Chain cleaning question

rustyjusty

I don't want to take my chain off to clean it so I was wondering if some all purpose degreaser sprayed on the chain and wiped off with a rag would be ok before then using oil to lubricate it again? Or do I need to wash the degreaser off first before oil ?

Bike is not some top spec racing bike etc, it's an old gt mountain bike so im looking to keep costs down.

At the mo I've been using multi purpose oil on the chain and every now and then using an old toothbrush and rag to clean the chain before oiling the chain again. I saw some all purpose degreaser spray for a quid and considered trying that.

Also if not oil then what would you recommend as a chain lubricant that's not too expensive?

steve_sordy

There is no need to regularly degrease your chain.
I keep an old Terry towel in the garage and I use it to wipe down the chain after a ride. I have a workstand, so it's easy for me to have the rear wheel off the ground while I run the chain through the towel while winding the cranks with the other hand. Six or seven turns of the crank is all that is needed.

Then I apply the oil onto the top of the lower strand while winding the crank (6-7 x). You don't need to flood it, just dribble it on. Putting too much on is almost as bad as not putting any on at all. Too much oil just attracts dust and grime and creates a grimy paste that sticks to everything. Rotate the cranks and power through the gears and back a few times. This gives the oil an opportunity to migrate through the chain links and get to where it is really needed - under the rollers and between the side-plates. The oil is not really needed anywhere else, not on top of the rollers, outside the chain anywhere in fact. And the gears don't need any at all! I leave my bike overnight and then before using I run the chain through the old towel again to remove the surplus lube. This also detects any shifting problems.

Any lube is better than no lube, for sure! But specific "wet" lube is better when the conditions are wet because it resists wash off. "Dry" lube is better in the summer because the solvent in it evaporates to leave a waxy coating. Any dust or grit just flakes off.

In addition to any wiping down with a towel, you may consider cleaning any black crud from the jockey wheels and adding a drop of lube into the axle of each.

rustyjusty

steve_sordy said:

There is no need to regularly degrease your chain.
I keep an old Terry towel in the garage and I use it to wipe down the chain after a ride. I have a workstand, so it's easy for me to have the rear wheel off the ground while I run the chain through the towel while winding the cranks with the other hand. Six or seven turns of the crank is all that is needed.

Then I apply the oil onto the top of the lower strand while winding the crank (6-7 x). You don't need to flood it, just dribble it on. Putting too much on is almost as bad as not putting any on at all. Too much oil just attracts dust and grime and creates a grimy paste that sticks to everything. Rotate the cranks and power through the gears and back a few times. This gives the oil an opportunity to migrate through the chain links and get to where it is really needed - under the rollers and between the side-plates. The oil is not really needed anywhere else, not on top of the rollers, outside the chain anywhere in fact. And the gears don't need any at all! I leave my bike overnight and then before using I run the chain through the old towel again to remove the surplus lube. This also detects any shifting problems.

Any lube is better than no lube, for sure! But specific "wet" lube is better when the conditions are wet because it resists wash off. "Dry" lube is better in the summer because the solvent in it evaporates to leave a waxy coating. Any dust or grit just flakes off.

In addition to any wiping down with a towel, you may consider cleaning any black crud from the jockey wheels and adding a drop of lube into the axle of each.

Where is the top of the lower strand?

Thanks for the reply by the way ✌

wilberforce

Lower strand = lower run of your chain, between jockey wheels and bottom of chainring.

steve_sordy

rustyjusty said:

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Where is the top of the lower strand?

Thanks for the reply by the way ✌

When you look at the bike from the side, there are two strands of chain. The upper strand is tight when pedalling and the lower strand is kept under some tension by the spring in the rear mech, but it is still loose enough to bounce up and down.

