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| Ever thought of getting one of those "chain bath" gadgets to clean
your chain? Well, from what I have been told, they are a bother to set
up, and the results aren't that spectacular considering the money invested.
Ask around, as you may hear different, but I have heard of them sitting
in the cupboard even though people had paid good money for them. That said,
the best way is the manual way, but you can get excellent results in just
a few minutes, even if the work is dirty.
You will find a number of different methods below, with varying degrees of work involved. But, as you'll see, you can get great results from even the quickest of methods. Just remember - the more often you clean your chain, the easier it will be to do so! Preparation Before we look at the various methods, I should mention something a few of you will find obvious, but in my experience many don't: if you don't first get rid of caked-on mud and blobs of greasy gunk, you are in for some infuriatingly messy work! If your chain is that dirty, get an old (dry) toothbrush and scrub off as much as you can, and do the same to the back derailleur wheels. You can even set your garden hose on it, especially if it is mostly mud. However, you could just go straight to Soap and Water, but I recommend making life easier with the toothbrush (and a skewer if possible) first. Once you have done this, chose your cleaning method. I recommend (HIGHLY!) that you maintain your chain thereafter as described in Rag and Oil - weekly if you can (though the more often the better! Many think weekly is the bare minimum, especially if you do dusty trails). And don't forget to Oil Your Chain! Cleaning Methods Rag
and Oil
Grab an old (but clean) rag, either thick (but not fluffy) or large enough to fold over a few times - the idea being that you will hold the rag in the palm of your hand and wrap your fingers around the chain. Besides a rag of sufficient size, you will need some Teflon-based Oil (click for more info) In the centre of the rag, squirt a patch of oil the size of a large coin (or a thick line long enough to cover the chain when the rag is wrapped around it). When the bottom of the chain is sitting on top of the oily patch, close your hand so that the section of chain is surrounded in cloth. Hold firm and slowly back-pedal with the other hand. If you have a workstand, or a small stand that elevates the back wheel, it is better to pedal forward as the increased tension makes it easier to firmly clasp the chain. Keep revolving the chain, occasionally stopping to reposition the rag to a cleaner area. When satisfied it is ready for oiling, give the chain-ring teeth and derailleur jockey wheels a wipe before discarding the rag. Now you can Oil Your Chain. If your chain is a bit gunky, grab some soapy water and an old toothbrush. Even a grease-cutting detergent is no where near as effective as a degreaser, so it is safe. Even though you will be oiling the chain later, I have had strong recommendations for not using a degreaser. However, if you want to go that route, you can choose to Degrease Your Chain. You can also Clean With Kerosene, which leaves some oil in the links. |
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