Was in halfords today and remembered I need some degreaser. Their bikehut stuff is good, but £10 for a litre made me think that there are probably better and/or cheaper ways to get much off your chain and cassette.

So what do you use?

Jizer

I find Green Oil degreaser jelly goes a long way and does a good job.

Jizer

+1

I use rock n roll extreme, and hence have no need for such black magic as degreaser.

Chains have been filthy over winter so last night was spring clean time

Fenwicks stuff is good in the whirly Park chain cleaner thinghy. Probably all that’s ever needed however was feeling the need for a full deep clean….

For a real deep clean prior to relubing with Fenwicks Stealth I soaked the “nice” bikes chain in a jam jar of petrol (yes I know…). Very very dry after drying off – hope the Stealth lube is as good as it claims to be!

The commuter bike was cleaned tonight – after the whirly Park cleaner treatment I tried out Paraffin for the jam jar soak. Leaving it to dry overnight and will see how the Stealth lube takes tomorrow.

FWIW – when I commuted across the south downs daily a few years ago I got through chains every few months. I tried regular complete degrease and lube, no degrease but add more lube regularly and also just fit and forget – let factory grease do its thing. They all lasted the same so I switched to cheap chains didnt bother lubing (other than a wipe down) and changed regularly – was cheaper. Even more so on SS when chains were £8 each.

Another one for Jizer. Bought our first gallon can in 1987. Just bought our second can.

Screwfix, £5 for 5ltrs: http://www.screwfix.com/p/no-nonsense-heavy-duty-degreaser-5ltr/88668

I currently tend to give them a good squirt with wd40 or similar and swish around in a plastic tray then wipe with old towel, then dousing with fairy liquid & boiling water, then maybe more wd40, then re-wax in putaline.

I always wonder what the most eco-friendly way of doing it is? After using degreasing in parafin for example, do you filter out the dirt and re-use the parafin? What do you use for this? Same with that de-greaser, does it get re-used, any filtering of dirt particles etc? Disposal? What’s the greenest method?

Jizer. Usually in an old oasis bottle. Let the muck settle in the bottom and decant to a fresh bottle. Lasts ages that way.

I might switch to the chain shaker as shown in that YouTube video with the ozzy chap.

+1 for rock n roll blue. When cleaning the bikes, I use a degreaser wipe just to take the last of any old stuff off. Chains look brand new without any of that black gunk that tends to build up with other lubes.

Fenwicks concentrate. Normally just use the same mix as for general washing in a chain cleaner, but it’s easy to up the ratio if it’s really bad

Paraffin.

Old water bottle, 2 scoops of cheapest Tesco washing powder, boiling water.
Bathe 2x, shake well, rinse, coming out squeaky-clean.

All degreasers in comparison to that are crap and expensive.

And for the cassette Elbow Grease from Poundland and old tooth brush.

Cheers!
I.

paraffin

Morgan Blue only need the smallest amount, brilliant stuff.

Thanks everyone.

That stuff from Screwfix up there ^^^ looks effective, but brutal!

I should have mentioned that I’m currently using a Park whizzy scrubber thingy, although open to other options. Besides cheap, I was also hoping for something that doesn’t kill baby robins and child’s faces…

I like the washing powder in a water bottle suggestion, so I’m going to try that, and paraffin is probably something I could give a go.

Jizer bio – can you just put it down the drain when you’re done?

DP…

fadda – Member
I like the washing powder in a water bottle suggestion, so I’m going to try that, and paraffin is probably something I could give a go.

Just make sure not to plug the bottle after pouring hot water into it.

Washing powder is bubbling-out quite violently. Let it seep out, then plug it and give it good shake. Also careful with opening the plug.

You will see that bottle is swelling quite a bit.

Cheers!
I.

White spirit

Paraffin in a plastic tub.

Paraffin in a 4 pint milk bottle to be precise. That’s why quick link pliers were invented! I only do it when it sounds or looks nasty.

So Rock ‘n’ Roll lube. Sounds ace, and I’m just about to put a new chain on my commuter – do I need to degrease first, or just let the factory lube wear out first?

Rock n roll works best on a spotless degreased chain IMO

Cool cool. That’s what I figured.

Jizer bio is different from jizer. Oddly, jizer is kinder to rubber parts than the bio version.

Petrol as I’ve always got some in the shed. Cheap and quick, reusable. Highly inflammable, of course…

I have a litre of xylene I bought for making chain lube. 7 quid from darrant chemicals.

Works well as a degreaser. Bloody stinks though.

White spirit in a milk bottle. Shake well.

no need, just wipe over with a cloth and put more squirt on.

that green oil stuff is great as a chain degreaser though. Its the same stuff they use in their bike wash which has faded my new hope brakes!!!

Flyingmonkey – I never degrease a new chain, pointless taking good lube away from the rollers. Just ride it and relube after a few rides.

Paraffin.

+1. Eat all the cornichons and onions out of one of these jars and you have a perfect size chain bath, with a plastic thing to retrieve it afterwards 😀

A winter’s worth of mud and rain does a good job of getting the grease off. Then buy a new chain. Result!