With the bike upright, the lower strand has a "top", ie the bit facing upwards and a "bottom", the bit facing downwards. It is easier to drip the oil onto the top of the lower strand. The oil on the top of the lower strand gets carried into the workings better than if it was on top of the upper strand, where it may drip off or be flung off as it progresses around the front ring and onwards to the rear of the bike.

JBA

Use a chain cleaning device such as the Park Tool Cyclone or an aerosol cleaner such as Fenwicks Foaming Chain Cleaner.
Don’t use oil on your chain. Use a proper chain lube that doesn’t build up so much and create a nasty grinding paste.

vincesummerskRoxcBTr

I just replaced my chain cleaner with a Lifeline one from Wiggle, seems quite robust and works well.
I use pretty much any degreaser I have around

oblongomaculatus

I use a water soluble degreaser, which I spray on, then revolve the chain a few times while applying a toothbrush to it, covering top, bottom and both sides, as well as the jockey wheels, which tend to be the dirtiest part. I then wash off the degreaser using a garden hose with a spray setting, being careful not to blast water into the bottom bracket or anywhere else there are bearings. What happens is that all the black gunge ends up on the floor, and the chain is suddenly shiny again. Sometimes I do this more than once if the chain was especially dirty. After wiping it down I leave it for bit to dry off completely, then spray it with some GT85, which hopefully drives out any remaining water, wipe it down again and then apply a chain lube, sparingly to the rollers. The chain ends up looking like new, though inevitably there is always a little grime lurking in there somewhere.

MattFalle

Go to motor factor.

buy a 5 litre can of Jizer for £20 or so.

Pour some into a jam jar.

Apply liberally with paintbrush to anything you want to get clean - in this case chain, cassette and chainrings.

hose off with garden hose.

dry - towel, compressor, whatever.

apply lube. just buy the one you like the look of best as they are all basically the.

job jobbed.

takes 5 mins, sparkly sparkly.

no need for anything trendy and stupid expensive or bizarrely long winded like the above.

its a bicycle and some degreaser.

gomezz

Ready for abuse ! but I use a Halfords chain cleaner with 2 stroke petroil in it, then use a needle injector to oil it with chain saw oil. It's only pushbike a bike chain when all is said and done.

First.Aspect

You only need to mobilize the crap on a chain using a solvent. Water and optionally soap will then displace it. I use a paint brush and a small amount of white spirit. Some people use petrol or diesel. The other option is to use a vat of some water soluble degreaser that doesn't really work, hence the need for a vat of it.

oblongomaculatus

MattFalle said:

Go to motor factor.

buy a 5 litre can of Jizer for £20 or so.

Pour some into a jam jar.

Apply liberally with paintbrush to anything you want to get clean - in this case chain, cassette and chainrings.

hose off with garden hose.

dry - towel, compressor, whatever.

apply lube. just buy the one you like the look of best as they are all basically the.

job jobbed.

takes 5 mins, sparkly sparkly.

no need for anything trendy and stupid expensive or bizarrely long winded like the above.

its a bicycle and some degreaser.

Not as long winded as I probably made it sound by describing what I do in detail. All I was really saying is degreaser hosed off with water turns the chain from black to shiny in seconds. I'd be interested in using this jizer stuff, though, especially as it's so cheap. I don't drive so I'm not familiar with car products.

nibnob21

Been covered a few times recently but I'm broadly with MattFalle on this one, though I prefer to remove the chain and clean it off the bike (very quick if you have a quick-link). Some automotive APC/degreaser diluted in a jar and swill the chain around then rinse through until it runs clear. The main cause of chain wear is the grime you can't see that's in the rollers. A lot of chain cleaners or cleaning routines focus on the more superficial exterior grime. You can get a nice shiny chain but that doesn't mean it's clean where it needs to be.

Also touched on in the first response you got is the importance of not over-lubing. A drop on each roller, turn the cranks a few times and allow it to dwell a bit. Then wipe any excess off thoroughly. Lube on the exterior of the chain just attracts dirt and grime and accelerates wear.