Chain cleaning - Cycling Mob: Road Cycling, Mountain Biking and More

08-08-2003, 03:25 AM

After you use chain cleaner on your chain, do you immediatly apply lube, or do
you have to wait for the cleaner to evaportate?
What are you supposed to do to make sure the new lube job doesnt get messed up
by residue chain cleaner. Simply wiping it off wont get whats in the links.

08-08-2003, 05:44 AM

I don't know if it correct or not, but I let the chain dry for about half an
hour (or less, if it is sitting in the sun). This has worked for me for close
to 10 years.

Steve Scarich

08-08-2003, 06:22 AM

Chains rust pretty quicly when there is no lube on them.
Usually, I lube it pretty much as soon as finished cleaning it. Although, in
my case the cleaning is mainly done with water hose to remove th mud after
XC mountain biking.

"GABIKE" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote in message
news:[Only registered and activated users can see links. ].com...
> After you use chain cleaner on your chain, do you immediatly apply lube,
or do
> you have to wait for the cleaner to evaportate?
> What are you supposed to do to make sure the new lube job doesnt get
messed up
> by residue chain cleaner. Simply wiping it off wont get whats in the
links.

08-08-2003, 08:36 PM

"GABIKE" wrote
> After you use chain cleaner on your chain, do you immediatly apply lube,
or do
> you have to wait for the cleaner to evaportate?
> What are you supposed to do to make sure the new lube job doesnt get
messed up
> by residue chain cleaner. Simply wiping it off wont get whats in the
links.

That's a great question. I hope you get some good answers I can try. I was
cleaning then washing the whole bike with water, then WD40 to takeoff the
water but I have had some very rusty chains. If it's rusty, what was the
benefit of the cleaning?

My next experiment is to clean with diesel for the protection of the extra
oil content, then wash, then use a LOT of WD40, then lube next day. If that
doesn't lessen the rust I guess I'll have to lube right away, or try diesel,
wash, diesel, next day lube.

A former pro wrench for mtb racers told me he didn't clean, just wiped the
chain down and applied more off-road lube. Maybe he has a point. On the
other hand maybe he is a "former pro wrench" for other reasons than low pay.

Doug
Toronto

08-09-2003, 12:59 AM

In article <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ].com>,
[Only registered and activated users can see links. ] (GABIKE) wrote:

> After you use chain cleaner on your chain, do you immediatly apply lube, or do
> you have to wait for the cleaner to evaportate?
> What are you supposed to do to make sure the new lube job doesnt get messed up
> by residue chain cleaner. Simply wiping it off wont get whats in the links.

The few times I have actually cleaned my chain I have cleaned it
thoroughly, then wiped as much excess water as I could, then applied the
lube right away, though the instructions recommend letting it sit
overnight. I usually cannot wait that long.

08-09-2003, 11:44 PM

I just spray the whole thing with wd40 and hve done with it

On 08 Aug 2003 11:25:27 GMT, [Only registered and activated users can see links. ] (GABIKE) wrote:

>After you use chain cleaner on your chain, do you immediatly apply lube, or do
>you have to wait for the cleaner to evaportate?
>What are you supposed to do to make sure the new lube job doesnt get messed up
>by residue chain cleaner. Simply wiping it off wont get whats in the links.

08-11-2003, 02:00 PM

On 08 Aug 2003 11:25:27 GMT, [Only registered and activated users can see links. ] (GABIKE) wrote:

>After you use chain cleaner on your chain, do you immediatly apply lube, or do
>you have to wait for the cleaner to evaportate?
>What are you supposed to do to make sure the new lube job doesnt get messed up
>by residue chain cleaner. Simply wiping it off wont get whats in the links.

The Approved Method is the "Sheldon Shake" as detailed here:
<http://www.sheldonbrown.com/chains.html>

Clean with the citrus, rinse and lube. Works every time; I've given
up on on-the-bike cleaners now because the Sheldon Shake is so quick &
thorough.

Guy
===
** WARNING ** This posting may contain traces of irony.
[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]
New! Improved!! Now with added extra Demon!

08-12-2003, 02:35 AM

I know, I know, but so what if it attracts gunk. The forces exerted
on the chain when im riding off road are so immense that a little bit
of gunk will just get ripped off if its in the way.

On Mon, 11 Aug 2003 18:34:53 -0400, Rick Onanian <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]>
wrote:

>On Sun, 10 Aug 2003 07:44:25 GMT, Arpit <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ].au>
>wrote:
>> I just spray the whole thing with wd40 and hve done with it
>
><sigh>...didn't you read the other threads on chain
>cleaning? The WD, while popularly known to stand for
>"Water Displacement", actually means "Wrecks Derailleurs"...

08-12-2003, 05:46 PM

On Tue, 12 Aug 2003 10:35:15 GMT, Arpit <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ].au>
wrote:
> I know, I know, but so what if it attracts gunk. The forces exerted
> on the chain when im riding off road are so immense that a little bit
> of gunk will just get ripped off if its in the way.

Nope, the problem is that it won't lubricate it for
long or very well at all for any time. Further, the
end result of WD-40'd chains somehow always is rust.

> On Mon, 11 Aug 2003 18:34:53 -0400, Rick Onanian <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]>
> wrote:
>
>> On Sun, 10 Aug 2003 07:44:25 GMT, Arpit
>> <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ].au> wrote:
>>> I just spray the whole thing with wd40 and hve done with it
>>
>> <sigh>...didn't you read the other threads on chain
>> cleaning? The WD, while popularly known to stand for
>> "Water Displacement", actually means "Wrecks Derailleurs"...
>
>

--
Rick Onanian

08-13-2003, 02:28 AM

Oh, I didn't want lubrication, just water resistance. Its too thin for
lubrication.

On Tue, 12 Aug 2003 21:46:27 -0400, Rick Onanian <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]>
wrote:

>On Tue, 12 Aug 2003 10:35:15 GMT, Arpit <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ].au>
>wrote:
>> I know, I know, but so what if it attracts gunk. The forces exerted
>> on the chain when im riding off road are so immense that a little bit
>> of gunk will just get ripped off if its in the way.
>
>Nope, the problem is that it won't lubricate it for
>long or very well at all for any time. Further, the
>end result of WD-40'd chains somehow always is rust.
>
>> On Mon, 11 Aug 2003 18:34:53 -0400, Rick Onanian <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]>
>> wrote:
>>
>>> On Sun, 10 Aug 2003 07:44:25 GMT, Arpit
>>> <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ].au> wrote:
>>>> I just spray the whole thing with wd40 and hve done with it
>>>
>>> <sigh>...didn't you read the other threads on chain
>>> cleaning? The WD, while popularly known to stand for
>>> "Water Displacement", actually means "Wrecks Derailleurs"...
>>
>>