Clean Chains - Chain Maintenance

re: hands, best I've managed is a drop of fairy liquid and some used ground coffee. magic.

This does work rather well (better than sugar, at least); Maldon sea salt (or any particularly 'scrunchy' salt) is exceptionally good.

The downside to all detergents is that, in more or less time depending upon their strength and frequency of use, they will remove the natural oils from your skin. If you're getting dirty hands every day, best to wear latex gloves to reduce the amount of cleaning required, and make sure to moisturise them afterwards (Vaseline/E45). In a former life as a mechanic (both car and bicycle), I knew several venerable dudes with dry, cracked and very painful hands from years of daily scrubbing.

As for chain cleaning, I will wipe/scrub the drivetrain with some baby wipes after every ride, but I don't lube it (baby wipes contain some oils that prevent rusting in the short-term, and I do it at least once a week anyway). Occasionally if it's really gritty (as on the MTB) I'll take it off and slosh it around in a bottle of washing up liquid/hot water (I used to use diesel, which works much better, but I now live in a flat and don't have anywhere to keep it) - after sloshing the majority of the hidden grit out, pulling it through a clean cloth a dozen times seems to remove almost all the remaining grit (this is because it rotates the links and the bushings). All my bikes are now geared, incidentally.

Does anyone use a chain cleaning machine?

not me but I had my eye on this to try it out: a lot cheaper than Park Tool

BestDealUK Cycling Bike Bicycle 3D Chain Cleaner Machine Brushes Scrubber Quick Clean Tool: Amazon.co.uk: Sports & Outdoors

fucking shit weather.

This works for me.

Chains can never really be cleaned. Most "degreasers" don't do anything but flush the lubricant and leave the grit. Adding new lubricant just creates a grinding paste. That is why people in the "old days" used Diesel fuel to clean their chains. "Cooking" chains in a heavy lubricant or wax used to also be popular.

Diesel has been, more or less, replaced by "self cleaning" lubricants-- most of which can be replicated by using a mixture of synthetic motor oil and mineral spirits. This is effectively what a number of "high tech" bicycle chain producs are. The problem is, I think, getting the balance of the mix right.

Prolink--- which I got years ago on a US trip--- just smells of its solvents but it does work so I'd assume a high spirit to oil ratio.

I recently recieved a can of something called "INNOTECH High Tech Ketten Fluid 105" to try out. It seems quite similar but less pungent. I suspect they use a more volatile solvent--- but less. I have not had enough time to get an meaningful experience with it but I expect it to perform at least as well. It seems to remove the dirt just as well and leave the chain feeling dry on the outer plates-- where lubricants don't do any good.

Dont take your chain off and soak it. It removes the injected grease from the bushings and they get really noisy.

Modern road chains don't have bushings. Many single speed chains are too without bushings.
Track chains have bushings but are not exposed to road grit so don't ever need cleaning. They can be oiled without great worries.
Track chains on the road? See my comment above...

Hoping to get a little advice on good chain maintenance, main points being:

-best method of cleaning- tools/ products?
-what lubes to use/ any recommendations (seasonal products?)
-how often
-other general tips for not messing anything up

Currently my chain is nice & crunchy having gotten a bit gritty in the wet...

Please point me in the direction of any existing threads on this topic if I have missed them, otherwise advice would be much appreciated!

Auto Glym engine degreaser is nice and non-toxic and half the price of bike related products and rinses off with water.

For evil aerosol shit Swarfega Jizer

This is the forum's chosen method The ShelBroCo Bicycle Chain Cleaning System

This may be bad, but when it gets a bit cruddy, I take the chain off and soak it in paraffin for a bit, brush a bit with my toothbrush, followed by reattachment and some engine oil.

So in (uh, very) general terms, strip grease/ re grease...

This is the forum's chosen method The ShelBroCo Bicycle Chain Cleaning System

^may possibly be slightly more lazy than this, but thank you!

I'm taking it chain cleaning 'tools' are a waste of time/ money if I am in possession of a toothbrush (which I am) + some sort of solvent...

Also any thoughts on specific bike grease eg.wet lube v. dry lube? (as I only have one bike it has to go out in all weather). Will take a look at some engine products too, cheers!

Every 100-150km - grab some rubber gloves, a paper towel and some lube.

1. Using one hand turn the pedals slowly, using the other hold the chain with the paper towel, rubbing the dirt and muck off it.
   
2. Grab your lube with a needle/nozzle applicator (I used to use a pipette) and place a half drop to a drop of lube on the inside roller area on each link. Roll the chain through until all links are done.
   
3. Wait for 5 minutes. To pass the time I normally watch some grass grow.
   
4. Grab another paper towel, and do the same as number 1, this is to wipe off the excess lube.
   
5. Your chain stay will likely be dirty from the chain flicking muck and grease everywhere. Paper towel it and check near the bottom bracket too for muck.
   
6. Every now and then I get cotton buds and clean in between the plates where grime accumulates.
   
   

I also do this after a rainy/mucky day, although when I get back I give the bike a quick fresh water bottle spray to be rid of all the salt and grime accumulating - if you leave the road water to dry you end up with salt stains.

If you're consistent with the method above, you shouldn't have to remove your chain to clean it, I never had to with my roadie back home.

