chain lubing technique?

I ride 3-5,000 miles per year and clean and lube my chain about every 2-300 miles and remove it
completely for cleaning about 2 times per year. I like the Finishline cleaning tool and lube with
Boeshield T-9. I lube each link individually and dry the chain off after lubing. Oil on the chain's
surface does no good at all and does woeful damage after it collects dirt and grime which wears out
the chain and cogs. I also remove my cassette regularly in order to clean it thoroughly (that's on
an as needed basis). These steps keep a shining and well functioning drive train on your bike. If
you touch your chainring and it puts a mark on you, you're not keeping things clean enough. DF
riders get that telltale "chainring tattoo" on their leg.

Gene

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

Quoted message said:

When I lube my chain I generally get comfortable on a chair in front of it and lube each and
everyone of the million or so links in that thang. Do any of you hang it up and let the juice run
down it?

Do any of you clean it regularly by emersion in solvent? I don't yet have the fancy cleaner that
lets you clean thechain w/o removing it.

How often should I clean it? Should I clean it every time I lube it? I ride to work in clear
weather on clean streets. I get very little dirt on the bike.

What is your favorite lube? Best value?

Thanks GeoB

"Eugene Cottrell" <[email hidden]> wrote in
:"]news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

I ride 3-5,000 miles per year and clean and lube my chain about every 2-300 miles and remove it
completely for cleaning about 2 times per year. I like the Finishline cleaning tool and lube with
Boeshield T-9. I lube each link individually and dry the chain off after lubing. Oil on the
chain's surface does no good at all and does woeful damage after it collects dirt and grime which
wears out the chain and cogs. I also remove my cassette regularly in order to clean it thoroughly
(that's on an as needed basis). These steps keep a shining and well functioning drive train on
your bike. If you touch your chainring and it puts a mark on you, you're not keeping things clean
enough. DF riders get that telltale "chainring tattoo" on their leg.

Gene

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

Quoted message said:

When I lube my chain I generally get comfortable on a chair in front of it and lube each and
everyone of the million or so links in that thang. Do any of you hang it up and let the juice run
down it?

Do any of you clean it regularly by emersion in solvent? I don't yet have the fancy cleaner that
lets you clean thechain w/o removing it.

How often should I clean it? Should I clean it every time I lube it? I ride to work in clear
weather on clean streets. I get very little dirt on the bike.

What is your favorite lube? Best value?

Thanks GeoB

I find that chainring residue no matter how much I lube and wipe down. But I don't take the chain
off and do that cleaning. What about those plastic brush devices that you use with the chain still
on the bike? Any good?

I wet a microfiber cloth with WD-40, hold it wrapped around my chain with my hand and run the chain
through it until the chain is externally clean to the eye. You'll note at this time that your chain
is gritty internally. Then I open the power link to remove the chain and put it into the dishwasher.
Then I wipe the chain dry and let it evaporate over night. Then lubricate each of 240 links' left
and right side plate and roller joints via a hypodermic needle.

I do this about every thousand miles or once a month as convenient. I am currently and have used
Dumonde Tech's lube for the last year or so. I have experience with Schwinn oil and White Lightening
and am comparing the longevity of my chains with my experience.

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

Quoted message said:

When I lube my chain I generally get comfortable on a chair in front of it and lube each and
everyone of the million or so links in that thang. Do any of you hang it up and let the juice run
down it?

Do any of you clean it regularly by emersion in solvent? I don't yet have the fancy cleaner that
lets you clean thechain w/o removing it.

How often should I clean it? Should I clean it every time I lube it? I ride to work in clear
weather on clean streets. I get very little dirt on the bike.

What is your favorite lube? Best value?

Thanks GeoB

Ooo boy. If you ask 10 cyclists what degreaser/lube they use you'll get 10 different answers and at
least one fist-fight.

I use gasoline as a degreaser. I use the "bottle shake" method as described by Sheldon Brown.
To speed up the process I use Powerlinks so that my one long chain separates into 3 small
chain segments.

I usually use motor oil as a lube but I'm currently experimenting with Dri-Slide which is a
molybdenum disulfide-based lube. I find it's characteristics to on par with teflon-based lubes
only slightly drier and lighter. I haven't decided if I'll continue to use it after my 1-quart
can runs out.

