unrelated

Do you use a chain cleaner?
Do you take it off?
Or do you just use a tooth brush?

I don't have access to any hose. The best I have is those hair sprayers that shoots out water like a toy water gun. The terrain here is really sandy and I can't get my chain anywhere near clean with just toothbrush, soapy water and that little water spray. So I figured I should just spend some money getting a chain cleaner. I have to clean the gears and chain just about after every ride.

Also, should I just get thinner to clean the chains instead of soapy water? It's far more effective.

53-11 alltheway

SRAM chains have a "master link" that make removing the chain "easier.....although still a pain". Automotive Brake cleaner is a good solvent on a removed chain.

Maelstrom 

Depends. I used to take the chain off and scrub it with a toothbrush. Then I bought a chaincleaner. I prefer using it, quick, painless and generally a cleaner way to do it. Works great.

Cleaner I use is a dedicated envionmental chain cleaner. Then I wipe it clean with a cloth, the lube it, wipe it dryish...

seely

If you have to clean it every ride, either you should find a better lube, or you are not applying it properly most likely. Its VERY sandy where I ride, and I will maybe have to just wipe the chain down every 1-2 rides, and clean once a month. I usually use Dumonde Lite or GT 85 (my preferred lube) FWI. Remember, put it on and wipe off all excess. Some lubes should be allowed to dry for a bit (T9 Boeshield comes to mind).

khuon

If I'm in a hurry then I'll use Rock'N'Roll which cleans and lubes at the same time. However, for a true cleaning job, I do the following:

1. Remove chain from drivetrain. I use a Wippermann Connex chain which like the SRAM chains have a tool-less removable link.
2. Drop chain into a disposable (only I don't dispose of it) tupperware container filled half with Simple Green and half with water.
3. If chain is especially gunky, I'll take an old toothbrush to it and do a superficial scrubdown.
4. Place container on top of running washing machine or dryer to allow the vibration to shake things loose. I'll sometimes let it shake for a couple of loads of laundry.
5. Clean drivetrain with toothbrush. Not having the chain on there makes this easier.
6. Rinse chain thoroughly. This is important because I use Simple Green which is a detergent and if left on will prevent the lube from being applied properly.
7. Dry chain.
8. Remount chain.
9. Lube chain.

Happy clean drivetrain...

Astra

I undo my Sram link, put the chain in a tupperware container with a slosh of Finishline citrus degreaser, give it a good shake and a soak and then rinse it clean in water and hang it up to dry. I then put it back on the bike and lube it.

Someone here had a brilliant idea recently. Put the chain and degreaser in a container with a lid and hold the container on the rubber plate of an orbital sander for a minute or two - I guess this would get the chain really clean .

beowoulfe

I like to put my chain in a coffee can, fill it appropriately with mineral spirits, put the cover on it and then hold it down on an upside-down variable speed sander. I get super agitation that way. Not much grit can hide in there with that kind of action.

The cover is important as the fluid tends to pop up and out.....eyes!

I firmly believe that you cannot get the grit out from within the links unless you use agitation.

The mineral spirits can be allowed to settle and then poured off for reuse for quite a few cycles.

Archie

Hi Unrelated

1. If there's sand then it has to be physically removed/cleared from crevices to minimise damage (salt corrosion plus errosion corrosion).

2. Any cleaning method would be better than no-action - examples: water rinse or pressurised air rinse of chain and the whole drive train.

3. I've recently switched to a chain cleaner because it's far faster/efficient than tooth brushing and ideal for quick and regular cleaning . . . any 'eco/green/environmentally safe' household cleaning solution will do - cheap & effective & safe.

4. As far as the lubrication is concerned (after cleaning), then obviously anything non-sticky is best - at the end if there's sand then regular cleaning is the cure irrespective of the lub type.

5. Safe biking
:-)

I hope this is relevant.

fujibike

Wipe it off after every ride. Use a Parks chain scrubber with Simple Green every 125-175 miles. Also clean the jockey wheels and cluster at the same time.

Rambo

clean the chian? whats that?

