Originally Posted by whoosh
Yeah, i definitely don't want over lubed gears that collect a lot of grit and gunk, but HOW do I clean it? Do I just sacrafice one of my hole ridden t-shirts and a few Q-tips and wipe away, or is there a little more ingenuity I can apply, or something I can buy to make the job easier?
I used to clean my chain by removing it from the bike, then soaking it in a cottage cheese container filled with Simple Green degreaser for a while. But that's kind of a pain.
I recently got one of the Nashbar chain cleaner tools, and I'm actually quite impressed with how well it cleans. Only cost me $5 too. Basically it's like a little tiny car wash with brushes that rotate and scrub the chain. You just fill it with half a cup of degreaser, clip it onto the chain, and turn the pedals for half a minute or so. Less mess, less hassle, and it cleans very thoroughly.
(that's a fancier model, but the $5 Nashbar one is similar and works very well)