Road Dust Problem

[Jeremy McCreary]

I need to travel over dusty dirt roads to get to the best places for mnt bike cycling, which invariably means that when I arrive at my destination the ebike’s drivetrain is thickly covered with dust, meaning I have to wash and wipe it down everywhere

Tough problem. Have you asked on MTB forums?

If dust on the drivetrain is the main concern, you might try carrying a small 1 gallon garden sprayer filled with plain water. The one shown holds 2 gallons.

The fan spray setting on the nozzle gives a fairly low-pressure but effective rinse with surgical precision. Just go easy on the motor housing and stay away from other electricals. No drying needed.

I use mine to rinse salt and sand off my drivetrain and wheels after beach rides, but no reason you couldn't do the same after a dusty transport.

 

[PedalUma]

1 gallon garden sprayer filled with plain water

That is what I use. I will need to do it this afternoon when the rain stops. I was just riding in it on dirt.

 

[PedalUma]

My bike wash formula makes 512 oz. for $61 and is the equivalent of 15 L of Muc-Off, costing $265. I just gave the formula to a friend who is a traveling race team mechanic. He will work on 15 pro bikes a day, burning the midnight oil until they are each perfect for the next morning. Two seconds of 100 K is the difference between winning, or not.
That bike is all clean and ready to take out again.

 

[stompandgo]

Will you share it?

 

[Rowena]

@Rowena,
I have your answer. Wax. I mix soy based bio wax with some paraffin and a little Muc-Off dry lube in a small crockpot. A new chain goes in along with a clean derailleur for two hours. Little bubbles come out as the wax goes between the pins and rollers. It helps to have something like a coat hanger bent and inserted to pick them up in advance with another hook to hang them. When they get dusty the dust cannot stick. Just spray with a bottle of water. Every once in a while spray with a little soapy water and rinse with fresh water, wipe, dry and apply a little Muc-Off dry lube. If you want to know who I am saying this, see Google Maps, PedalUma eBikes. What part of Africa?
All the best.

Thanks - but I’m not sure I understand the procedure… it seems complicated but I can’t visualise it. Are you saying that you remove the chain each time?

 

[Rowena]

My bike wash formula makes 512 oz. for $61 and is the equivalent of 15 L of Muc-Off, costing $265. I just gave the formula to a friend who is a traveling race team mechanic. He will work on 15 pro bikes a day, burning the midnight oil until they are each perfect for the next morning. Two seconds of 100 K is the difference between winning, or not.
That bike is all clean and ready to take out again.

So you are saying that you still need to wash the bike down each time?
I don’t mind washing my bike after several rides but don’t want to have to wash it down before I ride because it’s been in a dust-bath on the back of my vehicle.
No amount of riding in the dirt can compare with the coating of dust my bike gets during transportation

 

[Rowena]

@Chargeride: very few people do ride deep sand. You are rather an exception from the rule than a norm.
I sympathise with @Rowena: Can imagine her e-bike covered with the African dust upon the arrival to the trail beginning...

Yes - that’s it. And in my case it’s not the deep sand that matters but the fine airborne dust billowing up from behind a vehicle. And when kind of dust meets water or oil it turns into sticky clay like sludge (very bad for my drivetrain)

 

[Rowena]

What part of Africa?

 

[Gionnirocket]

Just a thought and no experience with but if it's just the drivetrain you are worried about one solution could be to remove the chain.. then you should be able to rap the front and rear sprockets with stretch plastic wrap so that it doesn't catch the wind and stays put.
Maybe protect brake calipers and suspension at its travel area as well.
You're right about most of the dust billowing up from the bottom. Perhaps you can fabricate some type of diverter you attach to the bottom of the rack that extends the up draft beyond the bike?

 

[Rowena]

South Africa

 

[Rowena]

Just a thought and no experience with but if it's just the drivetrain you are worried about one solution could be to remove the chain.. then you should be able to rap the front and rear sprockets with stretch plastic wrap so that it doesn't catch the wind and stays put.
Maybe protect brake calipers and suspension at its travel area as well.
You're right about most of the dust billowing up from the bottom. Perhaps you can fabricate some type of diverter you attach to the bottom of the rack that extends the up draft beyond the bike?

