cyccommute 

I clean my chains once when I remove the factory lubricant with mineral spirits. A cup in an old Gatorade bottle, shake for less than 30 seconds, fish it out of the bottle and let it dry. Then I use a wax based liquid lubricant that doesn't necessitate constant cleaning. I get the same mileage...between 3000 and 4000 miles...as other do without all the fuss.

This is a dirty as my chain ever gets. Picture taken during the winter




I can also handle my chain without a hazmat suit

SHBR

True.

What kind of lube do you use?

I made the mistake of using "dry lube" before this ride a few years back.

Never again.

kcblair

I've been cleaning chains 40+ years, and have tried multiple ways of performing this task.

This subject reminds my of the multiple ways to clean a record (I subscribe to a audio forum, too). Bottom line, most expensive way, own a record cleaning machine.

Seems here, bottom line, "Wax it". Yes, I did wax my chains for many years, back when I had time and energy. But it works the best. Keep in mind, I ride the dry roads. In past years I resorted those nice little cleaners you attach to chain. Stopped that practice, too messy. Now, I'm at the pentacle of life, (age 70), no more time for mess, wasting time, patience , or other nonsense . I just want to spend the Spring, Summer and Fall, riding............

My bikes get a complete maintenance check and lubing during the Winter. I keep a stock of chains, toss the old ones. Starting with a new chain, I wipe the factory lube off the outer surfaces with mineral spirits. After each ride, wipe the chain down with a paper towel and move on. At about 300 miles, I lube (and I ain't saying with what), letting it soak in over night, wipe down and ride. Anybody know a simpler way, tell me. But, I'm not going to wear out my drive train.

But, if I had to go back to another method, wax it.

Thanks for listening to an old timer. KB

Edit: Chains are in my maintenance budget.

cyccommute 

The problem wasn't the lubrication, it was the chain. All a liquid lubricant does is drown out the sound.

SHBR

A properly lubricated chain is a quiet chain.

Feel free to grind your chains into dust.

Wheever

Hm. Seems to me, cobbling together a chain cleaner that runs in a tub off the bike wouldn't be too hard.

Outline of the idea: get a plastic tub of appropriate depth and length; build frame out of some simple to assemble material like pvc pipe; mount some old chain rings and a freewheel on this frame--I'm thinking maybe horizontally, here--use an electric motor to crank one of those chain cleaners; fill tub to immerse chain and chain cleaner; Mount chain; run chain cleaner, which will both pull the chain along and brush chain off.

Could work!

canklecat

I decided to try the wax treatment this week after reading so much about it. My errand bike is the sacrificial victim.

The chain prep for waxing reminded me why I prefer the spinny brush chain cleaning tools with the reservoir for cleaning solvent.

Soaking and sloshing a chain in a container of mineral spirits is not easier, neater or faster than using the spinny brush doodads. I used this mineral spirits and soak/slosh method 30 years ago. Now I remember why I quit.

But I got the chain as clean as possible using that never to be repeated (by me) method.

I had a spare crock pot for the paraffin, a "Little Dipper" that came free with my humongous crock pot. Supposedly for melting chocolate or fondue, stuff I never use. Perfect for melting the Gulf Wax paraffin.

Dunked the chain and left it overnight. Pulled it to drip dry just before a t-storm knocked out our power for several hours -- would have been a mess trying to extract a chain from hardened paraffin (no, of course nobody would actually do that... would they? Maybe an Aggie, if I gave him a sharpened popsicle stick and told him to carve away the hardened paraffin...)

Haven't had a chance to install the chain and ride it yet. Just handling the chain, it's very non-messy. Feels a bit waxy, sure, but no residue on my hands. The links are stiff, even after breaking each loose. I'm assuming it won't matter when actually on the bike and will loosen up quickly with one ride in summer heat.

