pj7

I don't plan on buying one of those, and I don't want this thread to turn into another take the chain off and put it in a martini shaker or remove chain and dip once in a trashcan thread. I'm just curious as to the effectiveness of those rotary chain cleaners that sell for around $20. Do they clean the chain all that well? Or does it just shine up the outside without removing any of the grit from within the rollers themselves?

tomeboy

i think they work good

Cyclist0383

Here's a good review of the Park Cyclone Chain Scrubber from Cycling News. They give it four out of five yellow jerseys.

https://www.cyclingnews.com/tech.php?...chain_scrubber

Raiyn

It's my opinion that they don't work as well as they're made out to. A couple of rags and a toothbrush would work just as well and cost much less

z415

I don't think the park chain cleaner is all that great, or at least it was not as good as I expected. I once ran my mtb chain through the thing 5 times and it was still gritty feeling. I prefer to blast the chain with high pressure water, avoiding sealed areas like hubs, bb, etc., and then lubing.

The cleaner also takes a while to get a hang of, expect to make a mess the first couple of times. If you are planning to use it for a chain that gets a lot of penetrating dirt (i.e. muddy and wet conditions), then I wouldn't use it, but it is great for a road bike or a commuter that doesn't get gunked up.

A good option that I have started doing is using the park tool cleaner in conjunction with a aerosol degreaser (Finishline Ecotech 2) and spraying and scrubbing because the Park Tool Citrusbrite feels greasy to me.

So to answer one of your questions: it doesn't really remove dirt from the rollers as well as a blast of water, a blast of aerosol degreaser, or a toothbrush does. Heck even the Parktool gear clean brush soaked in degreaser cleans the insides better imo.

registered usar

is it better to use a chain cleaner and then a rag and brush or rag/brush followed by a chain cleaner like the park cyclone? or does it not make a difference?

z415

I would not use the chain cleaner first because, if anything, it could push dirt in. If I had to use the cleaner, I would use it afterward after you get most of the dirt out, to clean the outside of the chain.

Raiyn

If you want to sit there for an hour you might as well do the soak cleaning method in the first place

z415

I agree - just clean often. I am very particular about the cleanliness of my bikes. I clean my road chain rarely since I use a wax lube, but I clean my offroad chain every long ride (so.. twice a week) and it is a fast clean and lube (5 min tops) which keeps it from getting bad enough to have to spend hours on it.

I stand by my method of blasting things to clean it. I also stand by my belief that you can't over grease, but then thats another story.

Cadfael

I have a Park Chain cleaner.. and for me it does the job, it is much better than doing nothing. It may not be as effective as other methods, but it is more conveniant for me. One thing I have never had to have replaced on any bike since I began using it is the chain... not has chain wear been an issue. So I must be something right, maybe not perfect... but enough?

fujibike

I don't find the chain cleaners to be very durable. Toothbrush and rage work well for me - might take a bit longer than a chain cleaner but it's alot cheaper.

DMF 

I'll bet all that rage makes you go faster, too.

AfterThisNap

I have used the park one. It's OK. I like the magnet feature that pulls metal bits to the bottom, if only for the satisfaction of looking down at the pile of metal shavings and saying "daaaaaaayyyyummm"

i_r_beej

I've used several methods.

White petroleum soaking followed with Pedro's SynLube-- working each link. Took forever. (But i was in college and didn't have much else to occupy my time.)

Dry cleaning with a toothbrush and rag followed by liberal application of lube and finishing up with wiping wiping wiping the chain with a rag.

White Lightening solvent spray and toothbrush.

FinishLine chain scrubber gizmo with various "eco" solvents.

I've discovered for myself, as i think just about everyone must, that FREQUENT cleaning is the key to proper chain maintenance. Letting your chain go and then hoping for some sort of "silver bullet" solution to return it to a near-pristine condition is folly. Keep it lubed with a good lube. After trying various lubes (FinishLine, Tri-Flow, Pedro's SynLube, White Lightening wax-based stuff) i've found that nothing has ever worked as well as ProLink Gold. A.T.B. lube is also very good. Frequent use prevents tough grime buildup. Water rinse with a stiff brush scrub (followed by more ProLink to drive out the water) keeps the most evil stuff at bay.

Simply-- if you ride and your bike gets really dirty, or you see dirt and dust build-up on your chain-- hose it off (low pressure only!!) right away and apply more lube. Let it soak. Before your next ride just wipe the excess off the chain and go.

Now i use warm water and liquid dish soap (cuts greasy build up and leaves my hands oh-so-soft) and Park Tool's chain scrubber. The scrubber works very well. As an added bonus, the parts are replaceable (and Park is a reputable company).

Yeah, my chains still sound a little "gritty" but that's what happens-- they work in dirty conditions and getting them aseptically clean is a waste of time and resources.