I thought cleaning, meant degreasing and re-lubing.

When I get home after a multi-month trip I strip the bike to the frameset, clean everything meticulously, replace chain and anything else in the drive chain that needs it, rebuild and grease lube...

Great fun and the start of preperations for the next tour. I'd never consider taking a bike to a shop for cleaning!

Its just to get all the grime and crap off, Customs in my country are a bit to jumpy, everything needs to be clean or they would take it off me or just charge me a fortune to radiate it.

Chain care on tour
 

Ok, I can see that. You can get a bike pretty squeaky clean with just a towel, no water or soap needed. Rub everything, then tear off strips to clean inside the cassette. Maybe even break the chain and throw it away if that's a concern?

By that definition I pretty much never clean my chains. I believe that degreasing with solvents shortens the life of the chain by helping grit get into the inner surfaces. Degreasing with detergents is worse yet because it does the same plus kills the lube there. Mine do get a mild rinse with either low pressure water or WD 40, but only if the drive train gets loaded up with sand or mud.

Given just a light application of lube and a good wipe once in a while my drive trains stay build up free and shiny. I just looked at the 6 bikes hinging in my shop. The drive trains all look pretty clean and I only remember ever degreasing two of them (one in 2007 and one in the 90s and both of those chains have since been replaced). Chains generally last me around 10k miles, some more some less. Cassettes and chain rings last me a very long time.

I use Boeshield T-9 wax lube and Tri-Flow lube

+1. I used to clean the chain. Lube and wipe is just as good or better. I'd rather ride than screw around with stuff unnecessarily.

10k miles out of a chain is tough if you subscribe to the rule of 1/16 inch of stretch before replaceing. I know i just replaced two 10 speed chains after only 3700 miles a couple weeks ago. These more narrow chains definitely not holding up as well.

Aside from the lube issue, I would definitely start the trip with a new cassette and chain. Neither would need to be replaced at the mileage you mentioned. I would avoid changing a chain mid trip, even if it meant ditching both the cassette and chain after you are done.

There's no need to change your chain after only 1,250 miles. I just changed my chain after over 10K miles and it still had life in it. It was about 70% and would have needed changed during my 2016 5K tour so I went ahead and did it now. Take care of it and lube it every few hundred miles and you'll be fine.

Just for the record... Yes I do subscribe to the replace at 1/16" of elongation for 12 complete links rule. For me that is usually around 10k miles, but it certainly can vary depending on brand, size, maintenance, and usage. I find that as long as I don't get much past the 12-1/16" mark for 12 complete links the chain rings and cassettes are typically fine and will last as long as 3 chains.

On another note I have found that the little Park tools chain checker often recommends replacing the chain sooner. Sheldon Brown says that is because they "are inaccurate because they allow roller play to confound the measurement of link-pin wear". I am inclined to believe him since I have observed that they seem to read more wear than the linear measurement of 12 links does.

I agree that it made sense to replace before your tour.

Not sure how you arrived at the 70% number, but I am skeptical of any percentage of wear number derived from measuring the chain. In my experience chains tend to show little to no wear for a long time and when they do they go downhill quickly. Using the method of measuring 12 complete links, I find it is a pretty long time until I see any measurable wear, but once it gets to 12-1/16" it progresses to 12-1/8" (the point that usually damages cassettes and rings) much more quickly, hence the need to keep a fairly close eye on them when they approach end of life.

I took it to two different bike shops to get a quote and they both said it was at 70% (without knowing what the other said). Not sure what they did to determine that number.

I wipe and lube the chain when it looks like it needs it.

Probably the Park tool. That is what most shops seem to use. Regardless the method, I wouldn't trust the number as an indication of anything other than that immediate change isn't required.

After you have wiped down the chain and re applied lube, where do you wipe the excess off from, the sides of the chain? the top and bottom of the chain? or both? I have only every wiped down the sides, thinking that the top and bottom of the chain is where you want to keep the lube.

My understanding, and the practice I follow, is to wipe any of the external surfaces. It is the lubrication on the roller pins that protects the chain.