Astra

Beowulfe, it must have been you I was thinking of - a genius idea if ever there was one .

MichaelW

I've just started running 2 chains, one in a jar of solvent, the other on the bike. I swap them every month or so.
For sandy areas, use a dry lube.

Iron Chef

The thing I don't understand with environment safe cleaners and degreasers is that when you are done with it it isn't environment friendly anymore because of the crap that is in it. A freind of mine used run a garage and salesmen would try to sell him biodegradable solvents. He would be like, kiss my !!! because when you are done with it you still have to dispose of it because of all the oil the would then be in it.

Iron Chef

I have used used toothbrushes. For cleaning the cassette I like the ParkTool GSC-1. (far right hand brush) It has an end for getting between the gears.

A brush by Park Tool I do not like comes with the the Bike Cleaning Brush set (BCB-4) . One of the brushes is square hard bristle brush for cleaning your frame. ( Far left in the picture) Like I am goiing to scratch the beejeebees out of my bikes with that thing.

Buy the GSC-1 by itself for about $6. Don't mess with the set. Or us a toothbrush and don't be anal as I am about getting between the gears.

MudPie

Since you mentioned sandy terrain, you might want to try a different lube. If you ride in dry conditions and it's sandy, you might be a good candidate for a "dry" lube. I mountain bike in Southern CA (essentially a semi-arid desert) so my experience comes from dry, hardpack riding with a light dusting of sand.

A dry lube does not attract sand particles like a wet lube. Also, a dry lube doesn't require much maintenance. After a few rides, I brush my chain and drive components with a dry stiff brush (like Parks chain and cog brush). After a dozen turns of the crank all is well. I'll then re-lube the chain.

Dry lubes don't hold up as well as wet lubes in wet/muddy conditions. My favorite dry lube is "Prolink" although most I ride with use White Lightning or Pedros Dry Ice. Either way, we don't use solvents or detergents during routine maintenance.

Every couple of months, I do remove the chain and give it a good soaking in Simple Green, followed by a rinse in hot tap water. The hot water heats the chain and helps it dry faster. I use a SRAM chain with the Powerlink since it's a fine chain and no tools are required to open the master link on the chain (no more excuses not to clean the chain).

unrelated

I use a HG chain. It's not tool-less but I don't know if it's ok to take it apart and use the same link again.

If it's ok to undo the chain, then I guess I will not get a chain cleaner and do it the thorough way. If I have to replace the link everytime, I think I will get a chain cleaner.

I don't know how sandy is very sandy. I am talking about Island Lake trail in Michigan. Some parts of the trail are covered with sand. It's totally different from the trails I used to ride around Baltimore.

I will look into the dry lube. Sounds like a good choice. Thanks everyone, but keep your suggestions coming!

unrelated

Oh man! I called my ibs. He said I have to replace the link everytime I undo it, and the pin costs $2.99 for each of them!

Where else can I get it? Mine's 9-speed Shimano HG LX chain.

WorldWind

This is c/p from my post in the "how do you clean your bike" thread.



I buy used hotel towels that are cut in half and sold by a local commercial laundry as rags to the various shops in town. An onion sack of towels costs me $20. and lasts me a couple months.

Road bikes and mtn bikes get a little different treatment because road bikes just get mildly dirty and then get cleaned and polished for display to come inside and sit by the piano, hang in a window etc.

Mtn bikes come back from the trail muddy and usually in need of some type of work. Heavy mud is removed at the trailhead before it goes up on the car rack. I use a pump up sprayer that gets loaded up with the rest of the bike stuff. It has a 200/1 solution of water and citrus cleaner.

Once home the frame gets placed in the work stand buy its seat post. The rear wheel is removed and placed in a wall mounted spread fork I use as a cleaning station. It holds the wheel at an angle that can be adjusted. I spray the cassette well with WD-40 and place a towel on the bench below the hub to catch the dripping.

The saddle gets attention with Hyde-food a leather cleaner that I have been using for a long time.

