Duck Smart The Black Stuff Chain Cleaner

Duck Smart The Black Stuff Chain Cleaner is a drivetrain degreaser gel, designed to seep deep into the chain links, theoretically blitzing lube and ingrained grime. Being a gel, it's clingy, relatively economical to use, with minimal mess. Non-caustic, it won't do anything nasty to painted, polished, plated, or anodised surfaces, so can be used without removing chains, cassettes, rings, derailleurs and so on. It also does a reasonable job of removing ingrained grime from handlebar wraps, saddle covers and faux leather shoe uppers. However, there are faster acting blends for purging drivetrain grot.

• Pros: Gentle enough for generic degreasing/cleaning jobs
• Cons: Too tame for rapid dismissal of heavy duty petrochemical chain lubes

For obvious reasons, Duck Smart wouldn't talk specific alchemy. However, it would tell me it's a blend of 'mainly softeners and detergents' free of petrochemicals and biodegradable. Nonetheless, Duck Smart also suggests using gloves and eyewear. I'd certainly go the gloves route, if you have sensitive skin and/or are prone to dermatitis.

Public safety announcement served, pop bike(s) in your preferred outdoor fettling spot, ideally in a workstand, and get to work.

Method

First time round you'll need to cut the spout with scissors and pour into the chain links/related components – exactly as you would a chain lube, basically. The flow rate is reassuringly pedestrian, enabling easy and precise delivery.

Spin the cranks and cruise up and down the cassette where appropriate to get them evenly coated. Now leave it to work in and nibble away at your transmission's ingrained grot for five minutes or so.

Then, round up your preferred brushes and get scrubbing. Rinse with clean water and, where necessary, repeat.

In common with Green Oil Degreaser Jelly, the Black Stuff also makes easy transition to other lube-stripping duties, from hub, headset races and bottom bracket shells through to contact points.

Performance

Regardless of context, the Black Stuff seems relatively kind but equally pedestrian compared with the Green Oil jelly mentioned above, which is arguably its closest rival.

Shifting sophisticated ceramic/petrochemical lubes, including Smoove universal chain lube, Muc-Off Team Sky Hydrodynamic Lube and Fenwick's Stealth, have required at least two helpings, warm water and vigorous scrubbing – 10 minutes all told.

The song remained much the same with more traditional wet lubes, such as Finish Line Wet, chainsaw oil and old school 10w/40 motor oils.

Admittedly, a citrus-based solvent type – the sort you decant into chain baths – also takes two attempts but less time, not to mention elbow grease. Green Oil's jelly will strip all these within five minutes and will even gobble its own grimy puddle afterwards.

> Video: How to clean and lube your bike for maximum efficiency

The Black Stuff fares better with bog standard, ISO/PTFE type lubes, ultra clean/wax formulations and so on. First time, six minutes, modest effort.

In the context of frames, forks and contact points, working it into surfaces and leaving to marinate for two minutes, then agitating with a medium-stiff brush before a quick scrub 'n' rinse finale after five minutes reaped reasonable reward. Basic PTFE greases were dismissed.

Using a similar MO, it does a reasonable job of lifting ingrained grime from cork and other (non-polymer) bar wraps.

Ceramic, polymer and marine type greases needed nearer 12 minutes and repeated scrubbing. Testament to their staying prowess on the one hand, but Green Oil jelly has also stripped these faster and, ultimately, cleaner.

Conclusion

The Black Stuff is a reasonably useful, surface-friendly degreaser. However, as a drivetrain grot blaster, there are many more efficient brews around. Some kitchen sink alchemists will point out that washing up liquids will do much the same job and for pennies. I've used a household dish detergent to bring some scabby looking rings, chains and cassettes up to scratch over the years; not my first choice but they will do the job.

If price is your bottom line, then these and more primitive solvents (50/50 petrol/derv mix used to be a firm favourite with pro mechanics) represent much better value. For me, comparing like with like, Green Oil Chain Degreaser Jelly wins hands down.

Verdict

Okay as a generic degeaser but distinctly average when it comes to drivetrains