What's the best chain cleaner & degreaser?

[Jonesy]

"Steven M. Scharf" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> "Jonesy" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> .
> > 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.
>
> This is about the same as using a chain cleaning device, again, the key is
> "rinse, lather, repeat."

Less expense, and less fiddling with the bike as a whole.

> > Dry thoroughly, such that NO solvent is left in the chain.
>
> Which is why you shouldn't use water based solvents. It's very difficult to
> dry it. You have water mixed with old lubricant inside the links. I guess
> that a torch would accellerate the drying process. OTOH, a little petroleum
> based solvent left inside is not a problem.

My drying times are usually on the order of days to a week - I have
more than one chain.

Or I use a particularly volatile solvent as the "final rinse." I have
access to almost any solvent I desire. The one I use most often is
n-pentane.

> > 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.
>
> 30W oil is okay (never 10Wanything), but chainsaw oil is a better choice.

0W20. Or some sort of boutique bicycle chain oil - I have several
bottles lying around. Motorcycle chain oil works OK as well.

> > 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.
>
> This works too. The problem is that it's very hard to lubricate the inside
> of a chain without submersing it. What works best is, unsurprisingly, chain
> lubricant, a foaming spray that is sold a motorcycle parts stores.

Yeah. Jobst's opinion on lubrication without thorough cleaning is
interesting, but I don't normally run my chains for years on end.
Every couple of years, I just buy a new chain. Heck, even the old
ones I have lying around still don't have measurable elongation.

> > I run oil in the winter, drier lube (wax-based) in the summer.
>
> Wax is a very poor lubricant.

Depends on its melting point. Paraffin wax (the kind one might use
for making candles) is not very good. Even when mixed with a light
lube to lower its melting point. I use a teflon-based wax with a low
melting temp. Works pretty well, and even keeps going when it gets
wet. Doesn't work very well when the temps dip below 50 degrees F.
--
Jonesy

 

[gilster]

"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
> I use a 'carwash' type chain cleaner filled with 'Purple Power',
a product available at department stores and auto parts stores.
It is about 5 dollars for a gallon jug. Works great on whitewall
tires also; much cheaper and just as effective as other products.

m

 

[taywood]

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.

So where do you ride?
Riding around the park or the city car parks gets a lot less **** on the
chain than riding on a volcanic sandy beach or a moorland track with
black peaty boggy stretches full of granite particles.

People who ride on the latter tend to alternate two chains every couple of
months, one which is cleaned on the bike after every ride and a second
which gets the full monty of degreasing and relubing off bike ready for the
next changeover.
Removing chains these days is so simple with the removable links.
TW

 

[Jonesy]

"SMMB" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> "Jonesy" <[email protected]> a écrit dans le message de :
> news:[email protected]...
> >
> > Googling (or some other archive search) serves to EDUCATE. It
> > requires no additional input from any other source. And it shows that
> > one is willing to do a research before requesting to be spoon-fed. A
> > courtesy, if you will.
>
> I would have let it drop, but...

....there was less to say about chain cleaning, and more to whine about
responses that don't meet your politeness criteria?

> The necessary implication of your argument is that for all questions, there
> are already answers, and so there is no need to ask anything, here.

Wrong. The logical fallacy of a false dichotomy. Discussion does
imply discussion, after all! But some questions have been thoroughly
covered. Both in USENET, and in particular group FAQs. Why on earth
should there even be such a thing as a FAQ, if the Qs were not FA?

In other words, the implication is not at all necessary.

> And I'm
> not sure that opinions are "data".

The set of them are the data that is going to be available. Being
pedantic does not improve your positiion.

> You may have noticed the OP did, indeed, research before asking, even with
> your favorite search engine. Sounds exceptionally prepared to me.

Your lame attempt at condescension aside, the OP did not indicate
originally, even by implication, that he had done anything other than
rush to USENET. Regardless, I don't take issue with that as much as
with your idea that folks should be spoon-fed any info they desire,
especially on subjects that come up over, and over, and over, and
over, and over...

