Originally Posted by
drmfunky
I commute to work daily and always use a rag to clean off my bike and chain but am interested in picking up one of those nifty looking chain cleaning tools for when I do a deep clean/apply new lube.
Anyone here use one or have recommendations for a good one? Also, does anyone hate them and suggest avoiding them?
There aren't any "good ones". They are all incredibly messy and, as Partrick GSR94 points out, usually fall apart after a while, especially when used with something like mineral spirits. Even the solvent present in Simple Green is bad for the plastic that is commonly used to make them.
If you do a search, you'll find that I'm not a proponent of running dirty oily chains to begin with. I'm also not a proponent of constantly cleaning my chain nor of using a product that requires constant cleaning. My chains get cleaned
once at installation and I never clean them again. I use a dry lube...White Lightning Clean Ride...and I use a lot less of it than the manufacturer recommends. I get the same mileage out of my chains and drivetrains as other people get and I spend a lot less time cleaning. What's not to like?
These have been posted before but the bear repeating. These were taken in the middle of winter...our winters involve intense snowstorms but are relatively dry in between...but the chain and drivetrain hadn't been cleaned before the picture.
And these pictures are of other bikes that had not been cleaned before the picture
This picture shows what happens when I actually touch the chain. Notice that I can actually
touch the chain without having to go through a rigorous decontamination procedure.
There is a better way.