For a new Shimano chain, which has not been fitted, what is the best way of degreasing it?

I use 50:50 diluted No Nonsense degreaser for maintenance degreasing.

EDIT: Will be using Squirt e-bike chain wax https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B083V6R9...roduct_details

Thanks in advance.

some people are swearing by Silca chain stripper.....right now it is $31 a bottle on Amazon prime....not cheap but I guess it works and one bottle is good for 16 chains so less than $2 to clean a chain.....I am going to give it a try, as I have spent more money on worse things..

Are you planning on waxing the chain? If not there is no real need to remove the factory grease.

I think most of us would just fit it to the bike as is, with the factory lubrication, then clean it and lubricate it after it gets to the point it needs cleaning.

according to zero friction cycling a shimano chain last longer if completely stripped of the factory lube before lubing because the factory lube actually prevents high end lubes from bonding to your chain.

According to the Squirt e-bike chain wax manufacturer, factory grease needs to be removed prior to use.


https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B083V6R9...roduct_details

I remove the sticky factory coating. I find it’s stickiness attracts dirt and repels what I put on.

And that is a stupid statement. The “factory lube” is a wax. The wax being by wax being used to lubricate used in most cases is still a “wax”. “Like dissolves like” is something that chemist use to decide if one compound will dissolve another compound. It is usually used in the context of polar vs nonpolar materials but, in this case, they are the same material that differs only in molecular size and “like dissolve like” is even more applicable.

The factory lube doesn’t prevent lubricants from “bonding” to the chain mostly because the lubricant doesn’t “bond” in any way at all. There is no chemical reaction between the metal and the lubricant of any kind. There is a physical adherence but having something else on the chain doesn’t interfere with that adherence if the two lubricants being used as similar in properties which most are.

There are reasons to strip the factory lubricant off, however. Squirt, being water/surfactant based wax, is not likely compatible with the factory lube. The surfactant modifies the properties of the wax in the mixture but it doesn’t have enough dissolving power to modify the factory lubricant on the chain so it would sit on top of the factory lube and be ineffective. I remove factory lube prior to using White Lightning because leaving the factory lube in place results in a much dirtier chain than if I remove it. But I’m not removing the factory lubricant to enhance “bonding” that doesn’t exist in the first place.

Back to original question:

Method and can No Nonsense degreaser be used?

Yes, it should for that particular wax suspension as detailed above. The best way to remove the factory lube is mineral spirits. You don’t need some elaborate cleaning procedure nor multiple steps with multiple solvents. Shake the chain vigorously with about a cup of mineral spirits in an 12 fluid oz Gatorade bottle (or similar) until your arm gets tired…my arm gives out around 30 seconds…then pull it out to let the mineral spirits evaporate. If you are doing anymore than that, you are just wasting your time.

Yes, you can but you have to do more steps. You need to use the degreaser, use water remove the degreaser, then use something to remove the water to reduce rust formation, and the let the chain dry to remove the water chaser. Mineral spirits gets ride of all the middle steps and jumps to just letting the chain dry.

On the environmental front, mineral spirits requires less material so there is less waste. Technically, the degreaser, water, and the water chaser are hazardous waste and really should be treated as such.

Also, it appears that No Nonsense is a UK product. If you are in the UK, “mineral spirits” is known as white spirits

And with White Spirit/Odorless Mineral Spirts you can save the used Spirits as most types of gunk will settle to the bottom of the container after a few days and use it over and over again. A great degreaser and doesn't harm most things on a bicycle. Just don't use it on braking surfaces without using another cleaner afterwards as it can leave a slippery surface for a while.

" i made my $30 chain last 500 more miles and i only expended $50 and Dozens of hours doing so!!!"

smh... 11 posts in 2 hours... on a subject previously discussed to death, MULTIPLE times.... seriously.



at this rate, this thread might break 100 by the 11 o'clock news... above ^ is my contri!

This is a stupid and long statement considering that the chain comes with something like heavy oil that prevents dry wax from sticking.