> Hope he
> got a right answer.

How could he possibly? After all, there are only "opinions" here,
right?

> And my use has varied by the countries I have lived in
> and what products are available, so I did not reply directly.

What, chemistry is different in other countries? Mineral spirits are
mineral spirits EVERYWHERE, even in France. Medium petroleum
distillate, kerosene, paint thinner, Stoddard Solvent, etc, etc.

Even as such, you STILL have not provided anything other than
complaining. Do you have anything of value to offer, or are you just
polishing your King Whiner badge?

> I imagine when you get together with your friends for a ride, and they ask
> you how your week went, you query them why they didn't look at your blog.

I don't have a blog, and the situations are not analogous.

> Chide away - you may just be able to alienate those who just
> simply want to ask a question, not reading or having read the FAQ, the
> encyclopedias, the journals, et c.

Or I could alienate the likes of you - officious jerks who have no
courtesy outside of "what can you do for me?" That'd be fine by me.
--
Jonesy

 

[Steven M. Scharf]

"Jonesy" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> "Steven M. Scharf" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:<[email protected]>...
> > "Jonesy" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> > news:[email protected]...
> > .
> > > 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.
> >
> > This is about the same as using a chain cleaning device, again, the key
is
> > "rinse, lather, repeat."
>
> Less expense, and less fiddling with the bike as a whole.
>
> > > Dry thoroughly, such that NO solvent is left in the chain.
> >
> > Which is why you shouldn't use water based solvents. It's very difficult
to
> > dry it. You have water mixed with old lubricant inside the links. I
guess
> > that a torch would accellerate the drying process. OTOH, a little
petroleum
> > based solvent left inside is not a problem.
>
> My drying times are usually on the order of days to a week - I have
> more than one chain.

Yeah, I didn't think of that. If you let the chain dry for several days
after using a water based solvent then that gets around most of the
problems, though a more volatile solvent eliminates the need for long dry
times. I think that many people that use Simple Green or other water based
solvent may not let the chain dry for several days, as you do.

 

[Kenny Lee]

Steven M. Scharf wrote:

> Yeah, I didn't think of that. If you let the chain dry for several days
> after using a water based solvent then that gets around most of the
> problems, though a more volatile solvent eliminates the need for long dry
> times. I think that many people that use Simple Green or other water based
> solvent may not let the chain dry for several days, as you do.
>
>

To get the chain dry quickly, after the chain goes through the clean and
rinse cycle spool the chain up tight into itself. The spooled chain is
then laid flat onto a flat surface. Next use a hair dryer. Because all
the links in the chain are close together in a tight spiral shape this
spreads the heat throughout the chain very quickly. To be really
thorough, flip the chain over and blow dry the other side. With the hair
dryer set on high the drying process takes about five minutes.

Kenny Lee

 

[Shaun Rimmer]

"S o r n i" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Shaun Rimmer wrote:
>
> > So, who's advice did you take in the end?!?!?
>
> So to speak, Gracie?
>
> Bill "lubes, indeed" S.

He's here again ',;~}~




Shaun aRe

 

[[email protected]]

For two years I used to use Simple Green and a brush to clean my
chain. This got it very clean even a clean rag would come off with
hardly any stain. I would then wipe it dry from the water rinse and
oil it right away. Then the next day I would wipe and re oil the chain
then wipe the excess oil. The chain lasted less than a year ( I ride a
lot of steep hills all the time so year isn't bad for me).

For the last two years I have done nothing but wipe the chain clean
with oil then reoil and wipe, My chain has lasted two years.

Bottom line, if you use water it will cause some rust, maybe very
little every time but that's wear. If you use kerosene or a solvent it
will dry the oil out of the inside of your chain which causes wear
until the new oil is worked in.

Say your system is perfect and doesn't contribute to the wear of your
chain. The first mile on dirt will grit your chain up like it has
never been cleaned. In fact it is reasonable to think that the oil you
put on the dry chain is moving into the rollers carrying dirt with it.
Moral, don't wear your chain out cleaning it.

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.
>
>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!
>