Fifty Plus (50+) - Chain Scrubbers

Do these things work well? Anyone using this or something similar care to share your opinion?

Chain Scrubbers (http://www.parktool.com/products/detail.asp?cat=8&item=CM-5)

Do these things work well? Anyone using this or something similar care to share your opinion?

Chain Scrubbers (http://www.parktool.com/products/detail.asp?cat=8&item=CM-5)

That's the one I have and I love it. It does a good job of cleaning the chain and cuts down on the mess of just using a brush. Those brushes can really splatter on you if you're not paying attention:o

Do these things work well? Anyone using this or something similar care to share your opinion?

Chain Scrubbers (http://www.parktool.com/products/detail.asp?cat=8&item=CM-5)

I used one of those puppies for several years. Then, I found an easier way. Now, I just use a rag and ProLink lube. The first wipedown cleans - the second lubes. Gotta silver chain again. I'll never go back. :)

... Brad

We have better chain scrubbers in Virginia.

Most chain cleaners work- and The main thing is that they are messy to use. All that Dirty Black solvent Going on the carpet does not please the housemaid so be carefull using one.

They do a great job of getting black runny mess all over your tires.

I used one of those puppies for several years. Then, I found an easier way. Now, I just use a rag and ProLink lube. The first wipedown cleans - the second lubes. Gotta silver chain again. I'll never go back. :)

... Brad

+1 had the same experience. Chain is silver once again, and very easy to clean without all the fuss of a dedicated scrubber and cleaning solution.

I had one like that - piece of junk. Used it 3 times, maybe. Waste of money and plastic.

- chain scrubbers are awkward and inconvenient to use...

- i have to echo other posters:

ProLink + rag = FTW!

(for the price of a single chainscrubber you'll have enough ProLink for a couple years)

- chain scrubbers are awkward and inconvenient to use...

- i have to echo other posters:

ProLink + rag = FTW!

(for the price of a single chainscrubber you'll have enough ProLink for a couple years)

Not trying to run you down but the important bit of a chain is the bit you cannot see. The place where all the grit and Grinding paste collects- Inside the chain. A chain cleaner will get most of the gunge out.

I had one like that - piece of junk. Used it 3 times, maybe. Waste of money and plastic.

I've tried several and would agree in general, but the one Park makes is really better than the others.

I have the same chain cleaner and have used it for years. I have a rag/old towel to collect the slop that leaks from the chain. I have never used prolink, so I can't comment on that, but my chain always comes out clean.

Maybe we need a poll? About half of the respondents like the chain scrubbers, and the other half seems to prefer a rag and ProLube. Come to think of it, perhaps we don't need a poll after all! :)

Do these things work well? Anyone using this or something similar care to share your opinion?

This is the one I bought last year http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?category=600079&subcategory=60001102&brand=&sku=17887&storetype=&estoreid=&pagename=Shop%20by%20Subcat%3A%20Cleaners

It works great - I even use it with the bike upside down, took a little practice but I can do it easily now. I just add some biodegradable degreaser and spin it, no spray because there is a sponge that catches it. The chain is like new after a whip down with a rag. I do it about every 500 miles (about every third week). The drive chain runs so smooth and the shifting stays buttery smooth. It won't work very well if you use a wax based lubricant though - too gooey.

I have one. It works great. I can clean the chains on mine, my wife's and our son's bikes with one filling. We ride a lot on a crushed lime stone trail, and our chains are like new after lots of miles.

That depends on your beliefs. You can spend hours, if not days, just reading BF posts on the subject, but as usual, the topic is covered pretty thoroughly here:

http://sheldonbrown.com/chains.html

By the way, I have an older version of the Park chain gang which I have not yet used on my road bike. The chain stays clean with just the regular lubrication. If I rode anything other than asphalt, that might not be the case.

That is the one I use on all my chains and I do have a few to deal with. I use simple green or orange oil, biodegradable solvent. Works great for a deep clean of all the really dirty hard to get to spots.

I suspect that the no chain scrubber crowd is predominately running on asphault. On the dry summer trails around here the chain will be covered with corrosive fine grinding compound after just a few rides. I use the Park chain cleaner as do some above. As we move over to 10 speed chains (which according to the manufacturers should not be removed from the bike as often) on bike cleaning will become more important.

The rag rubdown cleans the chain to a nice shine but unfortunately, the outside of the chain (although pretty) is not the part that is being chewed up by the grit.

For general use, by a small cheap rug about 4 X 2 to put under the bike during general cleaning and oiling to catch the stuff that drips off before it gets to your carpet or floor.

If you wet wash the chain (especially if you use one of the wax lubes) then wait several hours or overnight before reoiling to let the water dry before being trapped inside the lube.

