Another Chain Cleaning Question

[MarkInNC]

I decided to clean up my bike after my ride last night. I had purchased a spray can of white lightning degreaser and a bottle of their wax lube.

The spray degreaser seemed to clean the exterior portion of the chain, it brightened right up. I wiped it down as the instructions say. But as I was turning the chain around everything became greasy again so I used more spray degreaser and a brush. More grease came off but same result at the end, once I turned the chain several revolutions chain and gears looked like they needed to be cleaned.

I gave up after the third time, (and my can of degreaser was empty by then). Do I have to remove the chain and soak it in kerosene or what?

Mark

 

[alfeng]

Grease (or, oil OR lube of your choice [e.g., wax]) is your chain's friend ... you are over-cleaning your chain ... the object of cleaning your chain is to remove GRIT/dirt/whatever and NOT the "grease."

 

[Dean Thomas]

Grease (or, oil OR lube of your choice [e.g., wax]) is your chain's friend ... you are over-cleaning your chain ... the object of cleaning your chain is to remove GRIT/dirt/whatever and NOT the "grease."

To a certain extent I agree, but remember that the discoloured lube left after you remove the bulk of the grit is still lube with really fine grit in it the cleaner you can get your chain and then re-aply fresh lube and the more often you clean it the longer your chain will last. Only you can decide whether the extra effort required is worth the extra life span of your drive line, most drive line components at the mid level range aren't that expensive.

 

[fujibike]

Chain maintenance depends a lot on your riding conditions. Basically the first thing to do is wipe the chain with a rag after each ride. For cleaning, I would suggest you try either Simple Green or a Citrus cleaner with an old toothbrush or a chain cleaning 'machine' (I prefer Spin Doctor when I want a quick clean, brush for more thorough). Let that dry thoroughly before lubing.

 

[POGATA]

Perdro`s Chain Machine

 

[alienator]

Chain make gears on bike go 'round. Bikes go 'round roads. Chains get dirty. The only time a chain is clean is the time between when you clean it and when you hit the road. When riding, who sees the chain? No one.

Keep it lubed and free of abrasive grit. That's all that is needed.

 

[POGATA]

The ShelBroCo Bicycle Chain Cleaning System