Why I immerse my chains in solvent instead of wiping them
11-21-17, 07:50 AM
#26
Senior Member
I clean my chain after every ride with White Lightning Clean Streak. It's a combination of solvent and force to get the particles out. It's kind of an expensive approach, but it works pretty well and I don't have to remove the chain (which is no big deal to do, just more time consuming.) Then, of course, I lube the chain, wiping off all excess. I hate it when my bike sounds like D Bo's beach cruiser!
11-21-17, 08:01 AM
#27
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11-21-17, 08:06 AM
#28
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What's the relative benefit though of doing this immersion thing, vs just a wipe-down with a rag that's been soaked in OMS before re-lubing? What you need to do, is an experiment where you have 2 clean rags (weigh each one) and then scale weigh after cleaning the chain (rag1) vs. magnet (rag2) (after OMS has evaporated). The difficulty lies though in starting with equally dirty chains..
11-21-17, 08:07 AM
#29
Senior Member
I get that. I've learned to do most of the basic maintenance on my bike, switching cassettes, shift cables, BB's, chains, pulling cranksets, etc.
I'll admit a certain satisfaction in knowing how to, and doing some repairs & maintenance. I even admit that CAN add something to the overall cycling experience.
Dinking around with a nasty greasy $30 chain to get a few more miles out of it lost its allure long ago. A quick wiped down and re-lube is about the best it's getting from me. I'll just buy a new chain in a few thousand miles.
11-21-17, 08:13 AM
#31
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11-21-17, 08:17 AM
#32
Farmer tan
No desire for the last decade.
11-21-17, 08:18 AM
#33
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With a KMC Master Link, and the correct tool, that chain can be off in 10-15 seconds.
If you leave the chain on and clean it, not only does it do a terrible job of removing gunk and grit, but it drips filthy solvent all over your cassette, rear wheel and tire, chainstay, and crankset. Which takes time to clean up.
Sorry, but I'm really not seeing the downside here, it seems to me that this is the way to go, results-wise and time-wise.
If you leave the chain on and clean it, not only does it do a terrible job of removing gunk and grit, but it drips filthy solvent all over your cassette, rear wheel and tire, chainstay, and crankset. Which takes time to clean up.
Sorry, but I'm really not seeing the downside here, it seems to me that this is the way to go, results-wise and time-wise.
11-21-17, 08:20 AM
#34
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I'd worry more about letting that solvent soak through the paper towel and causing spots to appear on your floor. The OCD will get to you as you see the spots from across the room. You will end up cleaning the whole floor. That's a lot more time/effort and a bottle of floor cleaner. Not much savings there.
11-21-17, 08:32 AM
#35
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I believe in bike maintenance, but if I did this to my chain every 150 miles, I would be doing it once or twice a week. I would probably cause more wear and slack by installing and removing the connecting link than I was saving by the OCD maintenance routine.
I know this will shock and horrify . . . I ride over 7,500 miles per year. I ride rain or shine. I lube a chain (on the bike) about every 2,500 to 3,000 miles. Chain works great. On its birthday, I replace chain and cassette, just because. (Gives you cold chills, doesn't it?)
Roller chains are incredibly robust pieces of kit. They are used in industrial, agricultural, and automotive applications that exert vastly greater loading and speeds than a bicycle can ever conceive -- and they last for years in those applications. (In truth, I probably replace mine a lot more frequently than necessary.)
I know this will shock and horrify . . . I ride over 7,500 miles per year. I ride rain or shine. I lube a chain (on the bike) about every 2,500 to 3,000 miles. Chain works great. On its birthday, I replace chain and cassette, just because. (Gives you cold chills, doesn't it?)
Roller chains are incredibly robust pieces of kit. They are used in industrial, agricultural, and automotive applications that exert vastly greater loading and speeds than a bicycle can ever conceive -- and they last for years in those applications. (In truth, I probably replace mine a lot more frequently than necessary.)
11-21-17, 08:38 AM
#36
Senior Member
I believe in bike maintenance, but if I did this to my chain every 150 miles, I would be doing it once or twice a week. I would probably cause more wear and slack by installing and removing the connecting link than I was saving by the OCD maintenance routine.
I know this will shock and horrify . . . I ride over 7,500 miles per year. I ride rain or shine. I lube a chain (on the bike) about every 2,500 to 3,000 miles. Chain works great. On its birthday, I replace chain and cassette, just because. (Gives you cold chills, doesn't it?)