You have understood the problem exactly. And these are good suggestions. However because I move from one great cycle area to another along long dusty roads, it means a lot of work (and I’m a bit leery of removing the chain each time but perhaps I’ll have to learn how.

It would be so great if I could just purchase a bike carrier that encloses my bike (unfortunately my vehicle can’t accommodate it without major expensive modifications)

There have been interesting suggestions about spraying the bike & chain with dry silicone (which apparently dust can’t adhere to) And since I live in a dry environment, it might work.
Silicone will just dissolve with water and so it might make cleaning simpler?

I don’t know anyone who has used dry silicone instead of traditional lube but I do know that traditional lube doesn’t just dissolve with a rinse of water.
My favourite kind of cycling is in the great outdoors and so this is a unique problem that you don’t experience travelling on tarred roads

 

[Gionnirocket]

You have understood the problem exactly. And these are good suggestions. However because I move from one great cycle area to another along long dusty roads, it means a lot of work (and I’m a bit leery of removing the chain each time but perhaps I’ll have to learn how.

It would be so great if I could just purchase a bike carrier that encloses my bike (unfortunately my vehicle can’t accommodate it without major expensive modifications)

There have been interesting suggestions about spraying the bike & chain with dry silicone (which apparently dust can’t adhere to) And since I live in a dry environment, it might work.
Silicone will just dissolve with water and so it might make cleaning simpler?

I don’t know anyone who has used dry silicone instead of traditional lube but I do know that traditional lube doesn’t just dissolve with a rinse of water.
My favourite kind of cycling is in the great outdoors and so this is a unique problem that you don’t experience travelling on tarred roads

Well you can definitely give the dry silicone spray a try... It's easy enough and not expensive and @6zfshdb that suggested it does a lot of bike transport.
As for removing the chain... I would definitely use a Missing Link or similar if your chain doesn't already. Just be sure to buy the correct size as they are number of gear specific, same as the chain. Replacement KMC chains usually come with one.

 

[PedalUma]

Thanks - but I’m not sure I understand the procedure… it seems complicated but I can’t visualise it. Are you saying that you remove the chain each time?

No. The wax is dry and dirt does not stick but you will want to use some water in a spray bottle to rinse off the dust before you ride.

 

[PCeBiker]

Thanks - but I’m not sure I understand the procedure… it seems complicated but I can’t visualise it. Are you saying that you remove the chain each time?

You remove your chain a single time and clean it Really Really Good, then do the hot wax treatment then reinstall it on your ebike.

Dust doesn't stick to the wax and you could probably just blow it off.

It's good to remove the chain once a year for another good cleaning and rewaxing.

This is the waxed chain from my ebike, and 7th gear completely covered in dust,..

The chain is dust free.
I do occasionally pedal, and the dust just falls off.

I never clean the chain and I wash my e-bike once a year whether it needs it or not.

 

[Marcela]

Yamaha Super Tenere 1200 might be our answer, shaft drive, have had great luck with mine

Or, get yourself a tarp, sew it up like a giant bag and put a draw string at one end or wherever. Still gonna get dusty when you take it off, and the chain thing is a lost cause.

 

[teskow]

Get a bicycle carrier that mounts to the front go your vehicle. No more dust problem.

 

[PedalUma]

Yamaha Super Tenere 1200 might be our answer, shaft drive, have had great luck with mine

Or, get yourself a tarp, sew it up like a giant bag and put a draw string at one end or wherever. Still gonna get dusty when you take it off, and the chain thing is a lost cause.

That is the kind of talc powder fine grit dust that gets in everywhere. @stompandgo, How do you like the looks of that formula? The final ingredient makes the foam stick and have thick, strong walls so when the bubbles pop it shocks the dirt loose on a nano scale and suspends the dirt particles. The third ingredient is for a memorable user experience. You can cut way back on the fourth. Achieving pinkish purple is good enough so you can see what you have covered. If you poke a hole in the spray feed tube it will incorporate more air into the foam. And remember that it is concentrate so cut it 50/50 with water when you use it.