The chain comes off and goes in the solvent tray and the chain that was in their come out and gets hung up to drain. Each bike has 3 chains that I cycle through. One on the bike, one in solvent, and one cleaned and lubed and wrapped in a clean oiled rag ready to go. The road bike has two, one for training and one for racing.

Towels placed on the floor under the derailleur and BB catch the runoff from the WD-40 drenching. Brushing and spraying until I can’t get anymore black grit to flow out of the parts.

I then start at the top of the bike and work down with Windex and a clean towel. Then everything gets spray dried with compressed air.

Next the cable housings get released from their adjusting cups at the levers and shifters and the cables get tri-flo. (on my mtn bikes I use old style flat drawn cables and XT housing)

To clean the cassette I use the towel that was under the BB. I fold and stretch a section and slide it from the bottom, between the last and next gear. Sawing back and forth with the towel the wheel will start to spin as the cassette ratchets back and forth. When the space is clean refold the towel and move to the next gear, spraying periodically as you clean. Keep your fingers out of the spokes and slow the wheel often as you work. When you are done the rag goes directly into the trash. Do not make the mistake of having a pile of oily rags anywhere that could spontaneously combust, as that is a fire hazard.

I guess I go through a large can of WD-40 a month, it’s cheap and it works for me. I buy it a case at a time at Home Depot. I don’t use it on my road bike because I wax the chains on that bike.

khuon

You're probably correct. The primary reason I buy Simple Green is not because it's environmentally safe but because I can get a gallon of it for about $5 at Home Depot and it comes in superconcetrate form. I usually cut it to 30/70 with water for regular use and 50/50 for more intense stuff. It lasts me longer and is cheaper than other cleaners. The only downside is the smell.

khuon

Yes, you have to replace the link on a Shimano HG chain everytime you break it. However, you only have to do that if you keep using Shimano links and pins. Break the chain once and buy a SRAM PowerLink Gold connector. They're about USD$4. This is the same connector that comes on the SRAM chains and will work fine with your Shimano chain. You can also use the Wippermann ConneXlink which is the connector that comes with the Wippermann Connex chains. They also cost around USD$4.

Then when it comes time to replace your chain, I would suggest ditching Shimano and going with SRAM PC59 (~USD$15), PC69 (~USD$20), PC99 (~USD$30), Wippermann Connex 904 (~USD$25) or 908 (~USD$30). You may notice a little extra scuffing on the gears from the SRAM chains but that's nothing to be concerned about. I did find that if I really payed attention to it, the SRAM chains I used to use didn't shift quite as smoothly as a Shimano chain but it was barely noticable. The Wippermann chains seem to shift just as nice as Shimano. However, Wippermann chains are slightly pricier than SRAM.

MudPie

Shimano pins, 5 for $5: https://www.jensonusa.com/store/product.aspx?i=CH702Z00. Yup, you're supposed to replace it each time you break the chain.

I think khuon has the best idea - forget messing with pins and get the reuseable Powerlink from SRAM. The cost of the Powerlink will pay for itself in a few uses. If you need/want a new chain, you might want to consider the SRAM line. All SRAM chains come with the Powerlink. The Powerlink is easy to open/close. It takes a few seconds to pop it open, and very easy to close. And it's completely reuseable - no more messing with the chain tool and replacement pins. I've been running SRAM chains on Shimano drive systems with zero problems.

unrelated

Well, I just got this chain less than a month ago.

So you are saying that I can use a SRAM PowerLink Gold connector on my HG chain and not have to worry about replacing it?

MudPie

The SRAM Powerlink is $3.75 at https://www.jensonusa.com/store/product.aspx?i=CH608Z00

Although SRAM says it only works on the SRAM chain, plenty can attest that it works on Shimano chains with no problems.

unrelated

Thanks. I wonder how much the shipping will be though. Just called another shop that sells it for $5. Maybe I will drop by someday to get it.

I also bought some airbrush thinners. My plan is to remove the chain, wash it in a container of thinner and reuse the thinner by filtering it with paint filter.

khuon

Well, it's really your choice but that seems like a lot of working with toxic and caustic fluids just to clean a chain when a citrus or detergent degreaser will work just as well.