what chain cleaner and lube?

projectsome

I've just bought and fitted a new KMC X9L Titanium Nitrate Gold Light Chain.

What's best for cleaning it and what lube?

canada16

I use my fenwicks straight.

Or if really bad will use white spirits, and I use white lightning wet.

And I have the KMC SL

Joe_Pineapples

I bought an ultrasonic bath from Argos a while back, and I stick the chain in it every so often to get it clean then treat it to a good coat of Rock 'N' Roll Extreme Lube.

http://www.ukbikestore.co.uk/product/29 ... e-4oz.html

Joe_Pineapples

PS - Everyone who replies to your post will probably swear by a different product/method for keeping their chain tip top. Just buy a good brand name product and be done with it!

canada16

Agreed

Johnny Napalm

I tend to take the chain off, degrease it, give it a scrub and lube with White Lightning Wet.

Although, I might try this method taken from sheldonbrown.com...

drop the chain into a plastic Coke bottle with a couple of ounces of un-diluted citrus degreaser, cap it, and shake thoroughly. Fish the chain out with a spoke, rinse in water, and you are all set!

blister pus

I take the chain off and shove it in a jar with white spirit in put the lid on and shake it repeatedly while I'm wandering about, depends how dirty it is as to how long it gets a shakin'.

I take the chain out and either drop it into old but warm washing up water or shove it in a separate jar of hot water and fairy liquid (and shake). Rinse till the smell has gone off the chain and towel dry - then spray with GT85 to force left over water out and leave it over night ready for lube.

Of which I use Finish Line Wet for winter and rain - but seeing as though we have one continual rainy season now it's FLW all year round.

tjwood

Any good quality detergent/degreaser product will clean the drivetrain perfectly well - it doesn't need to be something ridiculously expensive sold in a bike shop. Supermarket all purpose cleaners may or may not work, but cleaning products sold for professional use certainly will, and are probably the most economical cleaners you can buy. I've found using this works very well. I have a 50/50 mix with water in an old jam jar. Leave the chain on the bike. Hose down to remove any loose mud etc then using a cheap paintbrush dip in the solution and brush into the cassette, chain, derailleurs etc. It will foam up nicely. Brush into all parts of the chain. Then leave for a few minutes (normally while I wipe down the rest of the bike) and hose off. Towel dry then leave to dry before lubing. Using this technique you need to use very little degreaser (this stuff is very powerful, a half full jam jar of 50/50 mix will last half a dozen or so cleans) and don't have to faff around taking the chain off.

You can use a small splash of the same product in a bucket of water for washing down the rest of your bike, the kitchen floor, whatever....

scotto

muck off is the best I have used, but I also had that chain and the gold wears of pretty quick, which is gutting for such an expensive item, mine lasted 3 months before it went a grey colour, waste of money from a bling point of view, it also stretched pretty quick as well.

mhuk

I use the Sheldon Brown method with Virosol.

For a really manky chain that wouldn't get clean I had to soak it in white spirit and it was good as new.

.blitz

Avoid having to clean it by not getting it dirty. What you need is some of this www.in2dust.co.uk.

The chain is the cleanest part of my bike =]

Skonk

.blitz wrote:

Avoid having to clean it by not getting it dirty. What you need is some of this www.in2dust.co.uk.

The chain is the cleanest part of my bike =]

+1 for this, I bought some a couple of weeks ago and now use it on all 3 of my bikes and after muddy rides (which is like every ride these days) the chain is always the cleanest part of the bike

Dazzza

Likewise squirt is great stuff, tried near damn every lube out there.

blister pus

sounds like miracle product how far does a bottle go? is economic or about the same as any other lube?

blister pus

what's it like in the wet too? ...we are in monsoon season after all.

Zeroman_IR

It's about the same as other lubes. Just follow the instructions, first time you put it on make sure your chain is clean and dry and put on 2 applications of it. After that, just clean the chain with a brush whenever you feel it needs it and reapply. Lasts pretty good in the wet, maybe not as long as a true wet lube, but then the wet lube doesn't get left on long anyway as you pretty much have to scrub the drivetrain with degreaser to de-gunk it after every muddy ride. So you'll end up reapplying the wet lube more often. Whereas with the Squirt, just brush and reapply about every 60 miles in the wet.

blister pus

Cheers. Sounds good to me, just ordered some - I'll give it a squirt.





lmfao the comedy flows

deffler

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/m/cycle/7/Green_Oil/

save the planet

nicklouse

tjwood wrote:

Any good quality detergent/degreaser product will clean the drivetrain perfectly well - it doesn't need to be something ridiculously expensive sold in a bike shop. Supermarket all purpose cleaners may or may not work, but cleaning products sold for professional use certainly will, and are probably the most economical cleaners you can buy. I've found using this works very well. I have a 50/50 mix with water in an old jam jar. Leave the chain on the bike. Hose down to remove any loose mud etc then using a cheap paintbrush dip in the solution and brush into the cassette, chain, derailleurs etc. It will foam up nicely. Brush into all parts of the chain. Then leave for a few minutes (normally while I wipe down the rest of the bike) and hose off. Towel dry then leave to dry before lubing. Using this technique you need to use very little degreaser (this stuff is very powerful, a half full jam jar of 50/50 mix will last half a dozen or so cleans) and don't have to faff around taking the chain off.

You can use a small splash of the same product in a bucket of water for washing down the rest of your bike, the kitchen floor, whatever....

take care with detergents as a lot contain alot of SALT and can cause chains to seize up (as well as bearings and also destroy rubber seals)

.blitz

blister pus wrote:

sounds like miracle product how far does a bottle go? is economic or about the same as any other lube?

It's more viscous than other dry lubes and you can put just one drop on each roller without getting it all over the place. After a few minutes it disperses and covers the rollers. It lasts a bit longer than other dry lubes but realistically you're looking at 30-40 miles in wet conditions. It doesn't matter if you put too much on, there's no build up.

Like a wax the dirt clings to it and just falls off, keeping the chain and drivetrain spangly clean.

blister pus

Sounds cool and 40 miles for wet conditions is fine by me. It's come in really handy this too as the chain is off and clean (waiting on the postman now for new tyres). So I'm looking forward to trying the stuff.

Zeroman_IR

It's a surprise the first time you have a really muddy ride with it on, the chain is just shockingly clean afterwards compared to conventional wet lubes.