Clean Chains - Chain Maintenance

Chain cleaning courtesy of common or garden baby wipes which shift grease like nothing else.

lol +1 Also great for hubs, cogs, etc and not forgetting my 7month old daughter

Have been using finishing line ceramic all weather chain lube and it seems as good as anything else

The key really is not to use too much oil; you shouldn't be able to* see *any oil on your chain, just a sheen. That way the dirt doesn't stick and clump and it runs smoother. And clean it regularly. After all on a fixed or single speed cleaning your transmission and possibly your front rim is about the only maintenance you have to do.

Clean Ride is utterly shit. Bought a bottle of lube halfway through a ride due to it completely shedding itself from my chain on a perfectly dry day

What it is supposed to do

http://www.whitelightningco.com/products/index.htm

this all sounds far too complicated! i just use bucket of washing up liqiud in water (washing up liquid being the degreaser) cleans all the black off, as long as you have a nice stiff brush, then spray down with a water dispersing agent, (muc off bike spray or WD) then lube with a nice dry lube, finishline or rock and roll. i tried using one of those chain cleaners on my MTB but it was rubbish, bucket works fine for all my bikes!

EDIT: just found This on bikeradar, tour tips on bike cleaning, pretty good!

Muc Off will also remove the shine from your paint job so be careful where you spray it.

I have been using green oil and their whole product range. Very nice.

^ I've been using Green Clean and though it's nowhere near as powerful as MucOff it'll do.

If your chain is clean you obiously not been doing any real riding.

this all sounds far too complicated! i just use bucket of washing up liqiud in water (washing up liquid being the degreaser) cleans all the black off, as long as you have a nice stiff brush, then spray down with a water dispersing agent, (muc off bike spray or WD) then lube with a nice dry lube, finishline or rock and roll. i tried using one of those chain cleaners on my MTB but it was rubbish, bucket works fine for all my bikes!

EDIT: just found This on bikeradar, tour tips on bike cleaning, pretty good!

Interesting bikeradar find. Can you clean your bike properly if you own a shirt?

People clean their chain?

^Oh Eddy!

Amen! For the last six weeks or so I have been lubing my chain with.... olive oil.

I used to clean my chains at the beginning, but everybody was yelling at me to leave it alone, because the grease will collect the dirt anyway.

But it's nice to have that touchy-feely contact with your bike.

^ I find the difference between a dirty chain and a clean one is huge. If you haven't cleaned your's in a while give it a go, you will notice the difference.

riding with a dirty chain feels like when you get sand in your teeth.

fucking horrible

If you haven't cleaned your's in a while give it a go, you will notice the difference.

I do secretly give it a wipe with a microfibre cloth, Bill ;-) To be honest, I like my bike clean, because I don't commute every day and I can be bothered.

Do you think there's a point in buing those little devices with brushes to clean the chain?

Or just get a toothbrush.

Good point, Ed

^ I've been using Green Clean and though it's nowhere near as powerful as MucOff it'll do.

I recommend it.

http://www.howies.co.uk/section.php/82/0
wiganw is this what you are talking about ?

Yes.

will try it, been using finish line, attracts dirt like a magnet !

If there is I can't see it, seems like unnecessary faff to me. I just take mine off, whip it in a pint glass I stole from a pub and spray it with chain cleaner and use a park chain brush to scrub it.

Then rinse with cold water till it's clean, then spray with WD40, dry with cloth, put on bike, oil.

Do you think there's a point in buing those little devices with brushes to clean the chain?

Or just get a toothbrush.

better still get yourself a really stiff bristled nail brush from your local corner shop; bigger and more effective than a toothbrush. If you do use toothbrushes though I recommend Morrisson's own BettaBuy, four for 25p.

If there is I can't see it, seems like unnecessary faff to me. I just take mine off, whip it in a pint glass I stole from a pub and spray it with chain cleaner and use a park chain brush to scrub it.

Then rinse with cold water till it's clean, then spray with WD40, dry with cloth, put on bike, oil.

I dunno what **you **do seems like an unnecessary faff to me. I have the park tools chain cleaner, been using it for 6 years, v easy.

Also I don't condone stealing.