Please Evaluate My Chain Cleaning Process

Fitz said:

I use a 9-speed HyperGlide chain and a SRAM PowerLink. SRAM highly
discourages use of a PowerLink with a HG chain, but I've not had a
single problem in over 4000K or use.

I need your thoughts on the following:

To clean, I soak the chain in Nashbar biodegradable solvent and then
hose it off with high-pressure water.

I lay the chain out on newspaper and allow it to "drain." Then I put
the chain in a tub of motor oil and allow it to soak overnight. Then I
hang the chain and let it drip. Finally, I wipe the excess oil off and
place the chain back on the bike.

Your thoughts and comments are appreciated.

Sincerely,

Fitz

I think you have to much time on your hands.

12+ hours to clean a chain????

Fitz said:

I use a 9-speed HyperGlide chain and a SRAM PowerLink. SRAM highly
discourages use of a PowerLink with a HG chain, but I've not had a
single problem in over 4000K or use.

I need your thoughts on the following:

To clean, I soak the chain in Nashbar biodegradable solvent and then
hose it off with high-pressure water.

I lay the chain out on newspaper and allow it to "drain." Then I put
the chain in a tub of motor oil and allow it to soak overnight. Then I
hang the chain and let it drip. Finally, I wipe the excess oil off and
place the chain back on the bike.

Your thoughts and comments are appreciated.

Sincerely,

Fitz

Fitz said:

I use a 9-speed HyperGlide chain and a SRAM PowerLink. SRAM highly
discourages use of a PowerLink with a HG chain, but I've not had a
single problem in over 4000K or use.

I need your thoughts on the following:

To clean, I soak the chain in Nashbar biodegradable solvent and then
hose it off with high-pressure water.

I lay the chain out on newspaper and allow it to "drain." Then I put
the chain in a tub of motor oil and allow it to soak overnight. Then I
hang the chain and let it drip. Finally, I wipe the excess oil off and
place the chain back on the bike.

Your thoughts and comments are appreciated.

Sincerely,

Fitz

I think you need to visit a research lab and put the chain in a high
speed centrifuge to get the water out and then repeat in the oil
solution to make sure you get all the nooks and crannies. The latter
operation will save quite a few hours over the time waster of
overnight soaking.

Man! That's what I need to ask the wife for: a new centrifuge!

I'll be the envy of every garage mechanic on the PLANET!!

: - )

===================

R Brickston said:

Fitz said:

I use a 9-speed HyperGlide chain and a SRAM PowerLink. SRAM highly
discourages use of a PowerLink with a HG chain, but I've not had a
single problem in over 4000K or use.

I need your thoughts on the following:

To clean, I soak the chain in Nashbar biodegradable solvent and then
hose it off with high-pressure water.

I lay the chain out on newspaper and allow it to "drain." Then I put
the chain in a tub of motor oil and allow it to soak overnight. Then I
hang the chain and let it drip. Finally, I wipe the excess oil off and
place the chain back on the bike.

Your thoughts and comments are appreciated.

Sincerely,

Fitz

I think you need to visit a research lab and put the chain in a high
speed centrifuge to get the water out and then repeat in the oil
solution to make sure you get all the nooks and crannies. The latter
operation will save quite a few hours over the time waster of
overnight soaking.

Fitz said:

Man! That's what I need to ask the wife for: a new centrifuge!

I'll be the envy of every garage mechanic on the PLANET!!

: - )

Hmmphf... Well, I can see that you scoff at such a purchase...
However, think about the time it will save going to the lab and back.
And if the OP is /really/ a conscientious cycling enthusiast and not
just some biking poser, it could be weekly. Quite a time savings.

Quoted message said:

===================

R Brickston said:

Fitz said:

I use a 9-speed HyperGlide chain and a SRAM PowerLink. SRAM highly
discourages use of a PowerLink with a HG chain, but I've not had a
single problem in over 4000K or use.

I need your thoughts on the following:

To clean, I soak the chain in Nashbar biodegradable solvent and then
hose it off with high-pressure water.

