dja1

I've always cleaned my drivetrain with rags, a brush and GT-85 (similar to WD40) followed up with proper lubricant. Lots of people say this is bad, lots say it is good. I have considered one of them chain cleaning tools but I really cannot justify purchasing the cleaning fluid for it constantly, the winters here in the UK are wet and the roads are absolutely filthy, to make matters worse I live on the coast which means regular cleaning or my chain and cassette end up dirty fast. Maybe I would get some if I could find it in 5-litre containers.

What does everyone suggest?

gerv 

I clean my chain with Simple Green, a degreaser. There's no real need for petroleum based products. Although I will confess to using WD40 in the winter..

Johnny Mullet

I use a rag and then re-oil.

TallTravel

There are some very comprehensive drive train cleaning videos on YouTube.

jyl

I spray with simple green, wait a bit, then pressure wash, avoiding the BB. Then rags for stubborn spots, and relube.

Al1943

I use OMS (odorless mineral spirits). Sometimes I load my Park chain cleaning machine with OMS, messy but very effective. More often I use OMS on a rag or paper shop towel. OMS is a petroleum derivative.

WD40 is an excellent solvent/cleaner to use in a wet environment. Re-lube after using.

vtdougie

Clean it, lube it and ride it. Keep it simple and enjoy riding!

JohnDThompson 

I soak the chain in mineral spirits, then scrub it with a stiff brush. An old steel baking pan (available at minimal cost from a thrift store) works well to hold the chain for soaking and scrubbing. Save the used mineral spirits in a container of some sort and allow the particulates to settle out. The next time you need to clean your chain, decant the clean spirits off the top.

Allow the chain to dry thoroughly (or use compressed air to blow dry), re-install, lube and ride on.

Use mineral spirits and a brush to clean chainrings; a rag with some mineral spirits can be run between the rear cogs to clean them out nicely as well.

RoadLight

Hi dja1,

It sounds like you need to clean your bike frequently in order to keep dirt to a minimum in your drivetrain. This is essential no matter what you do with regard to lubrication because dirt is the primary source of abrasion that will wear out your drivetrain even if you use the best lubricant available. The "trick" in your case is to use a cleaning method that is quick and easy so you will do it frequently due to the environment you described (ideally after each ride).

GCN (Global Cycling Network) posted "The 5 Minute Bike Wash" video by former professional cyclist Simon Richardson showing a method he's used for 5 years to clean his bikes in just 5 minutes after each ride. It's controversial because he uses WD-40 as a central part of his procedure. But, in his case, I think it is safe because he (1) keeps his drivetrain clean and (2) uses WD-40 frequently. If the drivetrain were not kept clean and fresh WD-40 were not applied frequently, then I believe his method would not be as safe as it apparently is. He claims to put about 6000 miles on a chain before it needs to be replaced.

WD-40 is a blended product. Its primary function is water displacement (which is what the "WD" in its name means). But it also has components that serve as a mild degreaser and a light lubricant. Once it evaporates (taking the water with it), it leaves the light film of lubricant. I would never trust it as a lubricant if the drivetrain is not cleaned frequently---but the way Simon uses it seems sound.

By the way, GCN also has a "The 30 Minute Bike Wash" (also by Simon) which I have not watched.

I live near Lake Michigan in the U.S. We get a lot of sand in our drivetrains here and I train for distance and put 3000 or more road miles on my main bike each year. So I have to frequently clean my bike, too. I don't have to do it after every ride, but I do it every 1-2 weeks, depending on how dirty the drivetrain has gotten. Before I got my carbon bike this year, I used to train on a vintage 1985 Fuji road bike whose hubs and bottom bracket are not sealed as well as a modern bike so I had to be careful to avoid spraying anything that can act as a degreaser near those areas. So Simon's 5-minute wash wouldn't have worked for me with that bike.

Because of my experience with older bikes, I picked up the habit of using removable chains to make cleaning easier. All of my and my family's bikes have SRAM chains with PowerLinks (or PowerLocks on 10-11 speed chains) so the chains can be easily removed for cleaning. (There are other good brands, too---but I'm familiar only with SRAM.) I also have a Park Tool MLP-1.2 master link pliers to help open and close the PowerLinks / PowerLocks. For routine cleaning, I use a degreaser (citrus-based) on only the chain. I can usually clean the cassette sprockets and crank chainrings with a rag. Because I'm cleaning the drivetrain before it gets very dirty, it is relatively easy and quick to clean the sprockets and chainrings without a degreaser.

I've never had to use very much degreaser to clean a chain by hand. In two years, I've only used a third of my 32 fl-oz (946 ml) bottle of Zep commercial-quality citrus degreaser. I put the chain in a plastic wash basin, spray the degreaser on it and scrub it with a Park Tool GSC-1 gear brush. Then I rinse off the degreaser and follow with a second quick cleaning with a few drops of dishwashing liquid in water. After a thorough rinse, I hang the chain in the sun to dry. If the weather is bad, I dry the chain by hand with a rag as best I can, place it on an old tin cookie sheet (dedicated to this purpose) and pop it in the oven on "low" for 20-30 minutes. It definitely isn't a 5-minute job---but I don't need to wash my bike after every single ride like you might since my environment isn't quite as harsh.

