What's the best chain cleaner & degreaser?

[Daniel Kelly \]

Hi,

Please may I ask your advice? What's the best device for
cleaning mountain bike chains? I'd like it to be cheap and
to work without me having to take the chain off.

Is the Finish Line Chain Cleaning Kit the best? And how
about the degreaser? Is it worth spending money on an
expensive de-greaser or will white spirit / washing-up
liquid to the job?

And does anyone have any cunning trade secrets they'd like
to give away regarding cleaning the rest of the chainset? Or
does everyone just use de-greaser and a tooth brush?

Many thanks, Jack

PS - Sorry if this message appears twice - problems with
Outlook Express!

 

[B A R R Y]

On Wed, 31 Mar 2004 10:47:29 +0100, "Daniel Kelly \(AKA Jack\)"
<[email protected]> wrote:

>Hi,
>
>Please may I ask your advice? What's the best device for
>cleaning mountain bike chains? I'd like it to be cheap and
>to work without me having to take the chain off.

Kerosene.

Barry

 

[Cat Dailey]

"Daniel Kelly (AKA Jack)" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Hi,
>
> Please may I ask your advice? What's the best device for
> cleaning
mountain
> bike chains? I'd like it to be cheap and to work without
> me having to
take
> the chain off.
>
> Is the Finish Line Chain Cleaning Kit the best? And how
> about the degreaser? Is it worth spending money on an
> expensive de-greaser or will white spirit / washing-up
> liquid to the job?
>
> And does anyone have any cunning trade secrets they'd like
> to give away regarding cleaning the rest of the chainset?
> Or does everyone just use de-greaser and a tooth brush?
>
> Many thanks, Jack
>
>
> PS - Sorry if this message appears twice - problems with
> Outlook Express!
>

Go to Home Depot and get some Orange Zep. It's about $8
gallon (way cheaper than buying bicycle branded citrus
cleaners.) Dilute it with water in a spray bottle for most
of the bike, and use it straight up for the chain...

HTH, Cat

 

[Dave W]

Ron Abramson <[email protected]> had this to say
news[email protected]

> On Wed, 31 Mar 2004 10:47:29 +0100, Daniel Kelly (AKA
> Jack) wrote:
>
> ***
>> Please may I ask your advice? What's the best device for
>> cleaning mountain bike chains? I'd like it to be cheap
>> and to work without me having to take the chain off.
>>
>
> Orange cleaner in a Pedro's Chain Machine, though if it's
> real ugly I prefer to remove the chain (Powerlink) and use
> lacquer thinner followed by a thorough re-oiling.
> Sometimes, though, a fresh chain is the answer.
>
>

I have yet to find any citrus based cleaners that get the
job done on my chain, without scrubbing the hell out of it.

 

[Dan Connelly]

Daniel Kelly (AKA Jack) wrote:
> Hi,
>
> Please may I ask your advice?

Not to every freakin' cycling group on the 'net.

Dan

 

[Martha J. Retal]

I'm a longtime user of Citra-Solv. The local food co-
op sells it, and I think you can also buy it at
hardware stores.

As for scrubbing the chain clean, I prefer to use that
special Park Tool brush. The brush part is removable, which
is a good thing because the brush doesn't last very long.

Hope this helps!

Martha Retallick Tucson, Arizona, USA

Bicycling postcards, notecards, coffee mugs, lunchboxes,
tile boxes and more! http://www.CafeShops.com/Postcarder

 

[S O R N I]

Daniel Kelly (AKA Jack) wrote:
> Hi,
>
> Please may I ask your advice? What's the best device for
> cleaning mountain bike chains? I'd like it to be cheap and
> to work without me having to take the chain off.

I hardly ever "clean" my chain. Run it thru a dry rag
(backpedaling) and then add White Lightning.

Meets your criteria of cheap and easy.

Bill "no ex-wife jokes, please" S.

 

[crazy6r54]

WD 40 the muck just runs off. Wipe the chain down real good
by back pedaling and a rag.Now lube the chain up with what
ever you lke.

I MTB 2004

 

[Jobst Brandt]

Daniel Kelly writes:

> Please may I ask your advice? What's the best device for
> cleaning mountain bike chains? I'd like it to be cheap and
> to work without me having to take the chain off.

http://draco.acs.uci.edu/rbfaq/FAQ/8d.2.html

> PS - Sorry if this message appears twice - problems with
> Outlook Express!

But it appeared in too many newsgroups!

