Originally Posted by
DrRobert
I've been using one of those cleaning tools you attach to the chain and spin.
I am all over the place with solutions. I have used orange citrus degreaser, Simple Green, Dawn detergent and mineral spirits. I think I get best results with the degreaser and Dawn.
I like mineral spirits the least because it seems to leave a grimy coating which just keeps reappearing.
A solvent has advantage that you don't rinse with water, which means you don't have to blow it out or wait till dry before oiling.
I recently came across someone who uses a combo of diesel and gas looked like it worked really well, but I don't want the disposal issues.
My nephew advocates removing chain and shaking in a 1 liter bottle of very hot, soapy water. He's a mountain biker.
Opinions on the above comments + What do you use and how do you do it?
Thanks!
First:
Do not use gasoline! Gasoline has a flash point of -40°F. That means that it will ignite at temperatures above -40°C which is just about temperature range where "normal" humans live. It also means that it can be more easily ignited at warmer temperatures. It also contains a whole lot of chronically toxic compounds which aren't good for your health over the long term.
A much better alternative is mineral spirits. "High flashpoint" mineral spirits has a flashpoint of 20°C which, for the metrically challenged, is about 70°F. Yes, it will burn but it takes a whole lot more to get it ignited. It works as well as gasoline with much less possibility of burning down your house or turning you into a human candle.
It also evaporates quickly enough that you don't have to rinse the solvent off nor bake out water.
People obsess
way too much about cleaning chains. There's something about a chain that just makes people wig out and want to clean it for hours on end. The
ShelBroCo Bicycle Chain Cleaning System isn't too far off the mark when it comes to chain cleaning.
Your nephew is on the right track with the wrong solvent when it comes to cleaning a chain and, perhaps, using too large a container. A 500 ml bottle...Gatorade wide mouth bottles are best...and about a cup of mineral spirits are all you really need. Feed the chain in, shake vigorously for 30 seconds or less, fish out the chain, and let it dry. That's all that is needed. The chain is clean and ready for lubrication in about 15 minutes. And the best part is that a cup mineral spirits is enough for 20 or 30 cleanings.
I go this one better. I clean my chain
once using the above method and never have to take it off the bike again. These are typical of what my drivetrain looks like and both were taken in the middle of winter.
I don't put oil on my chain so I don't have to deal with the constant need to remove it. I use White Lightning...and have for nearly 20 years. I use it in all kinds of weather and all around the US. I get about the same life out of my chains as do people who obsessively clean theirs. And I get about the same mileage between lubrication as people who use oil do.
Yes, White Lightning says that you should apply it every 50 to 100 miles but I've found that is excessive in the extreme. I get about 600 miles per application which is on the same par as oil based lubricants. Even if I had to apply it every 100 miles, the cleanliness of my drivetrain would be worth the trouble.