Chain cleaning

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reohn2
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Re: Chain cleaning

Post by reohn2 »

I,I,use a chaincleaner too :oops: annnd filled with White Spirit. :|

There you have it,I've come clean(literally),I've tried the 7 step plan and it doesn't work I tell you,I'm carrying on with the chain cleaner and WS,I just can't keep it a secret any longer,I've.I've come out in public,its in the open.

How else is a man to keep his links spotless,eh,tell ME!!!!!!
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glueman
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Re: Chain cleaning

Post by glueman »

Someone recently mentioned that Scottoilers (the lubrication gold standard for motorcycles) are now available for MTBs. I haven't seen the bicycle version in use but it sounds as though 4-season commuters might have a good case for using one.
http://www.patrickjames.co.uk/bic_scot.php
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Mick F
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Re: Chain cleaning

Post by Mick F »

CREPELLO wrote: Should we start Chain Cleaning Unit Users Anonymous? ........



mw3230 wrote:if Mick does E2E escort services he's obviously an obliging chap, wonder if I post him my chain .......



Beakyboy wrote:Do you do house calls Mick? I have a couple of chains .........



Sounds like I have a business idea.
£10 plus P+P per chain with a discount for more than one?

Would I have to tell the Tax Man?
Mick F. Cornwall
PH
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Re: Chain cleaning

Post by PH »

Rohloff, manufacturers of quality chains for the last 25 years, recommend that you don't intensively clean a chain unless it's really dirty. For regular maintenance, rub with oily rag;
http://www.rohloff.de/en/technical/chai ... index.html
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Mick F
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Re: Chain cleaning

Post by Mick F »

But they would say that, wouldn't they. Have you seen the prices they charge?

That said, a hub-geared bike wouldn't be so touchy about chain wear. The whole system can wear at the same rate, so no problem. Also, you can get a chain-case to keep out the muck.

A chain is just a set of pivots and bushes. Mix oil and grit, and you get grinding paste. No matter how you lubricate you chain, grinding paste is produced. Some lubes are less attractive to grit, some more so. There's only one way to get rid of grit, and that is to wash it out. Chain plus grinding paste eventually equals worn chain.
Mick F. Cornwall
reohn2
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Joined: 26 Jun 2009, 8:21pm

Re: Chain cleaning

Post by reohn2 »

Mick F wrote:Sounds like I have a business idea.
£10 plus P+P per chain with a discount for more than one?

Would I have to tell the Tax Man?


Mick I wouldn't get too excited yet, new chains are only £15 inc P+P :?
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PH
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Re: Chain cleaning

Post by PH »

Mick F wrote:But they would say that, wouldn't they. Have you seen the prices they charge?

That said, a hub-geared bike wouldn't be so touchy about chain wear. The whole system can wear at the same rate, so no problem. Also, you can get a chain-case to keep out the muck.

It isn't a chain specifically for hub gear use. They were making chains long before hubs, they are different to any other chain and have been used by many pro teams.
There's only one way to get rid of grit, and that is to wash it out. Chain plus grinding paste eventually equals worn chain.

The argument is that it's not possible to wash it out. Have you taken a supposedly clean chain apart to see just how clean it actually is inside? I haven't either, but I'd bet Rohloff have.
reohn2
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Re: Chain cleaning

Post by reohn2 »

The chain is only half the story(and the cheap half at that)its the rest of the drivetrain that suffers from a dirty (bits that I can see)chain.
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tonycarrigan
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Re: Chain cleaning

Post by tonycarrigan »

I wouldn't recommend a Scottoiler, they are fiddly to fit, unsightly and in wet weather you need to squeeze the wee "squid" thingy quite a lot to stop the chain squeaking. I had one and eventually binned it

I wipe down my chain after every wet ride, using one of a selection of old t-shirts etc that I keep in my shed. It only takes a minute and it keeps your chain clean. For lube I use 3-in-1 it works as well as anything else I've tried and is a lot cheaper than most
mw3230
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Re: Chain cleaning

Post by mw3230 »

tonycarrigan wrote:..................I wipe down my chain after every wet ride, using one of a selection of old t-shirts etc that I keep in my shed. It only takes a minute and it keeps your chain clean. For lube I use 3-in-1 it works as well as anything else I've tried and is a lot cheaper than most


I suspect that this is all that is necessary for most riders but clearly commuters and other regular riders need to do more chain maintainance than the once or twice a week riders. Any couriers out there who have a view?

