Cleaning fixie chain

Anonymous

I know Fixed gear bikes are low maintanance. How regular does the chain need cleaning/lubing on fixies? On my hybrid I used to do this every 150 miles. The fixie is used for city commuting.

jakob_s

When it's dirty?

FGG #2384

monty_dogcp

Or when it gets noisy / gritty.

AndyGates

"Need"? Probably close to never: most of the cleaning and lubing you do on a gearie is to make it shift nicely.

"Want"? That depends on whether you're a blinging concourse-shiny person or a horrid little scrote like me...

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<b>No longer looking for a pennyfarthing as I've got some powerbocks instead. Casualty here I come!</b>
It is by will alone I set my ride in motion.</font id="size1">

2muchCake

Just be careful to keep your fingers away from anything that's moving.

Assuming that you want to keep your finger...

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99p for this?!?!

southlaker

Oil liberally once a week. If you put enough oil on it was most of the muck off.

terongi

I disagree with most of the advice given here so far.

I used to clean my chain only when it was dirty. I used to use a liberal application of wet lube once a week. This created a nice coarse gooey paste. I needed a new chain after 3 months of regular commuting.

I now do the following:

(1) Wipe down the chain, chainset and srpocket every day with a dry clean rag (mind your fingers). This takes approximately one minute and it is easiest with the bike in a stand, but probably just as easy with the bike upside down.

(2) Apply only dry lube all year round once a week. Apply it carefully on Sunday evening (3 minutes), let it soak in and wipe of excess in the morning (1 minute).

(3) Apply the dry lube additionally after any particularly wet ride.

(4) I almost never need to use a chain cleaner or degreaser, because I never allow the chain or drivetrain to get dirty.

My current chain has lasted nearly a year. Same bike, same amount of riding.
This may all sound a bit anal, but as described above it hardly takes any time: just get into a routine. Regard it as part of your ride home in the evening.

iron_man

I would agree with terongi.

I have commuted on fixed for 4 months, and i have just gone through a chain. I think that this is mainly to do with me putting loads of White lightning on it and just never cleaning it.

It is really grindy and sounds aweful. Having said this i may just be unlucky.

belgiangoth

I don't know why, but the chain on my fixed gets dirty far faster than on my gearie (maybe shifting and the rear derailler cogs knock the drier grime off).
Personally, when the chain starts to look dirty I clean it off quickly, then dry it, relube, leave overnight and then wipe off excess lube before riding the next day. I generally give it a superficial clean when I clean the bike, and on occaision I take the chain off and give it a better scrubbing.

Monty Dog

Did someone say chain lube and White Lightning - because that's an oxymoron in my book, unless you enjoy the squeaking of metal-to-metal. I wipe the outside of the chain with a rag soaked with chain cleaner or even GT85 first. I then apply Finish Line XC to each roller, whizz the chain round a few times and wipe off the excess. Probably needs doing every few weeks and then gets a full chainbath every 6 months or so - chains last 12 months minimum.

Ravenbait

My chain gets cleaned whenever the bike gets a bath.

As my bikes are mollycoddled beyond all redemption, this is quite frequently.

My last chain, the crappy one that came with the bike, lasted nearly 18 months and I had to change it only cos it was stretched by about 2". It was probably made of mushrooms and grass. I have replaced it with a proper chain with bushes and everything.

Sam

dreamlx10

"fixies?"

"FIXED" it's simple, just say "FIXED"

dreamlx10

"a gearie"

My god it's getting worse, I thought "Fixie" was bad but this is unbelievable !

Crumbling Nick

Fixed chains don't need cleaning. The muck doesn't clog up the fiddly bits that derailleur bikes suffer from.

Don't look at it, ride it .

fluff.

dreamlx10 wrote:

"
My god it's getting worse, I thought "Fixie" was bad but this is unbelievable !

As are your posts, 13 posts, 10 moaning about calling them fixies. Get a grip!