"Bond" means things other than chemical reactions, including sticking.


OP, I like citrus solvent. Rinse off with water and dry with compressed air.

You could also just take a rag with virtually any light lube on it and wipe the chain to get rid of the sticky waxy grease on the outside. WD-40 has mineral spirits for much of it's make up... IIRC. Though it's an expensive way to get mineral spirits, it's frequently more handy a the house than is straight mineral spirits since I no longer do a lot of painting with oil based paints.

If you are bound and determined to remove the waxy grease from the places on the chain you can't get too, then mineral spirits would also still be the choice for me. Water based stuff just seems like you'll be prone to starting rust in the places where you can't get the water out easily and those are the places where the lube really needs to be.

My own regimen is to not worry about it. I might clean off the outside. When the chain is new, I tend to lube it every three of four rides for a time just to help make sure the lube I prefer is getting to where it needs to be. My current chain is about 5000 miles and still no sign of wear I can measure. I don't put out a lot of power and since I'm using Di2 full synchronized shifting, I'm never in the Big/Big combo or Small/Small.

fwiw.... silca says to prep a chain for the super secret liquid wax 1) soak/wash in mineral spirits 2) soak/wash (but less time) in a chain stripper/cleaner.... citrus based 3) soak was in acetone 4) put on the super secret lube

lots of talk about polyvalent and non-polyvalent solvents

with spending that much on a lube, i just followed directions, so maybe check what is called for by the people who are making the specific lube you are using

I used to always stupidly take off the lube when new. White Lightning is the most useless lube ever. I had chains go to hell in 2,000 miles and I don't do gravel.
All my bikes are IGH, so now I put the chain on as is. The latest one on my tour bike with a full chain case went 2 years/ 4,000 miles I think. Then I finally cleaned it and put Rohloff veggie whatever oil on it. Only 1/32" stretch so far.
IMO NO lube is better than grease. None of them did much good. I used to clean and lube before every century ride on my 3x8 defailleur hybrid. And it doesn't matter if I rinsed twice, these was ALWAYS more dirt that lifted free when lubed. On my first tour I had motor oil on it. LOL

OK what if after you degrease with the degreaser, you rinse with hot water with dishwasher drying agent added to it. In theory it would rinse the degreaser off, and then run off and evaporate off the chain, right?

This is why I am not an authority on bikes or repairs. I just buy $15 chains, wipe them down if they look dirty, and apply a little lube. You all are teaching me a lot.

I always instal a new Shimano chain as is straight out of the wrapper, then clean and re-lube at the next service. I find the original factory lube is superior to anything I put on afterwards.

the only time i left the factory coating (whatever it is) on when i installed a new chain, i went for a typical ride which included a flat coastal road that sometimes gets windblown sand, and i swear to god that factory product was as effective as glue for turning my chain into a sanding belt. INCREDIBLY STICKY stuff in this context. i've used a bunch of different methods to remove the factory stuff but am curious what the easiest way is...

If you're using a wax-based lube then you want to get the chain as clean as possible because any grease left on is not going to let the lube adhere well to the chain. I have tried the mineral spirits and denatured alcohol path, never got it quite clean enough for Squirt, which is notorious for getting gunked up when the chain's not spotless.

I've had had much better luck (and spent far less time) using CeramicSpeed's UFO drivetrain prep cleaner. I hear Silca's is also good. Both are expensive but I think CeramicSpeed doubled their price after I bought mine, so I have no complaints. It's a simple 5 minute soak, some agitation, rinse, and dry process.

Yes, with Squirt e-bike chain wax https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B083V6R9...roduct_details

Original post edited above with chain wax product details:

Squirt e-bike chain wax https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B083V6R9...roduct_details

I run it through two or more baths (plus agitation) in a canning jar using simple green, mineral spirits, & acetone, followed by a rinse with hot water in my ultrasound cleaner and drying with a heat gun before they get their first wax immersion. I usually do more than one chain at a time. Hopefully, I'll be prepping 8 new chains at the end of the month for the next season.