How often do you clean your chain?

[Blue Hills]

9 speed chains also call for single use special link. At least my kmc did, and skimping on replacement after clean sponsored me a looong walk home with chain in my pocket...and bruised balls...
Can't see the need for even 9 speed really, 5 speed was enough for most of my riding

SRAM 9 speed links can definitely be re-used, though have recently moved away from after some rapid wear. I thought some KMC links could be re-used at 9 speed. Am using KMC at the moment. I would personally always avoid chains with links that can't be re-used. Have only ever had trouble with a link once and I think that might have been caused by the stupidly long pannier straps on a pair of my ortliebs.

 

[nickyboy]

oil every 100m or so

Sounds a tad excessive, stopping every minute or so to relube the chain but whatever works I guess

 

[Chief Broom]

Sounds a tad excessive, stopping every minute or so to relube the chain but whatever works I guess

100 miles which for me is about once a week....soon to be twice a day

 

[tyred]

What's this chain cleaning of which ye speak?

 

[Glow worm]

Years ago, I somehow got into the habit of checking tyre pressure and cleaning chain once a week, normally Sundays after a ride. Mickle method applied here too.
I also wipe jockey wheels clean and use a v. small flat headed screwdriver to get any crud out of the cassette between rings.

 

[Blue Hills]

use a v. small flat headed screwdriver to get any crud out of the cassette between rings.

simpler I think is to run a bit of old material with a decent hem back and forth between the cassette rings - as you run it back and forth the cassette turns on its "ratchet", ensuring that you cover all of each ring.

 

[T4tomo]

Wipe with a rag (and GT85 if wet) after every ride and a quick re-lube (wax lube).

full on mickle maybe monthly

 

[numbnuts]

My chain runs in tubes, what you don't see.........

 

[dodgy]

We had a thread on here years ago, might have been MANY years ago when a newbie came in to tell us all about his amazing park chain cleaning tool, you know the type, the ones that result in about half a pint of toxic juice to dispose of sensibly. He got told about the mickle method and was having none of it, the thread went on a while and he eventually relented, gave it a go and then apologised and dumped his chain cleaner

 

[Richard A Thackeray]

I use an old flannel/tea-towel with 'red' diesel on it, after a wet ride (or a dusty one, if on bridleways)
Failing that, weekly, if it's reasonable weather

Once a month, the rings are taken off, & cleaned, as are the jockey-wheels (& cage internal face)
The chain goes into a bowl of diesel at that point, maybe scrubbed with an old toothbrush
Then it's dried, & re-lubed with a mix of cheap motor-oil & diesel

It's all worked fine for me, for a number of years

NB; I tried diesel in a couple of the chain-scrubber devices, but it 'eats'/mis-shapes the plastic after a while, as though they belonged to Salvador Dali!

 

[Ming the Merciless]

I don’t. I have mudguards and the chain stays clean enough throughout its life.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

SRAM 9 speed links can definitely be re-used, though have recently moved away from after some rapid wear. I thought some KMC links could be re-used at 9 speed. Am using KMC at the moment. I would personally always avoid chains with links that can't be re-used. Have only ever had trouble with a link once and I think that might have been caused by the stupidly long pannier straps on a pair of my ortliebs.

Yep 9 speed links can be reused quite happily

 

[Blue Hills]

Yep 9 speed links can be reused quite happily

thanks - that was also my understanding about KMC, which i now tend to use.
I maybe only separate a chain three or four times at most during its life anyway.
New link with new chain of course.

 

[sasquath]

Yep 9 speed links can be reused quite happily

I had bad luck then.

 

[mustang1]

When I commuted, then every 2 weeks in summer or every week in winter.
Now I just ride for leisure so uhm, maybe every couple few months or when I hear the chain making noise (I don't ride in rain any more).