Simple Green and Chains - Velonews article

Llatikcuf said:

VeloNews did a tech article on it:

http://www.velonews.com/tech/report/articles/9216.0.html

-Nate

Humph. One more reason to avoid cleaning my chain with Simple Green-
it's water based. I can't see how it would be good to wash the chain
off with water, then try to get all the water out with oil. Why not use
an oil-based solvent to begin with? (I use kerosene, by the way.)

Jeff

I've always wondered the same thing, I use Diesel or Mobil One cut with 4
parts Paint Thinner.

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

Quoted message said:

Llatikcuf said:

VeloNews did a tech article on it:

http://www.velonews.com/tech/report/articles/9216.0.html

-Nate

Humph. One more reason to avoid cleaning my chain with Simple Green-
it's water based. I can't see how it would be good to wash the chain
off with water, then try to get all the water out with oil. Why not use
an oil-based solvent to begin with? (I use kerosene, by the way.)

Jeff

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

Quoted message said:

I've always wondered the same thing, I use Diesel or Mobil One cut with 4
parts Paint Thinner.

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

Quoted message said:

Llatikcuf said:

VeloNews did a tech article on it:

http://www.velonews.com/tech/report/articles/9216.0.html

-Nate

Humph. One more reason to avoid cleaning my chain with Simple Green-
it's water based. I can't see how it would be good to wash the chain
off with water, then try to get all the water out with oil. Why not use
an oil-based solvent to begin with? (I use kerosene, by the way.)

Jeff

Hi,

I'm new to the group; been lurking for a while - thought I'd toss in my
2-cents on this one. I recently bought a small ultrasonic cleaner (for
jewelry). Its intended for water, but I use mineral spirits in it to clean
bicycle parts. It does an excellent job, especially on chains and
freewheels.

For lubrication, I soak the chain in liquid parafin - something I learned 25
years ago. Maybe not the best method, but the chain is quiet and doesn't
seem to collect much grime.

--
....The Bit Eimer NAR 84054 L1
"My goal in life is to be the kind of person my cat thinks he is"
[remove keinewurst and reverse letters in domain to email me]
--------------------------------------------------------------

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

Quoted message said:

VeloNews did a tech article on it:

http://www.velonews.com/tech/report/articles/9216.0.html

-Nate

Also applies to our friends with now-ugly Dura-Ace derailleurs that were
soaked overnight in Simple Green.

--
Phil, Squid-in-Training

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

Quoted message said:

I've always wondered the same thing, I use Diesel or Mobil One cut with 4
parts Paint Thinner.

That gives you a 50% chance of actually using a lubricant.

Cal

Llatikcuf said:

VeloNews did a tech article on it:

http://www.velonews.com/tech/report/articles/9216.0.html

-Nate

COULD IT BE THE CHAIN?

A couple of months ago I bought a new Sram chain and soaked it paint
thinner for about 10 minutes to take off the factory lube because I use
White Lightning wax and you need to remove all lube before applying the
wax. Anyway, after putting on the chain and taking my bike for a ride,
the drive train sounded really bad. I discovered there were 3 missing
rollers (all next to each other) so I replaced them with the extra
chain links I still had and haven't had a problem since(about 400
miles.
I'm not sure if the rollers were missing from the beginning, broke off
after installing the chain and riding, or if the paint thinner caused
it. I know there have been other post about Sram chain rollers being
pitted.

John

Phil said:

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

Quoted message said:

VeloNews did a tech article on it:

http://www.velonews.com/tech/report/articles/9216.0.html

-Nate

Also applies to our friends with now-ugly Dura-Ace derailleurs that were
soaked overnight in Simple Green.

I did that with an XT, left a green line accross the middle and one
side was darker than the other.

-Nate

Anybody that leaves parts to soak in a water based degreaser overnight
deserves whatever damage gets done.

I use Simple green on the chain when it's warm enough outside to dry
the chain completely before relubing.

In the winter, it's a matter of using Power Lube (or similar), and then
wiping the thing dry. About once every other moth is all that's needed.

Get some fenders for winter folks, and keep at least a modicum of slop
off your chains--you won't have to deal with them that oftern.

After reading several posts in this thread I got out a spray can of Simple
Green that I have and actually read the directions!
What it actually says regarding "soak" time is: "Let foam stand on surface
for several minutes." "Leave on longer for heavier soiled surfaces."
It then goes on to recommend scrubbing, rinsing with water and drying.
From those directions I would conclude that 'longer' would mean more minutes
of soak time, not hours, days, weeks or months!
Perhaps the directions are different on different forms of Simple Green
containers (I just have the spray can) but if those directions are at all
consistent from one type of container to another I wonder where people would
get the idea that soaking chains for days, weeks, and longer, was a good
idea?
Chuck

This reminds me of the "Don't drink Coke, it dissolves pennies!"
nonsense. LOL

Llatikcuf said:

VeloNews did a tech article on it:

http://www.velonews.com/tech/report/articles/9216.0.html

-Nate

I love the description of the new product by their "marketing specialist":

"The new product, called Extreme Simple Green Aircraft & Precision
Cleaner, has heightened non-corrosive qualities"

Now that's some marketing-speak!

On 29 Nov 2005 19:08:33 -0800, "Llatikcuf" <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

VeloNews did a tech article on it:

http://www.velonews.com/tech/report/articles/9216.0.html

Just an observation; I don't know if it proves anything. I've been
cleaning my chains in Simple Green for years and have noticed that
when I first put the chain in the Simple Green there's lots of
activity happening at the surface. There are no visible bubbles
appearing, but the film of lubricant dances around on the surface of
the Simple Green.

I've often wondered what causes this. Anyone?

jeverett3<AT>earthlink<DOT>net http://home.earthlink.net/~jeverett3

bit eimer said:

I'm new to the group; been lurking for a while - thought I'd toss in my
2-cents on this one. I recently bought a small ultrasonic cleaner (for
jewelry). Its intended for water, but I use mineral spirits in it to clean
bicycle parts. It does an excellent job, especially on chains and
freewheels.

These are amazing, perfect for bike chains. I don't understand why
they're not common in bike shops. I wish I still had mine.

Matt O.

Peter Cole said:

Llatikcuf said:

VeloNews did a tech article on it:

http://www.velonews.com/tech/report/articles/9216.0.html

-Nate

I love the description of the new product by their "marketing specialist":

"The new product, called Extreme Simple Green Aircraft & Precision
Cleaner, has heightened non-corrosive qualities"

Now that's some marketing-speak!

the quote i like is "...probably caused by hydrogen embrittlement of the
steel chain. This is also known as stress cracking corrosion."

more evidence that the "little knowledge is a dangerous thing" crowd are
/way/ over-represented in cycling "tech" - stress corrosion & hydrogen
embrittlement are two /very/ different things.

[for the record, that probably /is/ stress corrosion. for thin section
like this, the rate of hydrogen diffusion is so high, it's almost
certainly not the issue.]