Originally Posted by
SoSmellyAir
As the first step of my annual bike wash earlier this afternoon, I cleaned my chain, which has just < 300 miles with the Shimano factory lube. About 5 minutes through a Park Tool CM-5.2 chain scrubber filled with degreaser, then further cleaned with degreaser using an old Sonicare toothbrush. Chain looks clean and shiny and barely leaves a mark on the rag, but I can still "feel" the factory lube in the roller. This is about the best I can do with the chain still on the bike. In the past, when I have gone through the same steps to clean a higher mileage chain that has gone through multiple periodic applications of Boeshield T-9 or Rock N Roll Extreme, the chain would squeak when it is very clean. So hopefully the solvent in the new lube takes off the remaining factory lube when I apply it later.
. Poertner and crew have (typically) studied the heck out of the whole thing after they came up with a wax based lube. I’ve done this to my last chain and I’ve also gone the ultrasonic route. This manual cleaning method worked pretty well but ultrasonic was better. Either way, it was clean enough that the chain accepted and retained the wax based lube (Silca’s lube is terrific). It’s pretty easy and it does get the chain really clean.
If you are not using a wax based lube, oil compatible lubes will just infuse the remaining OEM lube and still be better. Another quick lube after maybe 100 miles will help accelerate the process.