Jobst Brandt [email protected]

 

[Werehatrack]

On Wed, 31 Mar 2004 10:47:29 +0100, "Daniel Kelly \(AKA Jack\)"
<[email protected]> may have said:

>Hi,
>
>Please may I ask your advice? What's the best device for
>cleaning mountain bike chains? I'd like it to be cheap and
>to work without me having to take the chain off.

This has been discussed endlessly. May I suggest that a
few hours spent Googling the prior threads should either
leave you completely confused or extremely well-informed,
or somewhere between those two? (The result will be
little different from Yet Another chain cleaning thread,
in that regard.)

--
My email address is antispammed; pull WEEDS if replying via e-mail.
Typoes are not a bug, they're a feature.
Words processed in a facility that contains nuts.

 

[Tom Arsenault]

"Daniel Kelly \(AKA Jack\)" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> Hi,
>
> Please may I ask your advice? What's the best device for
> cleaning mountain bike chains? I'd like it to be cheap and
> to work without me having to take the chain off.
>
> Is the Finish Line Chain Cleaning Kit the best? And how
> about the degreaser? Is it worth spending money on an
> expensive de-greaser or will white spirit / washing-up
> liquid to the job?
>
> And does anyone have any cunning trade secrets they'd like
> to give away regarding cleaning the rest of the chainset?
> Or does everyone just use de-greaser and a tooth brush?
>
> Many thanks, Jack
>
>
> PS - Sorry if this message appears twice - problems with
> Outlook Express!

Just buy a new chain. It's probably worn out anyway. $20
will get you a new one.

 

[Greg Estep]

"Cat Dailey" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...

> Go to Home Depot and get some Orange Zep. It's about $8
> gallon (way
cheaper
> than buying bicycle branded citrus cleaners.) Dilute it
> with water in a spray bottle for most of the bike, and use
> it straight up for the chain...

FYI, the Zep citrus degreaser is not recommended for use on
aluminum. I imagine that the chain isn't made of Al, but if
your bike has any Al drive train components you may want to
be careful. I admit that I do occasionally make use of it
when I do an on-bike chain cleaning, but use it mostly when
the chain has been removed. I tend to use kerosene from a
spray bottle for the occasional on-bike chain cleaning.

--
Greg Estep

 

[Smmb]

"Werehatrack" <[email protected]> a écrit dans le message de :

> This has been discussed endlessly. May I suggest that a
> few hours spent Googling the prior threads should either
> leave you completely confused or extremely well-informed,
> or somewhere between those two?

Well, perhaps he did (look) and did (get) confused. Perhaps
he wanted to get some answers here, evaluate them, and act.

Googling is neither obligatory nor necessary in a discussion
group. What a snotty reply that got nowhere. Not even your
own meagre offering.
--
Bonne route,

Sandy Paris FR

 

[Jonesy]

"Daniel Kelly \(AKA Jack\)" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> Hi,
>
> Please may I ask your advice? What's the best device for
> cleaning mountain bike chains? I'd like it to be cheap and
> to work without me having to take the chain off.
>
> Is the Finish Line Chain Cleaning Kit the best? And how
> about the degreaser? Is it worth spending money on an
> expensive de-greaser or will white spirit / washing-up
> liquid to the job?
>
> And does anyone have any cunning trade secrets they'd like
> to give away regarding cleaning the rest of the chainset?
> Or does everyone just use de-greaser and a tooth brush?

As has been said, use Google to get info on this. It has
been discussed to death, and there really is no point in
hashing it over yet again.

SMMB: Googling is not obligatory, but it certainly is a good
way to get a baseline set of data. From that data set, one
could then ask focused questions for clarity.

Back to topic: I also have had poor luck with citrus-based
solvents. They are good for degreasing clothes, or removing
glue residue, but not for chain cleaning. I use good ol'
paint thinner in a soda bottle. Put in the chain. Shake.
Pull the chain out and wipe. Let dirt settle out. Pour off
clear (no dirt particles) supernatant to a new bottle,
remove dirt from old bottle. Put chain in new bottle. Shake.
Rinse, lather, repeat until no dirt comes out of chain. Dry
thoroughly, such that NO solvent is left in the chain. Soak
in lightweight motor oil overnight. Pull out, let drain,
wipe down with solventy rag. Install, let sit, wipe it down
again. Ride for three minutes until it's dirty again.

After having seen at least one experiment in r.b.t., I think
the "wipe real good, re-oil, wipe real good again" is the
best method for chain lubrication. Skip the cleaning, and
replace the thing when it gets really filthy.

I run oil in the winter, drier lube (wax-based) in the
summer. Seems to work OK. Then again, whenever I pull the
chain for cleaning, I pull the cassette too. While I'm
waiting for some of the steps, I clean the chainrings and
jockey wheels.

