8/25/15 12:52 PM

EDIT: Sorry to have cut off page one as I see, but...

Do some degreasers need to be flushed out of the chain after application, with water or whatever?

Or can diluted (solvent heavy) lubes simply displace the degreaser and detritus residues after the wipe-down?

There are aqueous degreasers like Simple Green, and there are petro-based degreasers like Finish Line Citrus Degreaser. Does it matter the type?

How long does a degreasing routine take? Especially if the routine is included with each lubing(?).

And how does it compare to simply using the diluted lube as the degreaser?

I suspect that your drivetrain is a thing of beauty. :->

"Photos or it didn't happen" ;-)


Lately I have been refilling my little TriFlo squeeze bottle from my can of aerosol fast-evaporating solvent-plus-dry-fluoropolymer product shown below.
Same stuff I clean out cable housings with, using the bent-up cable shown to effect a bit of scrubbing action inside slender housing liner.

A added a few 5mm hex nuts into the squeeze bottle to facilitate mixing with but a quick shake, and add perhaps 15% ("seasonally" adjusted to riding conditions) of Nashbar's bottled chain oil to the mix.

Surprisingly, the solvent doesn't seem to vacate the squeeze bottle on it's own, but is highly effervescent like soda water immediately after I top it up. I believe the actual solvent is hexane, as with Dry Lightning's product(?).

I do leave the bottle outside in the hot sun after it's ~monthly refill so as to evacuate the propellant, to calm the effervescence. Then I can apply a neat and precise stream from the applicator tube to the entire moving chain in less than ten seconds. The quick wipedown that follows leaves the chain seemingly clean and dry, yet I can ride for some hundreds of miles in dry conditions before needing to re-apply. So this seems perfect for the chain-maintaining procrastinator.
As compared to odorless mineral spirits, the hexane solvent dries many times faster, so can be used morning-of-ride without the slightest bit of spatter appearing on the back rim.
I also like the cleanliness on the open cable guides using this "drier" formula, as the fluoropolymer doesn't much seem to accumulate over time as does the stearate in White Lightning.

8/25/15 2:50 PM

If I'm just doing a quick wipe-down and lube, I'll clean the drivetrain with a rag and mineral spirits. Depending on how dirty it is, I may scrub it with a brush to remove any crud from the side plates. I also use the mineral spirits wipe-down on new chains to get the factory lube off the external surfaces. That prevents them from picking up a lot of road grit.

If I'm giving the whole bike a bath, I'll remove the rear wheel and install a chain holder. I'll spray the chain with Citra-Solv, a very aggressive, water-soluble, natural degreaser (from citrus fruit peels). I'll give the chain, jockey wheels and chainrings a good scrubbing, then rinse them thoroughly. I've found this to be the most thorough method of cleaning a chain short of taking it off and soaking it in solvent. I give the cassette the same spray, scrub and rinse treatment, but I do it off the frame because I can lean the wheel so the solvent drips away from the bearings.

It's important to remove all of the cleaner and not leave it on for long, as it is acidic. Flooding the drivetrain with with water while spinning cranks does the trick.

After any of the above cleanings, I'll use whatever lube seems appropriate for the particular bike and it's expected near-term use. Although I've used Pro-Link for years on road bikes, lately I've been experimenting with Motorex wet and dry lubes, and also with KMC's factory lube. The Motorex and KMC lube are pretty thick, so diluting them with mineral spirits is a good idea. The Motorex lubes are clear and appear to be modified oils. The KMC lube appears to be Teflon-based and comes in a kit with a handy double-sided brush (a stiff side for scrubbing and a soft side for lube application). I sometimes use Boeshield T-9 when I plan to be riding in wet conditions, particularly for snow and slush, as it's designed to protect against moisture. In terms of performance, the only substantial difference I've noticed is with the KMC lube. It really quiets the drivetrain and makes it really slick.

I take the few extra minutes necessary to apply the lube to each roller, as it doesn't waste lube, I get an even application, it makes less of a mess and I'm less likely to end up with any lube on the rim. After application and spinning the cranks to work it in, I wipe the chain down thoroughly. With thicker lubes, I sometimes run it through a rag moistened with mineral spirits. With thin lubes like Pro-Link, there's no need.

Obviously, there are many ways to skin this particular cat. Pick one that works for you. The actual method and even the lube used is less important than doing it whenever it's needed.

10/17/15 3:20 PM

Has anyone used a foaming degreaser on their chain? (WD40 makes one as part of their bike products line.)

One aspect that could be improved to my Homebrew wiping method is better removal of grit/dirt between the plates. Short of removing the chain and shaking in a bottle of solvent, I am wondering if a foaming degreaser and towel would help to push out the grit into a rag.

And has anyone tried a foaming chain lubricant like this one?

http://www.protectall.com/chainlflong.aspx

Last edited by sanrensho on 10/19/15 9:37 AM; edited 1 time in total

10/19/15 5:42 AM

Even with a good degreaser, there will be material that needs a bit of scrubbing to remove.