[MT63]

I just noticed this on the KMC website regarding maintenance of your chain:

• Do not use acidic or alkali based detergents (such as rust cleaners), these can damage the chain and may cause breakage.
• Do not dip your chain in (aggressive) degreasers – they remove the remaining grease from the chain’s bearings, and may cause cracks. They are also bad for our environment.
• If the chain is really dirty and difficult to clean, besides using a brush for the inside, try putting some solvent on a cloth and use it to clean the chain’s exterior.
• Try to avoid a so-called ‘chain washing machine’ in combination with solvent. This will instantly ruin your chain.
• Some lubricant brands advise you to completely degrease the chain, KMC does not recommend this.

The full details can be found here:

http://www.kmcchain.eu/MAINTENANCE

This says use some light soapy water if required and some solvent on a cloth to clean the exterior of the chain. This seems to go against everything I have been doing to clean my chain and suggests that all the marketing products for cleaning your chain could actually be bad for it. Do I throw away my chain washing machine?

Topic

[SRRC]

WD40 really isn’t a very good

WD40 really isn’t a very good lubricant, but it’s not a bad cleaner! Next time you have oily or greasy hands use it to clean them.

Clean your chain with degreaser in one of those devices, clean the chainset and cassette with degreaser too, wash off very thoroughly and allow to dry. Then, using one of those chain retainers instead of the rear wheel, use an aerosol of chain lube to apply a modest amount. 4 turns of the pedals will see the chain round once, that’s enough!

Try a agricultural stores/tractor shop for the chain lube aerosol, it’ll be serious stuff.

That will do you for at least 400/500 dry miles.

You’ll find that the chain will gradually turn black with some lube that oozes out, so, after every decent ride  clean the outside of the chain with a rag soaked in WD40 to keep it shiny. If you really care degrease the cassette and chainset as well.  Don’t spray the WD40 directly on the chain or it simply removes the lube.

Remember, you are trying to lubricate those pins and rollers inside of the chain, squirting lube on the outside doesn’t help, it just attracts dirt which then grinds away at your expensive metal. Keep the outsides clean and let the lube do it’s thing inside.

[madcarew]

Chains keep going round if

Chains keep going round if you keep turning the pedals. But wear of first, your chain, and second, your sprockets and chain rings are much accelerated  by a dirty (& hence, worn) chain. 

Contrary to popular belief, chains don’t really stretch, the roller pins wear which leads to greater gap between the rollers and then accelerated wear on the sprockets & co. 

I have a 115 kg friend who rides about 6000-7000 miles a year, and he didn’t change his chain for 3 years, just using WD40. He did have to replace his entire drive train incl jockey wheels at the end of the time. On the other hand I’m an 80 kg Cat 2 racer who does about 7000 – 8000 miles a year, and my last dura-ace cluster (only 1 set of wheels) lasted over 20,000 miles, and the chain rings about 40,000 miles. I wear a (ultegra) chain out in about 2500 miles (to the wear length recommended by the manufacturers.) The cost of the 2 routes is probably similar.

The idea of chain cleaners or other solvents causing chains to crack is, in real world terms, B.S.

As mentioned elsewhere I use some motor oil and wipe the chain clean after each oiling about once a week, or after rain. I’m pretty sure there’s something performance enhancing in just the silence of a clean, un-worn, freshly lubed chain 🙂 

 

[BBB]

Degrease and dry your chain

Degrease and dry your chain completely with one of the methods described above, get some Squirt wax lube (unless you’re from Scotland) and never clean the chain again other than giving it a quick wipe before relubing.

Also use two or three chain in rotation (every few hundred miles). You’ll extend the lifespan of all drive components and you’ll never need to measure the wear or to replace chain(s) too early or too late.

 

“Complicated” business made simple 😉

 

[trailflow]

CXR94Di2 wrote:

CXR94Di2 wrote:

Last year I haven’t cleaned my chain once. I have done 2000 miles of which less than 300 miles on the road in the dry.

That’s the spirit 🙂

[Richard1982]

The only way:

The only way:

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/chainclean.html

[Cantab]

A while back I stumbled

A while back I stumbled across what I can only describe as a chain cleaning philosophy which changed my perspective. I’ve lost the link but it was on one of the many cycling fora online and was named after one of their users who wrote it (if someone knows where to find it I’d much appreciate it!).

