Category Archives: Cycling

Cleaning and maintaining a mountain bike

The Gibbs Brand team were invited to Newdales Cycles in Saffron Walden http://www.newdales.co.uk, to watch a mountain bike being stripped, cleaned and serviced using Gibbs Brand.

As Liam (Newdale’s proprietor) stripped the bike he was able to point out the key maintenance areas on a bike:

  • The chain was removed and cleaned with brake cleaner, it was then dried and Gibbs Brand was applied as shown in the pic. Because of its non-sticky nature, using Gibbs to lubricate the chain means that it stays clean and free from dirt that would normally cause wear.

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  • The gear block was also stripped-out, cleaned and lubricated in the same way.
  • The front wheel was removed and Gibbs was applied to the quick release spindle and the magnesium fork ends where the paint tends to wear away and corrosion can take hold. Liam showed us a spindle that hadn’t been protected with Gibbs see pic.

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  • Gibbs was sprayed into the brake and gear cables and due to its capillary action it quickly travels the length of the cable.

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  • Finally, Gibbs was applied to the frame with a cloth. (The only item that should not be treated is the brake discs for obvious reasons!) Liam has found that bikes cleaned with Gibbs stay cleaner for longer, due to the way it leaves an invisible, protective dirt-rejecting coating. (Just hose the bike down and watch the mud and salt fall off).

Lubricating a Bicycle Chain with Gibbs Brand

Gibbs Brand is great for use on a bicycle chain. It not only lubricates it, but also helps keep it clean by not attracting dirt.

This video shows a great example – a folding bike with 16″ wheels. The chain is not far off the ground due to the small wheels which means the chain is very susceptible to dirt and spray off the road. However as it’s been lubricated regularly with Gibbs Brand the chain is still clean and running freely.