just had my first go at cleaning...

[johnnyh]

my chain, and various "cogs" for want of a collective term.

the muck that has come off, ewwwww, used some rags with a bit of solvent to clean, and then some wet line or whatever its called as per instructions on the bike tutor site.

anyhow, whilst I have removed amazing amounts of 'greasey black yuckiness' there was still an amount of stuff left, and part of me felt the only way to get it properly clean would be to take it all apart and soak it in sommat like "gunk" or similar.

Anyone got any tips for really getting the whole drive chain clean and in its best condition? I am guessing that once a month or so would be a good schedule for this maintenance, but as someone new to all this I bow to your infinite wisdom...

 

[Angelfishsolo]

+1

Try not to use solvents, hot soapy water and some GT85 and a bit of elbow grease works wonders on the cassette and chainset.

As for the chain, get a rag (old towel or t-shirt) spray GT85 onto to it and then wrap around the chain and spin the chain backwards.

Rinse and repeat for desired effect and then lube.

 

[johnnyh]

ah, rinse and repeat, always rinse and repeat

 

[giant man]

Baby wipes are your best friend.

 

[johnnyh]

Baby wipes are your best friend.

that's as maybe sir, but what about the chain!

 

[fossyant]

It needs to look like this..........

PS this isn't the daily hack.......

 

[soulful dog]

It needs to look like this..........

<snip picture of a clearly unused bike>

PS this isn't the daily hack.......

I've just tried baby wipes and they seem to be ideal, but even after a really good clean as soon as I touch the chain on my bike I get dirty.

 

[Dave5N]

Weldtite sprocket brush and Park chain cleaners x 2. Citrus degreaser - keep it well away from free hub and bearings

I do 4-5 bikes a week from crud to gleaming. Don't take long.

 

[johnnyh]

It needs to look like this..........

PS this isn't the daily hack.......

hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm shiny

 

[Angelfishsolo]

Nice job, Mine has never looked that clean lol.

It needs to look like this..........

PS this isn't the daily hack.......

 

[Angelfishsolo]

I found that they disintegrated and left bits of themselves in the chain and sprockets. I followed another piece of advice and use an old cotton tea shirt. I have been known to use a GT85 style spray but only to looses engrained dirt.

Baby wipes are your best friend.

 

[giant man]

that's as maybe sir, but what about the chain!

Yeah fair enough johnny, not for chains of course, but the chain can be cleaned in a few different ways, this guide is a good one ...

http://bicycletutor.com/chain-lubrication/

 

[Paulus]

Use a chain cleaning tool, such as this http://www.evanscycles.com/products/park/cm5-chain-cleaning-kit-ec005497.
I use white spirit and it gets all the sh++e off very well. Remove the excess with a clean rag and lube the chain. The cassette can be cleaned with an old paint brush and white spirit. Make sure to put some news paper or some other covering onto the ground beneath your bike to stop the drips and splatters going onto the the bike and the ground.

 

[fossyant]

I very rarely remove chains for a thorough clean, certainly not on my road bikes.

The daily bike may get the chained removed and cleaned once in the chain's 6 month life, then binned for new chain and cassette.

An oily rag and a bit of WD40/or light chain lube sprayed on the rag soon lifts the surface dirt off.

Just run the edge of a rag through the cassette sprockets on a weekly basis to remove excess dirt gunge. Same goes for jockey wheels - spin the cranks and wipe the crud off the jockey wheels.