Degreaser then lube - Bad idea?
 

Hello all,
Due to lack of time, last night i applied a generous amount of degreaser on the chain, wiped it off, waited for a few minutes, then lubed it. Instead of the usual "degrease chain->wash bike->lube chain" routine.
Was that stupid of me? Did the remains of the degreaser break down the oil?

The chains feels very lightly lubed to touch, but i can't tell if it's the degreaser or the oil, or what. It's somewhere between lightly lubed and dry. (Of course, it could be that it feels very lightly lubed due to the fact that i thoroughly wiped off the excess with a piece of cloth, but i don't know)

Thanks.

Whether it was a good thing to do or not, one time will probably not do serious damage. Some people like to use bulk WD-40 as a degreaser. It also has lubrication properties.

A chain is a disposable item you will replace after a couple thousand miles, not an heirloom to protect. Having just replaced my chain, I am looking at chain cleaning and lubrication as a way to stave off premature wear on the more valuable, but still replaceable sprockets, nothing more.

You're right, of course. A chain is just a chain.
I'm just asking, for future reference and for the ride i have this afternoon - is that bad practice? Does lubing the chain right after degreasing it, sans wash, equal no lube at all?
I mean, over time, if i were to repeat the process, would this lead to premature wear of the chain and rest of drivetrain?

It's just a question of spare time - washing the bike takes longer than not washing the bike. And the bike does not need a wash as often as it needs lubing.

Naw, I dont think you did anything wrong. You degreased the chain, you let it air dry a little, then you lubed it. I dont see a problem!!

The real concern would be how much degreaser got into the pins and rollers, but then that would'nt so much be a problem either, just lube or re-lube the chain.

know you are asking if its a good idea or not i would say it isnt tragic but not something you wanna make into a habit. if you like the quick easy chain lubing try pedros ice wax. no degreasing needed. just throw it on after every ride and it takes care of it all. once a month really clean the chain. thats what i do and its smooth and no squeeks.

Or, if you want to clean it without fear of removing the deep-down lube, just dampen a rag in mineral spirits, run the chain through the rag, use a clean rag to remove the residue, lube, wipe off excess lube, and go ride.

I disagree. I'd say that if you did make a habit of it, it would be better. The problems with what you did are: not completely cleaning the chain (some grit might still be in there) and have the degreaser breakdown the lube (therefore it not lasting as long). If you did what you did on a regular basis, you'd solve the second problem and if you do clean your chain on occasion, you are solving the first problem.

In a perfect world, you would completely clean the chain every time, but I'm not sure it is completely necessary, as long as it does get cleaned on occasion. That of course depends on the nature of the environment you ride in (sandy or gritty conditions will increase how often it should be done.

Again, I disagree. As does Jobst Brandt. Read this definitive (IMHO) article on how to properly lube your chain. It explains why wax based lubes are NOT the answer.

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/brandt/chain-care.html

I used to degrease my chain fairly regularly when I was using Tri-Flow but since I started using Pro-Link I just lube, wipe, ride, repeat.

+1 - I went from using Pedro's Ice Wax religiously to ProLink and am amazed that you can get away with this 'wipe, lube' every couple of rides pretty much indefinitely with no need for the periodic PITA degreasing/cleaning ritual.

I remember being skeptical after reading about this in Zinn's book - something about the grime and sludge being kept in a perpetual liquid state and never being allowed to harden and congeal as long as you keep up this routine. Sounds strange, but seems to be true... at least after 1000 km or so on a new chain.