Make no mistake. Gasoline is very dangerous. It is highly combustible, carcinogenic and readily
absorbs through the skin. Appropriate precautions are required when using it. Having said that,
gasoline is readily available, cheap, reuseable and a very effective degreaser.

Chris, as someone who has worked as a scientist in environmental protection for almost 30 years, I
cringe at your use of gasoline. Please, it is not environmentaly friendly. Consider the source of
the gasoline and also consider how you dispose of it. How many countries doe the US have to destroy
to get the gasoline (including parts of the USA)? How do you dispose of the used gasoline? There is
also an air pollution problem with the evaporated gasoline in addition to disposing of the liquid.

Please consider switching to some biodegradable solvent like Simple Green. It is inexpensive, works
great, can be rinsed off with water, and the used small quantity can be poured down the kitchen
sink. Forget what some would tell you about rust after rinsing the chain with water. If you have a
good quality chain it will not rust that quickly. Just spin the crank to get rid of the excess, wipe
with a paper towel and then put the bike in the sun for a few minutes. It has worked for me for a
decade. It will work for you also.

Gasoline is absolutely the worst possible choice for chain cleaning or any type of degreasing.
Please choose an alternative cleaner. Don

[email hidden] (Chris Campanelli) wrote in message
news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Ooo boy. If you ask 10 cyclists what degreaser/lube they use you'll get 10 different answers and
at least one fist-fight.

I use gasoline as a degreaser. I use the "bottle shake" method as described by Sheldon Brown. To
speed up the process I use Powerlinks so that my one long chain separates into 3 small chain
segments.

I usually use motor oil as a lube but I'm currently experimenting with Dri-Slide which is a
molybdenum disulfide-based lube. I find it's characteristics to on par with teflon-based lubes
only slightly drier and lighter. I haven't decided if I'll continue to use it after my 1-quart can
runs out.

Make no mistake. Gasoline is very dangerous. It is highly combustible, carcinogenic and readily
absorbs through the skin. Appropriate precautions are required when using it. Having said that,
gasoline is readily available, cheap, reuseable and a very effective degreaser.

(Don) said:

Chris, as someone who has worked as a scientist in environmental protection for almost 30 years, I
cringe at your use of gasoline. Please, it is not environmentaly friendly. Consider the source of
the gasoline and also consider how you dispose of it. How many countries doe the US have to destroy
to get the gasoline (including parts of the USA)? How do you dispose of the used gasoline? There is
also an air pollution problem with the evaporated gasoline in addition to disposing of the liquid.

Please consider switching to some biodegradable solvent like Simple Green. It is inexpensive, works
great, can be rinsed off with water, and the used small quantity can be poured down the kitchen
sink. Forget what some would tell you about rust after rinsing the chain with water. If you have a
good quality chain it will not rust that quickly. Just spin the crank to get rid of the excess,
wipe with a paper towel and then put the bike in the sun for a few minutes. It has worked for me
for a decade. It will work for you also.

Gasoline is absolutely the worst possible choice for chain cleaning or any type of degreasing.
Please choose an alternative cleaner. Don

Thanks for an enviromentally and fiscally suitable alteranative alternative

[email hidden] (Chris Campanelli) wrote in message
news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Ooo boy. If you ask 10 cyclists what degreaser/lube they use you'll get 10 different answers and
at least one fist-fight.

Yep! Try posting that question to rec.bicycles.tech ... it's like tossing a hand grenade.

Quoted message said:

I use gasoline as a degreaser. I use the "bottle shake" method as described by Sheldon Brown. To
speed up the process I use Powerlinks so that my one long chain separates into 3 small chain
segments.

<snip>

Quoted message said:

Make no mistake. Gasoline is very dangerous. It is highly combustible, carcinogenic and readily
absorbs through the skin. Appropriate precautions are required when using it. Having said that,
gasoline is readily available, cheap, reuseable and a very effective degreaser.

Good proviso. One of my friends grew up on a farm in Kansas, where they'd clean machinery with
leaded gasoline. He's amazed that he's still walking and talking and relatively sane (he built one
of the Varna-clone streamliners for the Portland HPV races).

