Reddit reviews Park Tool CG-2.3 Chain Gang Chain Cleaning System Blue, One Size

Rust? unless you have a cheap bike, like really cheap I would not worry about rust. A good quality bike is nearly all aluminum or some alloy.

Bike storage I kept my bikes inside my dorm room but when I was there you could rent bike lockers.

Cover your seat with a plastic bag that would not hurt.

Your chain, just keep it clean if you must buy this for lube use this.

If you are proactive with maintainence I would not worry about it.

Tools. Most people don't have proper bike tools, so that would be a great surprise. You can either get a decent multi-tool (get one with a chain-breaker and tire wrenches) or a variety of Park Tools. Here are some Park Tools that I find invaluable: 3-way hex, chain cleaning tools, pedal wrench, and/or a chain whip

This bar tape is amazing 3mm Fizik performance. Tape should be replaced semi-regularly, but most people don't, so it would be a great surprise gift. Black looks good on almost every bike.

give it a thorough clean and degrease with a chain scrubber and a round of WD40 (to clean off the rust) and then a second round with a citrus degreaser. Important to let it dry fully before patiently and thoroughly applying a good quality wet lube. At the very least, wipe down the chain of any residual moisture after each wet weather ride, and re-lube when needed.

I use the ParkTool chain cleaner but there are others from Finish Line and BBB which seem very good.

I'm just rereading your post and I'm thinking of buying some of the things you mentioned. I'm specifically thinking about degreasing my drive chain.

Would you confirm for me that these are good purchases?

Chain cleaning gizmo:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B007Q4NCZI/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1497653406&sr=8-3&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=bike+chain+cleaner&dpPl=1&dpID=51NbNChbn9L&ref=plSrch

Simple green (liquid and spray)
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00DORUJS4/ref=psdcmw_10802561_t1_B01HNCCIB6

I have been slowly buying tools this year, based on what I need for basics. So far, this chain cleaner has got a lot of use. I also bought a gallon of simple green degreaser. This is concentrate so it should equal roughly 20 gallons as long as i dilute it. Also gets bar tape super white.

What you do is clean the chain, clean the cassette/crank with degreaser and brush, then lube the chain. The less grime in the chain, the longer the drive train will last.

I also bought a cassette sprocket and chain whip and will occationally (once every 1000 miles or so) take it off and give it a nice soaking and try to get it as clean as possible.

You can (and will be the best way of cleaning it) remove the chain, but it's not that necesary. There are chain cleaning tools like this one that will do a great job without the need to remove it. As for the air compresor, like water, you should not use a lot of preassure on parts that have grease on them.

Matte white is definitely hard to clean. The hardest place of all is behind the chainrings, I don't think I'll ever be able to clean that right without removing the chainrings and cranks and I'm too lazy for that.

Here's my full cleaning routine:

1. Spray all over with diluted Simple Green
   
2. Clean chain using Park Tools chain cleaner tool, three sets of 30 revolutions, two with Simple Green and one with water to rinse out
   
3. Remove wheels, clean cassette with Park Tools brush that came with the chain cleaner and soapy water
   
4. Clean wheels, frame, fork, saddle, bars, and under fenders with hot soapy water using sponge, brushes, rags, etc
   
5. Put wheels back on, rinse with hose
   
6. Let dry, then lube
   
   I definitely recommend fenders, especially if you ride on wet roads. Sometimes I do hear rocks getting in but there's enough clearance that they don't get stuck.

For your chain I use and recommend one of these guys:

https://www.amazon.com/Park-Tool-Chain-Cleaning-System/dp/B007Q4NCZI/ref=pd_lpo_468_bs_t_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=HF8S7NP2M3GDWCHKCRX7

For the rear disc mech. brake...I dont know what to tell you. Perhaps you are putting on too much chain lube and its getting all over your other parts, thus atracting dirt and grime? Maybe you deal with stuff like Adobe mud/clay in your area which can be sandy and stiicky as well? I would ask a local shop about that one to see if anyone else has this issue as well and how they deal with it.

The biggest difference between cranksets is roundness, a more expensive crank is going to be rounder which means there's a smaller difference in chain tension which means it "absorbs" less energy is more silent. Expensive cranksets are also stiffer, but unless you're putting out 3000 watt that isn't really an issue.

That conversion kit looks like a bad idea, it's a bunch of the cheapest components being marketed as "hip".

They're called riser bars, as long as you find a bar with same diameter (probably 25.4 or 26 mm on older road bikes) you can keep the stem and headset.

Park makes super nice tools, and that stand is a great choice. But I'd really consider buying tools along the ride, instead of shelling out big time for this huge set. Since you are a tool guy you probably already have a good part of those wrenches and keys, so it'd be better to move a bit of that budget towards your bike.

For this conversion you'll need these tools:

• Chain whip
  
  
• Pedal wrench
  
  
• Chain tool
  
  
• Tire levers
  
  
• Crank puller
  
  
• Chain cleaner
  
  
• Bottom bracket tool
  
  This totals about half of what you'd pay for the complete set, so I'd go for the complete set if you need all the wrenches, but otherwise you can put an extra $100 into your conversion.