How do you clean your chain?
I've just acquired one of those Park Tool chain cleaning thingo's and you have to fill it with some degreaser then spin it around...
I'm interested to give it a go but anyone got any recommendations on some sort of non toxic, relatively environmentally friendly, citrus or similar degreaser? All the bike specific brands seem uber pricey.
How do you normally clean your chain? Must admit I've never degreased before, just a good wipe and re-lube...
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by colin ware-lane on -
you can get citrus degreaser from supercheap auto ,its much cheaper than the lbs and then use an old tooth brush to clean the chain.
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Permalink Reply by Michael Wetherley on -
+1 for that degreaser thats what I use works well
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Permalink Reply by Matt Brennan on -
and they sell it in 4L bottles!
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Permalink Reply by Patrick O'Kane on -
I paid about $5/litre for some de-greaser from Supercheap, probably not very environmentally friendly. I have one of those chain cleaning gizmos and it's OK for a quick clean but I prefer to get stuck in with the toothbrush tbh., rinse thoroughly and apply the lube of your choice, leave for a while ( about 1 beer usually) and then wipe off with a clean rag.
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Permalink Reply by Richard on -
Are you trying to start a fight Bekster? This topic is more inflamatory than the helmet debate.
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Permalink Reply by Lee Bakes on -
The LBS told me to use $2 aerosol degreaser. Seems to be very successful and easy. Don't really need to scrub or anything, just apply a liberal amount and then hose off with low flow mains water.-I set my hose to the "mist" setting and away I go.
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Permalink Reply by Richard on
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See what I mean Bekster?
What Lee is proposing is (insert favourite counter argument) :)
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Permalink Reply by Rob (Chewbacca) on -
LBS likes your chain and spockets to wear out so they can sell you a new set....avoid degreasing.....a lube like prolink will clean the chain with a light application then reapply lightly a second time and voila clean lubed chain :)
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Permalink Reply by GlenM on -
I do a similar thing but I use a high pressure hose and while I'm at it I do the derailleurs, free wheel and chainring at the same time. I then spray them with lanolin based lubricant. Works a treat
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Permalink Reply by Richard on
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High pressure is a really dangerous thing to use. You'll find you're getting a clean drive train, so clean that the bearings are also clean, including interesting bearings like the ones in the wheels and the bottom brackets. Even these days, bearings rely on the grease to help seal them and high pressure anything (including aerosols) will wash away the seal and start attacking the stuff that keeps the bearings working. All you need to do is clean off the surface grit and muck and it seems obvious to me, that the more often you do this, the better.
Sparkling clean isn't always a good indicator because it's not the outside (the bits you can see) that count, what counts are the insides of the bearings and those, you can't see. Having said that, a clean drive train is always better than a dirty, gritty one. The trick is to find a balance.
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Permalink Reply by Richard on
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For what it's worth, it depends on the type of lube you're using. I'm currently using White Lightning - it's a wax lube and I've been getting good results with just a wipe down with paper towell and then more lube. My chains are quiet, last well and you don't get black chain ring tattoos.
Didn't do a lot more when I used oil for that matter. The thing was that if you start using solvents and degreasers, you remove whatever lube there is inside the rollers and if you do your chain often enough, you don't need much else. Having said that, my oil lubed chains were periodically washed and scrubbed with diesel fuel (a good alternative to kero seeing you can't get good kero now).
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