If I works I may try it on my new-to-me '89 Centurion Ironman, which still has the original Suntour chain and complete GPX group. I'd like to keep that chain and group running friction free for as long as possible. Those Suntour chains are hard to find and expensive when you do find 'em. Also the drivetrain is noisy compared with my Univega's Shimano Hyperglide and KMC chain setup. Be interesting to find out whether the waxed chain quiets the noisier Suntour drivetrain a bit.

velocentrik

People who live in a dry climate that use dry/wax/clean lubes, rightly, haven't a frame of reference for how a heavy weight oil based chain lube, appropriately and rightly used for wet environments, attracts dirt and grime and grit better than it lubricates the chain. That's not to say it doesn't do a good job of lubricating the chain in the wet/slush/snow as a good heavy weight oil lube will stay on the chain through all the wet and do a great job lubricating the chain, it is just that it also does a fantastic job attracting all that grime and grit that is murder on chains, chainwheels, and cogs on freewheels/cassettes.

In the winter with a good heavy wet lube, when riding through wet slushy roads cleaning the chain can be an every ride interval if you don't want all that coarse grit and grime grinding away at your vintage French/Italian/Spanish/Japanese components. I've lived in Minnesota and near Chicago, and in the NorthEast, its why we never find many classic bits from foregone eras there, compared to out west.

DrIsotope

I'm in the same boat, but I'm about 1,000 miles in right now. For the first 700 miles or so, it was just straight paraffin melted in the Lil' Dipper, with the chain left to steep for 30 minutes. Would get 300-350 miles between dips, with a spotless drivetrain to boot. Finally spent the money on a 2oz jar of PTFE powder-- I heat up the wax, then mix in about 5mg of PTFE and a splash of molybdenum disulfide (a close approximation of the UltraFast recipe) using a $2 Ikea milk frother. I started out with ~4oz of wax in the pot, and only have to add a sprinkle of pellets (the wax I bought on Amazon comes as a 3lb bag of tic-tac sized pellets) each time I dip a chain.

On my goodness, is there a difference. With straight wax, the drivetrain is quiet-- with the additives mixed in, it's absolutely silent. I'm rotating two chains, a SRAM 1110 and a SRAM 1130. The 1110 appears to be non-plated, and actually seems to hold onto the wax a bit better. The 1130 also takes a bit longer to "loosen up" after freshly-waxed installation, but that may just be an indicator of tighter tolerances. Nevertheless, I think I'm going to be sticking with the 1110s-- as they're under $15 apiece.

canklecat

Good to know. I'll try the wax on the Suntour chain as soon as I figure out how to reassemble it safely. I may take a chance on just reinserting the original pin, although I probably should find a suitable quick link.

stingray66

i use automotive brake cleaner works really good and fast then i hit chain with triflo

cyccommute 

I'll have to disagree. I've used heavy oils in the past...Phil's Tenacious oil...while mountain biking as well as during the winter. That's the main reason I don't use oil based lubricants now. Mountain biking throws more crap onto the chain than any other kind of bicycling. After trying paraffin which I found too futzy and not long term enough given the amount of fuss needed to treat the chain, I found wax based lubricants (White Lightning) about 20 years ago and have never looked back.

It attracts no grime, works like hot dipping the chain but without the fuss and lasts a whole lot longer than most people think. And it's not nearly as bad in rain as some will have you believe.

TimothyH

I'll bet brake cleaner works well but that's some nasty stuff.



-Tim-

jimh12345

Obviously, you've been here. And my experience matches yours. Dry lubes just don't hold up against slush that contains ice-melt chemicals. I found that if I didn't carefully wipe down my chain after a ride it would start to rust overnite - literally. After a couple of rides, the chain would get noisy. The wet lube holds up but it's a real mess and hard to remove. Fortunately a couple years ago I found out about Boeshield and I think it's the best compromise by far. Now it's all I use.

cyccommute 

Again, I'll disagree. See the pictures in post 54 above. That was taken in the middle of winter. The chain shows some surface rust but the internals are protected by the wax. Water doesn't penetrate as much as people think when using wax based lubricants.

