Cleaning the Chain

**Dogmama** · 03-01-2005, 06:21 PM

Question: Do you move your couch & vacuum underneath it every week?

Neither do I. Nor, do I want to disassemble the entire bike to do a routine cleaning.

This is a really slick way to clean the chain.

First, get one of those chain cleaning gizmos, I think Park Tools sells one. They're a plastic thing that you fill with degreaser, fit your chain into it, clamp down the top & turn the pedal to run the chain through. That removes the big gunk.

Next, get a citrus degreaser - there's a bunch of them around. Spray the chain well (put a rag underneath the chain to protect your paint and rims.) Then get one of those cans of compressed air, keep your rag underneath the chain and spray each link. You'll be amazed at how much black gunk comes out. Added bonus - your chain is dry & ready for lubing!

Remember - people do judge you on the words you use -- and how clean your bike is!

**Barb** · 03-01-2005, 07:00 PM

Don't you have to rinse the degreaser? I use the orange stuff in my park tool thingy. Stuff works great, but I rinse it several times then hold a rag over my chain while I spin it to dry.

**Irulan** · 03-01-2005, 08:34 PM

I rinse with clear water, then air dry, re lube.

~I.

**Barb** · 03-02-2005, 06:54 AM

yummy looks like chocolate dipped bike.

**CorsairMac** · 03-02-2005, 10:11 AM

Irulan hun: are you sure you didn't "discover" that bike as part of an archeological dig?

**Irulan** · 03-02-2005, 01:41 PM

Originally Posted by CorsairMac

Irulan hun: are you sure you didn't "discover" that bike as part of an archeological dig?

The ride started on a frozen trail. The plan was to be off of it before everything thawed. You think that's bad, you should see the blobs on the roof of my (white) car. It was so bad, no one could even shift.

It doesn't look like that any more. I follow the degreaser plan laid out in the first post.

Irulan

**nuthatch** · 03-03-2005, 02:57 AM

I knew there was a reason I've been sticking to road riding - too lazy to hose down my bike! (I didn't think you were suppose to vacuum under your couch until you were moving it to a new home!)

**MomOnBike** · 03-03-2005, 08:31 AM

Ya gotta admit, Irulan gets the most out of her bike!

Love the mud, it's so much better than dust.

**CorsairMac** · 03-04-2005, 09:29 AM

Hecky Dern, my dustbunnies formed a union and now I can't vacuum them without the proper union official in attendence and the proper union approved vaccuum. Last I heard, the bunnies were trying to decide if there Was such a thing as a union approved vacuum so all my house cleaning is on hold until further notice.

**Dogmama** · 03-04-2005, 10:44 AM

Don't worry about dust bunnies until they get bigger than the cat.

**SadieKate** · 03-04-2005, 10:46 AM

What do you do about 70-lb self-ambulating dust bunnies? The kind that hog your bed and have a Milk Bone budget rivalling your own food budget?

**nuthatch** · 03-04-2005, 11:25 AM

Those are hairballs, not dustbunnies - I have two small, but prolific hairballs...

**Dogmama** · 03-05-2005, 06:21 PM

Originally Posted by SadieKate

What do you do about 70-lb self-ambulating dust bunnies? The kind that hog your bed and have a Milk Bone budget rivalling your own food budget?

Hey, I've got one of those! It's called "German Shepherd" - the only dog recognized by the AKC that sheds 24/7/365. I have to give my vacuum cleaner the Heimlich maneuver after each room.

**caligurl** · 03-11-2005, 08:03 AM

clean the chain? you are supposed to clean the chain???

ok, ladies.. here's where you can gang up on me *i'm already running and ducking*

cleaning the chain and bike maintenance is hubby's job.. i know how to change a flat when i'm out on the road (may take me 10 times as long.. but i do know how to do it!) but when it comes to getting dirty (ICK!) and getting grease on my hands with stuff like chain cleaning.. i leave it to the man of the house.. just like it's HIS job to change the oil in my car (oh ok.. we usually pay someone to do it!) or any other maintenance type stuff!

i'll be back when you all are done chasing me and wanting to beat me up!

p.s. he just got and says i need to get one of those chains that goes on with a quick hook/release thing and he loves it! just pops that little piece.. gets the chain off.. sticks in in a gatorade or propel bottle with some simple green and SHAKES it!

p.s.s. and i don't vacuum under my couch on a weekly basis (hmmmm can't remember the last time i moved it.. been too busy riding on weekends since june to think much about THAT kind of housework! lol! and we have 2 samoyeds (wanna have a shed-off? bet mine shed more than your's! lol) plus 2 cats.. plus we are in the desert (sand.. dust.. sand... sand... sand...)

**nuthatch** · 03-11-2005, 10:19 AM

Not to beat you up, Cali, but I had the most interesting experience last night when I visited this "Build your own Bike" workshop. There's a cycling advocacy group in my area who sponsor this workshop to teach people to build their own bike - you get a used frame from Working Bikes and build it up from the bare bones. All the people enrolled in this session of the workshop are women!

I'm living in fear that something will happen to my bike and I won't be able to ride because I don't know how to fix it. I don't want to miss one day of riding, waiting on someone else to fix it for me - I've got to know how to do it myself! The gal who is running the workshop said their mission was "empowerment"! Woohoo!

Do any of you have a similar type of course in your area? I thought it was pretty unusual and such a good idea! I guess if you can tear down and rebuild a bike, cleaning a chain would be a snap!

Thread: Cleaning the Chain

Thread Tools

Display

Cleaning the Chain

Posting Permissions