I lay the chain out on newspaper and allow it to "drain." Then I put
the chain in a tub of motor oil and allow it to soak overnight. Then I
hang the chain and let it drip. Finally, I wipe the excess oil off and
place the chain back on the bike.

Your thoughts and comments are appreciated.

Sincerely,

Fitz

I think you need to visit a research lab and put the chain in a high
speed centrifuge to get the water out and then repeat in the oil
solution to make sure you get all the nooks and crannies. The latter
operation will save quite a few hours over the time waster of
overnight soaking.

I shower and shampoo the chain daily, applying a conditioner such as
Vidal Sassoon Aloe Herbal chain conditioner.

Once a month I bathe myself in degreaser and hang dry overnight.

sal bass said:

12+ hours to clean a chain????

No problem if you have a selection of bikes to ride. The downside of
which is that they can all get relegated to the back of the shed awaiting
some repair or other until to your surprise none of them are ridable.

Mike "down to two of four"

Fitz said:

I use a 9-speed HyperGlide chain and a SRAM PowerLink. SRAM highly
discourages use of a PowerLink with a HG chain, but I've not had a
single problem in over 4000K or use.

I need your thoughts on the following:

To clean, I soak the chain in Nashbar biodegradable solvent and then
hose it off with high-pressure water.

I lay the chain out on newspaper and allow it to "drain." Then I put
the chain in a tub of motor oil and allow it to soak overnight. Then I
hang the chain and let it drip. Finally, I wipe the excess oil off and
place the chain back on the bike.

Your thoughts and comments are appreciated.

Sincerely,

Fitz

Dear Fitz,

Lather, rinse, repeat!

On a slightly more practical note, I used to fuss with my chain a great
deal, too.

Now I just replace it every 3-4 months with $6 chains bought on sale
from Nashbar, one of the advantages of older 7-speed technology.

Remember, no matter how you clean it, a chain exposed to road dust
wears out. Is it really worth all that effort to try to make a chain
last some undetermined extra number of miles? Unless you enjoy the
process as much as cowboys like brushing down horses, chain-cleaning
involves far too much mess, fuss, time, and material.

You could time the whole procedure some day, including chain removal,
cleaning, rituals, re-installation, and all the hand-cleaning,
garbage-disposal, and minor mistakes that get forgotten. (Those pesky
quick-links can be infernally slow some days.)

Timing the procedure would open up a whole new topic, namely what's the
fastest, most efficient method of cleaning half-worn-out chains.

But it does give RBT something to debate, which is fun.

Cheers,

Carl Fogel

Quoted message said:

I shower and shampoo the chain daily, applying a conditioner such as
Vidal Sassoon Aloe Herbal chain conditioner.

Once a month I bathe myself in degreaser and hang dry overnight.

I've decided to think you're a woman.

R Brickston said:

Fitz said:

I use a 9-speed HyperGlide chain and a SRAM PowerLink. SRAM highly
discourages use of a PowerLink with a HG chain, but I've not had a
single problem in over 4000K or use.

I need your thoughts on the following:

To clean, I soak the chain in Nashbar biodegradable solvent and then
hose it off with high-pressure water.

I lay the chain out on newspaper and allow it to "drain." Then I put
the chain in a tub of motor oil and allow it to soak overnight. Then I
hang the chain and let it drip. Finally, I wipe the excess oil off and
place the chain back on the bike.

Your thoughts and comments are appreciated.

Sincerely,

Fitz

I think you need to visit a research lab and put the chain in a high
speed centrifuge to get the water out and then repeat in the oil
solution to make sure you get all the nooks and crannies. The latter
operation will save quite a few hours over the time waster of
overnight soaking.

A centrifuge? That's fine for all the Freds; we Serious Cyclists stick
our chains in a cyclotron. Those accelerated particles really get the
grit off in jig time!

Quoted message said:

Fitz said:

I use a 9-speed HyperGlide chain and a SRAM PowerLink. SRAM highly
discourages use of a PowerLink with a HG chain, but I've not had a
single problem in over 4000K or use.