Further a solid or semisolid lubricant has different dynamics when it comes to water than a liquid lubricants. Oil based lubricants emulsify with water when riding and then the water separated from the oil in the chain. This traps a layer of water next to the metal which can also result in rusting of the metal. Semisolid lubricants may not flow but they don't emulsify like oils can.

From my personal experience, it doesn't matter if you use oil or wax. Both have problems with water and both need to be refreshed after wet rides.

jimh12345

Surface rust might be harmless to some degree, but I can't stand seeing it.

I don't know what Boeshield actually is - it smells weird. But it definitely prevents rust and lasts longer than other bike lubes I've tried, while staying surprisingly clean.

Self Evident

This.

I used to wax back in the '80's, but we didn't have quick-links like today, and I think I got tired of using a chain tool to remove & replace the chain every couple of weeks, sooner if it rained. I lived in the mid-west, so I am familiar with all weather & icy/saltly/gritty roads.

I found White Lightning sometime 10 or 12 years ago, and I loved how clean it was compared to ANY "wet" lube, but I also seem to remember it building up more than I liked on the jockey wheels & cassette (and my speedplay cleats). I guess others don't experience that as much. Or, whatever "buildup" there is, doesn't matter. Never-the-less, I was reminded of chain-waxing a few years ago, and haven't looked back. A small crock-pot & a quick-link makes for a simple, clean, painless process.

I do not miss wiping down as often as many of the wet lube adherents profess they do: before a ride, after a ride, before a relube, after a relube, before trying to put my bike into a car without any part of the drive-train touching any part of the car's interior, etc...

But this thread is just supposed to be about a better way to clean a chain, not lube it. Of course, the two kinda' go hand-in-hand. That is, I think the best way to "clean" a chain is prevention - don't let it get dirty in the first place. And the best prevention is to keep it "dry". Which brings us back to...

...wax (however applied)!

redlude97

Going on 700 miles since my last lube with Chain-L riding rain or shine here in the PNW without a refresh, probably get another 3-400 more before it needs to be touched again.

SylvainG

Reading reviews this lube seems pretty awesome. I just ordered a bottle and I'll give it a try.

davidad

Using the ultrasonic cleaner and chainsaw bar oil the last 8sp. chain on my Heron lasted 17,400 miles. The current chain has 8670 miles on it showing about 1/32" wear.

canklecat

After several rides on both the errand bike with freshly waxed chain and one ride on my road bike with brand new KMC chain just wiped down, I'm more persuaded to try wax on every bike.

After every ride on the bike with waxed chain I've run my fingers along the chain -- no schmutz. No marks on my legs.

After one 40 mile ride on the road bike with new chain, instant chain tattoos on my leg.

I had carefully wiped down the new KMC chain with a rag moistened in mineral spirits, followed by a dry rag. But there was still enough residual lube to attract road schmutz after only one ride.

I'm going for the wax job with the next batch of new chains I buy. Especially for the Univega, since it has an aluminum alloy chain ring. I dunno if that's likely to wear more easily than steel but I'd rather keep it free of schmutz and gritty debris as long as possible, without having to obsessively clean it after every ride. Ditto the Suntour group on the '89 Centurion, which won't be easy to replace.

Since our weather is usually pretty dry and I don't often ride when it does rain, I'm not concerned about whether wax fades faster in rainy rides. And even if I need to refresh it every few hundred miles it's probably no worse than my other chain maintenance routine. Just different.

SylvainG

Yeah, quoting myself but it's to give context

I thoroughly cleaned my chain last weekend and applied Chain-L to it afterward. Rode 200 km and twice on wet road this week and the chain is still very quiet. Quieter than it has ever been. I wiped the chain with a blue shop towel after riding and there is not more dirt on the chain than with my previous ProLink lube. That lube would have required reapplying by now otherwise it would have started squeaking. I really like it so far.