Clean Chains - Chain Maintenance

I just buy a new chain when I think I want to photograph the bike. Doesn't everyone do this?
You buy your own? I get my man to buy me a new chain.

I put a new chain on every 5 miles. Last year I spent £3,375 on chains and a similar amount on hand cleanser.

Still, cheaper than public transport

Suuure.

I bet you suspected I just carried a clean spare. That's what I was telling people so that it didn't look so frivolous. But it's not true, I don't carry spare chains. I just buy new ones. I'm almost buying bulk nowadays.

actually my chain is always clean its my bike thats not. its time for a new one.

White Lightning, the wax stuff, not the drink, although that might work. Add a bit every week, seems to clean all the crap off for you.

this works for me

same as that, just a good rub with rag, relube.
new chain begining of summer

Same here, except about every 3rd summer.

Same here, except about every 3rd summer.

but your feeble veggie bag of bones, is lucky to weigh 50kgs or 8 stones

Or it could be the fact I know how to put power smoothly through the pedals, even when leaving everyone behind in the blink of an eye :P

EDIT: I might have weighed 8 stone (not 'stones') when I was about 12.

cripes that sheldon method is a bit OTT isn't it?

cripes that sheldon method is a bit OTT isn't it?

It was an April fool dood.

actually my chain is always clean its my bike thats not. its time for a new one.

That's what's called a 'reason' not an excuse for a new bike. class. Great minds think alike!

Thanks everyone, I didn't realize but am happy that, they kept Sheldon Brown's site going.
What I had been doing is using lub which the grime just clung to like a magnet.

It's the same on my new Campag cassette too so I'll try muc-off 1st.

You buy your own? I get my man to buy me a new chain.

Your boy friend really looks after you, it's touching.

Your boy friend really looks after you, it's touching.
Yes you do x

I've just bought some citrus-based de-greaser and some veggie lubricant - if I'm going to ride a bike it seems like I should try to avoid crude-oil based products if I can.

Problem is, they might be shit. I'll let you know.

I've just bought some citrus-based de-greaser and some veggie lubricant - if I'm going to ride a bike it seems like I should try to avoid crude-oil based products if I can.

Problem is, they might be shit. I'll let you know.

In the volumes that you're using on a bike I really wouldn't worry about it. Citrus based stuff is significantly more expensive than other products, and you just have to look at the roads when it rains to see that you're nowhere near a significant contributer to the problem.

Like most others in this thread, I just rub it down with a rag and lube. Doing this once a week normally keeps it clean enough. When it gets too nasty, take of and change for new one. Easy! Friend at work said he put his in the sonic tank at work once, totally fucked it up...lol

It was an April fool dood.

haha, whoops. puts away face mask and cotton buds

fwiw - i just take mine off every couple of months and scrub it with an old tooth brush and some washing up liquid, dry it with a rag then re-LOOOBE with some generic synthetic chain lube. as long as you don't soak it with too much LOOOB i find it doesn't pick up so much dirt.

I can tell when it needs redoing because the turn-ups on my jeans start to get really filthy.

I'd like to have a trailer that feeds freshly linked chain straight to the cranks. The used chain gets fed into an oven and melted down, cast into links and the process begins again a la Heath Robinson. Meaning I never use the same link twice.

Sorted.

Use this: http://www.parktool.com/products/detail.asp?cat=5&item=CG%2D2 - reaches the parts of your chain that other methods don't...

I never degrease chains.
Degreasing removes the lubricant from within the bushings (which was put in by the manufacturer).
Wipe chain with rag.
Few drops of Pro Road.
Job's a good 'un.

So are you using a sealed chain? since you think it really matters not to wash out the lubricant from within the bushings?

So are you using a sealed chain? since you think it really matters not to wash out the lubricant from within the bushings?

Not sure I quite follow you there, haj.

Don't want to remove lubricant that won't be replaced.

• wipe off all loose dirt and crap from the transmission (ie chain, chain ring, rear cog) with a rag
  
• then spray heavily with WD40 eventually it will evaporate taking a load of the crap with it leaving you with shiny clean looking bits- **be carefull not ride like this for too long as its metal on metal **
  
• then use a decent teflon based lube .
  

In Vietnam we had a word for filthy equipment, we called the dirty stuff 'shovels' because out there, your guns all clogged with crap, your digging your own grave with it. I don't know what sort of a pie you eat with your beans, guys, and frankly i don't give a damn, but I'd wager my fixed-gear bike you chew that pie til it's as mushy as a Chinaman's breakfast. Your generation didn't grow up with Charlie humping its leg. You never ate Charlie, drank Charlie, slept with Charlie. Damn it, you never wet your bed and screamed the air blue for your freaking mamma aged 22 because of Charlie. Look me in the eye and tell me you've haluncinated Ali Baba through the updraft of a Huey chopper and I'll hold a mirror to your face and show you a filthy chain.

Use this: http://www.parktool.com/products/detail.asp?cat=5&item=CG%2D2 - reaches the parts of your chain that other methods don't...

Requires a derailleur.

Wrong forum dude.