So I'm not, lol, a real bicyclist. But my friend and I ride bikes around our homes for exercise, because we can't afford to swim, jogging is too painful, and we don't have time to hike every day. And we're having fun, and last week even amazed ourselves by riding all the way downtown and back (35 miles round trip, our previous bests were about ten, but it turns out you can go a lot farther when it's not straight up and down the whole way!) But one thing that has been plaguing me since we started the venture is that I am continually getting chain grease on my leg. The stuff doesn't come all the way off, so I have a permanent 'bruise' on the inside of my right leg. Worse, one day last week, it was cool and I wore long pants, and even after washing twice and soaking in oxyclean and dawn, I couldn't get the stain all the way out. I don't know what I'm doing wrong, my friend doesn't have this problem, and nobody around here seems to know what to do, so I'm hoping there is someone out there that has an idea! I did take my bike into the shop a couple weeks ago (had to have the shifters and derailer replaced), and asked the guy if there was anything that could be installed to resolve the issue, but he said it wouldn't be possible to put a chain guard on it because it's a multi-speed bike. Anyway, thank you so much for any help you might be able to offer!

Clean the chain. Lube should be inside the rollers, not all over the outside. All that does is collect dirt and cause problems. That said, I use Molton Speed Wax. It always stays clean.

I know it is little help; but this is part of the reason that I switched to a belt drive bike for commuting.

With me, those chain tatoos happen when stopped. Its real easy to let the bike lean to the right (for us righties) when straddling the bike and stopped . Just be more aware of it and place your leg a bit further away from the bike and you'll be fine.

Byrna, from your avatar it looks like you're in Portland or somewhere nearby (Beaverton?). I'd recommend talking to different bike shops- there are different types of chain/pants guards that can be adapted to various bikes. I would talk to Clever Cycles (on Hawthorne) or Citybikes (at Ankeny & 8th). They may be a little more helpful.

Greasy, dirty chains are a fact of life here in Portland. "Wet" chain lubes last a long time but tend to attract dirt while "Dry" lubes don't last long in our climate. The "perfect Portland bicycle" would have an enclosed drivetrain or weatherproof belt drive.

No real way to totally avoid it, but if you keep your chain clean that will help. Just wipe it with a rag before and after each ride.

There more labor-intensive efforts that would help, such as removing your chain, soaking it in solvent of some type to clean it out, then using something like a wax- or teflon-based lube, but that's probably overkill, and even then you'd still wind up with chain grease.

Bottom line is don't wear anything that you can't have wind up with a chain or chain-ring tattoo on.

Some lubes are worse than others in terms of marking and durability of the staining. Avoid TriFlow like the plague it is; I've had great luck with Pro Gold ProLink. As mentioned, keeping the chain clean helps a lot, so wiping it down (turn cranks backwards to pull the chain through a rag you hold down by the derailleur) and reapply lube periodically. Be sure to wipe off excess lube after reapplying, too. Also as mentioned, "dry" lubes tend to be cleaner, but need reapplied more frequently.

I have had some luck with parafin wax. I clean the chain in solvent, and then melt parafin xax over boiling water (it's flammable, so diect heat is dangerous) soak the chain in the hot wax, move it around some ,take it out and let it cool. I don't know if it is a good method in Oregon or other rainy places. It isn't so great in really cold weather either. It's also about the cheapest chain lube.

Chainring tattoos are sort of a sign of a newbie - they usually happen when both feet are down and you either lean into the ring or lean the ring into your leg. First line of defense is DON'T DO THAT!!! When you put a foot down, only put your left foot down. If the right one stays on the pedal, there will be less chance of touching the chain. next, get pant leg straps. You wrap them around your (right) pant leg and close it with velcro. Most bike shops sell them. That will prevent the pant leg from brushing the chain while you're riding. Finally, wipe the chain down before every ride, just to get the excess black stuff off. White Lightning Clean Ride works well to prevent stains, but doesn't last in the rain and doesn't protect against rust.

Now you know why bike shorts and tights are black!

I agree with the keeping the chain clean. There is too much grease/oil/dirt on your chain.

Wear your chain tattoos with pride...lol
Chain tattoos are not just a sign of newbies, I commute cycle every where and log thousands of miles each year and I still sometimes get the "tattoos".
After you lube your chain run the chain backwards with a clean rag to get the excess off, I also clean my chain with simple green or WD-40 when it rains and lube with Boeshield T9.
You can buy a Park chain cleaner which works well.

https://www.amazon.com/Park-Tool-CM-5...+chain+cleaner

I don't know what kind of bike you ride but they make some nice aftermarket chain guards that will prevent this.

Welcome to BF there is a lot of great advice here.

Welcome Bryna! Nobody has said it yet so I will. Just be very careful when rag wiping your chain. Many seasoned mechanics have pinched their fingers between chain and gears. Good luck.