The differences between wet lube and dry lube is that dry lube will displace with water, while wet lube will not. On my previous chain I used dry lube, however the factory lubrication on my current chain is lasting me a while, and haven't felt the need to lube it yet, just the paper towel trick.

Take care with engine oils, these normally contain compounds designed to keep the engine clean, and I've read multiple reports on the abrasiveness of these chemicals and chain wear.

I've also heard mixed reviews on using car transmission oils - although nothing overly negative yet. If you will go this route I might suggest GL-4 rather than GL-5 spec oil. GL-5 contains certain chemicals that will eat brass and other related metals, which spells bad news for certain chains/rollers/pins.

Me personally, when I was in a pinch back home in Australia I used air tool oil, which worked quite well (no chemical abbrasiveness, just lubrication).

I suppose the secret is to just keep it clean and lubed and you will always be a happy chappy!

Solid advice.

I reckon that generally Dry Lube is the way to go. Even after a shower it's not entirely washed away and wet lube can be a little too persistent and become cloggy if you're less diligent than Mishmash.

Yes, I definitely recommend dry lube for wet weather, mainly as it congeals and you can wipe it off easily off both the chain and the stays. Wet lube seems to accumulate the dust easily.

Solid advice.

I reckon that generally Dry Lube is the way to go. Even after a shower it's not entirely washed away and wet lube can be a little too persistent and become cloggy if you're less diligent than Mishmash.

You can take a look at Sheldon Brown's proper article on chain wear and maintenance, John Allen's comments are also particularly interesting to read.

I'm yet to try the motorcycle chain lube or hot waxing...and hot waxing seems like a lot of effort!

Another quick note on solvents - try not to degrease the chain too often unless you are prepared to take the time to lube it carefully again. Degreasing the chain will remove all the lube that has worked its way through the minute little crevices and it will take a while to restore the lubrication there. Even if you get tiny particles in there, I still wouldn't do it, as I'm lazy and I can't be bothered taking off the chain and the wear from road grit wouldn't out damage the wear you get from poor lubrication. The only time I'd do it is after every mountain biking trip where I would get the glorious iron-rich Australian sand and clay caked onto my chain =) I'd never do it for road use.

Also please please please don't get your fingers caught in between the sprocket and the chain. It happens all too often when dealing with fixies. Take your time and be slow. I'm sure someone can link the pictures to the gore thread on these sorts of accidents..

Once a month, wipe with a jay cloth and regrease.
Twice a year remove and soak in white spirit or petrol, go over white a toothbrush (making sure to wear an apron or a tshirt that is ready for binning).
Regrease.

Finish line dry lube is really tacky, almost like chewing gum, but if you go very very sparingly it works perfect.

Degreasing? Ain't nobody got time for that.

As noted above, you strip out all the lube from where you want it to be and then have to thoroughly rinse the degreaser off.

All this work, to end up back at square one with an unlubed chain: why would you want to do that?

Save yourself time and money by changing your chain more often, using cheaper chains and maintaining them with the "wipe-lube-wipe" method described above.

Wet conditions lube is oil-based and dry conditions water-based.

Oil will attract more crud, but this only a problem if you're a slacker (you can do your chain while the kettle boils).

Oil-based lubes reduce friction better than water-based ones, according to a pro-wrench writing on British Cycling and citing a report by German stiction-boffins.

My preferred method is:

• Buy cheap degreaser: cheap degreaser
  
• Pour 100ml into an old half-litre yoghurt pot, add very hot water and soak/shake chain for a few minutes
  
• Run under hot tap turned on hard to blast away residue, hang up and let chain dry via heat absorbed from water
  
• Use remaining solvent to wipe down greasy bits of bike
  
• Lube up. I like Fenwick's Stealth Lube
  

Ah, thanks all for the sage advice, very helpful, just what I was after! :)

Mishmash11, thanks for the step by step! (Hope the euro travels are going well!)

1. Wait for 5 minutes. In this time I should be able to clean the house, play some Xbox & get ready to go out.
   
   

ftfy... (girl time)

Also please please please don't get your fingers caught in between the sprocket and the chain. It happens all too often when dealing with fixies. Take your time and be slow. I'm sure someone can link the pictures to the gore thread on these sorts of accidents..

I haz seen gore, also I quite like my fingers, so will be careful. I promise.

I like Fenwick's Stealth Lube

^stealth lube... sounds awesome, will be checking out :)

Twice a year remove and soak in white spirit or petrol, go over white a toothbrush (making sure to wear an apron or a tshirt that is ready for binning)

Degreasing? Ain't nobody got time for that.

The ShelBroCo Bicycle Chain Cleaning System

Hmm... Degreasing sounds a bit of a faff, so looks like I might leave it for special occasions only. Cheers all!

1 Attachment

Spray degreaser on chain while whiping it away, making sure it doesn't get in the bearing (hubs, BB, etc.)

Then put lube in.

Job done.

5 minutes max.

Oil will attract more crud, but this only a problem if you're a slacker (you can do your chain while the kettle boils).

I would says that the fresh wax from new chain attract even more crud, so it's vital to keep an eyes out and degrease the entire chain once it start to murk up sometime rotten.

A fresh dollop of oil is the nicest feeling ever after you ride it with a fresh drivetrain.