playback2004

I just installed my first new chain. It is covered in a sticky goo. I tried using naptha(zippo/coleman fluid) to clean it off. It partially worked. I have bug and tar remover and Kingsford lighter fluid but no Goo Gone. I was wondering if I am supposed to remove this stuff or what? I can't find it in any posts. And should I try the bug and tar remover assuming it is the same stuff as Goo Gone.

FBinNY 

Feel free to remove it from the surface with a damp rag (naphtha, diesel fuel, OMS or some other petroleum distillate), but don't soak enough in to wash the lube from the inside, which is where you want it.

playback2004

Thanks, that was my approximate guess.

playback2004

Found a bottle of Gumout carburetor cleaner. I guess it's about the same as diesel fuel. Worked like a charm.

Jeff Wills

You shouldn't clean the factory lube off- it's applied to the chain hot so it flows inside and stays in place.

Carburetor cleaner has a lot of solvents that evaporate very easily. It's nothing like diesel, and it's not something I would apply to my chain.

Here's how chains are made. Lube is applied at about 3:20.

davidad

Chain care, wear and skipping by Jobst Brandt

Kimmo 

+1 FB; it's good to wipe off the sticky excess from the outside of the chain so it doesn't pick up dust, but you don't want solvent getting in the chain.

I use a rag that's slightly damp with WD40, mineral spirits or kerosene or something.

FBinNY 

Hey, it's nice to see you again. Where ya been?

cale

From the KMC FAQ I have bought your X-series chain. After unpacking, I found that the chain is rather sticky on the outside. Is that normal?

During manufacturing one of the processes involves lubrication, we inject special grease into the chain. Right now a part of that grease stays on the chain's outside, which is needed to conserve and protect the chain during storage.

KMC recommends you to take away the excess grease from the chain's outside by spraying some (eco) cleaner along the chain and immediately wiping it. By removing the grease outside you will prevent it from atracting too much dirt. Make sure the grease inside the chain is not affected!

Beware of keeping it a little oiled after every ride in order to prevent rust.

lopek77

Most of these tips goes against what chain manufacturers suggest.
I'm not a big fan of Mr. FBinNY and his dictatorial manners, but I believe he is way more up to date than most articles from Brandt and Brown.
You heard me...I won't say it again...ever

davidad

Good because you are wrong.
I just replaced a 7sp chain on my touring bike that had 20,681 miles on it. I clean mine in an ultrasonic cleaner and relube every 800 miles.

Wordbiker

I thought this thread was about a new Chain Reaction film.

https://www.mtbview.com/chain-reaction-5.php

lopek77

Wrong about FBinNY? Other than that I can't be wrong by just stating the fact that tips from your link are NOT approved or suggested by chain manufacturers.
I'm a fan of real life testing. My chains (lubed or not) will last anywhere between 1300 and 2500 miles on my hybrid. If you chain lasted almost 21k, I want to know all the details. It would be cool to save an extra $200+ on a chain maintenance.

FBinNY 

FWIW - JB and I don't have that much disagreement on the basic principles of chain care. We do have some disagreements on the specifics, or translating theory to practice, but overall, we're not miles apart, and agree an lot's more than we disagree on.

Read his piece again, here's where he and I agree.

Factories pack chains in lubricant, not rust protection.
Chains should be properly washed off the bike before oiling, and I agree if it's practical.
Proper rinsing and drying before oiling are important
Oils make better lubricants then dry waxes, for the reasons stated.

So really, the only place we disagree is in the specific oils that are best, but we're not a mile apart there either. He feels oil needs solvents to wick in properly, and I disagree, but it's an honest difference of opinion, though I think I've proven that solvents aren't needed.

This is why I avoid chain lube threads. We end up arguing where we agree, and blowing up the areas of disagreement way out of proportion.

BTW- one area where JB and I disagree is the primary cause of chain wear, which he assigns to dirt, and I assign to lubrication failure under load. I base my opinion on field experience, where I constantly see the fastest wear among heavy or strong riders, and in hillier areas. I'd debate this with JB directly, but unfortunately that's not possible.

So, IMO, a strong 200# rider in Connecticut who likes to sprint those roller coaster hills, has no hope of getting the same chain life as a rider in Kansas, who has a nice smooth spinning cadence, or even a rider in Colorado who downshifts and climbs spinning lower gears. The goal shouldn't be to get the same chain life as the next guy, but to get the best life that you can given how and where you ride

And because chains are less expensive than sprockets, a decent chain maintenance protocol is needed to maximize sprocket life.

cale

I pretty much disagree with the advice to use petroleum products which are really unnecessary in a age where biodegradable solvents provide a much cleaner approach to bike care. I think bike solvents can reflect a healthy and clean style of living just as bicycling can. My favorite product https://www.biketiresdirect.com/prod...bike-degreaser.

FBinNY 

This is another area of heated debate, so I won't argue the point.

But I will point out that many of us who wash chains off the bike using petroleum distillate recover the dirty solvent and settle it, then reuse the same solvent over and over so little ever gets into the environment. That compares with folks who use products that may be "greener" but end up dumping larger quantities into the waste stream (not saying you do).

So which is greener? A little bit of bad stuff, managed well. Or much more of less bad stuff? (Rhetorical question)

cale

Having working in the extremely greasy printing industry for over 30 years, the biodegradable stuff is better for the environment and the plants and animals that inhabit it.

FBinNY 

As I said, I wasn't going to argue the point. It was a rhetorical question of the type that everybody has to answer for themselves.

Wordbiker

You're evil. but that has nothing to do with your chain lube preferences.

Kimmo 

Hey
The gf is soaking up all my me time; haven't been online much the last few months : /

Back to the point, this should be in a sticky.
BTW,
AFAIK most if not all of those products are detergents or emulsifiers of some sort, allowing the use of water as the solvent. Not a great thing where we're trying to prevent corrosion; any residue left in the chain will corrupt the new lube and help it get washed out.

And +1 what FB said.

FBinNY 

I'm doing great here.

Evil & Dictatorial so far. Anybody care to add to the list? (that's also rhetorical)

cale

Whatever rationalization you need to get on with your polluting ways.

ThermionicScott 

The "evil and dictatorial" is news to me. Is it in the way he says "Do whatever works best for you"?

Wilfred Laurier

Evil, dictatorial, rhetorical... and WRONG!!!!111

A smaller gear (in front) will increase tension in the chain and accelerate wear. Giant cogs in the rear will decrease wear, though.

FBinNY 

Yes, using the smaller sprocket in front increases wear, and I could have been clearer in saying one who downshifts to a larger rear sprocket. Sometimes, I try to save words and stuff like this happens.