Chain cleaning

[vvill]

This is (yet another) one of those things I’ll need to learn to do properly now that I have a nicer bike and I’m riding a lot more. For my MTB + hybrid I have 3-in-1 oil I put on the chain, and I have White Lightning for my road bike (which I don’t ride much in the wet). I have nashbar’s version of the chain cleaning tool but I haven’t even opened the packaging yet. I guess I could just take my bikes to Performance for their free service but that’s a lot of hassle if nothing needs adjusting.

[CCrew]

I’ll pile in here…

The chain cleaning machines are alright, but you can get a lot better cleaning by putting a SRAM Powerlink (or similar) in the chain, and dropping the chain into a tupperware container of mineral spirits. Use two containers, put it in the first while you’re cleaning the rest of the bike, then agitate and put into the second container. This degunks the worst into the first container and the second remains clean. When the first get’s too ucky, replace it with the second container and clean/refill the first one to be the new second.

Mineral spirits are minimally flammable, and are essentially the carrier in WD-40. All you need is a quart of mineral spirits, a powerlink for each bike, two containers, and to make things easy Park tool makes a special plier for the links.

I can get 10 bikes done in an afternoon this way….

[jrenaut]

@CCrew 11304 wrote:

I can get 10 bikes done in an afternoon this way….

So, can I drop mine off on one of those afternoons?

[OneEighth]

I tend to hose the chain with WD-40 and wipe it, the cog, and the chainring down once a week. After the WD-40 has had a chance to evaporate, I apply a bead of Pedro’s ice wax to the business side of the chain and let it dry.
Cleaning between each link with a rag usually isn’t necessary because I clean the chain pretty regularly and don’t gunk it up with too much lubricant.
Removing the chain and soaking it in mineral spirits works wonders on truly dirty chains.
If you park your bike indoors, you probably have room for a stand. Just get in the habit of putting your bike on the stand for a quick wipe-down after every ride.

[paulg]

This little stand at only $15 will let you stand the bike up and turn the cranks forwards or backwards. You have to be a little careful as it’s no dedicated work stand but it’s fine and it’s also good for storing a bike rather than leaning against a wall.

I always do it outside. Use a citrus de-greaser and a cog and brush chain cleaner and a hose with water. You’ll need to do it a few times. Maybe someone can weigh in on washing this stuff down the drive to the drain. It’s a small amount but I’m not sure of the environmental effects.
http://www.nashbar.com/bikes/Product_10053_10052_147182_-1_202642_10000_202580
http://www.nashbar.com/bikes/Product_10053_10052_172864_-1_202642_10000_202589

I mainly don’t worry about cleaning between the rear gears except to scrape the gunk off the rear mech jockey wheels. Gloves are good but a good citrus de-greasing hand cleaner also works.

I also like the approach by CCrew and have done that too. You just need a little more mechanical knowledge and definitely gloves for getting the power link off unless you have the pliers.

The last option is to have a dirty bike and a clean bike. One for wet and tooling around and one for dry Sunday best! ….. I wish.

[Rootchopper]

I don’t use a chain cleaning device. I tried and ended up with the mess you described. Just take an clean rag and put some citrus degreaser on it. Then run the chain through it. Repeat until clean. Or clean enough. Lean you bike up against an exterior wall as you do this. I sit in one of those plastic lawn chairs while I’m working. I have a bad back and this is perfectly comfortable. Once you get the gunk off the chain, run it through a clean and dry part of the rag. Then put a wax-based lube on your chain. (Pedro’s Ice Wax or White Lightning work just fine. And they make MUCH less mess.) Run the chain through your rag once to remove excess lube. Let it dry overnight.

Don’t obsess about getting the chain spotless. If you want a nice new-looking chain, buy a nice new chain.

You’ll probably need to apply wax lube a little more frequently. And be sure to do the cleaning once a month so wax doesn’t build up.

[elcee]

@paulg 11313 wrote:

Maybe someone can weigh in on washing this stuff down the drive to the drain.

I try to direct any runoff into my lawn or garden. Just lay a hose down on the driveway.

[Riley Casey]

Ummm … You have ten bikes?

[baiskeli]

Just turn your bike upside down.

[CCrew]

@Riley Casey 11336 wrote:

Ummm … You have ten bikes?

No… I have 14 :p

[JeffC]

Hmm, I just saw an article in the Wall Street Journal about upscale artistic indoor bike storage. These are pricey and you would need a lot of newspapers but if you have a small place and want something artsy, you could probably use one of these and do some maintenance while it is on the stand, just don’t tell your wife.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203699404577046314252113938.html

[Brendan von Buckingham]

I use the Park gear box. Fill it with Kerosene. Kerosene takes the oily grime off the chain lickety-split. The used kerosene I pour into a jar. After a week, the solids settle and I can re-use the kerosene a couple more times. I dry the chain pretty well with an old tee-shirt or rag then let it sit for a while. The kerosene evaoporates without leaving residue. Then I apply whatever gimmicky chain lube I’ve fallen for most recently.

[rcannon100]

Just giving appreciation to the thread. Have been bad about this – gonna start with the holiday break.

And yes, the lawn is a good place to do car and bike work.

[DSalovesh]

I just replace my chains frequently, about every 2,000 – 3,000 miles, pretty much. Between my two main bikes I change one per year or so.

Sounds a bit silly, I know, but the real enemy isn’t chain dirt, it’s chain wear. Careful cleaning and lubrication can slow that down, but careless cleaning and lack of lubrication (or wet salty winters) can speed it up.

I don’t know about anyone else, but all the “right” ways to clean and rehab an old chain are more work than I can justify, when a carefully spent $15 and 10 minutes or so of work gets me a brand new chain. Also, by never letting my chain wear down much I preserve the far more expensive drivetrain components, which can be far more important if you have unusual or vintage parts in use.

(When my annual distance was higher I used to have a complicated chain-swapping plan where I rotated through new and lightly used chains so I could always have a fairly new and fairly clean one at the ready, but I got busy and behind on the schedule so I lost track. Wound up with half a dozen pretty rusty chains and no idea which would be any good after all the work – so I tossed them and stopped worrying.)

[off2ride]

No matter how you slice it, drivetrain cleaning is and will be a dirty job. If you don’t want to get your hands and nails dirty, use nitrile or latex gloves or take the bike to your LBS for chain cleaning. Spray Nine works well in cleaning your drivetrain. Velcro strap the rear brake lever tight so that the bike doesn’t roll back and forth while your’re cleaning it. That’s the “ghetto” way but it works.

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