Originally Posted by
Andrew R Stewart
A question I have thought about for a long time is about the often suggested practice of wiping off the chain with a rag. What portion of the outside grime will get pushed deeper into the links? Just asking, because I know in every other bearing that I work with when wiping off the outside there remains a ridge of grime at the edge. Andy.
I tell myself that if I've pushed any grime into the chain, it isn't very far, just below the outside surface of the metal parts. So it may not be going anywhere critical, unless it gets washed further in by rain or solvent. I try to wipe it as dry as possible after the initial application, then after the first ride, so that I don't really need to deal with it again.