Originally Posted by
Daspydyr
Soaking a chain in lube is overkill, but if you don't mind the expense it should be great for the chain. When riding a bike the chain should be nearly dry to the touch on the outside. The rollers and links are what need lubrication. Too much lube attracts dirt and fouls the chain pretty quickly.
You have a good devotion to the condition of your bike. Personally, I think that a clean chain is one of the best improvements you can make for power transfer. There is a good discussion of chain lubing in the Mountain bike thread, two of them in fact. You might check them out.
Here in lies the rub(s). He's not dedicated to the maintenance of his bike, but, looking for a quicker path. And, I would question highly, if soaking a chain in lube wouldn't result in it having excessive lubrication, unless allowed to drain/dry quite a bit before installation and then having the exterior well wiped.
I can understand those individuals who see soaking a chain in solvent as an effective means of loosening grime. But, even then I question if they're any more effective at getting material out of the rollers and pins than simply using a chain cleaner would have been. Either method involves the neccessity of then thoroughly drying the chain and relubing.
To remove a chain, just to let it soak in lube?