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Is there a way to keep the drivetrain clean when riding gravel and dirt?

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Cyclocross and Gravelbiking (Recreational) This has to be the most physically intense sport ever invented. It's high speed bicycle racing on a short off road course or riding the off pavement rides on gravel like : "Unbound Gravel". We also have a dedicated Racing forum for the Cyclocross Hard Core Racers.

Is there a way to keep the drivetrain clean when riding gravel and dirt?

Old 04-29-18, 09:08 AM
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Is there a way to keep the drivetrain clean when riding gravel and dirt?

I come from a road background but I started to ride more and more gravel and dirt roads recently with my new bike, nowadays I ride pretty much exclusively off paved roads.

My problem is keeping the drivetrain clean. I have a full SRAM Rival 1 groupset, which when clean runs beautifully smooth and pretty quiet. My problem is that in the middle of a 2.5-3 hour gravel, dirt ride pretty much the whole drivetrain gets covered in a layer of dust, and becomes really really loud.

For chain cleaning I use the Park Tool "chain scrubber" with a pretty strong degreaser, and after the degreaser I run the chain through a few times with soapy water, and then dry it with a compressor. I also clean all the cogs, jockey wheels, and the chainring with degreaser. I apply one drop of oil on every roller, spin the cranks a few times, wait a few minutes and then I run the chain through a rag to clean of the excess oil. Even after all this the drivetrain starts to make a racket mid ride.

For lubrication i've tried these so far:

Finish Line dry:



Shimano PTFE dry:



Am I doing somthing wrong or is this normal and i'll just have to live with it? The drivetrain feels smooth and shifts great even when covered in grime, it's just the noise that's annoying. I know, first world problems.
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Old 04-29-18, 09:18 AM
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A Shimano (probably) IGH and a chain case over the drivetrain..
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Old 04-29-18, 09:29 AM
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Oh forgot to add, is there a solution other than switching to a gearbox with belt drive, etc...
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Old 04-29-18, 09:43 AM
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I heard waxing the chain is better but I never tried it. I too don't like a dirty chain as I need do another wiped down from yesterday's 63-mile gravel race.
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Old 04-29-18, 09:52 AM
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Another SRAM Rival 1 user here, been doing hot wax on the chains since I installed the groupset, something like 5,500 miles or so. I replaced the original PC-1130 chain when I went to an xD cassette, the chain had just started to show wear. 4,300 miles out of that chain. The chain stays quiet in dry and dusty conditions, and never really picks up grime even if it's wet out. The chain will get a little chirpy if ridden in the very wet, but we don't really have that here. For dry and dirty conditions though, nothing works better. I re-wax every 2 weeks.

You never need to clean a hot waxed chain. Blow the chain off with air, drop it in the hot wax. Anecdotal: I just did a full drivetrain swap on my road bike (mid-compact to compact, 11-28 replacing the 11-25) and replaced the chain along with it. It has been on a waxed chain since day one. The Shimano HG701 chain had zero "stretch." It was the exact same length as the chain that was replacing it... after 4,000 miles.
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Old 04-29-18, 09:54 AM
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Riding in dusty particulates is hell on a drive train. Lubricate well with dry-lube, then wipe away all excess--otherwise it becomes a magnet for gunk.

Full coverage fenders do help break up the dust-wash off the wheels going straight into the chain IME.
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Old 04-29-18, 09:59 AM
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It's normal.

I've tried a dozen different chain lubricants over the years and they all do the same thing. The lubricant sucks up the dust and capillary action pulls it out of between the rollers and links. Eventually pedaling and shifting action knocks off the dust clumps and the chain ends up shiny and noisy. I use finish line dry as well and it's worked the best for me. Chain-L is also good but better in the wet as it tends to get gummy when it's dusty.

