chain cleaning

thesmellyone
thesmellyone Posts: 44
edited June 2008 in Commuting chat
I spent over 2 hours yesterday trying to take the chain off (the link removal tool didn't work and i didn't notice the master link until later), trying to clean the chain with a brush and that expensive cleaning solution they sale in bike stores (to find out there was still crud on the inside of the links).

Is it really worth the time and effort as a new chain would be a tenner! And do those cleaning solutions really work??

Saying all that this morning the drive train was working really smooth :)

Comments

  • karl j
    karl j Posts: 517
    Yes they do work. And yes a new chain is maybe only a tenner but if you have to replace worn chainrings / cassette too it'll cost a darned sight more.

    Get yourself one of them chain bath / scubber things (sorry can't remember the exact name, but the LBS would know what you mean if thats what you ask for) . You wind the chain backwards through it, . And put a plastic tub (ie. an old butter tub) under the chain to catch the drip-off to clean the cassette with an old tooth brush. 15 / 20 minute job
    Morning route (when i don't get the train)

    Evening route ,
  • jostle
    jostle Posts: 6
    I've recently discovered baby wipes. I use a couple of baby wipes to get the worst of the gunk off then use a chain cleaner.
  • woodgob
    woodgob Posts: 96
    Try one of these or something similar or cheaper.....

    http://www.evanscycles.com/product.jsp?style=10794

    I try to use this once a week in winter but less in summer - on both my road and off-road rigs and they're always running real smooth.

    I use engine degreaser from the local car shop. I've used bespoke bike cleaning fluid (not mentioning any names) for this and have found them to be a) more expensive and b) far less effective. The degreaser will shift almost anything.....
  • ride_whenever
    ride_whenever Posts: 13,279
    If you have a master link, take the chain off, dump it in a bottle with a wide wide neck and some degreaser, shake rinse and repeat until the degreaser comes up clean. Then don't let it get dirty again! you want to use as little lube as possible.
    Neeermad
    Carbon 456
    456 lefty
    Pompino
    White Inbred
  • El Gordo
    El Gordo Posts: 394
    Anytime there is a chain cleaning thread round here someone will point out that immersing your chain in degreaser is a terrible thing to do as it will remove all the grease that the manufacturer put inside the rollers and you'll never get it back. This will shorten the life of the chain.

    This does seem to be true in my experience. A chain can be very reliable and not too needy for oil until I dunk it after which it is great for a little while but very quickly goes bad again.

    I'm sure I remember a bike shop owner and club racer from my youth telling me that he used to boil his cleaned chains in a pan of beeswax and something else (I forget the magic ingredient) which sounds like a good idea for replacing the factory grease. Anyone heard of that?

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