hobkirk

My chain came off the large chainwheel and the chain wrapped around the crank arm. The RD tensioner was pointing up. It took a couple of minutes and both hands to get the chain straightened out. A trivial issue that I was going to cure with a couple of large leaves used as a rag to keep the grease off my fingers turned into two very dirty hands (I use Chain-L - seems to work very well, but it sure leaved black grease marks on whatever it touches).

So, two riders (Wednesday Wheelers are wonderful) gave me packed hand wipes. They helped some, but not much more than my extra cotton bandana. Which made me wonder if there was a better solution.

1. Any pre-packaged towelettes that would work well?
2. Any small packets of hand cleaner (e.g., Finish Line Citrus-Gel Mechanic's Hand Cleaner 5cc) that work well if I'm willing to carry paper towels?
3. Any small grease dissolver bottle that would work? I remember a triathlete lauding some de-grease squirt stuff, but I think that was for his tool chest.

Thank ye all!

Looigi

Stick some nitrile rubber gloves in your bag or pocket. Put them on prior to dealing with any mechanical issues.

woodcraft

I carry a small rag and a little plastic bottle with some rubbing alcohol.

dsbrantjr

I also carry gloves but I also do belt-and-suspenders by having my tools wrapped in a small shop towel and carrying a small dropper bottle of lemon essential oil; a few drops of the oil and a few wipes with the towel and grease is gone. And your hands smell lemony!

I also fit N-Gear Jump Stops to keep the chain from dropping in the first place; chain protectors (dork disks) too. Belt-and-suspenders again.

rydabent

Woodcraft

I too carry a bottle of alcohol and paper towels.

FBinNY 

That's why shorts are black. Instead of depending on finding strong leaves, you might carry a small rag or prepacked handwipe. Not to clean up with but to use while handling the chain. Of you can do as I do and learn to remount a chain using a small stick or without touching the chain at all.

The no touch method involves tipping the bike vertical and standing on the turned fork/wheel, tilt until the chain engages the sprockets, then slowly turn the crank. Giving the rear wheel a hand spin overcomes any momentum issues. Less messed up instances can be done the same basic way using the FD and some finesse.

JBHoren

^^^^^^^^ At home and on-the-road -- "An ounce of prevention..." (or was that "No glove, no love"?)

hobkirk

I will try this method at some time in the future. In this particular case, the chain was kinked and looped around the RE tensioner arm and that arm was actually pointing up.

Of course I should remember to adjust the high limit on the FD. This has happened once before. I forgot that, but I DID remember to drip some Chain-L on the chain after my last ride. I try to oil the chain whenever I start to hear sounds occasionally when I shift the RD under stress. And wipe it down the next day.


By the way, your quotes are quite good, but your tag line about diagnosis is beautiful.

FBinNY 

Thanks, that one's mine.

davidad

I carry baby butt wipes in a plastic bag.

etw

I have used

Grease Monkey Wipes | Bike Cleaning Wipes | Gettin' Gunky, Grab a Monkey | As Seen on ABC's Shark Tank

and they work great. I use the small prepackaged ones. I also found something similar at my local hardware store that did a decent job.

ThermionicScott 

Take home a couple extra packets of alcohol wipes next time you go out for wings.

Jed19

I have been doing this forever!

I have two nitrile gloves in my saddle pack at all times.

Crankycrank

Yup. Believe it or not, Baby Wipes are fantastic at removing even chain grease. Put a couple in a Ziploc bag and if they dry up, just add plain water.

hobkirk

Obviously I should adjust my FD, but I have no problem with extra protection. It's been a long time since I dropped off the inner chainring, but I added the Jump Stops to my wish list.

Bike Gremlin

Nivea hand creme. Put some on before getting dirty, then afterwards use it to clean hands. It works.

NIVEA Creme - NIVEA

The original package I buy here (Europe):
NIVEA Creme - NIVEA

Comes in big and very small metal boxes - round shaped. Easy to carry. The small ones can be refilled from cheaper big ones and carried. They pack in any pocket easily (small one is like 1.5 cm tall and 4 cm wide).

Kopsis

+1

A box of 100 costs less than $10 at Harbor Freight. A pair of 5 mil gloves will easily compact to the size of two AAA batteries. Turn the dirty gloves inside out as you pull them off, and you can repack them in your saddle bag (for later disposal) without getting grease all over everything.

2_i 

Another tip besides the gloves: Except for the most severe cases, you can get the fallen and entangled chain back on the chainrings without touching it, but just maneuvering with FD and cranks. Sometimes you need to help it a little bit with a stick or stone, but that's it. So hands off!

velorider562

Sounds like your chain is heavily oiled. I too use a thick oil., Amsoil bar and chain. If your hands where as dirty as I imagine from your post you might want to wipe the chain off more often. Oil on the outside doesn't do much and you can't wipe it all off so there is enough for rust protection.

demoncyclist

I swear by the individually wrapped Grease Monkey wipes.

Sixty Fiver

I put Worx hand cleaner in a little pill bottle... it weighs almost nothing and just needs a few drops of water.


Worx | Worx All Natural Hand Cleaner

At home I use a homemade sugar scrub made with brown sugar and coconut oil... that would also pack well and could double as an energy shot.

Shimagnolo

+1
Actually, I normally just pick up disposable vinyl gloves at the grocery.
They are cheaper than nitrile, and get the job done.

Shimagnolo

+1
Ever since a buddy who was a former racer told me about this, I've never had to touch a chain that fell off the large chainring.
Now when it falls off the small chainring, that is where I go searching the ditch for a small, strong twig.

RoadTire 

+1. They pack really small, weigh almost nothing, and it's easier to stay clean then clean grease off hands.

JohnDThompson 

They do work for protecting your hands from grease, but don't count on them for jobs like degreasing a chain in mineral spirits, as the vinyl will dissolve. Nitrile works well for both purposes.