Waxing is pretty worthless, you end up with a loud chain within the first few dozen shifts are the pedaling and shifting action knock all the wax out of the chain. I like waxing for racing at the track but that's about it.
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Old 04-29-18, 10:01 AM
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I too use only wax after having tried all the expensive dry oils etc and not having very good results. I ride in pumice a lot and even my water bottle clogs up after a few hours of riding. One time while out ride camping, I wiped candle wax on the chain and sprockets while sitting by the campfire one night. It worked great the next day.
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Old 04-29-18, 04:51 PM
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Someone suggested White Lightening clean Ride in another thread I had about keeping the chain clean, I've not tried it yet but this seems to be a fairly subjective video review ..... is seems the trade off is how often you have to apply it

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Old 04-29-18, 04:59 PM
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This stuff: https://www.putoline.com/en/catalogu...hain-wax/1675/ It's more of a grease than a wax, pretty well the same stuff new chains come with.
Yep, it's a PITA to apply... I've put it into an electric frypan I got from a charity shop for 10 bucks. Much easier to deal with. Best done in a warm environment or if the chain cools too quick use a heat gun to warm the chain hanging over the frypan so the excess runs back into the pan. You'll need to do it every few thousand kilometers, with a little bit of dry tube lube every now and again.
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Old 04-29-18, 05:27 PM
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Originally Posted by Witterings
Someone suggested White Lightening clean Ride in another thread I had about keeping the chain clean, I've not tried it yet but this seems to be a fairly subjective video review ..... is seems the trade off is how often you have to apply it
I tried it. It washed off at the slightest hint of moisture.

There is one very vocal advocate of the product on the forums who insists that this isn't the case, that I did it incorrectly, etc., but the mountain bikers I talked to all said the same thing. Perhaps it is good for the road, I don't know. I didn't like it at all.


-Tim-
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Old 04-29-18, 06:31 PM
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On my mountain bike I use Pro Link. I’ve never not had it last a ride.

I like it because it is very easy to use. The solvent in it dries up pretty fast, leaving a very thin (but penetrating) layer of lube that does a decent job of not collecting dirt.
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Old 04-29-18, 09:14 PM
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Get an old crock pot for $10, and this!
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Old 04-29-18, 09:46 PM
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I've been using Squirt Was lube this season and so far I'm satisfied.
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Old 04-30-18, 12:50 AM
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Originally Posted by Marcus_Ti
Full coverage fenders do help break up the dust-wash off the wheels going straight into the chain IME.
Yep. They're far from a 100% solution, but a large fraction of the dust that hits the chain is coming off the front wheel, and a fender can catch lots of it. Similar to dealing with water, the trick is that most fenders on the market don't go low enough to protect the lower run of the chain very well, often even ones that come with mudguards attached.

Anyone who goes this route should exercise the usual caution with fenders: try to aim for 2cm or so of clearance so that stuff picked up by the tire when riding offroad won't be prone to jamming on the fender, and be aware that sticky clumpy stuff like mud and snow can build up underneath them.

Last edited by HTupolev; 04-30-18 at 03:12 AM.
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Old 04-30-18, 03:08 AM
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Originally Posted by TimothyH
I tried it. It washed off at the slightest hint of moisture.

There is one very vocal advocate of the product on the forums who insists that this isn't the case, that I did it incorrectly, etc., but the mountain bikers I talked to all said the same thing. Perhaps it is good for the road, I don't know. I didn't like it at all.


-Tim-
Thanks for that ... saves me buying some to find it's no better.

At the moment I'm just brushing my chain off with a nail brush every 3/4 rides to get rid of any "clumps" and then just re-oiling and this seems to be working pretty well .... granted it's not a sparkling clean chain but the weather here recently that's be an impossible task and it seems to be a happy medium between spending your life cleaning a chain or cycling but doing something that will hopefully lessen any damage being done.
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Old 04-30-18, 03:20 AM
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Thanks everyone!

I'll try waxing and see how it goes, if it doesn't work out it's not the end of the world.

I would like to run fenders full time but sadly I don't have the clearances. I only use fenders in the winter when the bike is in road mode with 32mm tyres. In good weather i'm on 40s and 43s, no space for fenders sadly.
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Old 04-30-18, 06:51 AM
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Originally Posted by Facanh
Thanks everyone!

