chain cleaning..

In article HrrOa.3666$H17.2585@sccrnsc02 said:

New bike syndrome.. having ridden 40 dirt miles this last weekend, I cleaned the bike with water
and dried.. but am wondering about how to clean the chain? If I use oil, it will mix with the dirt,
and this can't be good. I did wash off the chain also when the bike was cleaned, then used silicon
oil base spray, then wiped the chain down, but not sure this is the best way. I could easily remove
the rear wheel and let the chain lay in cleaner as I rotated the pedals, allowing the chain to soak
through this mixture.. but not sure this is best .. ideas?

This may re-awaken a frequent debate. As far as I'm concerned you are on the right track, simply
putting oil on a dirty chain will transport dirt and grit into the chain which will shorten it's
life. The best way to clean the chain is to take the thing off of the bike (press a rivet part way
out or if it has a removable link disasemble it there) and give it several thrashings in fresh
solvent until it's clean. When it's dry oil it and carefully wipe off the excess oil.

One of the chain manufacture's web sites advocates NOT using solvent to clean the chain, asserting
that the solvent removes the lube from inside the chain. This is undoubtably true, but putting oil
on a dirty chain will make a very effective grinding paste in short order.

Tom Gibb <[email hidden]

Scott C said:

New bike syndrome.. having ridden 40 dirt miles this last weekend, I cleaned the bike with water
and dried.. but am wondering about how to clean the chain? If I use oil, it will mix with the
dirt, and this can't be good. I did wash off the chain also when the bike was cleaned, then used
silicon oil base spray, then wiped the chain down, but not sure this is the best way. I could
easily remove the rear wheel and let the chain lay in cleaner as I rotated the pedals, allowing
the chain to soak through this mixture.. but not sure this is best .. ideas?

"Washing" the chain with water will just transport dirt to the inside of the chain where it does the
most damage. The best way to clean a chain is to remove it, and agitate in something like mineral
spirits. Then thoroughly dry it, re-install, and lube.

Art Harris

Quoted message said:

One of the chain manufacture's web sites advocates NOT using solvent to

clean

Quoted message said:

the chain, asserting that the solvent removes the lube from inside the

chain.

Quoted message said:

This is undoubtably true, but putting oil on a dirty chain will make a

very

Quoted message said:

effective grinding paste in short order.

This applies only to motorcycle chains, which have an o-ring within each link to seal lubricant
inside the rollers.

Bicycle chains ridden in dirt NEED solvent to get the grime out. It's a fact!

--
Phil, Squid-in-Training

OK.. how often to I need to do this? Every 20 mile dusty trail bikeride?

thanks

sc

"Harris" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Scott C said:

New bike syndrome.. having ridden 40 dirt miles this last weekend, I

cleaned

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

the bike with water and dried.. but am wondering about how to clean the chain? If I use oil, it
will mix with the dirt, and this can't be good.

I

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

did wash off the chain also when the bike was cleaned, then used silicon

oil

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

base spray, then wiped the chain down, but not sure this is the best

way. I

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

could easily remove the rear wheel and let the chain lay in cleaner as I rotated the pedals,
allowing the chain to soak through this mixture..

but

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

not sure this is best .. ideas?

"Washing" the chain with water will just transport dirt to the inside of the chain where it does
the most damage. The best way to clean a chain is to remove it, and agitate in something like
mineral spirits. Then thoroughly dry it, re-install, and lube.

Art Harris

Phil said:

Quoted message said:

One of the chain manufacture's web sites advocates NOT using solvent to

clean

Quoted message said:

the chain, asserting that the solvent removes the lube from inside the

chain.

Quoted message said:

This is undoubtably true, but putting oil on a dirty chain will make a

very

Quoted message said:

effective grinding paste in short order.

This applies only to motorcycle chains, which have an o-ring within each link to seal lubricant
inside the rollers.

Bicycle chains ridden in dirt NEED solvent to get the grime out. It's a fact!

Been there, done all 3: solvent; detergent in an on-bike chain cleaner; relube with synthetic oil
and wipe off the excess. Of the 3, relubing with oil on my mountain bike yields the shortest chain
and cog life. Solvent is next and detergent is the best. YMMV David

Scott C said:

New bike syndrome.. having ridden 40 dirt miles this last weekend, I cleaned the bike with water
and dried.. but am wondering about how to clean the chain? If I use oil, it will mix with the
dirt, and this can't be good. I did wash off the chain also when the bike was cleaned, then used
silicon oil base spray, then wiped the chain down, but not sure this is the best way. I could
easily remove the rear wheel and let the chain lay in cleaner as I rotated the pedals, allowing
the chain to soak through this mixture.. but not sure this is best .. ideas?

Hey Scott. If you want to use a dry lube, try using some detergent or degreaser like Liquid Green to
clean your chain and then apply the dry lube.

I prefer wet lube even in these dusty environs. I keep a little container of diesel fuel in the
garage for cleaning chains and other dirty stuff that I don't want to completely strip oil from. It
works great for me and doesn't take much time. Diesel is an oil, but you'll still want to use a
petroleum-based lube after cleaning and wiping it all down.

My preferred method is to put about a pint in a sealable plastic container (plastic jar, cleaned
2-liter soda bottle, etc.), remove the chain from bike and put in the container, screw on the top,
and shake for a couple minutes. If you have time, let the gunk settle out and pour off the clean
part of the diesel for reuse and discard the gunkier stuff in an environmentally-friendly manner.
Repeat with fresh or reused diesel if it's REALLY cruddy and dirty. Then lube and wipe. Ride.

If you don't mind taking a little time, I have a method of waxing the chain that cleans it
automatically from the inside (you can do this while you're cleaning the rest of the bike).

Here's the beef: geocities.comtech3.htmlOpen ↗

Wax, being a solid, will not attract dirt like liquid lubricants will. and despite posts to the
contrary, if done right will NOT wash off, even after several hub deep stream crossings. This I
proclaim from personal experience :-3)

May you have the wind at your back. And a really low gear for the hills! Chris

Chris'Z Corner "The Website for the Common Bicyclist": geocities.comczcornerOpen ↗

Scott C said:

OK.. how often to I need to do this? Every 20 mile dusty trail bikeride?

I do mine either when I can hear the grit (usually after riding in or after rain, or too many deep
water crossings) or every 150 miles, which ever comes first.

David