I’ve ridden my Brompton for about 200 miles now, and I am looking for some maintenance advice. I have been following the tips from [Brompton’s maintenance video](https://youtu.be/MGfS97iyZy0?si=hkz_RBLqePeMijNB).
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Unfortunately, this time of year where I live there is lots of road salt and muck in the road which is impossible to completely avoid. I have been degreasing and relubricating my chain essentially every other ride following Brompton’s instructions to try and keep up with all the muck being thrown at it from the gross conditions of the wintery roads where I live. I’m finding that even after cleaning, however, my chain is still kind of dirty. In particular, the chain wheel, cassette, and rear derailer seem to be retaining a good amount of dirt and muck even after attempting to clean them. I’m a little concerned too because one of the screws already seems to be rusting (see photograph attached). Am I being too much of a perfectionist (I also don’t want to overdo it if that is possible), or is there more I should be doing to maintain the chain and associated parts?
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[Still some black crap coming off even after cleaning and relubricating](https://preview.redd.it/5kmfcm88afhc1.jpg?width=2048&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=97b30e79fc1cc6b4602b3c28d13ed8f7782da493)
[After cleaning](https://preview.redd.it/kyam6l88afhc1.jpg?width=1536&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b0b80aac5d592bf9df3d39d4ee5319bbbd8809eb)
[Featuring Rusty Screw](https://preview.redd.it/j6016498afhc1.jpg?width=2048&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a7ba395d0fd093b6344321909e87f91eb4fd8fe1)
by Spindle360
1 Comment
The rust on the hub gear chain and the muck on your drive train are two different issues. One from the lack of lubrication or protectant, and one inevitable side effect of lubing your chain.
Regarding the drive train, I would switch to hot melt wax. It resists dirt and muck accumulation like nothing else. It is more effort up front, but it almost completely eliminates maintenance effort, making it extremely worthwhile. It was a revelation for me and I’d never go back.
Regarding your hub gear chain, you can either wax it as well, or you can go with an anti-corrosive, like fluid film, but I’d go with wax.