Off in a few weeks for a 4 - 5 month tour and sorting kit to take. Last year on a 3 month tour I took some random chain lube I had, and while away bought some WD40 to clean the chain etc, and after allowing it to dry relubed it. It was OK but not wonderful. Any suggestions of best lube to use, and cleaning tips for use on tour? I run a 3 x 9 and MrsS a 3 x 10 shimano setup (with new chains for the trip), and cycle on roads and cyclepaths - often dusty and gritty, and of course in all weathers.
Chain cleaning and lubing on tour
- Thread starter RobinS
- Start date
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- Tags
- chain chain cleaning
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froze
Über Member
- Location
- Fort Wayne, Indiana
There are several ways of doing a chain cleaning while touring. One is to wipe the chain using a clean coffee filter...yes a coffee filter, one of those cone shaped ones, (you can use the filter to wipe down the gears and chain rings too, but first knock off as much as you can with an old tooth brush), then tear a used one into thirds and roll the section filter tight so it can fit between the links and start running it through each link, then relube. Coffee filters are very absorbent, and their tough so little worries about it ripping. You may have to use 3 or 4 each time depending on how long between cleanings you wait, do not run the chain backwards, instead rub the chain one link at a time. These filters don't weigh much and can be found anywhere in the world, and when you're done with the filter simply throw it in the trash.
You can also use the Dawn for Dishes (the best for grease removal) for cleaning your camping utensils. Simply use a wet rag with some Dawn on it and run the chain through it, take an old toothbrush and start scrubbing, wipe again with the Dawn rag, spritz some water over the chain and wipe with a clean rag, wait for the chain to dry and relube. This method is a little less practical than the above coffee filter method because you always are going to need clean rags at your disposal, and you don't really want dirty greasy rags in your pannier.
Oil wise, unless you know for certain it will never rain during your tour, you should use a semi wet lube like ProGold's ProLink Xtreme chain lube, it lasts a long time in the dry and wet, it doesn't excel in dry conditions and it doesn't excel in wet conditions but it performs really well in both which is what you encounter touring, plus it cleans off easily with a filter.
And as a side note, the coffee filters, a clean one for this of course, can be used to make pourover coffee. Simply buy a Melitta 1 cup brewing cone (their less than $10, and they're small so as not to take up much space), set if over a mug, insert filter, pre dampen the filter, add ground coffee, and hot water between 195 and 205 degrees fahrenheit (a little tricky when touring unless you buy a small digital cooking thermometer, but getting the water temp right is idea for making great tasting coffee, they're also cheap at under $20), then slowly pour the water over the grounds in a swirl like motion to get all the grounds saturated and keep doing that till you have your cup of coffee.
You can also use the Dawn for Dishes (the best for grease removal) for cleaning your camping utensils. Simply use a wet rag with some Dawn on it and run the chain through it, take an old toothbrush and start scrubbing, wipe again with the Dawn rag, spritz some water over the chain and wipe with a clean rag, wait for the chain to dry and relube. This method is a little less practical than the above coffee filter method because you always are going to need clean rags at your disposal, and you don't really want dirty greasy rags in your pannier.
Oil wise, unless you know for certain it will never rain during your tour, you should use a semi wet lube like ProGold's ProLink Xtreme chain lube, it lasts a long time in the dry and wet, it doesn't excel in dry conditions and it doesn't excel in wet conditions but it performs really well in both which is what you encounter touring, plus it cleans off easily with a filter.
And as a side note, the coffee filters, a clean one for this of course, can be used to make pourover coffee. Simply buy a Melitta 1 cup brewing cone (their less than $10, and they're small so as not to take up much space), set if over a mug, insert filter, pre dampen the filter, add ground coffee, and hot water between 195 and 205 degrees fahrenheit (a little tricky when touring unless you buy a small digital cooking thermometer, but getting the water temp right is idea for making great tasting coffee, they're also cheap at under $20), then slowly pour the water over the grounds in a swirl like motion to get all the grounds saturated and keep doing that till you have your cup of coffee.
- Location
- London
Mm - thanks for your effort with that but you really poke between each link? I've never gone to that much trouble at home, let alone on a tour. Sounds a tad like the system "advocated" on sheldon's page by a guy in a lab coat.
I have no idea but there's a GCN video about cleaning and lubing your chain pretty much every day or 2 (if you ride as those guys do...and you will be) only with WD40.
It caused quite a kerfuffle in the comments but he swears by it.
I love the sound of a cycle tour, I've been trying to think of a little mini one I could do with my 7 yr old as an excuse to try it out.
It caused quite a kerfuffle in the comments but he swears by it.
I love the sound of a cycle tour, I've been trying to think of a little mini one I could do with my 7 yr old as an excuse to try it out.
WD40 musn't be used for lubricating cycle chains....apparently. But @ianrauk has been known to use it and has never been allowed to forget his crime!
Desperate times....WD40 musn't be used for lubricating cycle chains....apparently. But @ianrauk has been known to use it and has never been allowed to forget his crime!
WD40 musn't be used for lubricating cycle chains....apparently. But @ianrauk has been known to use it and has never been allowed to forget his crime!
I was merely raising the point that the GCN bloke uses it. It was not an endorsement by any means!
That said, I can see how - if you were using it on a nearly daily basis - it would be better than nowt!
