Degreasers

[Megustalaplaya]

I'm putting over 100 miles on my bike a week which means I am having to clean my chain and cassette every week. I'm finding that it's getting pretty expensive buying the Park Citrus Degreaser. Is there something I can buy in bulk or some other alternative to clean my chain/cassette with?

[withm]

Cleaning the chain and cassette every 100 miles seems excessive, unless you are riding on a lot of dirt/gravel roads and/or in the rain.

Here is a nice chart to schedule maintenance. Scroll down a bit to see the chart. I have it taped up inside my storage closet door where the bike cleaning supplies are kept.

http://bicyclehabitat.com/how-to/a-simple-bike-maintenance-chart-pg366.htm

I lube the chain every 100 miles or so, or when it gets noisy or shifting seems sticky. But I only clean everything every 1000 miles or so. Or when it's really dirty. Or not. :)

I rarely ride on anything less than an unpaved road, and almost never in the rain. Rain changes everything, and while I don't really mind riding in the rain, I really hate cleaning up the mess afterward.

[Owlie]

It does seem excessive if you're not riding somewhere where there's a lot of grit. I like Park Tool's degreaser, but Simple Green works. Performance, if you've got one down there, sells a concentrated thing similar to Simple Green. I haven't tried it yet, but I bought a bottle.

[OakLeaf]

+1 it doesn't need to happen nearly so often, unless you're riding in salty or very dirty conditions.

You can filter the degreaser through a coffee filter or a shop-grade paper towel and reuse it. The finest dust will get through the filter, but it'll settle out in a few days, and you can pour the degreaser out carefully into another container (I use an empty food can) or into your chain cleaning machine, then wipe the sludge off the bottom of your storage container.

If you use a surfactant like Simple Green instead of a degreaser, just remember to rinse thoroughly with clear water, since it's slightly acid. And when you use water, don't use high pressure (like a hose sprayer) where water could be forced into bearings or frame.

[goldfinch]

I just took a basic bike maintenance class and the teachers suggested using a dry lube to clean the chain after every ride. The only downside seems to be the price of the lube. Anyway, you slather it on and scrub with a rag. Works pretty nice at cleaning a chain. I've been using it for a few rides now.

[Melalvai]

I just took a basic bike maintenance class and the teachers suggested using a dry lube to clean the chain after every ride. The only downside seems to be the price of the lube. Anyway, you slather it on and scrub with a rag. Works pretty nice at cleaning a chain. I've been using it for a few rides now.
It depends on your riding habits. I commute, so I do not lube the chain after EVERY ride! Though during rainy spells it seems like it.

I degrease rarely. Perhaps I should do it more--but with the maintenance that I do, plus replacing my chain every ~1500 miles, my cassettes last 4500-5000 miles. That's pretty good!