Originally Posted by
northernlights
degreaser is the most common method for cleaning chains. and WD-40 is not a degreaser, genius.
degreaser products for cleaning chains are found in every bicycle shop in the country. apparently you know better than them. many others on this thread including the OP also mentioned that they use DEGREASER for cleaning their chains. but I guess you know better than everyone here, eh? and dupont and finish line are two of the top makers of chain degreaser products in the world. I guess you know better than them too?
Ahsposo recommends mineral spirits/oil wash...mineral spirits is a solvent though perhaps different than std degreasers. IIRC the Italian racing "bible" recommended cleaning with mineral spirits though that was a long time ago before, I suppose, many of the current products. Race teams all use degreaser though long life not an issue for them. & degreasers are sold in bike shops, true, but I wouldn't assume this means it's ideal. During this thread I checked out Shimano & SRAM chain cleaning rec's, both companies say to clean chain on the bike. I suspect a legal motivation since off-bike cleaning would seem to give more chance of the most thorough cleaning.