[PRSboy]

I had a very rainy ride home today on the ‘best bike’, I don’t usually get it wet!  I hosed it down when I got home to get the grit off it, but what is the best way of properly drying the drivetrain before reapplying Squirt?  It appears to be fussy, requiring a ‘clean dry chain’ before reapplying.  I am concerned that if I give the chain a spray of WD40 I will be left with a deposit that Squirt won’t work with, but if I leave it to dry, I will get surface corrosion.

Am I overthinking this?

Topic

[mattw]

If you seriously need to

If you seriously need to really dry it, stick it in a small room with a dehumidifier or the extract grill for a ventilation system – such as the one where you may dry your washing.

More people are using that as a low-energy alternative to tumble dryers if they are not able to have a washing line.

[Backladder]

I always spin/wipe the chain

I always spin/wipe the chain after a wet ride whatever lube is on it, the enthusiasm for squirt is because of the lack of dirt that is on the chain when it finishes a ride, although it is early days yet I am hopeful that this will result in a much longer life for the whole drivetrain.

[theWombat]

I was about to post my own

I was about to post my own (ignorant) question about Squirt, but saw this recent and quite similar post.  Happy to repost as a new thread if that’s protocol!

Mine’s a daily commuter bike.  I started using Squirt ~6 months ago (new bike, factory lube removed as best I could with toothbrush and degreaser, absolutely nothing but Squirt ever since).  Reviews said it was great and long-lasting.

It’s been fine in the dry but puzzling in the wet.  After an even moderately wet ride, the chain needs wiped down and relubed, failing which it’ll be rusty in the morning.  This is despite being cleaned and lubed the night before the ride.  On one particularly wet day it even got rusty in the dry bike shelter at work after a wet morning ride.

This didn’t happen with oil-based lube, which I used to apply less often (though admittedly with more mess).

It’s been a dry summer.  But with wet weather here … it looks as though I’ll need to wipe/spin as soon as I get home, leave to air dry, relube later in the evening, repeat every day.  Seems like a faff, and relube might be forgotten if kids are kicking off, and like oil lubes would be easier.

So…

(1) Why the great reviews?  Is it an unstated assumption that everyone cleans their chain every ride anyway?  (I.e. have I made a social faux pas mentioning that I don’t always do this, are these reviews not intended for the likes of me, and should I get my coat?)

(2) It looks like there is no external coating of wax protecting the chain from rusting, so is there a good reason to think Squirt is protecting the chain internally?

Thanks, wombat helpers.

 

[PRSboy]

Thanks folks… I tried

Thanks folks… I tried wiping it down and spinning the chain, and a fair amount of water came out.

I reapplied Squirt after leaving it overnight to dry, and there were significantly fewer surface corrosion spots than usual.

[PRSboy]

After I used my wife’s

After I used my wife’s hairdryer to dry my car’s carpet and it broke, I have been banned!

[bikeman01]

IanMSpencer wrote:

IanMSpencer wrote:

but when you contemplate cost and damage to the environment I’ve concluded wiping down chains (baby wipes work well) .

If you’re concerned at all about the environment you wont be using babywipes. You are aware that they are 100% plastic?

[Backladder]

I started using squirt on my

I started using squirt on my all rounder earlier this year and found that spinning the chain backwards quickly gets most of the water off, it can then be wiped with a dry cloth and another dose of squirt applied, chain still looks like new after 6 months when previously I would be doing a deep clean of the chain every month on that bike.

[OnYerBike]

Hairdryer? (As recommended by
Hairdryer? (As recommended by ZFC https://zerofrictioncycling.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/CHAIN-Prep-FAQ-Guide-V2.pdf )

[mike the bike]

Why are you thinking of

Why are you thinking of keeping a bicycle that got wet?  Get rid man, show some pride.

[mark1a]

OP is using a specific was

OP is using a specific wax based lube from Squirt, it should be degreased and dried before application according to their instructions. 

[IanMSpencer]

If you have sufficient lube
If you have sufficient lube then water should not have penetrated the chain. Don’t use degreasers or thin lubes like WD40 as these are likely to penetrate the chain and damage the chain lube.

If the chain is clean, I would wipe down the chain and reapply the lube, any remaining water would be dispersed.

Typically though wet rides pick up grit, so you should contemplate your favourite cleaning regime. I am not a fan of degreaser products as I am not convinced you can remove them enough to avoid damaging the lubricant that follows. Volatile stuff like petrol is good for a thorough, but when you contemplate cost and damage to the environment I’ve concluded wiping down chains (baby wipes work well) and re-lubricating is as cost effective as spending time, effort to stretch the life of a chain. So my chains generally are an oily disgrace but last because they are beneath an oily layer. I wipe off grit but rarely clean them. That’s based several years of trying different things.

[mark1a]

Possibly overthinking yes…

Possibly overthinking yes… So, after a degrease and hose down, I would usually give the chain a really good run through with a dry rag, and then either leave it a few hours or douse it with something like disc brake cleaner, which will dispel water and then evaporate leaving no residue. 

[Author]

Replies