I have a Connex quick link (https://www.competitivecyclist.com/za/CCY?PAGE=BUY_PRODUCT_STANDARD&PRODUCT.ID=3317&CATEGORY.ID=23&MODE=&TFC=TRUE) so the chain is easy to remove. You just pivot it 90 degrees and slide it apart. I'm using the 6.05mm one with a Campagnolo ultra narrow 10 speed chain.

Then shake it in plastic half gallon milk bottle with some citrus cleaner. Rinse it a few times and let it dry. A hair dryer heats it up quickly if you are in a hurry.

In between, I wipe off the chain and use prolink.

I suspect that the no chain scrubber crowd is predominately running on asphault.

You would be mistaken.

I use the Park unit and it really does a good job for me.

Then shake it in plastic half gallon milk bottle with some citrus cleaner. Rinse it a few times and let it dry. A hair dryer heats it up quickly if you are in a hurry.


I like this method also, but my understanding is the chain manufacturers do not recommend immersion as it washes all that nice sticky lube from inside the chain connections where it is difficult to replace.

Comments ???

I also have a Parks scrubber which I sometime use.

If you have the time and desire, remove the chain, soak it in solvent for a few hours, scrub it briefly with an old toothbrush, lube and install. Your chain will be thoroughly clean.

(Single guys can also put the chain in the dishwasher on "pot-cycle" and see how it turns out. Married men may want to critically examine this idea however.)

I have the Park cleaner and it works well with EcoTech2 degreaser or Simple Green. However, I seem to remember reading somewhere that chain cleaners will not work in California or Missouri.

I like this method also, but my understanding is the chain manufacturers do not recommend immersion as it washes all that nice sticky lube from inside the chain connections where it is difficult to replace.

Comments ???

I also have a Parks scrubber which I sometime use.

I've heard that, too. But: the cleaner can get in those tiny gaps with enough volume to wash out the lube. But then the thin prolink lube can't get back in somehow?

I take the chain off the bike, swish it around in a pint mason jar about a third full with mineral spirits (AKA paint thinner) dump the dirty mineral spirits on weeds growing in the drive way, repeat two or three times, let the chain dry in the sun, put it back on the bike and lube with Pedro's syn lube. Which seems like a lot of trouble to go through, but I like it that way.

Prolink and a rag every week or so, then the Park scrubber every 3 months more or less. I just put newspaper under the repair stand to keep the carpet relatively clean. Since the carpet is a remnant in the garage, I don't sweat that part too much. Maybe it's the Sonoma County adobe dust that gunks up my chain even with the ProLink, despite the fact that I'm a strictly asphalt guy. The ProLink does attract a lot less of it than any other lube I've tried. And, BTW, I wipe my chain very thoroughly after PL application--like until almost no residue shows on the rag.

I like this method also, but my understanding is the chain manufacturers do not recommend immersion as it washes all that nice sticky lube from inside the chain connections where it is difficult to replace.
Comments ???
I also have a Parks scrubber which I sometime use.

Don't think that I've ever read that chain manufacturers do not recommend 'immersion'. SRAM does, however, 'suggest' that one doesn't remove the chain; then they go on at length what to do if you do...
My guess, and only a guess, is avoidance of 'liability', so don't tell them to take it off. you decide - heres their FAQ on chains (http://www.sram.com/en/service/sram/faq.php?faqID=aab3238922bcc25a6f606eb525ffdc56)
I remember the daze of oldstyle chains without removeable links - uuugggghhhh.
I still have a few Regina Chains on old 6 spds and Sedis on 7 spds, but thats the only place I use the 20+ year old vetta scrubber.
Otherwise its removeable links all the way! Chain comes off, goes into a sealable container containing kerosene, and after a few minutes of strong agitation, its ready to go.
Pull and wipe with lint-free cloth, suspend to 'dry' for a day, ready to install and lube with any old good lube.
Oh, I 'rotate' chains - always have a spare 'clean and lubed' one ready to go, when another comes off for cleaning. At the price of a chain, having one ready to pop on after cleaning the cassette and chainrings is an easy and quick way to be back on the road - and then clean the dirty one at a convenient time, for the next install.
Park Chain checker now assures I never run a chain beyond the early stretch limit - a good thing. Check that chain length once a week. Not surprisingly cassettes and cogs are lasting way longer than in the old days.
All a lot easier than fooling with a scrubber which sprays everywhere. And it affords cleaning the chain more often, so allround moe betta performance.
Sticky lube, including the manufacturers stuff intended to keep the chain rust free in transit and on-shelf storage before use, is the worst. The chain will prolly survive, but all that grit that sticky stuff collects wears the crap out of the chain ring teeth (alloy).
...don;t believe I've ever 'worn out' a chain, but have stretched the crap outta quite a few dozen...

