does everyone here use a park tool cleaning system?
Park Tool CG-2.2 Chain Gang Cleaning System - Great Savings on Tools
Park Tool CG-2.2 Chain Gang Cleaning System - Great Savings on Tools
cleaning the chain??
fondoo
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Works for me.
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i just been thinking about this. i ride in sticky mud soup , and watery sandy trails. im currently using wax but i think i should maybe start using oil. as for you guys who take your chains off etc , you clearly have too much time on your hands. straight after a ride i muc off , hose off then lube.
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I clean my chain with a rag, lube it a little bit, wipe it with the rag again, then lube it again. Works for me and my chain is ohhh sooo shiny afterwards. Probably 5 minutes max to clean it depending on how dirty it is. Every other time I also clean my cassette, derailleurs, and chainrings. It takes me about 15 minutes to complete. A couple of those minutes is me just standing back and looking at my pretty bike.
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Agreed, all sides of the chain touch either gears or rollers. The left side walks up the notches in the cogs while downshifting. The right side walks up the notches while shifting to the bigger ring. This happens less often than the regular cogs/chainring contact but its often done under some amount of power and is a source of wear. The top only touches one derailleur pulley, but that's no reason to skip it b/c all that dirt will migrate down to the gear facing side.
Most importantly, when you clean a chain well you're not just getting the parts you can see but also inside the rollers where they touch the pins, and the side contact between the links and the rollers. This is where the majority of the wear occurs and shortens the life of the chain. When a chain gets old it gets longer, this is not due to the outer links 'stretching', this is due to wear inside the roller/pin contact points, where you can't actually see dirt with the naked eye.
For this reason I feel the park tool really does work best because the chain goes through a bath on its way through, and goes through an s-curve of brushes that really shakes out dirt that you can't get with just a rag and toothbrush. some seem to feel it leaves the chain too dry, but I've never had that problem, and I usually add triflow or superlube before every ride. Also I have always used dish soap, just never got around to buying the real chain degreaser. This probably leaves more grit in the chain, but also leaves more lube - probably a zero sum game.
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Yeah use oil, also it's great that you clean the chain off after your rides, but think it'd be better to let it dry first before relubing.
No. We use a brush to get the crud off, then a rag, then lube, then the rag again to wipe off the excess lube and remaining exterior grit. Done. A quiet, well-lubed, perfectly functioning chain is the result.
I don't think it is a sensible idea to put any solvent in or near the drivetrain unless it is apart for some other reason and you take the time to let it fully dry out before putting it back together. If any of it gets in your hub you will be sorry. It also is not necessary to break the chain just for cleaning. What matters most is that there is lube inside the links (lube on the surfaces that contact the chainrings and cog is relatively insignificant). Applying new lube in the above method will wash out the dirty lube and you are good to go.
I don't think it is a sensible idea to put any solvent in or near the drivetrain unless it is apart for some other reason and you take the time to let it fully dry out before putting it back together. If any of it gets in your hub you will be sorry. It also is not necessary to break the chain just for cleaning. What matters most is that there is lube inside the links (lube on the surfaces that contact the chainrings and cog is relatively insignificant). Applying new lube in the above method will wash out the dirty lube and you are good to go.
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Who's "we" ?
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My current technique is to spray the chain directly with a high pressure jet of water from the hose. Then let the chain dry out for a few minutes. Usually, this doesn't get all the dirt off, but enough to make the rollers rattly. Then I apply lube and wipe off the excess. I have been using this technique with the Rock n Roll blue lube, and it seems to work ok for that. I have not tried this technique with other lubes.
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I usually use finish line bike wash on the entire bike, including the chain. I use a brush to get between the outer links and a rag to wipe down the chain and to get between the cassette cogs and the ramps of the teeth. I think it is very important to clean off ALL the dirt from the exterior of the chain and teeth of the cassette and chainrings. Dirt acts like sandpaper, so take time to do this every couple of rides.
Every hundred miles of normal riding or after a particularly wet/dirty ride, I'll use these to strip the chain:
Finish Line - Bicycle Lubricants and Care Products
Finish Line - Bicycle Lubricants and Care Products
I'm not a fan of doing this too often. I use wax based dry lube, so I like for it to build up a little.
Every hundred miles of normal riding or after a particularly wet/dirty ride, I'll use these to strip the chain:
Finish Line - Bicycle Lubricants and Care Products
Finish Line - Bicycle Lubricants and Care Products
I'm not a fan of doing this too often. I use wax based dry lube, so I like for it to build up a little.
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you reccomend any particular oil mate ? ive been using teflon oil, which is good stuff, didnt know if there was better around?
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Crazee horse...
Think wiping it down and lubing it often is more important than the type of oil. Think synthetic or teflon are better but for bike parts the advantage isn't there. There's no hi heat or hi load, or pressure so. Some oils, like chain specific ones, will stick better, but once the oil gets dirty you want to wipe it off anyhow, so unless it's your road bike IMO it's a waste. Get yourself a gallon jug of chainsaw bar oil, it's a 30w, has extra additives for sticking/clinging to the chain, and it could just last a life time.
Think wiping it down and lubing it often is more important than the type of oil. Think synthetic or teflon are better but for bike parts the advantage isn't there. There's no hi heat or hi load, or pressure so. Some oils, like chain specific ones, will stick better, but once the oil gets dirty you want to wipe it off anyhow, so unless it's your road bike IMO it's a waste. Get yourself a gallon jug of chainsaw bar oil, it's a 30w, has extra additives for sticking/clinging to the chain, and it could just last a life time.
That is funny! Sets the standard for the obsessive-compulsive chain cleaner, I think.
"We" means most of the riders I know, including my son's mountain bike racing team and our LBS. It probably also includes you, as it seems you and I use the same method to clean the chain.
Lol
"In case of skin contact, immediate amputation is indicated."
"this combination is highly explosive, and will detonate without warning! "
"it will cause intense, unbearable itching! "
I second that, that's my favourite workflow while cleaning it.:thumbsup:
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Oh, one critical step I forgot,to mention in my earlier post is tht you MUST run the chain through a 50/50 mix of bike wash and water AFTER running your chain through a degreaser so the new lube can stick. I'll run it through a clean mix, refill with 50/50, run through again and it should run clean. You'll be amazed how much metal sticks to the magnet.
Then re-lune with your preferred lube by dropping a drop on each roller on the driveside of the chain. I use a maintenance rack so it can work it's way down in the links. Let it sit for five or 10 minutes. Then wipe clean.
Then re-lune with your preferred lube by dropping a drop on each roller on the driveside of the chain. I use a maintenance rack so it can work it's way down in the links. Let it sit for five or 10 minutes. Then wipe clean.
geez di you have any scientific studies that say one has to go to all that effort as opposed to a quick wash, rinse and lube.
That's something I do every couple hundred miles. Between rides I just wipe it down. Every couple rides I wash. :thumbsup:
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