Use baby wipes and wipe it off.


Then clean your chain!! But not with the baby wipes. You can start by spraying the chain with Simple Green, letting it soak for about 10 min, wiping it down with a damp cloth, then rinsing it by spraying with a spray bottle (not a hose) of hot water. Rinse thoroughly.

Finally put a lubricant on the chain, but only lightly and on the inside of the chain.

And/or, if the OP puts the left foot down to come to a stop, try to get into the habit of putting the right foot down instead.

Around here, that's a recipe for a worn chain. The water and Simple Green keep the chain lube from getting inside the chain. In our (wet) climate, the lube just gets washed out again. It's better to use a petroleum-based solvent to clean a chain.

(Byrna, chain maintenance is one of the most contentious issues among bicycle riders and mechanics. Ask any 5 mechanics and you're likely to get 10 different answers.)

I don't think it can ever be totally eradicated, but a clean chain helps a lot. When wearing pants, a strap around the right leg also helps.

clean the chain in a slovent eg kerosene or citrus with an old toothbrush.
Dry
apply a modern bike lube, one drop per link, on the upper face of the lower run
old fashioned bike oil attracts more dirt than modern bike lube
Keep your leg away from the chainring a stops.
Keep your pan legs tucked in.
Note If you ride further than you want to walk, make sure you can repair punctures.

I use white lighting on my bikes. Seems to attract less grim and dirt. I only have to clean the chains every couple of weeks. Dirty chains also mean dirty derailers and gears and faster wear and tear for them.
BTW...sounds like you are a real bicyclist to me. See you on the forums

I also have a belt drive and never worry about grease at all.

I don't know what bike you ride or what crankset you have, but Shimano offers an Alivio touring crankset FC-M431 in 48-36-26 that comes with a guard outside of the chainring that does a decent job of keeping grease off your shin or pants. It's suitable for 3x9 drivetrains with a square taper bottom bracket. Alivio is a workhorse groupset that will serve you well for the kind of riding you describe.

Olive oil, vegetable oil, baby oil or similar will quickly remove the grease from your skin. Scrubbing with some dish detergent like Dawn works too.

Black pants hide any Contact, and tucking the right leg cuff in my socks* keeps it out of the potential chewing by the chainring teeth.

* trouser bands and clips can do that too ..

I have disc chainguards added outside the big chainrings on several bikes . they are aluminum .

When the included plastic ones in No 20 are hard to replace when you brak them . as they are part of the crankset in the package.

Thanks so much for all the replies, everyone! LOL, I was hoping for a simple guaranteed solution, but sometimes life is like that. I will try to implement some of these suggestions and see how it goes!

As far as getting the stuff off my leg, I got a lot off with vegetable oil followed by Dawn, but faint marks remain. Baby wipes had no obvious impact, but I have Burt's Bees, so maybe they lack some relevant ingredient. I did buy some charcoal heather leggings, which should do a pretty good job of concealing any stains, though it hasn't been cool enough again to try them out yet.

I will try to avoid leaning into the chain while standing, it hadn't occurred to me that that might be when the problem was occurring, but it makes sense, because I would think I would feel it if I was contacting the chain while riding. So we'll see if I can get out of that habit -anyone know where you can get some kind of sticker that gives a mild shock everytime you touch it, lol?

I have no idea what kind of lubricant is currently on the chain, as I've never cleaned or reapplied it. I didn't even know that was something you did. So obviously I need to do something in that regard, lol, seems like there are so many options! As for the conditions under which I'm riding it, while it's definitely exposed to high humidity, I don't leave the bike outdoors, and I'm unlikely to ride it in heavy rain, except perhaps once in awhile by accident. Though I'd probably ride in a light drizzle or in after rain conditions where there was a possibility of splashing.

I'm thinking, maybe my best bet is to just start out with wiping the chain down before riding, trying not to pinch my fingers in the process (guaranteed, if there's a conceivable way to hurt myself, I'll find it! ) How do I know if the chain is in need of lubricant, will it start to make weird noises? Or?? And since I don't know what's currently on it, is it best to soak it in something for a full cleaning before trying something else?

Scrub harder. Use a cloth, brush like a bath or fingernail brush, loofah, or kitchen scrubbie. I have no problems getting them off in shower with a some soap and a washcloth.

For removing grease,I've had good luck using GoJo hand cleaner(also great for cleaning your hands).

For preventing it in the first place,I've had several bikes with the guards GravelMN mentioned,and they work really well. There are full coverage guards like the SKS Chainboard,but they can be a PITA to mount,and can be rattlely.

In shorts weather,I'm just careful not to brush the chain. In long pants weather,I use one of these;apparently,they also make an even longer one,but I've had good luck with the standard.