MTB Chains: To De-grease or Not-to-Degrease

[love2fly]

I've bean using Squirt chain lube on my road and MTB for as long as I can remember.

On my MTB i used to give the chain a good scrub with degreaser and rinse well every time I wash my bike (around 60km if in a group and sucking dust and longer if solo).

 

I did some research and discovered 2 things:

1. I was using too much Squirt (dry lube) on my MTB to the point I was getting crud on my jockey wheels etc.

2. Squirt say never to degrease the chain and to just brush with dry brush etc

 

https://www.squirtcyclingproducts.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/SquirtChainLube-_ApplicationInstructions.pdf

So my question is, what do you guys do?

 

I'm now using less, basically just a drop or 2 per roller and brushing and wiping after each ride and the post ride situation is a much cleaner drive train......

 

Thoughts?

[Grease_Monkey]

Degrease when I wash my bike (+/- once a month). Dry brush and a little but of dry lube between most rides.

 

Washing and degreasing your bike too often also removes grease from places you do want it, eg: pivot bearings, interface between cassette and driver body - and gives you a squeaky ride.

[Eugéne Alberts]

Degrease when I wash my bike (+/- once a month). Dry brush and a little but of dry lube between most rides.

 

Washing and degreasing your bike too often also removes grease from places you do want it, eg: pivot bearings, interface between cassette and driver body - and gives you a squeaky ride.

. Your name suggests a bias toward less degreasing

[bikebloke]

on a roadie just dont ever

[DieselnDust]

I've bean using Squirt chain lube on my road and MTB for as long as I can remember.

On my MTB i used to give the chain a good scrub with degreaser and rinse well every time I wash my bike (around 60km if in a group and sucking dust and longer if solo).

 

I did some research and discovered 2 things:

1. I was using too much Squirt (dry lube) on my MTB to the point I was getting crud on my jockey wheels etc.

2. Squirt say never to degrease the chain and to just brush with dry brush etc

 

https://www.squirtcyclingproducts.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/SquirtChainLube-_ApplicationInstructions.pdf

So my question is, what do you guys do?

 

I'm now using less, basically just a drop or 2 per roller and brushing and wiping after each ride and the post ride situation is a much cleaner drive train......

 

Thoughts?

Karscher jet wash. Full blast right at the chain. Removed all the dirt.

Same onto the cassette. Allow to dry and then relube

[love2fly]

on a roadie just dont ever

Yip, my roadbike needs so much less work than the MTB. A wipe now and then and chain lube a couple of times a year....and the drive train just keeps going and going....

[Sepia]

Degrease often and then use oil.

[MudLark]

I've stopped using Squirt. I just couldn't take the gunge anymore. Gone back to traditional dry and semi-dry lubes.

 

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[FDP]

KMC recommends that you never degrease their chains.

 

You also get degrease and then degrease. I will typically degrease with Clean Green and a chain scrubber every couple of rides, say 100km. I will never go to the extent of soaking my chain in paraffin for days.

[MudLark]

I now use a Herschell dry lube, which is also a wax lube. I run chain through a rag while rotating the crank to clean it. Then I relube. None of the heavy gunge you get with Squirt, you never need to degrease and the chain feels much smoother too. You can't give me Squirt for free anymore. Not interested.

 

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[bikebloke]

as has been discussed before sigh   ....when you put a chain in pararafin/turps/kleengreen/citrusdegreaser etc etc

 

you strip the cosmoline and lubrication inside the pins link cavities ...you CANT replace that cosmoline and lubrication inside the pin cavities by schmeering goo or spraying it onto the outside of the chain .........so no YOU cant degrease and regrease chains because it doesnt work.

 

do you think manufacturers of stuff just tell you NOT to do stuff to the products to mess with you?

 

just follow the instructions they are there for a reason otherwise you will be on another chestnut fred on here going "why do i only get 259km out of my chain/drivetrain before its worn out"

[MudLark]

Dunno so much. It depends upon the chain design. With most rollers chains its not an issue - there is sufficient space between the rollers and the pins and the rollers and the sideplates to enable the lubricant to penetrate if its sufficiently fluid.

 

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[Inhlanzi]

Been soaking my my mtb chains in paraffin, dry, then wet lube, wipe clean, then squirt for about 10 years. Works like a dream, for me.

[Me rida my bicycle]

Every now and then I put some Smooth lube on and brush the build up off when needed. But never have used any degreasers, chain on for almost a year done quite a bit of riding and still has almost the same stretch as when I fitted it.

[Jakkals.]

There was old timer on the hub, cant remember his name. Swore not to use anything other than paraffin. Degreasers will eat your chain.

[Skylark]

 

 

as has been discussed before sigh ....when you put a chain in pararafin/turps/kleengreen/citrusdegreaser etc etc

 

you strip the cosmoline and lubrication inside the pins link cavities ...you CANT replace that cosmoline and lubrication inside the pin cavities by schmeering goo or spraying it onto the outside of the chain .........so no YOU cant degrease and regrease chains because it doesnt work.

 

do you think manufacturers of stuff just tell you NOT to do stuff to the products to mess with you?

 

just follow the instructions they are there for a reason otherwise you will be on another chestnut fred on here going "why do i only get 259km out of my chain/drivetrain before its worn out"

Don't know of any bicycle chains having orings in them, motorbike chains yes and those you don't soak in degreaser or paraffin.

 

For bicycle chains put some paraffin in a yogurt container, chuck in the chain(use a masterlink), shake it up a bit, let rest for 15mins or longer, shake again and then shake in some clean paraffin... Then relube with whatever is your poison. Unbeatable!!