I use kerosene (paraffin in the U.K.) with the bottle shake method. After I'm finished, I filter the
used kerosene back and forth between two bottles, using coffee filters to catch the goop. It's
amazing how much [censored] accumulates on a chain!

Jeff

"Simple Green" is simply unacceptable. Try an orange oil based cleaner like "Fantastik Orange
Action". I think you will like the results better than the green stuff.

Don said:

Chris, as someone who has worked as a scientist in environmental protection for almost 30 years, I
cringe at your use of gasoline. Please, it is not environmentaly friendly. Consider the source of
the gasoline and also consider how you dispose of it. How many countries doe the US have to
destroy to get the gasoline (including parts of the USA)? How do you dispose of the used gasoline?
There is also an air pollution problem with the evaporated gasoline in addition to disposing of
the liquid.

Please consider switching to some biodegradable solvent like Simple Green. It is inexpensive,
works great, can be rinsed off with water, and the used small quantity can be poured down the
kitchen sink. Forget what some would tell you about rust after rinsing the chain with water. If
you have a good quality chain it will not rust that quickly. Just spin the crank to get rid of the
excess, wipe with a paper towel and then put the bike in the sun for a few minutes. It has worked
for me for a decade. It will work for you also.

Gasoline is absolutely the worst possible choice for chain cleaning or any type of degreasing.
Please choose an alternative cleaner. Don

[email hidden] (Chris Campanelli) wrote in message
news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Ooo boy. If you ask 10 cyclists what degreaser/lube they use you'll get 10 different answers and
at least one fist-fight.

I use gasoline as a degreaser. I use the "bottle shake" method as described by Sheldon Brown. To
speed up the process I use Powerlinks so that my one long chain separates into 3 small chain
segments.

I usually use motor oil as a lube but I'm currently experimenting with Dri-Slide which is a
molybdenum disulfide-based lube. I find it's characteristics to on par with teflon-based lubes
only slightly drier and lighter. I haven't decided if I'll continue to use it after my 1-quart
can runs out.

Make no mistake. Gasoline is very dangerous. It is highly combustible, carcinogenic and readily
absorbs through the skin. Appropriate precautions are required when using it. Having said that,
gasoline is readily available, cheap, reuseable and a very effective degreaser.

(Jeff Wills) said:

[email hidden] (Chris Campanelli) wrote in message
news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Ooo boy. If you ask 10 cyclists what degreaser/lube they use you'll get 10 different answers and
at least one fist-fight.

Yep! Try posting that question to rec.bicycles.tech ... it's like tossing a hand grenade.

There's even a subset of that which caused heated discussions 12 years ago--the lubricating
properties of WD40!!!

When I got my new bike I thought about asking if there were any new developments in the chain care
arena--then I thought better of it!
:-)

Dave Clary/Corpus Christi, Tx EZ-1SC Pilot (Texas P-38 Squadron Retired) Home:
home.stx.rr.comdclaryOpen ↗ P-38 Stuff: geocities.comTexasP38.htmlOpen ↗

Swamprun, care to elaborate on why "Simple Green is simply unacceptable"? Any biodegradable,
citrus-based cleaner like your recommended "Fantastik Orange Action" would meet my environmental
criteria. I am just curious why you dislike Simple Green. I have found it to work great. I tried one
orange-oil based cleaner, "Nature's Orange", but it did not clean as well. I would be willing to try
Fantastik Orange Action if you can tell me why it is better, and tell me where to buy some. Simple
Green is easy to find at places like Home Depot and Costco. It works on the oil based chain lubes I
use on my DFs and on Pedro's Ice Wax which I use on my bents. It does not work to remove White
Lightning. Not a problem since I hate that lube. I gave away my stash and replaced the chain I was
using it on. Don

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

Quoted message said:

"Simple Green" is simply unacceptable. Try an orange oil based cleaner like "Fantastik Orange
Action". I think you will like the results better than the green stuff.

