Originally Posted by
cny-bikeman
I still can't figure out how anyone manages with only solvent and compressed air (or even spraying out vestiges of solvent with wd-40. It's so much better to spend over an hour with the above protocol instead of riding.
I'm like you and don't like cleaning rituals, but I never blow out chains with compressed air. It just mists any oils that might be there, and I don't like breathing oil mist. Also, any oils will eventually settle out onto surfaces leaving an oil film (compare cleaning kitchen cabinets vs. bedroom doors).
I also don't like water based cleaners because they're a pain to dry, so I use petroleum distillate in closed jars, alternating soaking with some agitation, then multiple rinses, The last of the solvent dries completely without any help, so I can oil the chain after waiting a while.
The cleaning cycle takes a while, but very little of my time since it's mostly soaking and waiting time. The solvent is recycled so there's no waste, and minimal environmental impact.
BTW- I rotate multiple chains every 1,000 miles or so, so I have plenty of time to clean them at my leisure. If I'm not removing a chain anyway, I don't wash it at all. I simply dry wipe it as clean as I can and oil.
The cleaning decisions and methods need to strike a balance between time and effort, and improved chain life. This is one reason I don't use top end chains. Keep the price of replacements low enough and you don't need to go crazy trying to milk out every last mile of chain life.