Cleaning your drivetrain

[SwissVan]

SV , one of my mates has one and he said lets try a chain and cassette to see how clean it comes .

 

I can tell you it is without doubt the BEST I have ever seen a used chain and cassette looking . 15 minutes at about 55 degrees .

It even sounded quieter . Once or twice a year I will certainly take my chain and cassette to him for some true love .

Hi Popit

Yes for sure it’s an effective way to clean your chain.

Problem is chains don’t stay clean for long...unless it’s a shop window bike ????

 

But it’s still a waste of time IMO, kind of like cleaning your car when you know it’s going to rain in half n hours time.

 

I don’t like to remove my chain, that just opens the door to chain failure due to not connecting the link properly..... seen it happen a few times to guys who love to remove their chains for cleaning....

[Vetseun]

Okes buy this chain cleaner. Tell your drivetrain I say that it is a pleasure.

[porqui]

Tell me why not.

 

Pressure washer and bicycle do not belong in the same sentence ever.

[arendoog]

WD40 to get everything loose ,then muckoff or something similar 

[Wimmas]

Great thread with a lot of insight. Since day 1 I have used clean green on my current bike. Works well to clean everything, but recently I noticed the chain is battling. Even though it looks clean to the eye, I think there it gunked where on cannot see between links.

 

I always soak it for about 30min in pure cleen green, then brush it with a nail brush. Clean with hot water then hang to try. Once dried, I put it back on the bike and lube with squirt a day before I ride. Been working well until the last two rides.

 

Recently noticed chain suck and gears not shifting smoothly. Did the above with cleen green and lubed with smoove. Had the worst shifting experience this weekend ever. Chain is still good as I had chain wear measured just a week ago and it is still fine. Has about 900km's on it.

 

Think I need to soak it in either petrol or paraffin to get all the gunk out where the eye cannot see, and then dry + lube properly.

 

For the casette, rear derailleur and chain rings I dilute cleen green 1:2 with water in a spray bottle and spray over the components. Then scrub with a paint brush, tooth brush, rag, nail brush until clean. I bounce the rear wheel on a hard surface after cleaning the casette to ensure the water does not sit and go into the places where it does not belong and mess up bearings/degrease where there is supposed to be grease.

[wessie12]

Pressure washer and bicycle do not belong in the same sentence ever.

Nonsens

[DR ◣◢]

Lots of shouting in here about “don’t use a pressure washer” and “use a pressure washer” and “nonsense” but nobody actually gives their reasons.

 

How about we all share with the class?

[Gerhard765]

Lots of shouting in here about “don’t use a pressure washer” and “use a pressure washer” and “nonsense” but nobody actually gives their reasons.

 

How about we all share with the class?

Have a look at this. It covers a few of the beliefs of pressure washing.

 

[greg_sa]

Geez, my opinion is not to go too crazy. Just spray with degreaser, run chain against a brush, then rise off. Let dry and lube with Smoove.

[CAAD4]

Listen to the Champ. WTH has time or patience to rotate chains, or remove them and boil them in greece?

[TNT1]

Pressure washer and bicycle do not belong in the same sentence ever.

Why?

[Slowbee]

Nee blik emmer. Who the poodle has time to wash a bike? As in, take apart this and that. Degrease this, soap that, rinse this. Put together, test this, tweak that. Five hours later and all the grease is on your hands and not the bike.

 

Here is how you wash your "drive train".

Step1:

Take bike to bike shop - 5 min.

Step 2:

Pop by bottle store for a few cold ones 10 min

Step 3(a):

Collect bike after work, sharing the cold ones with the guys and gals at thye LBS - (very likely ALOT longer than 5 min)

Step 3(b):

Pay bikeshop about R150 for wash drive chain(including the rest of the bike) and making a few recommendations on possible future issues.

Step 4:

The final step, ride more on the weekend.

 

Total time, anything from 20min - 1 or 2 hours.

 

Weekends were made for things like being on your bike rather than than washing your bike.

[MudLark]

Pressure washer… It depends upon how you use it. If you use it like an idiot, you can force the water behind seals. If you use it with a moderate degree of intelligence, you shouldn't have a problem.

[Veebee]

Weekends were made for things like being on your bike rather than than washing your bike.

thats why you wash on a Monday or Friday, well thats what I do.

I like a clean bike for the weekend.

[ChrisF]

Nee blik emmer. Who the poodle has time to wash a bike? As in, take apart this and that. Degrease this, soap that, rinse this. Put together, test this, tweak that. Five hours later and all the grease is on your hands and not the bike.

 

Here is how you wash your "drive train".

Step1:

Take bike to bike shop - 5 min.

Step 2:

Pop by bottle store for a few cold ones 10 min

Step 3(a):

Collect bike after work, sharing the cold ones with the guys and gals at thye LBS - (very likely ALOT longer than 5 min)

Step 3(b):

Pay bikeshop about R150 for wash drive chain(including the rest of the bike) and making a few recommendations on possible future issues.

Step 4:

The final step, ride more on the weekend.

 

Total time, anything from 20min - 1 or 2 hours.

 

Weekends were made for things like being on your bike rather than than washing your bike.

It is my therapy .... (no pressure washer ..)

[Kranswurm]

Listen to the Champ. WTH has time or patience to rotate chains, or remove them and boil them in greece?

I have never boiled mine in greece or even italy for that matter......and I have had a lot of bikes and a lot of chains