[email hidden] (Don) wrote in :"]news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

Swamprun, care to elaborate on why "Simple Green is simply unacceptable"? Any biodegradable,
citrus-based cleaner like your recommended "Fantastik Orange Action" would meet my environmental
criteria. I am just curious why you dislike Simple Green. I have found it to work great. I tried
one orange-oil based cleaner, "Nature's Orange", but it did not clean as well. I would be willing
to try Fantastik Orange Action if you can tell me why it is better, and tell me where to buy some.
Simple Green is easy to find at places like Home Depot and Costco. It works on the oil based chain
lubes I use on my DFs and on Pedro's Ice Wax which I use on my bents. It does not work to remove
White Lightning. Not a problem since I hate that lube. I gave away my stash and replaced the chain
I was using it on. Don

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

Quoted message said:

"Simple Green" is simply unacceptable. Try an orange oil based cleaner like "Fantastik Orange
Action". I think you will like the results better than the green stuff.

I'm with Swamprun, I've just never found simple green to degrease even close to the orange stuff.
Orange Blast works really well. On my truck motor (oily) I used to spray simple green on, let it set
for a couple minutes, srub lightly with a brush to remove, then rinse. With the orange blast I spray
it on, wait a minute, hose it off. Never need to scrub stuff I did have to with simple green. JMO

Quoted message said:

When I got my new bike I thought about asking if there were any new developments in the chain care
arena--then I thought better of it!
:-)

I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!!!

:-)

Years (and years) ago in the 60's I usta ride racing motorcycles, scramblers for those of you old
enough to remember what we had before we imported motocross from Europe. We usta take the chains
off, rinse them in gasoline, then put them in a large flat pan with a couple inches of a mixture of
graphite and STP, then boil that over a camp stove. Was it good? I have no idea. I was a kid, I did
what my mentors told me to do. But I can say that it was messy.

I have since learned more about using gasoline. It is a regular soup of carcinogens. It has
cumulative poisons in it like benzene and probaby others. Yes, it is absorbed through the skin,
but it carefully leaves behind all of the harmful stuff. NOT!!! I think it is also absorbed
through the lungs.

I wish I remembered the numbers.. My wife is an air quality planning supervisor in charge of
developing the air quality management plan for a giant part of California (8 counties). She has been
on the Lung Association board. She told me that a cup of gasoline evaporating, is like the amount of
hydrocarbons given off by a modern car in a year (or a month, or something I disremember. I 'spose I
could calculate
it). Anyway, it opened my eyes.

[email hidden] (GeoB) wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

When I lube my chain I generally get comfortable

I use the simple green (strong solution) in a large jar and shake and shake.

I then lower it into my fry-daddy full of smoking hot parafin and Mobil 1 until it quits boiling.
The hot parafin boils out all of the water in the links and it is replaced by the parafin/synthetic
oil combo. Works really well.

When I was racing the MTB and I did a LOT of training in the dirt, I got tired of all of the
fussy/wussie dab a drop on every link with a teeny bottle full of high priced catchy named lube, and
started just using used engine oil from my 6.2 diesel. I slobbered oil all over the chain every day
and rode. My chains and cogs seemed to last forever. My FSR Stumpjumper looked like a well greased
and lubed plough. Not only did I douche the chain but I pumped the pivot points of the suspension
full of chassis grease every day. After thousands of really HARD DIRTY miles all of the suspension
is as tight as it was in 1994 when it was new. When I bought the bike, my LBS gave me a replacement
bushing kit to overhaul the rear suspension when it needed
it. I won't need it in my lifetime.

Jerry

OK MLB and Swamprun, you have convinced me to try another brand of orange stuff even though
"Nature's Orange" did not work very well. It may have been too dilute from the manufacturer. I used
it straight up. I will look for some Fantastic Orange Action or stop by the DQ for an Orange Blast
(but I do not see how the latter will get my chain clean).

Let's just hope you have convinced Chris to try something besides gasoline. Don

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

Quoted message said:

[email hidden] (Don) wrote in :"]news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

Swamprun, care to elaborate on why "Simple Green is simply unacceptable"? Any biodegradable,
citrus-based cleaner like your recommended "Fantastik Orange Action" would meet my environmental
criteria. I am just curious why you dislike Simple Green. I have found it to work great. I tried
one orange-oil based cleaner, "Nature's Orange", but it did not clean as well. I would be
willing to try Fantastik Orange Action if you can tell me why it is better, and tell me where to
buy some. Simple Green is easy to find at places like Home Depot and Costco. It works on the oil
based chain lubes I use on my DFs and on Pedro's Ice Wax which I use on my bents. It does not
work to remove White Lightning. Not a problem since I hate that lube. I gave away my stash and
replaced the chain I was using it on. Don

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

Quoted message said:

"Simple Green" is simply unacceptable. Try an orange oil based cleaner like "Fantastik Orange
Action". I think you will like the results better than the green stuff.