But if you Googled, you might have got all that already.
--
Jonesy

 

[B A R R Y]

On Wed, 31 Mar 2004 23:29:43 +0200, "SMMB" <[email protected]> wrote:

>Googling is neither obligatory nor necessary in a
>discussion group.

Reading a FAQ usually is.

Since some folks are too inexperienced, lazy, or stupid, to
seek a FAQ, Google is a great suggestion.

Barry

 

[Stewart Fleming]

Werehatrack wrote:
> On Wed, 31 Mar 2004 10:47:29 +0100, "Daniel Kelly
> \(AKA Jack\)"
> <[email protected]> may have said:
>
>
>>Hi,
>>
>>Please may I ask your advice? What's the best device for
>>cleaning mountain bike chains? I'd like it to be cheap and
>>to work without me having to take the chain off.
>
>
> This has been discussed endlessly. May I suggest that a
> few hours spent Googling the prior threads should either
> leave you completely

We are no longer allowed to Google for previous threads over
here in rec.bicycles.racing. We have to pay attention the
first time round.

 

[Steven M. Schar]

"Daniel Kelly (AKA Jack)" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Hi,
>
> Please may I ask your advice? What's the best device for
> cleaning
mountain
> bike chains? I'd like it to be cheap and to work without
> me having to
take
> the chain off.

There are several on-bike chain cleaner devices. They all
work about the same. The key is that you have to replace the
solvent several times during the process, until it runs
clean. You actually get a cleaner chain with these devices
than you do by simply soaking your chain in solvent, unless
you're able to agitate the solvent while flexing the links
of the chain. Not sure if it's any faster than removing the
chain though.

> Is the Finish Line Chain Cleaning Kit the best? And how
> about the degreaser? Is it worth spending money on an
> expensive de-greaser or will white spirit / washing-up
> liquid to the job?

Never use water-based solvents on a chain. Kerosene or
mineral spirits are fine.

> And does anyone have any cunning trade secrets they'd like
> to give away regarding cleaning the rest of the chainset?
> Or does everyone just use de-greaser and a tooth brush?

Toothbrushes work well. Also sometimes pipe cleaners are
useful. Sometimes compressed air is helpful.

After cleaning, the best way to lube your chain, on the
bike, is with foaming motorcycle chain lube. Off the bike,
soak it chainsaw oil.

 

[Robert Chung]

It depends on what you used to lubricate the chain. I use
butter. It may be a bit more costly than margarine but
sometimes paying for quality is worth it. Cleaning the chain
is then quite easy: my neighbor's dog licks it off, usually
at the end of the ride. Sometimes he doesn't like to wait
that long and I get his companionship during the ride.
Perhaps you may think this sounds a bit odd but, have no
fear, dog saliva is antiseptic.

Two hints:
1. Sweet, not salted, butter.
2. Rather than melt the butter and drip it onto the chain, I
wait until it softens, spread it generously onto a slice
of bread, and wrap the buttered bread around the chain as
I turn the crank. White sandwich bread is best for this;
whole wheat works in a pinch. Baguettes or bagels? No.

 

[Smmb]

"Jonesy" <[email protected]> a écrit dans le message de :
news:[email protected]...
> "Daniel Kelly \(AKA Jack\)"
> <[email protected]> wrote in
message news:<[email protected]>...

> SMMB: Googling is not obligatory, but it certainly is a
> good way to get a baseline set of data. From that data
> set, one could then ask focused questions for clarity.

I see ... That's to leave the available bandwidth for all
the original thinkers who post here. Please pardon my
silly comment.
--
Bonne route,

Sandy Paris FR

 

[Daniel Kelly \]

Hi,

Thank you loads for your help, everyone. Incidentally, I did
spend an hour or so Googling before I posted my newsgroup
question. But there are a lot of opinions out there and I
wanted to see what the current status quo is.

Thanks again to those who took the time to write helpful and
constructive comments.

Jack

"Daniel Kelly (AKA Jack)" <[email protected]>
wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> Hi,
>
> Please may I ask your advice? What's the best device for
> cleaning
mountain
> bike chains? I'd like it to be cheap and to work without
> me having to
take
> the chain off.
>
> Is the Finish Line Chain Cleaning Kit the best? And how
> about the degreaser? Is it worth spending money on an
> expensive de-greaser or will white spirit / washing-up
> liquid to the job?
>
> And does anyone have any cunning trade secrets they'd like
> to give away regarding cleaning the rest of the chainset?
> Or does everyone just use de-greaser and a tooth brush?
>
> Many thanks, Jack
>
>
> PS - Sorry if this message appears twice - problems with
> Outlook Express!