Roller chains are incredibly robust pieces of kit. They are used in industrial, agricultural, and automotive applications that exert vastly greater loading and speeds than a bicycle can ever conceive -- and they last for years in those applications. (In truth, I probably replace mine a lot more frequently than necessary.)
I know this will shock and horrify . . . I ride over 7,500 miles per year. I ride rain or shine. I lube a chain (on the bike) about every 2,500 to 3,000 miles. Chain works great. On its birthday, I replace chain and cassette, just because. (Gives you cold chills, doesn't it?)
Roller chains are incredibly robust pieces of kit. They are used in industrial, agricultural, and automotive applications that exert vastly greater loading and speeds than a bicycle can ever conceive -- and they last for years in those applications. (In truth, I probably replace mine a lot more frequently than necessary.)
11-21-17, 09:06 AM
#37
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I hear you. As one who would try and keep his bike as clean as possible, I find that urge slowly going away and I find myself looking at my bikes in a more utilitarian way. More of a "this thing is used to get from point A to point B attitude. I'm starting to put fenders and racks on most of my bikes. If it will accomplish what I need, then the bike is in great condition. As far as this thread goes... although I do clean my chain regularly I don't worry about it. The SRAM chains I use only cost $19.
11-21-17, 09:10 AM
#38
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11-21-17, 09:27 AM
#39
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My drivetrain is currently filthy, but I'll probably continue to ignore it and just replace the chain in the spring again.
11-21-17, 09:46 AM
#40
Chases Dogs for Sport
11-21-17, 09:58 AM
#41
Senior Member
Im sure you ride in the same club as the other guy that, according to him self, regularly gets 19.000 miles off of a chain :-) Im sure he has lots more "experience" than I, too. Happy riding
11-21-17, 09:59 AM
#42
Kit doesn't match
Hey, whatever works.
11-21-17, 10:08 AM
#43
Chases Dogs for Sport
I too thought that 2500-3000 mile intervals between lubes would be uncommonly long. I ride in Tucson which is easy on drivetrains, and I am guessing that I get squeaks starting around 300-450 miles with a few different lubes. Those squeaks bug me, so I try to relube before they begin.
Hey, whatever works.
Hey, whatever works.
Bob, I use Rock 'n Roll Gold chain lube. I started using it for my chains for the Dirty Kanza 200. It worked really well under adverse conditions, so I started using it on my road bikes. On a gravel bike, you could do 200 miles, with several stream/river crossings, and still have a silent chain at the end of the day. On a road bike, unless you wash it off, it works well for a long time. (They also make a Rock 'n Roll Extreme that is formulated to survive river crossings, mud, muck, etc. in gravel and cyclocross applications.)
11-21-17, 10:13 AM
#44
Kit doesn't match
Thanks. For the past couple of years, I've been using Dumonde Tech Lite, which rose to the top after trying a few others. What's funny, though, is that I added some Rock 'n Roll Gold a recent order, so that's lying here in wait. My expectations just went up a notch 
11-21-17, 10:20 AM
#45
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This is what I was wondering about.
11-21-17, 10:25 AM
#46
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Careful with flammable solvents in ultrasonic cleaners
Careful. I once kaboomed an ultrasonic cleaner that I was using with flammable solvents. Of course, it was a Harbor Freight cleaner, which immediately spells danger. Harbor Freight is sometimes known as Horror Fright. 😂
11-21-17, 10:42 AM
#47
Senior Member
Thread Starter
No doubt. Mine was Chinese made that I bought off Amazon. I haven't seen the ones at Harbor Freight, but yeah, I've seen enough of their tools to know what you're talking about, although I did get a drill press there that's actually totally usable. I never used gasoline as a solvent in the ultrasonic, as even when I did use gasoline to rinse some chains, I did it outside and in a glass jar or plastic bucket by hand. Most of the solvents I used in the ultrasonic were citrus based or else something like simply green, though I'd probably put a spaghetti jar with mineral spirits in the ultrasonic if the lid was on. No heat though.
11-21-17, 10:49 AM
#48
don't try this at home.
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Removing the chain is the only way to properly clean it, as you have proved. However, it’s a messy, time-consuming job.
Therefore I’d be interested to hear clever methods to store the solvents, reduce the volume of contaminated solvent dumped into the environment, and reduce the mess, smell, and storage clutter in the home.
If it was easy, we’d all do it.
Therefore I’d be interested to hear clever methods to store the solvents, reduce the volume of contaminated solvent dumped into the environment, and reduce the mess, smell, and storage clutter in the home.
