Help! Step By Step Advice On Chain Cleaning

[Extremedalek]

Hi Everyone

Very new around here and think its time I paid some attention to my chain and gave it a bit of TLC.

With this in mind, I have purchased the following items:
Bike chain cleaning tool
Muc Off chain degreaser
Muc Off wet lube

From what I can gather the process goes something like this;

Wipe chain with a clean rag
Fill cleaning tool with degreaser and run chain through a few times
Rinse chain with water - how? Do I just pour on clean water from a bottle or similar?
Dry chain with another clean rag - is this enough to dry thoroughly? Do I jut leave the chain to dry naturally as well?
Apply lube once dry.

Does this sound right?

TIA

 

[roadrash]

Bin the (next to useless) chain cleaning tool , then do a search on these forums for ...The Mickle Method , and soon you will be enlightened

 

[JtB]

Clean with rag, dry lube then clean again with rag. Works for me and keeps chain like new.

 

[Extremedalek]

Bin the (next to useless) chain cleaning tool , then do a search on these forums for ...The Mickle Method , and soon you will be enlightened

Thanks, had a look. That seems... too simple? Wipe, lube, repeat. You tube videos made it seem overly complicated. I'll give this a go.

 

[ianrauk]

Thanks, had a look. That seems... too simple? Wipe, lube, repeat. You tube videos made it seem overly complicated. I'll give this a go.

Sometimes the simple things are the best solution.

 

[Heltor Chasca]

The soak and shake up in a diesel bath works very well. I have made a diy bath with a sieve so crud sinks away from the chain. Dry on the washing line. I don’t do this so much anymore. If the diesel is clean it goes back in my pickup’s tank. If not, I bottle it up and take it to our recycling centre.

On marginally dirty chains I use a chain cleaning machine and Muc Off Chain Drive cleaner (yellow). Obviously while the chain is on the bike and before I wash the rest of the bike as cleaner splashes everywhere. Wash off under a warm tap and leave on a radiator or out in the the summer sun.

In both cases I lube with just one drop per link. Leave overnight and wipe off excess, if any.

In both cases the chain is taken off the bike.

In the summer or when clean, I just wipe with a Lidl cleaning wipe, leave to dry and lube.

Several ways to skin a cat. I have a sweet sounding chain drive and crisp gear changes so it works for me. Generally my chains last about 5000km.

 

[fossyant]

Wipe, lube, wipe works well. With an MTB it's hose off chain, let dry, wipe, lube, wipe. If the chain is really bad and gritty, then I'll remove the chain and soak in degreaser, rinse, then lube, wipe, wipe, but that's not often.

 

[Pat "5mph"]

Wipe, lube, wipe works well. With an MTB it's hose off chain, let dry, wipe, lube, wipe. If the chain is really bad and gritty, then I'll remove the chain and soak in degreaser, rinse, then lube, wipe, wipe, but that's not often.

I do the same, my drivetrain is sparkling
I'll take the chain off only occasionally, say after a muddy canal ride, wash it in soapy water, then dry it as best as I can, then spray it with a water dispersant - I like WD40.
Wipe, lube, wipe, wipe some more, check for stretch first or all the wiping is futile if you need a new chain

 

[PK99]

Forget Mickle, Sheldon is your man...

https://www.sheldonbrown.com/chainclean.html

 

[gbb]

I've used this explanation few times when folk talk about chain cleaning.
At a fanatical point in my cycling history I would (roadbike commuting, particularly in winter)
Chain off, soak in WD for a while then blast out with a high pressure airline. The idea was to blast out muck etc. Allow to dry then soak in a small tub of oil, then hang it up in the workshop and allow the excess to drip off I to the tub. Wipe wipe wipe then refit to the bike.

Each part of the operation only took a couple minutes at most so no big deal.

It didn't make a jot of difference to chain life, I'd always get 1200 to 1600 miles out of a 10 speed chain. Worth the effort, probably not with hindsight.
Now I just wipe thoroughly, oil, spin the cranks for a bit then thoroughly wipe and wipe and wipe.

I suppose if your chain gets really gritty and dirty, offloading perhaps, then the extra effort may be worth it.

 

[Extremedalek]

Ok to I had a go at this and it does seem simple. I'm not off-roading at all (at the moment) so all of my riding is on tarmac and in currently dry weather.

Just a quickie though - I also had a go at my partner's bike chain (like me a novice and he has only had it a few weeks) and the chain seemed really sticky, so much so that the chain was having difficulty going easily through the cloth. Mine wasn't like this at all?

 

[Ajax Bay]

my partner's bike chain (like me a novice and he has only had it a few weeks) and the chain seemed really sticky,

The chain has got the excellent protective lubricant it had when new. This should be good for several hundred miles, and will, by then, not be as sticky. Then clean (wipe), oil, wipe, wipe etc and good to go again.

 

[JtB]

Personally I would leave a new chain as long as possible before cleaning. The wax on a new chain is far better than the lube you put on.

 

[Extremedalek]

The chain has got the excellent protective lubricant it had when new. This should be good for several hundred miles, and will, by then, not be as sticky. Then clean (wipe), oil, wipe, wipe etc and good to go again.

Brill, thanks.

 

[Trialot]

I use the chain cleaning tool to start the cleaning process and loosen up the gunge! To finish the job, degreaser in a sponge and grip the chain with it while spinning the chain. Rinse off and dry before applying lube. Works brilliantly. You might want to use a short bristled brush to clean off some stubborn areas. Don't forget the drivetrain areas!!