Before I invest in a proprietory product, isn’t there a skinflint’s method involving jam jars and diesel or petrol? How would I then responsibly dispose of the mucky stuff? Otherwise, recommendations for degreasers please.

Dishwasher when the missus isn’t looking

cant fit the whole back wheel in for cassette clean 😕

The dishwasher does a grand job but you need to be ready to re-lube ASAP.

Waste degreaser goes into the local rare newt pond, along with my old engine oil..

I use the fenwicks stuff – neat on drivetrain and diluted on the rest of the bike. Works well.

cant fit the whole back wheel in for cassette clean

Sorry – didn’t realise the cassette was welded on 😉

I’d strongly advise you to never degrease your chain – but everyone else is just about to strongly disagree with me, despite never having tried (or not tried, if you see what I mean).

Swarfega Heavy Duty Degreaser works out at least a quarter the cost of Fenwicks and works just as well imo

White spirits, big jam jar, chain in, shakey shakey…jobs a good un. Toothbrush, into same jam jar brush onto cassette scrub scrub, wash off. It’s such a teeny amount in can safely go down the foul drain.

Sorry – didn’t realise the cassette was welded on

you mean it probably isn’t???

too technical for me

Washing up liquid and warm water in a jar works well- do it twice, then rinse it with just water, wipe it dry, put it back on and lube it.

As for the cassette, just brush it clean with a very stiff brush (even a wire brush will do).

i use quite a weak solution of fairy liquid – brush your chain/cassette and leave for a couple of minutes, the rinse thourougly and re-lube

right, I’m going to ignore glenp (why not degrease??) and go with what nickc says. cheers guys. feel free to carry on amongst yourselves though 😉

I know a lot of people don’t like them but I have one of those chain baths that clips onto the chain and that works fine for me. I use the Finish Line degreaser which works fine although it’s a bit pricey.

I just can’t be bothered to take the chain off all the time.

(why not degrease??)

Grease inside the links is a good thing – why would you spend time, effort and money removing it, only to spend time, money and effort putting it back? Let your chain dry in the shed then brush off the dust and squirt with light lube.

After 20-odd years I’ve found that this method gives longer chain life. I have found that washing the chain sends grit into the links.

problem is, glenp, that I’ve used a wet lube on my chain so now it and the cassette are black with dirt, and I want them to be shiny again, maybe a wipe over rather than a bath for the chain might be better…

if you won’t take the cassette off so can’t fit it in a dishwasher, i think you’re going to struggle to get it in a jamjar!

BTW I have found your chain and cogs get really dirty if you use too much wet lube and don’t wipe off the excess – seems to really attract the dirt.

wet lube is terrible stuff for creating that horrible black gunk.

I see what glenp is saying, but is does assume that the lube being used hasn’t attracted any grit either.

I do favour the approach of using dry lube and wiping off the excess.

As for washing, a proper clean requires the cassette to be taken off, and the chain in a jam jar. I have tried white spirit, but have had good results using undiluted Fenwicks FS-1.

Chain – use quick link – Connex works best for me. Chain off – white spirit in large plastic pop bottle – shake + change spirit till clean. Dunk in hot soapy water rinse. Hang to dry in sun or on a warm radiator. Re-lube.

Cassette quick clean – remove wheel from bike. Pot of white spirit + 1″ brush. Tilt wheel at angle (so oily mess drips on floor) brush to loosen + soak dirt – blast with pressure washer or hose – wash with car brush + warm soapy water – rinse – job done.

Agree that wet lube is fantastic grit attractor! I always use dry lube. More controversy on the way – I just use cheap, boring GT85. I know what you’re going to say, but experience tells me that it does work and the teflon content is enough. I think my chains basically run on the original manufacturer grease within and a thin film of GT85 on the outside. Anyhow, I get well over a year out of a chain, whereas other similarly used bikes will have done two in that time (having been washed).

If you added up the amount of time some of you spent cleaning your drivetrain, multiplied by your hourly rate at work, then compared to the cost of buying a new chain, cassette etc slightly more often – what do you think the results would be? 😛

It is worse than that, grumm. In my experience washing and degreasing your chain makes it last for less time, not more.

I never clean mine – it’s stays all nice & shiny with the use of Rock ‘n’ Roll Extreme

Even if I did have to clean it – I see maintenance as a pleasure rather than a chore – so it’s leisure time for me

Choke/carb cleaner is extremely efficient, but as stated above probably removes some good lube deeper in the chain.

Great for cassettes off the bike though, but use in a very well ventilated area!

I use Citroclear – get it from work – bit irritant but does not strip off paint like xylene (in some carb cleaners I think – or used to) which is cacinogenic 😉 £25 for 5 litres – just spray or soak and bob’s your uncle – strips it dry and then relube!

Agree that less is more when it comes to lube, Pro Gold or Rock ‘n’ Roll are both excellent. But if your chain is really mank (or new and covered in sticky grease) then try paint brush cleaner in the jam jar, toothbrush etc, can be the rinsed off in hot soapy water before a decent lube is applied and wiped clean.

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/chainclean.html

Anyone go this far? Is this a joke btw? I hope so

It is well-known that proper chain cleaning is the most vital and important aspect of cycling.

I use one of those plastic paint kettles(plastic tub with a handle) from B&Q for about £1. A bit of parrafin in there and a 1″ paint brush. Only do it once a month.
Leave the dirty parrafin in the paint kettle then when stripping parts for maintenance then they go straight in for a clean before going back on bike aswell.
Obvious the parrafin can take the lube out of freehubs and bearings so maintain these to suit. Everything nice and blingy, happy days.

Make a solution of three teaspoons caustic soda to one hand garden sprayer of water. It’s the same as muc-off and won’t pollute. At £1.59/500 grammes at the ironmongers for a lifetime’s supply you cant go wrong.

If you added up the amount of time some of you spent cleaning your drivetrain

About a minute, if I stop half way through to make a cup of tea.

WOOOOW – could be a jok but then again from sheldon’s pages I am not so sure – don;t think MTB’ing in mud and crappy stuff would help keeping his chains clean – he would be there for hours 😉

Chain removed, snuck into work, blasted with the indstrial strength karcher. Then sprayed with mind bogglingly expensive German PTFE type lubricant!!! This is only possible when working nights!! Or when you work in the same job as me, all in all crap advice really……………

I just use a chain bath and diluted washing up liquid. Works just fine. Muc-off and a stiff brush brings the cassette up ok.

what do people use to rid the chain of water/degreaser after it has been degreased as im sure most would agree a chain thats wet is as bad as one covered in grit.

I love that Sheldon Brown photo.

I hate the chain. And it’s grit attracting properties. I normally spray Muc-Off degreaser on it and scrub like a beehotch with a tough brush to clean it. Rinse, Dry it up, then re-lube it.

Might try dry lube next time though.