If it was easy, we’d all do it.
Just relube
But now, I just wipe off the chain with a paper towel dampened with rubbing alcohol, and relube. The chains seem to last just as long this way.
11-21-17, 10:56 AM
#49
Senior Member
I believe in bike maintenance, but if I did this to my chain every 150 miles, I would be doing it once or twice a week. I would probably cause more wear and slack by installing and removing the connecting link than I was saving by the OCD maintenance routine.
I know this will shock and horrify . . . I ride over 7,500 miles per year. I ride rain or shine. I lube a chain (on the bike) about every 2,500 to 3,000 miles. Chain works great. On its birthday, I replace chain and cassette, just because. (Gives you cold chills, doesn't it?)
Roller chains are incredibly robust pieces of kit. They are used in industrial, agricultural, and automotive applications that exert vastly greater loading and speeds than a bicycle can ever conceive -- and they last for years in those applications. (In truth, I probably replace mine a lot more frequently than necessary.)
I know this will shock and horrify . . . I ride over 7,500 miles per year. I ride rain or shine. I lube a chain (on the bike) about every 2,500 to 3,000 miles. Chain works great. On its birthday, I replace chain and cassette, just because. (Gives you cold chills, doesn't it?)
Roller chains are incredibly robust pieces of kit. They are used in industrial, agricultural, and automotive applications that exert vastly greater loading and speeds than a bicycle can ever conceive -- and they last for years in those applications. (In truth, I probably replace mine a lot more frequently than necessary.)
Chain is always pristine, and if you're inclined to ever wash your chain in any way...waxing is far less messy. No solvent, no dissolved grease. Just a quick dip in the crockpot, cool off for a couple minutes, then put back on the bike and it's good to go for hundreds of miles, and clean as a whistle.
Last edited by Abe_Froman; 11-21-17 at 11:06 AM.
11-21-17, 11:06 AM
#50
Senior Member
Thread Starter
What's the relative benefit though of doing this immersion thing, vs just a wipe-down with a rag that's been soaked in OMS before re-lubing? What you need to do, is an experiment where you have 2 clean rags (weigh each one) and then scale weigh after cleaning the chain (rag1) vs. magnet (rag2) (after OMS has evaporated). The difficulty lies though in starting with equally dirty chains..
As for the benefits of immersion vs. just a wipe down: wipe down gets the gunk off the external surfaces, which is useful inasmuch as it could end up between touching metal parts and contribute to wear. The immersion cleaning flushes the gunk out from the nooks and crannies in the chain that are already touching or will touch in operation.
As so many have pointed out, there's a cost/benefit analysis that each individual has to do on their own (even if they don't think of it in those terms) to decide which method they will use. "Ain't nobody got time for that!" is a valid approach if someone believes that their chains last long enough and simply has no interest in being more thorough for other reasons.
I didn't know that much about bike maintenance when I was a kid or a teenager, and chains were a lot thicker and more robust back in those days. I rode thousands of miles and just dumped more lube on when I heard squeaking, and I never had to replace a chain. It wasn't until I started biking again in earnest back in like 2009 or so that I learned that chains have gotten far thinner, lighter, and more frail as the number of cogs on the rear hub have increased.
I learned this after I finally snapped a chain on my mountain bike. After doing some reading, I went out and measured the broken mountain bike chain and it was horribly "stretched" through excessive wear. I had to replace a cassette and some chainrings too. When I got a new chain I picked up some KMC links after reading about them on a forum, and that's how I've been putting my chains on the bike ever since. With my 9-speed Trek of 2003 vintage I just used a single chain at a time until it needed to be replaced, lubing it on the bike and removing it more and more frequently using the master link to give it a good cleaning as time went on. I always thought my chains should be lasting longer than they did, and I was mildly disturbed that after a chain or two my cassette would be significantly more worn than the new chain I was just putting on, which is going to accelerate the chain wear. I was only getting a couple thousand miles on them or less. So the rigor with which I've treated the chains has increased over time, not decreased.
Now with my new Lynskey I've chosen to take a different approach that involves rotating between two chains on the same cassette to help keep the cog and chain wear more in sync with each other, which should help them all wear more slowly than under my old method. I've also more anal about cleaning and lubricating the chain, cogs, chainrings, etc. Since rotating between two chains involves me pulling the chain off the bike anyway, I've settled on a strategy of giving the chain a deep immersion clean each time I pull it off the bike to rotate the other chain on.