the chain on my road bike keeps on breaking. I’m not a slim lad weighing in at 95kg which no doubt will have a baring on the situation.

But, my key question is this. I clean my chain with petrol, then lub it up generously (the petrol is disposed of ethically). Is this going to “kill” my chain?

is it breaking at the point of previous repairs?

Its more likely to be a result of how you change gear than anything else. How often do you clean your chain as a matter of interest?

What sort of chains do you use?

How are you fitting them?

Incorrect fitting is a common cause of chain breaking.

Soak in diesel rather than petrol – it has more lubricity.

Soak in diesel rather than petrol – it has more lubricity.

..and isn’t highly flammable.

…then lub it up generously…

Is this a sexual thing? Have you tried putting lube on the chain, if so which?

Check how worm the chain is, maybe replace it.

As others have said, chain cleaner or diesel are better than petrol.

How you change gear has more bearing on how you brake chains.

Is it a shimano chain and if so when you split it do you put it back together with a new pin? If not that’s your problem!

Get a quick link in it

My suggestion would be to change your lube. I used to break chains regularly until I started lubing them. I don’t clean them particularly well, but a decent lube seems to keep them from ever breaking. Obviously change them when the chain checker shows they’re getting close to knackered.

Has the chain ever gone rusty? Rust is strong enough to split the side plates around the pins.

Why degrease it at all? Why not clean it as per the famous Mickle method, that way you’re not exposing yourself, the chain and your eyebrows to all the nasties in diesel or petrol?