What tools and solvents do I need to clean my chain?

So after a spring and summer of riding, my bike chain has a bunch of gunk built up. I'm thinking a wire brush and some sort of solvent to get the gunk off. I don't actually need one of those expensive chain cleaner kits, right? What do you guys use?

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Permalink Reply by Jackie on November 9, 2009 at 12:08pm
I got mine from Rapid Transit Cycle Shop on North Ave. in Wicker Park.

dav said:
Okay, I'm down with the El Duke, but I went to their site and didn't see anywhere near the north side that sells the stuff. Where can I pick it up?
Permalink Reply by ishnock aka the blue baron on November 9, 2009 at 1:26pm
Degreasers:

Simple Green (10:1...You do not have to use it at full strength)

Grease Lightening ( Dilute it as well)

Awesome ( sold at the dollar store...and it is as its title states:awesome)

Pedros



Lube:

My favorite:

Purple Extreme ( It will protect your chain up to 500 miles....It performs under wet, dry, or dirty conditions....Corrosion protection... Water wash-off resistance...It can only be washed off with a degreaser)

3-in-1

Pedros lube

Phil Wood

Stay away from WD40
Permalink Reply by Primitive Don on November 9, 2009 at 4:02pm
I don't think there's anything wrong with WD-40 to clean a chain that is rusty, (e.g., from a bike left outside but not ridden much). But since WD-40 is not a lubricant, I would not use it to lubricate a chain.

To the original question, though, I like either Simple Green or any old citrus degreaser. I am intrigued by the suggestion of using Dawn and would like to check out El Duke.
Permalink Reply by Jessica on November 9, 2009 at 5:06pm
From a bike tech perspective, please keep a pressure washer away from your bike. It tends not to end well. lol

Like some other fella said, check for wear. That long riding probably cashed it.

If not, Simple Green or a foaming degreaser and a kitchen scrub brush work well. In my opinion, toothbrushes aren't stiff enough, and wire brushes cut my hands.

Good luck!
Permalink Reply by nik was here on November 9, 2009 at 5:19pm
chain cleaner machines never do as good a job as you can do.
If you know how to take the chain off, you have the hardest part done.
Now just throw the chain in a bowl, that you don't care about getting dirty, with a bunch of dish soap and water and then start working it. tooth brushes work good, but your hands and a rag do to. the key is to bend the chain back and forth as you're cleaning to get all the different angles. That's what a chain cleaner tries to do by sending it through the brush-like pulleys. after you get it nice and clean, let it dry, reinstall and lube it up!
after this, normal maintenance can be done while the chain is on the bike best by simply spraying and wiping with simple green, or the like, and using compressed air to blow everything out, and lube as necessary.
just remember, as stated, the chain is a wear part. no amount of cleaning can make a worn chain work right again.

as for lube, i use white lightning wax. keeps my drivetrain quiet and smooth, both on my trail bike, and my fixie.
Permalink Reply by Bikefreeek on November 10, 2009 at 5:26am
Bring your bike into Open Shop tonight at West Town Bikes and you can clean your chain and bike with El Duke or Simple Green that we keep stocked at our work stations. You can also check your chain to see if it's worn out before going to the trouble of cleaning the dirty thing. You can pick up parts or accessories for your work at our sales shop, Ciclo Urbano, including El Duke degreaser.

dav said:
Okay, I'm down with the El Duke, but I went to their site and didn't see anywhere near the north side that sells the stuff. Where can I pick it up?
Permalink Reply by Jessica on November 10, 2009 at 8:43am
White Lightning!!

That stuff is cool. I like waxes better than oils because they don't grab road grit. =)
Permalink Reply by Barry on November 10, 2009 at 12:55pm
hey chainlinkers here's how I do it:

citrus degreaser from home depot (smells like. . . victory. . . )
gallon or half-gallon milk container cut down with utility knife

Immerse chain overnight. Drape shop towel over the top to slow evaporation.
Next day, rinse in hot water. Re-soak and scrub if necessary.

Pat dry on shop towels. or wrap in a shop towel and whap on the palm of your hand. whap whap whap.

I have used white lightning, tri flow, chain wax and a few other bike-specific lubes. Some people swear by Boeshield, a tenacious aircraft lube, for winter riding. I now use Pro-Link because it works great and it's often on sale at Performance.

Side note, a frisbee is a handy vessel for immersing your chain rings in solvent.
Permalink Reply by Brett Ratner on November 10, 2009 at 5:00pm
I believe the "WD" in WD-40 stands for "Water Displacement." I could be wrong on this but it is my understanding that it is not primarily intended as a lubricant. It is primarily meant to prevent corrosion.

But I just pulled up the WD-40 site and supposedly it does lubricate... http://www.wd40.com/faqs/#a0

Anyway, the Park Tool website has a good tutorial on cleaning and lubing a chain ( http://www.parktool.com/repair/printhowto.asp?id=24 )

Anyway, Clark is right about the chain checker. Replacing the chain is much cheaper than replacing a cassette.



notoriousDUG said:
No.

WD-40 is some of the worst stuff ever invented as it does nothing it is sold to do well.

It is a horrible penetrate and a worse lubricant; there is not anything it is claimed to do that another product does not do better.

I will not even allow it in my shop.

As for chain lube use any one of the many fine chain lubes available at your LBS. Avoid sprays and over lubrication as all it will do is help dirt and grit stick to your chain.

dav said:
Is it cool to use WD-40 as lube or is there something else recommended?
Permalink Reply by Barry Niel Stuart on November 11, 2009 at 10:24am
I myself have a Park CM-5 Cyclone chain scrubber that I've used faithrully on my current bike and its predecessor. I fill it with Simple Green and use it as per Park's video. Then, after cleaming my chain and wiping off the excess with a paper towel, I follow up with Tri-Flow and wipe the excess lube off the chain. There's still plenty of lube on the chain, but noe so much as to draw a lot of dirt
Permalink Reply by wig [ isaac ] on November 17, 2009 at 1:57am

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