I need your thoughts on the following:

To clean, I soak the chain in Nashbar biodegradable solvent and then
hose it off with high-pressure water.

I lay the chain out on newspaper and allow it to "drain." Then I put
the chain in a tub of motor oil and allow it to soak overnight. Then I
hang the chain and let it drip. Finally, I wipe the excess oil off and
place the chain back on the bike.

Your thoughts and comments are appreciated.

Sincerely,

Fitz

Dear Fitz,

Lather, rinse, repeat!

On a slightly more practical note, I used to fuss with my chain a great
deal, too.

Now I just replace it every 3-4 months with $6 chains bought on sale
from Nashbar, one of the advantages of older 7-speed technology.

Remember, no matter how you clean it, a chain exposed to road dust
wears out. Is it really worth all that effort to try to make a chain
last some undetermined extra number of miles? Unless you enjoy the
process as much as cowboys like brushing down horses, chain-cleaning
involves far too much mess, fuss, time, and material.

You could time the whole procedure some day, including chain removal,
cleaning, rituals, re-installation, and all the hand-cleaning,
garbage-disposal, and minor mistakes that get forgotten. (Those pesky
quick-links can be infernally slow some days.)

Timing the procedure would open up a whole new topic, namely what's the
fastest, most efficient method of cleaning half-worn-out chains.

But it does give RBT something to debate, which is fun.

Cheers,

Carl Fogel

What? No links to SheldonBrownSez???

Mike Causer said:

sal bass said:

12+ hours to clean a chain????

No problem if you have a selection of bikes to ride. The downside of
which is that they can all get relegated to the back of the shed awaiting
some repair or other until to your surprise none of them are ridable.

Now dammit how long you been spying on me.

Ron

Fitz said:

Man! That's what I need to ask the wife for: a new centrifuge!

I'll be the envy of every garage mechanic on the PLANET!!

You have a centrifuge.

Put the chain back on the bike and spin the pedals backwards
as fast as you can.

--Blair

Quoted message said:

A centrifuge? That's fine for all the Freds; we Serious Cyclists stick
our chains in a cyclotron. Those accelerated particles really get the
grit off in jig time!

Two words: Spin Cycle.

Just get it out before the tub fills again.

--Blair

Blair P. Houghton said:

Quoted message said:

A centrifuge? That's fine for all the Freds; we Serious Cyclists stick
our chains in a cyclotron. Those accelerated particles really get the
grit off in jig time!

Two words: Spin Cycle.

Just get it out before the tub fills again.

Then get out of the house before the S.O. finds out.

Mark J.

Bill Sornson said:

I've decided to think you're a woman.

If this is the kind of thing you've come to associate with the women in
your life, then you go right ahead.

Fitz said:

Your thoughts and comments are appreciated.

If it's producing good results for you, no further discussion is
needed. Ride and smile.
--
Typoes are a feature, not a bug.
Some gardening required to reply via email.
Words processed in a facility that contains nuts.

Quoted message said:

Bill Sornson wrote:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I've decided to think you're a woman.

Quoted message said:

If this is the kind of thing you've come to associate with the women
in your life, then you go right ahead.

Um, if WHAT is the kind of thing? (You see, you DELETED that which prompted
my comment, rendering /your/ comment essentially meaningless to a new
reader.)

Not to mention, of course, that my post was intended to be good-natured and
not in any way insulting. Perhaps you failed to grasp that?

Bill "think we've got a budding AHZ here" S.

I have neither the time nor the inclination to make a big deal of chain
cleaning.

If chain is dry I lube it with washing up liquid, then spin it on the
bike while pouring hot water over it, then oil it (I use motor oil).

If dirty, I spin it while pouring diesel or paraffin with some oil in
it. The diesel evaporates, leaving the oil. This is a terrific touring
chain-cleaning technique. You just need some waste-ground. Don't use
petrol as it's dodgy stuff.