For a really good cleaning I remove the chain and soak it in mineral spirits then scrub with a brush, if needed.
For a quickie I just wipe it down with a WD40 soaked rag, air dry and re-lube.

I tried a chain scrubber years ago and found it to be a sloppy mess.
Yeah it worked, (kind of)...but seemed like a waste of time, energy, and money.

I find the Park works alright for a quick weekly cleaning. For a really thorough cleaning I soak the chain in diesel.

This is the most absolutely perfect chain scrubber I have ever seen....

http://sheldonbrown.com/chainclean.html

I recommend it for all but the laziest of people.




:roflmao: !!!!!

I do it the old fashion way. Take a brush with soapy water and work the cassette from behind. The cassette will spin and you can clean the chain and cassette at the same time. Rinse softly, spray on some Finish Line Biodegreaser and scrub again, Rinse. Lube each link at the roller with Extreme Purple lubricant, wipe chain with rag to remove any excess.

My drive chain stays nice and shiny and better yet no noise and shifts smooth as silk.

I take the chain off the bike, swish it around in a pint mason jar about a third full with mineral spirits (AKA paint thinner) dump the dirty mineral spirits on weeds growing in the drive way, repeat two or three times, let the chain dry in the sun, put it back on the bike and lube with Pedro's syn lube. Which seems like a lot of trouble to go through, but I like it that way.

Just let it settle for a week in a covered jar. All the crud settles out, and you can pour off the clear mineral spirits and use it next time.

FYI...here's a quote from the SRAM website that was referenced by CYCLEZEN

"we would warn against letting a chain sit in solvent of any kind (kerosene, gasoline, SimpleGreen, bio-degreasers, etc.) for any length of time."


I still like that nice clean look you get after using a half-gallon milk jug and some gasoline.

I think there is a misconception about the ProLink and rag rub down only clearning the outside of the chain. The nice thing about the ProLink is that it gets into the inner parts of the chain and forces the dirt and grime to the outside. My procedure and experience in using this leads me to believe that this is more than just advertising hype (and may in fact work with other lubricants that I haven't tried). I first wipe the chain down. Next I hit it with the ProLink and spin the cranks a few times. I then wipe the chain down again until it runs clean through the rag. I hit it with the ProLink again, and find that indeed there is more dirt and grime coming out. The first few times I did this I checked the chain after the first two or three 15+ mile rides and found that running the chain through my fingers or a rag didn't leave any real dirt or grime. I think my procedure gets the insides of the chain pretty darn clean. Additionally, my chains are giving me more miles before I have to replace them than they used to.

I think that you can probably get the chain cleanest by taking it off but the difference between that and what you can do with it left on is too minimal to go through the effort. At the miles I ride I go through a chain 1-2 times a year so it is just not worth going to extremes. I wash my bike every couple of weeks or so and doing a wash and lube takes about 30min. If I ride in the rain I just dry the chain and relube. That is enough to keep my bike in perfect working order.

There is one, and only one way to do this right. Clean your chain properly (http://www.sheldonbrown.com/chainclean.html)

There is one, and only one way to do this right. Clean your chain properly (http://www.sheldonbrown.com/chainclean.html)



This is the most absolutely perfect chain scrubber I have ever seen....

http://sheldonbrown.com/chainclean.html I recommend it for all but the laziest of people.

:roflmao: !!!!!

Gentlemen... (and Ladies too...)

To avoid the embarrassment of reposting the same humorous link in the future, please read through every post of every thread of every forum in BF before posting yourself. While this may take several months of arduous work, it will save you the crushing humility of being the second, or third, or fourth person to provide a link that has already been posted!

:D

Folks, could we all take a little time to read through the posts so we don't get the same links given to us twice? Oops! Sorry, Big Paulie.

I like this method also, but my understanding is the chain manufacturers do not recommend immersion as it washes all that nice sticky lube from inside the chain connections where it is difficult to replace.

Comments ???

I also have a Parks scrubber which I sometime use.

When I was Karting I I used the best chain going But I used to Degrease the new chain. This got rid of the thick Gungy grease that trapped dirt that wore out the chain. I then used to soak the chain in Oil and let it drain and clean it after every race meeting. Never had a chain problem.

I still do the same now but Only clean the chain when the cassette starts getting black oil over it. Clean the chain with the Tool and Degreaser. Then wash it off with the hose and then to get rid of the water- I use WD40 as a water displacement. Then I liberraly oil the chain so the oil does get inside. Couple of hours- Or days- later I wipe the chain with a rag and go and get the chain dirty again.

Folks, could we all take a little time to read through the posts so we don't get the same links given to us twice? Oops! Sorry, Big Paulie.

:D:D:D