I'll try waxing and see how it goes, if it doesn't work out it's not the end of the world.

I would like to run fenders full time but sadly I don't have the clearances. I only use fenders in the winter when the bike is in road mode with 32mm tyres. In good weather i'm on 40s and 43s, no space for fenders sadly.
Tons of posts on the web re using paraffin. It lasts, and doesn't attract dust/dirt. Personally I use it combined with MOS2, and I get very little wear My go-to portable lube is DuPont Chain Saver. It's also wax based with a Teflon additive. Very good stuff.
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Old 04-30-18, 08:28 AM
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I use White Lighting wax lube and Remington gun oil for cables etc. I generally ride a dirty bike only using a shop rag to clean it somewhat. I hate getting water in the bearings. Citrus degreasers work well and are gently on the parts. I don’t notice excessive drivetrain noise probably because the sound of crunching gravel.
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Old 04-30-18, 11:16 AM
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Originally Posted by Planemaker
I've been using Squirt Was lube this season and so far I'm satisfied.
+1, I'm a long time Chain-L user because of the service intervals, but especially in gravel the mess it makes wasn't ideal. Switched to squirt and it suprisingly has held up well for 250+ miles in a variety of dirt/gravel/wet commuting conditions. Most of the benefit of waxing without the need to pull out a crock pot
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Old 05-02-18, 09:25 PM
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Originally Posted by Witterings
Someone suggested White Lightening clean Ride in another thread I had about keeping the chain clean, I've not tried it yet but this seems to be a fairly subjective video review ..... is seems the trade off is how often you have to apply it
I've been using White Lightning Clean Ride for many years and I really like it. I think it needs to be applied more often than an oil-based lube (I just wait until the drivetrain starts to make some noise and then reapply), but it really doesn't pick up and hold on to grit. I reapply maybe every couple hundred miles? I don't do anything very precise when applying - I just backpedal and hold the nozzle of the bottle to the chain, making sure I get the outer and inner link interfaces as well as the rollers.

I also use White Lightning on the cleat interfaces on my SPD pedals - it keeps them consistent and easy to release. I just do it when I lube the chain. And I put it on the pivots of my derailleurs, but only a couple times a season, usually after I do a full bike wash.

I haven't found a good way to keep things clean if I get caught in the rain - that just turns everything into a muddy mess.
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Old 05-02-18, 10:57 PM
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I really like the Rock N Roll chain lube products. I use the Gold and the Extreme and they've worked great except when it's wet and muddy. They're a Teflon based dry lubricant suspended in a kind of solvent. You squirt it on in with a pretty heavy stream and it washes the chain and leaves the lubricant behind. Wipe off with a rag and the chain looks pristine and feels very smooth to ride. They rated near the top of all the lubes VeloNews friction tested a while back. I've never ever done anything to my chain except squirt this stuff on and wipe it off. The chain just doesn't really collect dirt like oils do.
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Old 05-02-18, 11:10 PM
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Bar and chain oil, like you use in your chainsaw. Wipe the chain down periodically when it starts to look gunky and/or misses shifts. Repeat. Chains only cost $15 and last a few thousand miles. Bar and chain oil is like $5. Does the job, no fuss. When the chain goes, get another $15 chain.
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Old 05-03-18, 09:17 AM
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is it possible the OP is over cleaning the chain?
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Old 05-03-18, 09:31 AM
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Originally Posted by bcpriess
Bar and chain oil, like you use in your chainsaw. Wipe the chain down periodically when it starts to look gunky and/or misses shifts. Repeat. Chains only cost $15 and last a few thousand miles. Bar and chain oil is like $5. Does the job, no fuss. When the chain goes, get another $15 chain.
Why stop there? Use the old saw chain itself on your 11-speed. At least it won't be the grease tattoo you will have to worry about when it touches your leg.
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