Chain cleaners

[Slowbee]

Do you also use the same soapy stuff to wash the cassette?

[Guest Big H]

Currently I do not have the heavy duty cleaner in Angola and I use undiluted Sunlight Liquid. I use a brush that came with the set of Finish Line cleaning brushes I bought to wash the cassette. The one in the left below. The stiff brush second from right also works between the cassette blades. The big one second from left is awesome to wash the frame. It has softened bristle tips.

 

http://www.finishlineusa.com/products/product-images/EasyProBrushes.jpg

 

PS. the one in the middle works incredibly as a toothbrush and removes plaauqe (sic)???? and the one on the right...... well you do not want to know!!!!!!!!

Big H2008-08-14 16:01:42

[Slowbee]

 

thanks Big H, guess its going to be Finish Line cleaning brushes.

 

[bak2basiks]

 

This works best for me...

 

1. Wash bike and remove mud and gunk from frame/drivetrain/wheels/chain with  diluted Sunlight liquid in hot/warm water....

 

2. With a small paint brush, I "paint" my whole drivetrain (chain/cassette/cranks/chainrings/jockeys/deraillers) with paraffin (R14.95/750ml @ SPAR) . This I do two or three times depending on how much junk is stuck to the drivetrain until it is completely "harpic clean"

 

3. When there is no more gunk on the drivetrain, I use another paint brush to "rinse" all the paraffin off with turpentine (R14.95/750ml @ SPAR).

 

(EDIT: Before I drop any parafin or turpentine on my bike, I wrap the whole bike up in newspaper to prevent parafin and turpentine to fall on the frame/wheels and tyres)

 

3. Use undiluted Sunlight liquid to wash and scrub drivetrain again....(to remove the turps actually)

 

4. Use undiluted Clean Green thereafter on drivetrain to get it "shop-like" new again (cassette looks completely "blinged-up" afterwards)....

 

5. Wash the whole bike again with "Rally Car Wash & Wax" car shampoo....

 

7. Dry the whole bike off and wax the frame with Rally Car wax...then I let the bike bake in the sun for the rest of the day.....

 

8. Later the evening, when the whole chain is bone dry.....Squirt dry lube on the inside of each chain ring.

 

9. Let is stand for 15 -30min and lube again....

 

10. Ride next morning....!!

 

bak2basiks2008-08-14 16:49:40

[Slowbee]

wow bak 2 that sounds hectic! wrap the whole bike in newspaper?

 

umm what do you do with the parafin and turps when you are finished?

 

[Dirtbreath]

Slowbee, do you not sleep?

 

Whichever you do, it's gotta be quick so you do it regularly. I do my chain afetr every ride. I Have done the quicklink bottle thing and the clam shell cleaner. Quicklink bottle cleaning is great and gets the stuff out between the rollers as your chain is no longer in tension. The clam shell cleaner scrubs the chain. I use the clam shell at the moment as I find it slightly quicker. The advantage of taking your chain off is that you can brush the cassettte rings easier.

 

Whatever degreaser you use it is very important to get any residue off the parts. I made that mistake a while ago and it "eats" the chain away.

 

Your biggest problem is a cleaner that "eats" or "fades" your plastic bits.

[AndreZA]

I cleaned my chain for the first time off the bike the past weekend. I used a small Gino Ginelli ice cream tub (I'm sure any other make will also help) and some of the yello Kleen Green concentrate. I shook the tub with chain in and let it soak while I cleaned the rest of the bike. Damn it cam out clean. I must ad that I use Rock 'n Rol lube so the chain does not build up much gunk anyway.

 

 

[Guest Big H]

This works best for me...

1. Wash bike and remove mud and gunk from frame/drivetrain/wheels/chain with  diluted Sunlight liquid in hot/warm water....

2. With a small paint brush' date=' I "paint" my whole drivetrain (chain/cassette/cranks/chainrings/jockeys/deraillers) with paraffin (R14.95/750ml @ SPAR) . This I do two or three times depending on how much junk is stuck to the drivetrain until it is completely "harpic clean"

3. When there is no more gunk on the drivetrain, I use another paint brush to "rinse" all the paraffin off with turpentine (R14.95/750ml @ SPAR).

(EDIT: Before I drop any parafin or turpentine on my bike, I wrap the whole bike up in newspaper to prevent parafin and turpentine to fall on the frame/wheels and tyres)

3. Use undiluted Sunlight liquid to wash and scrub drivetrain again....(to remove the turps actually)

4. Use undiluted Clean Green thereafter on drivetrain to get it "shop-like" new again (cassette looks completely "blinged-up" afterwards)....