The simple essence was to add a little lube to the dirty chain, then run it across a clean cloth (all still on the bike), and keep doing so until the chain runs clean without marking the cloth. Then lube as normal (not leaving too much excess on as that attracts the dirt), and away you pedal!

It was suggested that this approach, little and often (ie each or every other time you ride) would lead to a constantly clean chain which always adheres to the Principle of Silence, and is no more expensive, and certainly less messy and faffy, than most ‘systems’ involving brushes and degreaser.

[CXR94Di2]

This year I haven’t cleaned
Last year I haven’t cleaned my chain once. I have done 2000 miles of which less than 300 miles on the road in the dry.

[kev-s]

Eveyone has their own method,

Eveyone has their own method, try a few and see what works for you

 

For me personally i just wipe my chain clean once a week and lube if needed on my work bike

 

This is on a Ultegra 11 speed chain that does 100 miles a week in all weathers so picks up all kinds of grit and grime esp as part of my ride goes through a nature reserve where theres lots of mud, grit etc.. on the footpath

 

If the chain is so bad it needs a clean then i remove the kmc quick link , remove the chain from the bike, put some hot water in the sink and some washing up liquid in my hands and run the chain through my hands working the washing up liquid all over the chain, then pop into the water and keep working the chain, if real bad then a nail brush is used

 

Finally rinse the chain completely off and hang up to allow to dry, refit to bike and lube (another personal choice on what lube to use)

 

I get 2500 trouble free/smooth running miles from each chain doing this and average 5000 miles a year just going to and from work

 

Have tried a chain bath, aswell as using white spirit and other non toxic chain cleaning products, for me personally washing up liquid works best

[trailflow]

Your wasting your time. It
Your wasting your time. It will be back to dirty in 2 rides. Just wipe it with a rag and re-lube. 🙂

[VeloUSA]

Over the years I have used

Over the years I have used KMC & Shimano chains on several bikes, and I always follow the same cleaning method. I have experienced zero degradation to chain durability and function. After cleaning my ride feels like I have a new chain.

1. Remove KMC Master/Missing Link then remove chain from bike

2. Put chain in small container and spray thoroughly with Zep Citrus Cleaner. Zep oil and residue pdf guide here http://www.zep.com/documents/zdl%20e460-57_oil&residue.pdf

3. Let chain sit in Zep for 30 minutes to ensure it loosens all grime

4. Use stiff nylon brush to scrub entire chain

5. Discard Zep, fill container with very warm water and add Dawn dishwashing soap.

6. Repeat step 4

7. Discard liquid and rinse with clean warm water

8. Repeat step 7 minimum of three times to ensure chain rinses all soap & gunk residue off

9. Air dry overnight

10. Reinstall chain and lube

It takes a little longer but my method ensures I have a squeaky clean chain before I add new chain lube. And, zero worries about Zep as it does NOT harm the chain one bit.

 

[allanj]

I’m changing to a gates belt

I’m changing to a gates belt drive just to avoid the stress and uncertainty of it all

[BBRAP]

andyp wrote:

  *back* end? That’s where you’re going wrong. Needs to be unicorn *mane* hair, not pubic.

 

Unicorn Pah!, get a pushmepullyou, then even an idiot can’t get it wrong.

[andyp]

Argos74 wrote:

rjfrussell wrote:

The ONLY way to clean a chain is with filaments of unicorn hair. 

 

I tried that. Is a devil of a job getting the thing to stand still with its back end next to the bike stand.

 

*back* end? That’s where you’re going wrong. Needs to be unicorn *mane* hair, not pubic.

[Argos74]

rjfrussell wrote:

rjfrussell wrote:

The ONLY way to clean a chain is with filaments of unicorn hair. 

 

I tried that. Is a devil of a job getting the thing to stand still with its back end next to the bike stand.

[rjfrussell]

The ONLY way to clean a chain

The ONLY way to clean a chain is with filaments of unicorn hair.  

Anything else will inevitably release the horsemen of the apocalypse who will visit you with famine death etc.

Also, remember to wear your helmet while cleaning it.  Aero covering optional.

[Author]

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