alanf

I've tried a number of ways, with a road bike what is the best way you know to clean the chain etc? Aside from taking it to a shop ?

70sSanO

Best way is to remove it and soak it in cleaner and then use a brush to get the gunk out.

But, at the risk of a lube war, the lube you use has an impact on the difficulty to clean.

I’ve used everything from chain cleaner to gasoline and if you don’t like cleaning chains, change your lube.

John

dsbrantjr

Please do not use gasoline for anything except a motor fuel. It is toxic by skin absorption or inhalation of vapors, highly flammable and generates explosive vapors which will travel a long distance to an ignition source and it may be carcinogenic.
I used to use water-based cleaners but have gotten away from them. I now take the chain off and put it into a plastic bottle (like for Gatorade®) part-full of real (not the milky-looking water based) mineral spirits, put on the cap and shake it up. I follow that with a rinse in clean mineral spirits, drain, blot dry with paper towels and put into the sun to dry. I then reinstall and apply a petroleum-based chain lube. I put the dirty mineral spirits into a container and let the dirt settle, them pour off and re-use. The rinse stuff stays pretty clean for a long time and is then used to replenish the cleaning bath.

August West

That is exactly what I do on a new chain before waxing it. I also give a rinse in isopropyl alcohol after the mineral spirits bath. And if the used mineral spirits get too gunky, I run them through a coffee filter before returning to the Mason jar I use to store the used solvent.

cyccommute 

First, don’t use a lubricant that requires constant cleaning. I use a wax based liquid lubricant and I clean my chains once...upon installation. They aren’t cleaned again nor do they need to be cleaned.

The best cleaning method is the simplest. Don’t add a bunch of unnecessary steps nor complicated cleaning regimes. Cleaning a chain should take no more than 15 minutes of which about 30 seconds is actually agitating the chain in the solvent. The other 14:30 minutes is divided between removal and installation of the chain (about 1:30 minutes) and waiting around for the solvent to evaporate (about 13 minutes).

Basically: remove the chain, put it solvent, shake vigorously for about 30 seconds, remove and let dry, then install and lubricate. Any more manipulation than that is just unnecessary.

I fully agree and, to elaborate a little further, gasoline is perhaps the most flammable and explosive material that people come in contact with in their regular lives. Gasoline has an extremely low flash point...-40°F...which means that it will easily catch fire at every temperature we humans are likely to encounter. And, the higher the ambient temperature, the more likely the material is to ignite if even a small energy source is available. It is stupidly dangerous to be using as a solvent when safer solvents are available that will do the same job just as well.

Mineral spirits have a flash point of 75°F to 130°F. It’s much more difficult to ignite and contains far less toxic materials. Certain mixtures could probably be consumed without hazard. It should go without saying that it shouldn’t be consumed but if you did, it probably wouldn’t kill you.

Both of you are a bit more elaborate than you need to be, in my opinion. I use a Gatorade bottle as well but I only do one rinse when the chain is new and then hang it up to dry. There’s no need to chase the mineral spirits with isopropyl alcohol before waxing. Any lingering mineral spirits will just dissolve in the wax and evaporate out with time and heat.

You might even consider not removing the original lubricant, August West. The original wax...yes, OEM chain lube is a wax...that is on the chain will simply mix with the hard wax most people use for home brew and make it softer. A softer wax would cling to the chain better. I dabbled in waxing several decades ago and my major problem with it was that it flaked off too easily.

alanf

Wow, once again you guys have proven this is an excellent source for info. In the past I used wax and really liked it but it washed off. Occasionally I ride in the rain and that brought on the rust, but maybe I'll try it again.
Going to try the jar with mineral spirits,

I recall that the wax is basically the stuff used in bottling - paraffin. So I'll melt it on the store and put it onto a second jar to coat the chain and then put the jar in hot water to remelt it.... Maybe I'll use a glass jar. Any thoughts?

alanf

I just got this on a search;

"Yes, you can. In fact, paraffin waxes with low melting points are manufactured. They just aren't called "paraffin wax." For example, paraffin wax with a melting point close to human body temperature is commonly called "petroleum jelly" or "Vaseline." Different name but essentially the same thing, mixed hydrocarbon chain molecules. The shorter the range of lengths, the lower the melting point. Paraffin wax with a melting point below room temperature is called "mineral oil." By mixing (melted) paraffin wax with either of these two substances (petroleum jelly or mineral oil) you would create a paraffin wax with a lower melting point. "

fietsbob

Off in a can, soaking, then you clean everything else..

davidad

Ultra sonic cleaner with 50% solution of Simple Green. Rinse, dry reinstall and lube with 1 part chain saw bar oil and 4 parts unscented mineral spirits. Ride for 800 miles and repeat. Chain should last at least 10k miles. My 8 speed lasted 16k miles.