I'm with Swamprun, I've just never found simple green to degrease even close to the orange stuff.
Orange Blast works really well. On my truck motor (oily) I used to spray simple green on, let it
set for a couple minutes, srub lightly with a brush to remove, then rinse. With the orange blast I
spray it on, wait a minute, hose it off. Never need to scrub stuff I did have to with simple
green. JMO

Can you find "Citra-Solv"? I've had decent results with it. Health food stores carry it. It's
pricey, but seems to be pretty strong; you can use less, if needs be. -J In article

Quoted post said:

OK MLB and Swamprun, you have convinced me to try another brand of orange stuff even though
"Nature's Orange" did not work very well. It may have been too dilute from the manufacturer. I
used it straight up. I will look for some Fantastic Orange Action or stop by the DQ for an Orange
Blast (but I do not see how the latter will get my chain clean).

Let's just hope you have convinced Chris to try something besides gasoline. Don

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

Quoted message said:

[email hidden] (Don) wrote in :"]news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

Swamprun, care to elaborate on why "Simple Green is simply unacceptable"? Any biodegradable,
citrus-based cleaner like your recommended "Fantastik Orange Action" would meet my
environmental criteria. I am just curious why you dislike Simple Green. I have found it to
work great. I tried one orange-oil based cleaner, "Nature's Orange", but it did not clean as
well. I would be willing to try Fantastik Orange Action if you can tell me why it is better,
and tell me where to buy some. Simple Green is easy to find at places like Home Depot and
Costco. It works on the oil based chain lubes I use on my DFs and on Pedro's Ice Wax which I
use on my bents. It does not work to remove White Lightning. Not a problem since I hate that
lube. I gave away my stash and replaced the chain I was using it on. Don

"swamprun" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:<[email hidden]>...
> "Simple Green" is simply unacceptable. Try an orange oil based cleaner like "Fantastik Orange
> Action". I think you will like the results better than the green stuff.
>
>

I'm with Swamprun, I've just never found simple green to degrease even close to the orange
stuff. Orange Blast works really well. On my truck motor (oily) I used to spray simple green on,
let it set for a couple minutes, srub lightly with a brush to remove, then rinse. With the
orange blast I spray it on, wait a minute, hose it off. Never need to scrub stuff I did have to
with simple green. JMO

[email hidden] (GeoB) wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

When I lube my chain I generally get comfortable on a chair in front of it and lube each and
everyone of the million or so links in that thang. Do any of you hang it up and let the juice run
down it?

Do any of you clean it regularly by emersion in solvent? I don't yet have the fancy cleaner that
lets you clean thechain w/o removing it.

How often should I clean it? Should I clean it every time I lube it? I ride to work in clear
weather on clean streets. I get very little dirt on the bike.

What is your favorite lube? Best value?

Thanks GeoB

For years I used Pedro's Orange Peelz in a Finish Line chain cleaning machine. Worked well,
but dripped all over the bike's idlers, wheels and fork--a mess. Plus Orange Peelz requires a
rinse cycle.

Recently I started using the kerosene in the 2-litre soda bottle method recommended by Sheldon
Brown. No rinse required, so no chance of leaving water inside the links to corrode the works. On
the whole, I believe the kerosene method works much better, yielding a quieter-running chain after
it's re-lubed. But I've learned it's important to let the chain dry for a day or so before bringing
it into the house, unless you mind your house smelling like a gas station.

For lube, I've tried White Lightning--what a nasty mess! Pedro's Ice wax is pretty good for a dry
lube, though it doesn't lubricate all that well--noisy. My absolute favorite is Pro-Link--it really
does reduce metal-to-metal friction and my drivetrain seems to be lasting longer (3000 miles so far,
compared to only 1500 on the factory chain and cassette). In fact, I bought some Boeshield T-9 but
haven't used it yet 'cause I like the Pro-Link so well.