There is never going to be a consensus on what is best as opinions clearly vary widely and they are strongly held and fervently argued - similar to the Shimano v Campag; derailleur v hub gears debates and so on.

The type of rider who lavishes attention on his/her chain will possibly be the same type of person who lavishes attention on other aspects of their mechanical lives such as regular washing of the car - dirty or not - cleaning out their gutters at home or de-scaling the kettle. Probably good things to do but not something everybody prioritises.

It takes all sorts and I've come to realise that the strength of this forum is the opportunity for shades of opinion to be voiced - correct or incorrect.

By the way, the proprietory brands of chain lube mentioned in the thread are so much more expensive than the cheaper 3 in 1 type of oils. Do they live up to the hype and will they still be lubeing chains in 50 years time (as 3 in 1 has done)
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ChrisButch
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Re: Chain cleaning

Post by ChrisButch »

CREPELLO wrote:Although I rarely hear anything good said about them, I use a chain cleaning unit attached to the rear mech to clean my chains.

In my innocence, I've being using one of these for years without realising anybody had anything bad to say about them. What is it about them that people dislike?
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CREPELLO
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Re: Chain cleaning

Post by CREPELLO »

ChrisButch wrote:
CREPELLO wrote:Although I rarely hear anything good said about them, I use a chain cleaning unit attached to the rear mech to clean my chains.

In my innocence, I've being using one of these for years without realising anybody had anything bad to say about them. What is it about them that people dislike?

I dunno, but I've noticed on more than one occasion that they've been derided for being ineffectual, awkward or something.
reohn2
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Re: Chain cleaning

Post by reohn2 »

CREPELLO wrote:
ChrisButch wrote:
CREPELLO wrote:Although I rarely hear anything good said about them, I use a chain cleaning unit attached to the rear mech to clean my chains.

In my innocence, I've being using one of these for years without realising anybody had anything bad to say about them. What is it about them that people dislike?

I dunno, but I've noticed on more than one occasion that they've been derided for being ineffectual, awkward or something.


I reckon you could use anything for anything and someone I'm sure will not be pleased with it,I've been using a chain cleaner for years and they're a great little tool especially if you're short on time and the chain needs a quick clean, say after a mucky muddy ride.
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ChrisButch
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Re: Chain cleaning

Post by ChrisButch »

Easy to forget that until quite recently, easily removable and reuseable connecting links hadn't been invented. That meant that removing and replacing a chain was quite an operation, which you wanted to do as seldom possible (not least because it shortened the life of the chain, as however careful you were you did some damage to the pin you drove out). In those circumstances, anything which made it easier to clean the chain while still attached to the bike was welcome.
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Mick F
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Re: Chain cleaning

Post by Mick F »

PH wrote:It isn't a chain specifically for hub gear use. They were making chains long before hubs, they are different to any other chain and have been used by many pro teams.
I still maintain that you MUST clean your chain and drivetrain regularly, especially if you use derailleurs, even if Rolls Royce made chains.

Mick F wrote:There's only one way to get rid of grit, and that is to wash it out.
PH wrote:The argument is that it's not possible to wash it out. Have you taken a supposedly clean chain apart to see just how clean it actually is inside?
Yes.

My way of cleaning chains, providing it's done regularly, produces a spotlessly clean chain.

Busy on here at the mo! Later, I'll take a series of photographs of my old Campag 9sp chain to demonstrate.
Mick F. Cornwall
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