Cheeto

Well I just spent about 1.5 hours cleaning my chain.
I cleaned it with Q-tips.. as I haven't invested in a Chaincleaner
Every single Link... Inside and out.
Next, when i get back from vacation, is the cassets.
I used like over 75 q-tips to clean chain, and derails.

so a thought occurred to me. If I'm a newbie and doing this, how obsessed are some of these other Bikers?

SO Honestly, I know im not the only overly obsessed one out there.
Share your Obsessitivities... (not a word i know lol)

Zan

I am a bit of a perfectionist. Whatever job I do, I do it well. For example, when I true my wheels, they'll be off less than a mm in either direction (I'd have my pads that far off the rim). Doing a "good" job requires some time, but I don't think cleaning a chain should take that long.

How obsessive am I? I keep things running; running well. Otherwise, I like the look of mud.

kenhill3

Cheeto-

Here's the perfect chain cleaning system for you, it takes a little longer, but the results are fantastic:

https://www.sheldonbrown.com/chainclean.html

wearyourtruth

i'll spend maybe 20 min on my chain, and i consider myself to be a little bit of a perfectionist too.

knatchwa

Whether it be obsessiveness or just plain common sense for a cycle commuter, or a mountain biker for that matter to want to be sure all is in working order. Whether you be a perfectionist, or just want things to be clean you are doing yourself a great favor. Have you ever seen a bike that has not been taken care of? One that is just forgotten about? It is a very unsafe situation and as the video shows with a bit of humor on the side, it is better to be safe then not.

For me I would say it is a fine example of keeping yourself alive and kicking and insuring a long life that riding safely by making it a point to maintain your bike like the delicate machinery it is. Only one opinion, and it makes good sense.

blue_neon

I mean, i've seen obsessive bike maitenence before, when i got my new bike i would take a good 30min or so cleaning the entire drive train. But sir, 1.5hours cleaning a chain with Q-tips, that just tops the chart.

harov3

Yeah.. as a young single guy I would spend hours, nay, days and weeks in the obsessive cleaning of parts and mechanisms that no-one could even see on my bikes and motorbikes (I knew they were shiney!) but thats new one for me even. Q-tips, what a great idea!

Alternatively, had you considered getting a girlfriend?








No! she won't clean your bike for you!

kint

its not whether you ride OR clean - but keep relations in mind. if you like to keep your chain looking nos switch to collecting vintage bikes...- for the wall of your bedroom.

i understand that cleaning and oiling the mechs of a shifter is healthy and WILL enhance the performance - if done when needed - say once a year (10mins). clean, dry and wax your bike after usage in rain and mud, oil the chain. but dont take this too serious i'ld say. qtips are for ears and derailleurs not meant to be wasted on chains. which are wear parts anyway.

oh and please dont use on of these machines from hell....

https://www.parktool.com/products/det...=8&item=CM%2D5

tehy simply brush the fat out of the links. use a brush for dirt, then some cleaner on fabric and then an oiled towel. thats it. 5 minutes work.

however i can understand zans point of view of truing the wheels...:-)

BFG

............but she better clean the kitchen!

cooker

Does cleaning your chain "obsessively' really accomplish anything? You don't actually push all the pins and clean inside all the rollers, do any of you? The main wear on chains occurs inside where the pins interact with the inner plates. How do you address that?

ZeCanon

Chains are replaceable. You don't clean a chain to save the chain, you clean it to save your drivetrain. A clean chain will help a drivetrain last much, much longer.
And of course changing the chain at the proper intervals helps as well. Much cheaper than picking up a new cassette/chainrings/chain all in one go.

croscoe

Dude, get a chain cleaner. Use the 85 minutes you'll save for riding.

cooker

I don't actually understand the whole principle of cleaning the chain. It seems that most of the time what we are doing is cleaning the grit off the visible exterior of the chain, but we have very limited access to the interior of the rollers and bushings. Does cleaning the visible parts of the chain protect the drive train? If cog wear is due to chain elongation, which is due in turn to interior chain wear, then somehow cleaning the inside parts of the chain would be the best preventative measure. But who has time to take all the rivets out, and is it really cost effective? Surely disassembling links causes wear and tear too.

Cypress

Wow.

Just....



Wow.

cooker

Did you scroll all the way down?

Cypress

Yeah. The effort that went into putting all of that together - wow.

Maelstrom 

nope...not obsessed at all.

Bike Lover

Ya know, I just have to say that I'm extremely disappointed in this thread. I mean, I feel like I've tricked into reading it. The title clearly says "How obessed are YOU" (emphasis added). Then, once clicked, I come to find out it's really all about Cheeto and he, apparently, doesn't really care how obessed I am. Oh, well, I'll have to get over it some day. I just don't know if I can trust Cheeto any more.

pinkrobe

Q-tips? WTF? I've always thought of chains as consumables, like pedals and rear dérailleurs.

M_S

Once a week during the winter months I also use Q-tips to clean out the links, or take off the chain (not the sheldon method ). I will say, however, that it does not take 1.5 hours....more like 20 minutes. I have much more time than money, so I like to extend the life of parts.

Right, it's for the more expensive chainrings and cassette, and general smooth rolling.

I also just noticed that the Sheldon site is clearly a take-off of the Park Tools site. Pretty funny.

Maelstrom 

Moi aucci...haha

blue_neon

My drive train runs smoother when there is no grit on the jockey wheels (also on the cassette but not as noticeable), and all the grit build-up on the jockey wheels comes from a dirty exterior chain.

Interior? There is only so much you can do, you can't get in their with a brush without taking the links apart. But there is no point.

mx_599

this is simply silly

Cheeto

Let me explain why i did this though,

I was bored out of my mind, as my friends left me for the movies, and I got done pakcing (im currently in florida in a 5 star suite =)

but anyways.

I had time to burn lol.

And i Have a girl friend,

and, that chain cleaning process posted up there is just out rageous.

and for those crying thats its all about me,
i said share your stories also.
i just started it off.
-)

taylor p

I feel the same