Clean that Chain!!!!

[superbadger]

I am sooooo guilty...... Got my bike in Feb as i planned to do a Tour.... So i did lots of training and stuff before the trip and just kept on top of chain..... (as in...i cleared bit of gunk out and oiled it!!!). So lots of training and one-track mind for the trip.... I do the trip and all is well.. Bike was good and no problems. What i had done before the trip was reset my bike computer so as to keep an acurate record of my miles etc.... But the computer still records total milage since fitted... (the day i got the bike!)... So after a forum conversation the other day i thought 'oh oh!'... How many miles has bike done since Feb? And i havnt done a full chain clean??? Ermmmm! Its just short of 1900 miles! I had no idea i had done that many miles? So today i spent 2 hours giving my bike my undivided attention! Cleaning and scrubbing. It's loads better and i have redeemed myself .... Just!!!!!

What a bloody difference!!!!

 

[PoweredByVeg]

Bad man :-)

 

[Pigo]

Oh.....I've done around the 2200 mark but have yet to do mine - you've shamed me into it so there goes my Saturday morning!

 

[PorkyPies]

I clean my weekly, or whenever it gets rained on!

 

[superbadger]

Do it quick! Looked it all over and everything seems ok and fine.... But if i had done another tour with plenty of weight before winter? Well then i reckon it would be expensive!!!!! It took me 2hrs! Not coz i felt guilty and took extra time over every little bit? Took that long coz it was soooo bad!. i am doing it every 300 mile now as a rule . What do you all use to De-grease????

 

[Theseus]

Wipe it down with an old oily rag at least once a week, and after each wet ride. Takes seconds.

 

[smokeysmoo]

What do you all use to De-grease????

I use WURTH Brake & Clutch cleaner because I get it v.cheap form work! It's awesome stuff, just cuts through grease and grime like the proverbial hot knife through butter. It also evaporates cleanly with no residue.

I then re-lube everything with what ever lube I happen to be using at the time

 

[fossyant]

Just wipe the chain and sprockets with a rag on a regular basis. Old T shirts are ok.

 

[superbadger]

I used an old t-shirt 2day... havnt told the GF yet???? Oh sh*t she here......

 

[Oxo]

Done my duty this afternoon and rattled cleaned chain of her who must be obeyed.

 

[ianrauk]

Did you clean in between all the links with cotton buds? No? then it's not clean

 

[slowmotion]

Take the chain off the bike and put it in an empty mineral water bottle. Pour in about half a litre of Jizer, a water soluble workshop de-greaser. Screw the top on the bottle and shake it like a cocktail artist on speed...say three minutes. Empty the bottle and replace the de-greaser with water and washing up liquid. Shake like crazy, empty the liquid and rinse repeatedly, while shaking, until there are absolutely no detergent bubbles.

Extract the chain and cook it for about two hours in the oven at 70 deg, C. Dribble oil on all the rollers and Mickle it.

Sorted.

 

[sabian92]

I use white spirit in my chain cleaner. Give it a good whizz round, change the white spirit for new until it's reasonably clean them give it a good few goings over with some hot water. I run it through a clean, dry rag and it's good as new. I use muc-off degreaser on it before hand though just to loosen it up, as well as on the cassette.

 

[Theseus]

No! No! No! ... you need "The ShelBroCo Bicycle Chain Cleaning System"

 

[Melonfish]

I use white spirit in my chain cleaner. Give it a good whizz round, change the white spirit for new until it's reasonably clean them give it a good few goings over with some hot water. I run it through a clean, dry rag and it's good as new. I use muc-off degreaser on it before hand though just to loosen it up, as well as on the cassette.

i've heard a lot of people mention white spirit for cleaning chains, is it really that effective?