swimbikerun_boy

Hello,

To get my chain and cassette to look like new, should i remove them and then degrease/clean them off the bike?

I've always used the Finish Line Chain Cleaner Tool, but that doesn't really remove all the gunk on the outside of the links. I know the dirt on the sides doesn't really affect performance but i like it when my bike looks great. And getting between those cogs can be kind of tricky. So i was wondering what is the best way to get those parts shining again?

Thanks
Tyler

PM7771

Tyler-

Its nice to have a clean bike, but "like new" is a bit extreme. Get out there alot & have fun ( something I've done alot too less lately ). Simple green is good, perhaps a shot of WD-40 first, followed by brushing the gears with a toothbrush to loosen up the sludge before the Simple Green. Let that work in 5-10 min & rinse off while brushing. Then I wipe down, let air dry (best on a dry breezy day) and relube as needed. My bike hasn't ever gotten bad; and it looks close to new when I'm done. Total time maybe 10 - 15 min + 30 min dry time

Peter

swimbikerun_boy

i know like new is a bit extreme, but i take alot of pride in how my bike looks and just want to know how i can get it to look as good as i can

Peace
Tyler

HillRider

Easy. Don't ride it and it will stay perfectly clean. Seriously, I agree you are putting way too much effort into appearance. Absolutely no one else will notice.

Landgolier

Cleaning for looks is indeed dumb; you can only tell if the chain and cassette are clean on a bike if it's not being pedaled -- what does that tell you? However, this guy has some pretty legit questions. Gunk on the outside of plates isn't the end of the world, but it attracts other gunk, and it can all eventually get worked into your chain. The only way to really get rid of it is with a toothbrush and elbow grease, though if you soak it in solvent first it's a lot easier.

As for the cassette, yeah, you should clean that sucker. Get a cassette lock ring tool and a torque wrench and you'll be able to strip it down for easy cleaning.

San Rensho 

If you want the chain to look clean all the time, just take a paper towel, fold it in half, grab the chain with the towel, spin the cranks backward, fold again and repeat till the towel gets too small. Takes about a minute.

HillRider

You don't have to remove and disassemble the cassette to get it clean. Get a rag and dampen it with your cleaner of choice and use it to "shoeshine" between each pair of cogs.

truckin

As to cleaning the chain, I use SRAM chains with Powerlinks on all my bikes. When it's time for a good cleaning, I pull the chain apart at the Powerlink, drop it into a gallon jug that has an inch or so of mineral spirits at the bottom, cap and shake vigorously. While letting that settle, clean the chainrings and cassette if necessary as described above (shoeshine with a rag between each pair of cogs). Then fish the chain back out with an old spoke. Dry it to get the majority of the spirits off, then let it sit long enough to finish air-drying. After that, back on the bike it goes. Lube the links and wipe off any excess. This will make for a very shiny drivetrain.

Treefox

Diesel is a fairly good solvent.