5. Wash the whole bike again with "Rally Car Wash & Wax" car shampoo....

7. Dry the whole bike off and wax the frame with Rally Car wax...then I let the bike bake in the sun for the rest of the day.....

8. Later the evening, when the whole chain is bone dry.....Squirt dry lube on the inside of each chain ring.

9. Let is stand for 15 -30min and lube again....

10. Ride next morning....!!
[/quote']

 

WOW!!!!! Awesome recipe!!!!!! To add something else to enhance your process.... spray the bike with Mr Min (not the perfumed type as all at the starting line will think you are a pansy!!!!!) Polish dry and not only will the bike look spectacular but gunk, mud and insect strikes will come off so much easier.

[Slowbee]

DB, last night was ummmm long, had a project that needed to be finished urgently!! (read - paint garage floor so cars can be moved in)

 

sounds like a quick link is the way to go. Clean green also seems to be the best route, followed by a rinse in a light soapy mix!

 

[Dirtbreath]

DB' date=' last night was ummmm long, had a project that needed to be finished urgently!! (read - paint garage floor so cars can be moved in)

sounds like a quick link is the way to go. Clean green also seems to be the best route, followed by a rinse in a light soapy mix!
[/quote']

 

I was snuggly tucked up in bed.

 

Make sure you rinse all the soap off.

[Canaris]

try this:

 

take old tshirt (like the ones that you used to get at every road running race that now clutter your draw)

 

squirt liberal amounts of ROCK 'N ROLL chain cleaner on your chain

 

wipe off (with that tshirt)  until the chain is very shiny, or you get so gatvol you cannot anymore.

 

Throw tshirt away

Smile.

[Gnarly]

1. Spray chain with Red Hot Cassette and Chain Cleaner.

2. Drink a beer or just wait 2-3 minutes.

3. Spray off with hose pipe.

4. Drink a beer.

5. Clean the rest of your bike.

6. Drink a beer.

7. Dry bike.

8. Drink a beer.

9. Mr Min and lube chain etc.

10. Drink a beer.

11. Admire clean bike. (while driniking a beer).

12. Go inside a listen to moaning wife about why you got to clean your bike EVERYDAY!!!!!!!

13. Drink a beer.

[jabbathemutt007]

 

1. Spray chain with Red Hot Cassette and Chain Cleaner.

2. Drink a beer or just wait 2-3 minutes.

3. Spray off with hose pipe.

4. Drink a beer.

5. Clean the rest of your bike.

6. Drink a beer.

7. Dry bike.

8. Drink a beer.

9. Mr Min and lube chain etc.

10. Drink a beer.

11. Admire clean bike. (while driniking a beer).

12. Go inside a listen to moaning wife about why you got to clean your bike EVERYDAY!!!!!!!

13. Drink a beer.

 

How to get a hangover from cleaning your bike. Just don't get so drunk you confuse the beer bottle with the lube.

 

[bak2basiks]

 

wow bak 2 that sounds hectic! wrap the whole bike in newspaper?

 

umm what do you do with the parafin and turps when you are finished?

 

Well yes, that is a bit of a problem...as I have this "green-ness/tree hugging/save the planet" nagging afterthought  once the bike is clean.....partcularly what to do with the inert, hydrophobic paraffin...

 

Well, I chuck the left over turps into the left over paraffin in the emmer, squirt a healthy dose of Sunlight liquid in there and pour a kettle of hot water into the emmer....can't though the mix into the garden or the drain

 

....while the soapyness of the water is still there...., I  pour it out onto the street.....after bout 3min there is no stain on the tarmac....

 

[bak2basiks]

 

wow bak 2 that sounds hectic! wrap the whole bike in newspaper?

 

umm what do you do with the parafin and turps when you are finished?

 

 

Ok...maybe not the WHOLE bike, but at least the bottom of the rear wheel.....

 

[PhilipV]

try this:

 

take old tshirt (like the ones that you used to get at every road running race that now clutter your draw)

 

squirt liberal amounts of ROCK 'N ROLL chain cleaner on your chain

 

wipe off (with that tshirt)  until the chain is very shiny' date=' or you get so gatvol you cannot anymore.

 

Throw tshirt away

Smile.

[/quote']

 

Rock 'n Roll is the best thing since sliced bread. Period