For lubrication, I use Park Tool CL-1. Its a super high-quality synthetic oil made for bicycle drivetrains that is light enough to penetrate into the inner joints of the chain, yet still sticky enough to withstand a little rain. There are many other good lubricants on the market which others will undoubtedly recommend. I've experimented with a variety, including wax-based wet and dry lubricants (hoping less sand would stick to the chain), and I came back to a good quality oil because it seems to last the longest---at least in my environment.

I hope this helps. Again, I think Simon's 5-minute wash after each ride may be what you need because your bike gets so dirty so quickly.

Kind regards, RoadLight

cruiserhead

roadlight,
nice post

I've found, in my area, White Lightning dry lube and cleaner go a long way

I've used wd-40 for cleaning the gear and chainset and even for lube and it's been fine

Northwestrider

+1 , That plus two or three times a year, I'll pull my chain ring off and apart for a though cleaning, but I kind of enjoy doing it. It maybe over doing it a bit however.

davidad

Never lube a dirty chain on the bike. Remove it and put it a plastic jar with Simple Green or mineral spirits and shake it for a few minutes. Rinse, dry and lube.
I use an ultra sonic parts cleaner and my road chain was replaced at over 17000 miles. The tourer has 20100 miles on the chain. I think the fender with mud flap keeps the crud off.
When I have the chain off I wipe the crud off of the rest of the drive train. I lube the chain with 1part chainsaw bar oil to 4 parts unscented mineral spirits. I clean and lube every 800 miles.

pataspen

The ShelBroCo chain cleaning system is the only one that really works.

The ShelBroCo Bicycle Chain Cleaning System

Midtown

Boy, that seems like a lot of work.

Dave Cutter

Hot soapy water. And a scrub brush.

Depending on how dirty I let the bike get... I may give the cogs a pretreat spray of simple green... or even WD-40. But that is rare and usually only something I do on an old vintage bike I am fixing up.

I use a garden hose in the summer but I live where it gets cold in the winter. In the freezing cold months I take a couple of two liter (soda pop) bottles and drill an 1/8 inch hole in each of the caps. I use one bottle filled with hot soapy water and a brush to clean the drive chain.... the other bottle with clean water to rinse away the dirt/muck/soap.

Up North

I use quick link, remove chain put in jar of acetone let sit hour or two. Remove and quick spray with degreaser to remove and left over dirt and acetone. Lube with pro lube and ready to go. I spray cassette with degreaser and brush/ cloth to clean. Do this every couple of months.

cny-bikeman

Google

leob1

Although I consider that this pretty excessive and anal, it's basically the way I do it. But I take it one step further and take the cassette apart and clean each cog. I'll do this once ot twice a year. as needed, I'll wipe with a rag and OMS, scrape chunks off the pulleys, and front ring, and relube.

zymphad

I use nothing. Just spray it with some water, and dry it off, wipe it down with a rag. Relube if needed.

For cassette, occasionally I'll take the wheel off, spray some 409 on it and scrub it with a brush.

fietsbob

You ask Best? replace with New parts, regularly, Its what the Pro Teams do.

other options involve keeping what you Own.

cderalow

basic degreaser (buy at auto parts stores for cheaper cost and gallon sized jug) mixed with hot water in appropriate ratio
brush onto chain on bike (old natural bristle paint brush)
let sit 5-10 minutes while wiping down rest of bike
run chain through rag while spinning pedals backward until chain looks shiny
then based on bike, I use one of the rock n roll lubes (Rock"N"Roll Lubrication - Homepage) following their instructions

repeat in 2-300 miles or when my OCD dictates

my chain is both shiny and super clean... like I can touch it and not get any grease on my hands.

for cassettes, I use the aforementioned degreaser and use a cloth between the cogs when the wheel is off to clean them. or remove and manually clean each cog.

chain rings same as cassettes.

BigAl36

that is a lot of work, cheaper to just buy a new chain!

noglider 

- Remove chain
- Remove rear wheel
- Remove right crank
- Remove chainrings from crank
- Clean cassette and chainrings with furniture polish and rags
- Wipe bike down with furniture polish and rags
- Re-install chainrings on crank
- Re-install crank on bike
- Re-install rear wheel on bike
- Install brand new chain

Note that I skip the step of cleaning the chain. It's too much work and makes things too dirty. It is my one wasteful activity. I am otherwise as gentle on the environment as I can be. I recycle and compost everything I can, and I'm careful with the fossil fuel I consume.

caloso

Lube, wipe, ride, repeat ad infinitum.

RoadLight

Greetings,

Based on some of the comments about the ShelBroCo Bicycle Chain Cleaning System in post #13 by pataspen, some folks may have missed that it is a satire which pokes fun at chain cleaning by an over-the-top exaggeration. It's a hilarious piece. Read all the way to the end and you'll see the cancer warnings for the cleaning solutions used at the various steps.

For example, the first solution (the Shelbroconol Pre-soak) includes the following warning:

If you haven't read it yet, its very funny and well-worth the time. It is a great piece to send noobs to for instructions and see how long it takes them to figure out that it's a joke. ;-D

Kind regards, RoadLight