Cleaning you EMTB, GT85 or Silicone spray and where?

BOTG

Active member
Oct 28, 2020
233
155
Edo
I have some GT85 and another can of Silicone spray, I know to avoid discs at all costs.

Is there a difference between gt85 and a silicone spray? and should we just generally coat the brake handles, suspensions, and derailers in the stuff?
Should we use 1 over the other? i do spray some on a cloth and wipe bike with it, and spray the pedals.

Are we ok to spray generally the whole bike, chain and moving parts in this stuff?
 

Banktramp

Well-known member
Jul 13, 2019
325
315
West Midlands
I personally use silicone spray, I spray onto a clean cloth and use that on the frame only, avoid rotors at all cost, I only lightly spray the rear mech, go up and down the gears and wipe of excess. I only use a designated chain lube so don’t spray chain, I also spray into the cleat block.
 

Trig

Member
Sep 23, 2020
78
50
Scotland
I've been giving my forks a spray with GT85 after rides. Watched a gmbn maintenence video yesterday though that says not to do that as it can break down the heavier greases.
 

Zimmerframe

MUPPET
Subscriber
Jun 12, 2019
13,954
20,691
Brittany, France
GT85 is an excellent degreaser. Recently used it clean a load of built up tar deposits on an engine .. :)

WD40 is an even better degreaser. Great for cleaning all the built up crap from chainsaws if you've been lax in your maintenance over the last 20 years ...

I've been using PTFE spray on the forks lately (teflon), though I've not worked out if PTFE can also work as a degreaser or not - though possibly other solvents in the spray might ?! GT85 also contains PTFE which is why it's good to wipe on things and keep them clean - presumably there is also a degreaser in the GT85 mix ??
 

Zimmerframe

MUPPET
Subscriber
Jun 12, 2019
13,954
20,691
Brittany, France
Bwah hah hah ....... As our Pommy friends would say ........... You bloody pillock.
The worst thing was, I only cleaned it/stripped it/rebuilt it to sell it .. :) being encased in a life of oily shite, it was like new inside and out once cleaned up ! :)

20 years old and sold it for more than I paid for it new ! The complete opposite of my normal buying/selling procedures.
 

steve_sordy

Wedding Crasher
Nov 5, 2018
8,771
9,064
Lincolnshire, UK
Keep the silicone spray from all surfaces where friction is a requirement. So, not on brake discs, but also not on your levers where the fingers go, or your grips and saddle, and not on your tyre tread (although it would soon wear off).

Personally, I believe that as far as bikes are concerned, WD40 is the spawn of Satan and should be kept well away.
 

Zimmerframe

MUPPET
Subscriber
Jun 12, 2019
13,954
20,691
Brittany, France
I've been squirting the moving bits .. but not anywhere that's touched by the chain. It's not sticky, so unlike some lubricants (wd40) crap doesn't stick to it and slowly wear things out. Lubricating it seems like a good idea for smoother, easier, action - though if it's the correct thing to do ..... well, you're only an expert until the next expert comes along ...
 

GrandPaBrogan

⚡ eGeezer ⚡
Oct 5, 2019
1,329
2,068
New Zealand
WD40 is an even better degreaser. Great for cleaning all the built up crap from chainsaws if you've been lax in your maintenance over the last 20 years ...

I've been using PTFE spray on the forks lately (teflon), though I've not worked out if PTFE can also work as a degreaser or not - though possibly other solvents in the spray might ?! GT85 also contains PTFE which is why it's good to wipe on things and keep them clean - presumably there is also a degreaser in the GT85 mix ??
Cracks me up that you call light oil/lubricant as a "degreaser." ? I'm of course looking at it from a painting prep point of view. ?

I do some spray painting in my workshop on occasion, so I can't have any sort of silicone-based anything in there specially in aerosol form. If you've ever seen a 'fish-eye' blob in a paint job that won't go away, silicone residue is the culprit.

The "green" alternative I use is Lanolin based lubes. I use it on chains, fork stanchions, pivots, etc... and yes to loosen solidified grease gunk. ?(y)
 

Mikerb

E*POWAH Elite World Champion
May 16, 2019
6,401
4,878
Weymouth
I cover the rotors and calipers with paper towel and spray silicon shine direct on most of the bike except the saddle grips and chain. I wipe it all with a soft cloth. It provides a protective layer especially with repeated treatments, making cleaning the bike so much easier. For degreasing I use Isopropyl. I use WD40 as a release agent.
 

Boranup

New Member
Nov 30, 2019
10
17
Adelaide Australia
I use maxima SC1 new bike in a can on most everything (no disc or chain) - use dry lube on the chain and alcohol wipes on the disc in case any spray made it’s way there.

I also use SC1 on the front of the car, come back after a long drive and everything just falls off :)
 

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