Am I being overzealous?

[cherinyc]

So now that I have been riding for almost 4 months, I have begun to feel comfortable.....feeling comfortable about tackling some bike maintenance type issues. Notice I am not sounding too fully committed?
I decided I wanted to do a complete cleaning, so I found a GREAT article on TE:
http://www.teamestrogen.com/articles/asa_happy.asp
and decided to give it a try (to my BF's dismay of course). But I come from a long line of mechanics, so I'm not too afraid of taking things apart etc. Don't always get them back together....but I digress.

1) Anyhoo - I got the bike on the stand: CHECK
2) Got both wheels off: CHECK
3) Take chain off of bike and let soak: CH- um...I need a chain breaking tool? new pins? huh?
3a) I send IM to BF who is working late - "Do we have a chain breaking tool and new pins?" Response - "Yes, have tool - No, don't have pins - Why are you taking off the chain? It's not dirty enough. Please wait for me to be home."

3b) Go to LBS (whom I purchased bike from), ask about chain breaking tool and new pins - get question "why do you want to take your chain off? Probably don't need to yet"
LBS guy gives me a left over power link from Sachs chain - quick lesson on what a chain breaking tool looks like/ how it works - and I go home.

That's as far as I've got. Why am I getting this reaction? How often am I supposed to do a thorough cleaning? Is it bad to clean your chain too often?

[indysteel]

I am no expert on chain cleaning (yet), but I've done a fair amount of reading on it and can tell you tell you that there are SO many opinions on the best way of doing it, the best materials to use, how often to do it, whether to do it on the bike or off, etc. There are several thread on TE about it, lots more on www.roadbikereview.com, and an article on www.sheldonbrown.com (Here's the exact link: http://sheldonbrown.com/chains.html#cleaning). There is lots of conflicting advice out there and if you ask 10 people, you're likely to get 10 opinions.

As to whether it's time to clean your chain, that's hard to say. It depends largely on how many miles you have on the bike, the conditions you ride in, whether you regularly wipe your chain down and relube, and what kind of lube you use (dry, wet, wax, etc.). I cleaned mine recently at the 1,000 mark, and even though I wipe it down pretty thoroughly every 100 miles, it was pretty darn dirty.

When I cleaned my chain, I left it on the bike (I have a Campy ultranarrow chain and don't want to invest the money needed to buy the right chain tool to break it, buy a new masterlink, etc.). I sprayed it with an orange degreaser then scrubbed it with a toothbrush and soapy water until it "seemed" clean, rinsed it with fresh water and then dried it before relubing. I also cleaned the cassette, pulleys and chainrings the same way.

The toothbrush alone probably doesn't get it entirely clean and he degreaser will wear the chain down if not properly rinsed. I'm not too worried about it though. I think I'll stick with the toothbrush for now but make sure to rinse the chain a little better next time and will leave it out in the open air for a while to dry it before relubing. I am also interested in trying Prolink lube. Apparently, this "cleans" your chain while lubing it as well. Many swear by it.

[Kalidurga]

I'll reiterate what Indysteel said: "As to whether it's time to clean your chain, that's hard to say" and I'll add that it's also hard to say how you need to clean your chain. I'd guess, though, that unless you're riding thousands of miles and/or through mud or dust, you probably don't need to go to the trouble of removing your chain.

The spray/scrub method or an attachable chain cleaner are probably the most you would need. As I've recently learned, you do need to be sure that you remove all degreaser from the chain, if you use one to clean it, otherwise your lube won't adhere properly.

I use Rock-n-Roll Gold lube, which is one of the self-cleaning synthetic lubes on the market. So far this summer, there've only been a couple of times I've felt the chain was dirty enough to hook up the chain cleaner and scrub it. Most times, a good wipe down has been enough. When it begins to look dry or squeak, then I freewheel it while spraying it with a good stream of Rock-n-Roll, then wipe it until there's barely anything left to rub off. Then I pull the back wheel off and clean the rear cogs thoroughly, and check the derailleurs. It's possible that that's all you need, too, but it all depends on how much riding you do and under what conditions.

[Grog]

I usually clean my bike every 500 km, more often in the winter, less in the summer. (It has been a while...) I've never taken the chain off and don't intend to until I have to replace it (scheduled for the spring of 2007). I just clean it with degreaser, a chain-cleaning thingie (the Park Tool version, works better than cheaper ones) and A LOT of water to rinse, then re-lube...

I don't think it's necessary to take off the chain unless the bike is REALLY EXTREMELY dirty....

[cherinyc]

well, it seems to me that the method suggested by the TE article would be pretty easy. Remove chain...drop in bucket of hot, soapy water....let sit....scrub a bit....rinse and dry.
I guess I am wondering, is it bad to remove the chain?

[Blueberry]

I guess I am wondering, is it bad to remove the chain?

With a power link - no. With normal pins - yes, unless you are very careful in replacing them with new ones. Apparently new (thin to accomodate more "speeds") are not as robust when it comes to being broken and put back together.

I always ask the bike shop for a power link, and that solves the problem! I feel much better being able to put in a bottle of degreaser (diluted simple green) and shake Seems to get the crud out a little better.

Now if I could just get the blasted crud from between the cogs - need a new brush!

As far as whether it's time....it really depends (as others have said) on mileage and road conditions. I used to live in a coastal area and was constantly de-sanding, de-gritting and re-lubing to prevent wear and tear and rust. Now, it's not too bad. I do clean (at least wipe) and re-lube after rain. But, obviously, someone who rides 100 miles a month won't be on the same maintenance schedule as someone who rides 500 miles a month!

Good for you for learning to clean/take apart. I'm still learning in a big way, but it's fun, and it's empowering

Carrie Anne