This is toward the end of a 3,000 mile tour, with about 400 miles on dirt and gravel, and 35 days of rain. I used the lube and wipe method, and the chain is still reasonably clean. I would have cleaned the rear derailleur, but we only had a few days left to ride. The grass was just picked up that day--my wife took a shortcut:)
http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/y...derailleur.jpg

I usually put a new chain on prior to a tour, and check it on returning home. This particular chain needed replacing. Depending on conditions we get 3,000 to 4,000 miles from a chain.

Ok you're off the deep end. Just ride. When it rains lube more often. Always wipe excess off. The chain may not last the trip or exceed the trip entirely according to the conditions on the trip. 500miles of grit and mud could equal 3000 miles of dry riding. If you measure a stretched chain replace it but replacing a chain "whether it needs it or not" makes as much sense as replacing your bike, whether you need it or not.

before putting on chain lube, I use a rag, old shirt, whatever (cloth though, you can clean much harder than with paper towels) to vigoursly wipe chain of all grimey stuff, I also take 10 secs and use rag to hold to the two pulleys on the rd and this keeps them clean from buildup.

I then put one drop per pin area, and wipe off excess-yes, from sides, top, bottom, everywhere. When you ride, more excess will come out onto chain, take 30sec and wipe it off.

you can use the rag like dental floss and go back and forth between the cassette cogs too, with the wheel on bike, i just put the chian on the smallest cog and go through the cassette flossing it. Easy peasy and keeps your drivetrain stopping looking like what you describe.

it aint rocket science, you jsut have to take a few mins every so often when you lube to keep it clean withrags, easy peasy.

or dont, and you get a bike like you describe. I have friends who are like this. You decide if you want a cleaner drivetrain. Takes but a minute or two or three.

thinner lubes like Tri Flow what I use tend to be less gunky. Thick ones are more.

Just having some rags and taking the time deals with it. Part of being a more concerned biker about your bike.

chain lube all over your chain and pulley wheels and cassette and chainrings doesnt help the lubrification of chain, it just attracts dirt and results in toothpaste/oil crud on parts, and builds up and up if you dont wipe excess off.

Got it. Regardless it made it over 10K miles and was starting to stretch a little. It wasn't super lose but lose enough. It wasn't going to make it another 5K miles so better to start off with a new one before I end up in the middle of Wyoming wishing I had done it before I left :thumb:

I too tend to get about 5 to 7000km of life out of my chains--but I do keep them wiped and lubed regularly and I'm not riding on wet muddy roads all the time. I take care of 5 or 6 bikes in the household so I've got the whole rag wipe of chain, pulleys, cassettes and chain rings down pretty fast.
It's kinda like keeping the kitchen clean, if done regularly then keeping it clean is fast. If you don't touch it for a week, the piled up dishes and dried up mess takes you a heck of a lot longer to clean.

A reasonably clean drivetrain is always going to last a good deal longer than one that you ignore, so cheaper, plus it shifts nicer, looks nicer (it you care about that) and its always good to be intimate with your bike, you tend to pick up on problems before they get to be a problem.

I've found that those moist butt wipes (wet ones?) do a good job for the daily chain/pulley wipe. They are some sturdier than a paper towel and keep your hands clean as well.

I spin the cranks for a minute or so to get the lube into the nooks and crannies, then wipe off all the lube that I can fairly easily get at with a rag or paper towels. As I previously mentioned, most of the time that is all the cleaning I ever do. That isn't out of laziness, but is because I think that excessive use of solvents or worse yet detergents is actually bad for the chain. I have had good results including very long chain and cassette life with that method. If you use a stickier lube or don't wipe it off well it will lead to grit, gunk, and waxy buildup in the chain and cassette. I like T-9, but have friends and family who use Prolink ProGold with similar results.

Ahhh a fellow lube mixer! I sometimes add different lubes depending on conditions.

https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8502/8...90c5c50c_o.jpg

I carry a little bottle of Phils, and use it as the chain dictates.