General Cycling Discussion - Is it bad to hose down your bike chain?

I would like to thoroughly clean my bike chain. I was wondering if it would be safe to hose down my bike chain with water, dry it and then lube it with some oil. Would this be acceptable?

That's usually how it's done, maybe with some simple green mixed in the water, and with "lube" in place of "oil". Be careful with a power washer, because you don't want to spray into the seals on the wheel and bottom bracket. One step you missed is you should remove as much oil from the surface as possible after applying it and working the chain a few revolutions. This prevents the lube from flinging off onto your bike/leg, and prevents the chain from picking up so much dirt.

There are also cleaning lubes that let you skip the water step.

EDIT: This won't get your chain sparkling clean, because water doesn't do much to a chain covered in oil. For that you usually remove the chain and soak it in some solvent, then put the chain back on the bike and apply lube / wipe it off.

Of course the optimum choice other than this is to use a chain remover, degreaser with toothbrush, reattach and properly lube.

Washing the bike and hosing the chain is best done on hot, dry, summer days. Give the chain an hour or so to dry in the sun (watched carefully, of course, lest the neighborhood bike thief comes by while you're inside grabbing a cold one). Oil-based lube is best for this scenario IMHO, because the wax-based lubes don't form a good film on the chain to prevent rust.

Of course the optimum choice other than this is to use a chain remover, degreaser with toothbrush, reattach and properly lube.

This doesn't require a whole lot of effort.

Dave, water won't ruin your chain. Riding in the rain is something done all the time. My thoughts on the subject is why expose your chain to water if you can avoid it?

I am a lot more fastidious about my drive train than I am about my frame. It seems many people are of a different persuasion. Dirt on my frame isn't gonna slow me down but a chain and transmission not properly maintained can.

I keep a coffee can partially filled with mineral spirits to degrease a chain and a coffee can partially filled with a 60/40 mix of mineral spirits and 30 wt motor oil for lube. Remove the chain, drop it in the plain mineral spirits, shake, pull it out and wipe it down with rag. This isn't brain surgery or rocket science. It doesn't have to be perfect.

Drop it in the oily mix, shake, wipe and put it back on the bike.

While the chain is in one of the cans take the rag and edgewise run it between the cogs on the cassette, wipe the front chainwheels spray some silicon (NOT WD-40) lube or Tri-Flo on your derailleurs, and you're good to go. 10 minutes, tops. Always after riding it in the rain or dirt road riding or when you got nothing better to do.

I've got some spray degreaser (not petroleum based) I'll spray on a cloth or paper towel and wipe the frame down with if it looks particularly dirty.

If we're talking a off road bike that's different. Dried mud is real problem.

Water is fine but it isn't going to degrease the chain or clean the oily dirt off it. I use a Chain cleaning tool to clean the chain on the road bikes but the MTB is covered and filled with greasy mud. Use the chain cleaner to get rid of the grease and oil and penetrate into the chain. Then hose off to finally clean. But you are then left with a Steel chain- filled with water that is going to go rusty. Water displacement oil to get rid of all the water- allow to drain and then lube.