Originally Posted by
Homebrew01
Or be lazy like me and don't degrease your chains. I just relube & wipe off excess.
Yeah, I don't like the idea of introducing solvent inside my chains; too easy to wash crud in, and too hard to get it out.
Much better IMO to prevent it getting dirty in the first place - I never let my chains get past the point where a quick wipe with a rag slightly damp with solvent is all they need before lubing. If there's dirt, I'll brush it off.
Importantly, when lubing I'll use a single drop per roller rather than dragging the chain under a stream of oil, and spend a bit of time wiping off as much excess as I can.
For mine, if you have to take the chain off to clean it, you've already lost... twist that sucker and feel all the grit inside it, before and after your cleaning efforts.