......perfect!

 

[GOSBTS]

Hello, thanks for this, I (stupidly) paid £65 each for two Topeak tune up stands which are very similar.

The best cleaning thing I have for cleaning is an air compressor, its great for blowing all the cr@p out of any nook and cranny, including drive train - makes it really clean. It also dries things nicely once you have washed your bike. Really please i bought it. Gets the cr@p out of hard to reach places.

 

[Jumbleross]

Yeah I got an air compressor too, I set my compressor to 20 psi when drying the bike so as not to blow out any grease but be careful around the displays on the controller, I used it around that in the winter abs when the temp rose in spring moisture started to appear inside the housing.

 

[JoeBlow]

A personal footman

Al

 

[Akelu]

Cleaning the drive train on an ebike is a pain cos you can’t pedal it backwards.

I found a cheaper solution to this then buying a stand:

McQuade's eBike chain tool in review – Lubricate your eBike chain the easy way!

Have you ever tried to lube the chain of an eMTB? In that case, you’ve probably noticed that with some motors you can’t just spin the cranks backwards to rotate the chain – which makes cleaning and lubing significantly harder. Now, McQuade’s came up with a simple but ingenious system, which...

ebike-mtb.com

 

[R120]

I found a cheaper solution to this then buying a stand:

McQuade's eBike chain tool in review – Lubricate your eBike chain the easy way!

Have you ever tried to lube the chain of an eMTB? In that case, you’ve probably noticed that with some motors you can’t just spin the cranks backwards to rotate the chain – which makes cleaning and lubing significantly harder. Now, McQuade’s came up with a simple but ingenious system, which...

ebike-mtb.com

There are quite a few device like this out there now, e.g

Amazon.de

 

[Mcharza]

If you need that kind of device to lubricate chain, it's cheaper to use a cable tie. Using cable tie or McQuade is very similar.
You can get packet of 100 cable ties very cheap.

 

[R120]

Or just use a stick!

 

[Bellefield]

I use an allen key in the chainring bolt so when you turn the crank arm backwards it catches the allen key and turns the chainring - it costs nothing and works well, I think I got the idea from Rob or it may have been another youtuber, .

 

[Tim1023]

If you need that kind of device to lubricate chain, it's cheaper to use a cable tie. Using cable tie or McQuade is very similar.
You can get packet of 100 cable ties very cheap.

Yeah, but you're just wasting all that plastic. The stick option sounds good to me!

 

[Jumbleross]

I use an allen key in the chainring bolt so when you turn the crank arm backwards it catches the allen key and turns the chainring - it costs nothing and works well, I think I got the idea from Rob or it may have been another youtuber, .

Or just use a stick!

If you need that kind of device to lubricate chain, it's cheaper to use a cable tie. Using cable tie or McQuade is very similar.
You can get packet of 100 cable ties very cheap.

yep that idea works a treat if your crank has chainring bolts instead of a single cassette style locking nut

 

[Jumbleross]

Yeah, but you're just wasting all that plastic. The stick option sounds good to me!

Yep cable ties are not good to throw away on a regular basis like that

 

[Pdoz]

Yep cable ties are not good to throw away on a regular basis like that

Cable ties come in re usable versions now

 

[Mcharza]

Yeah, but you're just wasting all that plastic. The stick option sounds good to me!

Then you should use ski straps. Because I'm a freeskier also, have plenty of those. And it's reusable

 

[GrandPaBrogan]

Not saying that no one should use a compressor (I've got one and have used it in the past before I got into eBikes), but just be mindful that if coupled with a small blow gun jet nozzle - that would be the air equivalent of a water blaster. It could easily push moisture or residual dirt/grit resting outside the bearing races - past its rubber seal and contaminate the ball bearings inside. At higher psi, air can blow past the outer rubber seal and push the internal grease out through the opposite seal on the other side of the bearing. My eMTB handbook recommends slow running water from a garden hose in conjunction with a soft brush - then finish off any missed spots with a damp rag. If I were to use an air compressor, I would soften the air stream with a big or wide nozzle attachment so it doesn't form a sharp jet of pressurised air.

Best blow drying device I saw was when @Zimmerframe used his leaf blower to dry off this bike after washing. I already had a cordless leaf blower so I tried it and found it to be ideal . It's what I've been using ever since!