What to do with the used kerosene? You can filter and re-use it, or take it down to your local city
household hazardous waste disposal facility (if there is one), or if you live out in the country,
you can use it as a fire starter for your trash pit provided there's no burn-bans in effect.

Bill Anton 2001 Vision R-40 SWB, OSS (soon to be a 26x26 highracer R-40!) Lubbock, TX, USA

[email hidden] (GeoB) wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

When I lube my chain I generally get comfortable on a chair in front of it and lube each and
everyone of the million or so links in that thang. Do any of you hang it up and let the juice run
down it?

Do any of you clean it regularly by emersion in solvent? I don't yet have the fancy cleaner that
lets you clean thechain w/o removing it.

How often should I clean it? Should I clean it every time I lube it? I ride to work in clear
weather on clean streets. I get very little dirt on the bike.

What is your favorite lube? Best value?

Thanks GeoB

I use Prolink and a cotton Qtip. Soak the Qtip in the Prolink and run the chain while holding the
Qtip's cotton tip on the chain rollers. One Qtip will do the job before wearing out. The result is a
lightly lubed chain, no drip or mess to clean up. Kelly

Most of the new wax-type lubes (I'm using Prolink)are designed to clean & lube so I no longer use a
separate cleaner. I lube the chain every 2 months (or more often, as needed) per mfg. instructions &
run the chain through a rag after each ride. I apply the lube to the chain at the rear derailleur
(chain on small cog) and collect the drippings in a pan for reuse.

[email hidden] (Bill Anton) wrote in message
news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

[email hidden] (GeoB) wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

When I lube my chain I generally get comfortable on a chair in front of it and lube each and
everyone of the million or so links in that thang. Do any of you hang it up and let the juice
run down it?

Do any of you clean it regularly by emersion in solvent? I don't yet have the fancy cleaner that
lets you clean thechain w/o removing it.

How often should I clean it? Should I clean it every time I lube it? I ride to work in clear
weather on clean streets. I get very little dirt on the bike.

What is your favorite lube? Best value?

Thanks GeoB

For years I used Pedro's Orange Peelz in a Finish Line chain cleaning machine. Worked well,
but dripped all over the bike's idlers, wheels and fork--a mess. Plus Orange Peelz requires a
rinse cycle.

Recently I started using the kerosene in the 2-litre soda bottle method recommended by Sheldon
Brown. No rinse required, so no chance of leaving water inside the links to corrode the works. On
the whole, I believe the kerosene method works much better, yielding a quieter-running chain after
it's re-lubed. But I've learned it's important to let the chain dry for a day or so before
bringing it into the house, unless you mind your house smelling like a gas station.

For lube, I've tried White Lightning--what a nasty mess! Pedro's Ice wax is pretty good for a dry
lube, though it doesn't lubricate all that well--noisy. My absolute favorite is Pro-Link--it
really does reduce metal-to-metal friction and my drivetrain seems to be lasting longer (3000
miles so far, compared to only 1500 on the factory chain and cassette). In fact, I bought some
Boeshield T-9 but haven't used it yet 'cause I like the Pro-Link so well.

What to do with the used kerosene? You can filter and re-use it, or take it down to your
local city household hazardous waste disposal facility (if there is one), or if you live out
in the country, you can use it as a fire starter for your trash pit provided there's no
burn-bans in effect.

Bill Anton 2001 Vision R-40 SWB, OSS (soon to be a 26x26 highracer R-40!) Lubbock, TX, USA

Larry Bloomfield said:

Most of the new wax-type lubes (I'm using Prolink)are designed to clean & lube so I no longer use
a separate cleaner. I lube the chain every 2 months (or more often, as needed) per mfg.
instructions & run the chain through a rag after each ride. I apply the lube to the chain at the
rear derailleur (chain on small cog) and collect the drippings in a pan for reuse.

You reuse the drippings? And here I thought I was being a good citizen by recycling my
aluminum cans!

--
Larry Varney Cold Spring, KY home.fuse.netlarryvarneyOpen ↗