this post was submitted on 02 Feb 2026
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bike wrench

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I want to switch to wax. For preparation, I am cleaning my cassette, the gears in the bicycle derailleur (and the derailleur frame), and the bicycle chainring (I don't need to clean the chain because I am getting a new one).
For the job, I got white spirit, isopropyl alcohol, and a brush, and I cleaned them as well as I could, but, for example, on the cassette there are still some black dots left and, when touching them, they are still a little greasy. How clean do the components need to be, and how can I get rid of the leftover grease?

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[–] limelight79@lemmy.world 3 points 5 months ago (1 children)

How old is your cassette? I ask because another option is to just replace it, if it's getting up there in miles or kilometers. But some cassettes are ludicrously expensive, so it's not always a good option.

I've used Moto floss to clean between the gears of cassettes. It's like soft thick rope. Works really well. From Amazon, for example.

This is the hardest part of switching to wax.

[–] mobergmann@lemmy.world 2 points 5 months ago (1 children)

I am on a tight budget, therefore I want to save a little money and use the cassette as long as I can. But I also thought about just replacing it...

[–] limelight79@lemmy.world 2 points 5 months ago

Yeah, I'm loathe to replace something that still has life in it, and like I said some cassettes are pretty crazily expensive, so I'd be even less inclined to go that route. Just wanted to throw it out there in case you're trying to save a cassette that has 25,000 miles on it, or something.