 

[James_C]

Not saying that no one should use a compressor (I've got one and have used it in the past before I got into eBikes), but just be mindful that if coupled with a small blow gun jet nozzle - that would be the air equivalent of a water blaster. It could easily push moisture or residual dirt/grit resting outside the bearing races - past its rubber seal and contaminate the ball bearings inside. At higher psi, air can blow past the outer rubber seal and push the internal grease out through the opposite seal on the other side of the bearing. My eMTB handbook recommends slow running water from a garden hose in conjunction with a soft brush - then finish off any missed spots with a damp rag. If I were to use an air compressor, I would soften the air stream with a big or wide nozzle attachment so it doesn't form a sharp jet of pressurised air.

Best blow drying device I saw was when @Zimmerframe used his leaf blower to dry off this bike after washing. I already had a cordless leaf blower so I tried it and found it to be ideal . It's what I've been using ever since!

I was using a pet dryer and it/me blasted water past rear bearing seals which then ate themselves. I found clear water in the hub, must have been forced in by me cleaning.


I use a wet cloth now and occasionally a weak hose

 

[Walkea]

Last few months been using waterless car polish, Works well on the car so thought why not. Just spray it on leave a few mins then wipe the crap off and polish with a dry cloth. Lifts the mud off the bike and polishes up a treat. Not sure how it will cope with winter slop though

 

[steve_sordy]

A watering can.

 

[Gavalar]

Thought I would share this with you. Cleaning the drive train on an ebike is a pain cos you can’t pedal it backwards. I spotted this in Decathlon and thought I would give it a go as it‘s not expensive and although it’s not super stable it works a treat to just get the back wheel off the ground when cleaning your drivetrain and rear wheel:

https://www.decathlon.co.uk/p/adjustable-rear-bike-stand/_/R-p-X8241260

My mate actually made me a a more sturdy version at his metalshop at work and I use it for checking my spoke tension on my rear wheel and truing the rotor......perfect!

SAVE YOUR MONEY, all you need is a McQuades E-Bike Tool which allows you to spin your cranks backwards, it's ingeniously simple,

mcquadesebiketool

Genial einfaches Service Werkzeug für die Kettenpflege an E-Bikes

www.mcquades.de

 

[KeithR]

Last few months been using waterless car polish

For those in the UK, I've been using, and can recommend, this:

Wilko Bike Cleaner Spray 1L | Wilko

Shop for Wilko Bike Cleaner Spray 1L at wilko - where we offer a range of home and leisure goods at great prices.

www.wilko.com

 

[Gary]

Er... You've just recommended people SAVE money by spending 13Euros on something no more advanced than a wooden clothes peg and a shoe lace to be sent over from Germany.

Jog on McQuade

 

[StealthChesnut]

I tried the "Allen key in the chainring bolts" trick and the crank wedged the Allen key in. Couldn't get any free play in the system and spent ages trying to get it out without rounding or scratching anything.

0/10 - would not recommend.

 

[Gary]

Don't know which motor or cranks you have but with most simply inserting the allen key in at an angle where the crank arm doesn't twist it stops it jamming

 

[Gavalar]

Er... You've just recommended people SAVE money by spending 13Euros on something no more advanced than a wooden clothes peg and a shoe lace to be sent over from Germany.

Jog on McQuade

Correct, I've used it on my Orbea Wild for the past 3 months, works a treat and cheaper than buying stand to achieve a much better result, and yes it does resemble a peg with some rope attached, but they thought about a solution for spinning your cranks backwards and delivered it, all I'm saying is that it works.

 

[Gary]

But oddly not cheaper than a bag of 50 pegs and a huge ball of string

or 10000 re-usable zipties

 

[Gavalar]

But oddly not cheaper than a bag of 50 pegs and a huge ball of string

or 10000 re-usable zipties

£11, AMAZON PRIME, didn’t realise I was comparing it to 50 pegs and 1000 zipties and a ball of string, if that's what you use then all props to you, personally, I prefer an easy life and thats exactly what it does, makes life easier.

 

[stiv674]

Isn't it cheaper to just turn the bike upside down... ?

 

[Gavalar]

Isn't it cheaper to just turn the bike upside down... ?

Whatever works