Any idea what the paper/cloth being used in that vid is? I was thinking paper towel but I know how quick a chain/teeth can eat those up.

It almost looks like cheesecloth.

Looks like toilet paper to me.

Toilet paper is made to break up when in contact with water/liquids (the opposite of paper towels) and isn't exactly durable. I think it would make a royal mess to try using it as in that video.

It's some kind of sheer paper/fabric, cheesecloth variant sounds like a good guess.

I'm pretty sure it's toilet paper. 2-ply works wonders when I clean my chain that way. Plus it feels good on my butt.

You clean your chain with your butt?

armorall or clorox type wipes work but are not as long as you'd like them to be unless you're running a 22t chainring brah

http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=226054
70$ for a chain?

But will it work on a geared bike?

Try it. The absolute worst thing that could happen is it won't work.

You mean will the cloth shift rings/cogs along with the chain? Almost certainly not.

Which has nothing to do with whether or not it would clean the chain. You don't shift when using a typical chain-cleaning device either.

The only time I remove chains is when they are worn out or when I am making a gearing / drive change that warrants a different chain length.

If the chain is really dirty I get a little more liberal with the homebrew as it has a good solvent base that removes grime and then wipe it down so that it is clean and dry to the touch while the usual lube technique is a drop per link with a complete wipe down.

While working on the street on sloppy wet days you would sometimes need a re-lube but didn't have time to wipe down a chain so you just hit it with lube and blast off to your next drop off / pick and and wipe it down when you had time.

Thing is, if you wipe down a chain properly it never gets that grimy unless you are mud bogging with a fixed cross bike, while that is unlikely to happen if you are just making laps around the block to impress the Sheilas at Starbucks.

Have never had a master link fail on my fg / ss bikes although I have snapped a few chains in my time.

Guess that explains why I get pink eye whenever I spin my cranks in the repair stand...

I use the Izumi V on several bikes. It's the most silent 1/8" chain I have tried. The cost is worth it to me, especially considering all the other ways I waste my money.

The "master link" provided by Izumi is unusual, for those who aren't familiar with it. Rather than a snap link, it replaces one of the rollers with a little screw and nut. It's perfectly strong and reliable, and makes chain removal a snap. Getting rid of it was a mistake on the OP's part. Yes, you can remove the chain repeatedly using a chain tool with little possibility of harm. I suppose you could come up with some way to ensure the same pin is never used twice, but odds are pretty good if you just go with luck/chance.

I remove the chain about once a month on frequently used bikes. I dip it in a 50/50 mixture of diesel/gasoline, which is how mechanics for European pro teams did it for decades. This gets the chain cleaner than any on-bike method. The diesel is there to ensure that the chain never gets completely dry - it adds a bit of lubrication even deep inside the chain. Then I hang it to drip-dry, later lubing it lightly and reinstalling. I've never had a top quality 1/8" chain wear out using this method.