I've fallen in love!

[li10up]

My search for Park Tool Cyclone brought up this old post. I just bought it because I didn't much care for the other chain scrubber I had. Now I'm not a rocket scientist but I am a step or two above an amoeba...still I can't get this thing to work properly. I put it on the lower part of the chain, which is level, pedal backwards and the darn thing keeps making my chain pop off. I'm in the smallest cog in the back and the middle on the front (I have a triple). What am I doing wrong?

[Bluetree]

Sometimes, I pat my bike's seat or handlebars when I walk past and say, "Good girl."

You gals and your bike relationships make me seem very shallow now.

[DebW]

My search for Park Tool Cyclone brought up this old post. I just bought it because I didn't much care for the other chain scrubber I had. Now I'm not a rocket scientist but I am a step or two above an amoeba...still I can't get this thing to work properly. I put it on the lower part of the chain, which is level, pedal backwards and the darn thing keeps making my chain pop off. I'm in the smallest cog in the back and the middle on the front (I have a triple). What am I doing wrong?

I haven't used this particular chain cleaner, so I'm only speculating and making suggestions. First, make sure that you have the chain in as straight a line as possible. With the middle chainring you'd probably want to be on one of the middle rear cogs. Sight from the back of the bike to observe the chainline. Or try outside cogs both front and rear. Then try and hold the chain cleaner in a neutral way, so the chain runs through the device rather than the device pulling on the chain. If you move the chain cleaner so as to pull away from the rear derailleur, you may swing the jockey wheel spring forward and put slack into the chain which could make it derail. Maybe with more use the chain will run through the cleaner with less drag and thus smooth out the chain tension to eliminate the problem.

[KnottedYet]

What Deb said.

Also, I have to be careful to hold the chain cleaner in line with the chain or it acts like a lever and starts pulling the chain off. Pedalling backward slowly AND holding the cleaner parallel to the line of the chain was a challenge for me on the order of patting the head and rubbing the tummy at the same time.

I had to monkey around a little before I found a way to do both at once. When the chain started rubbing like it was out of whack, I stopped pedalling and let go of the cleaner. Without me holding the handle, the cleaner lined up just right. Then I tried to keep it lined up that way as I stabilized the handle again by bracing my elbow against my waist. SKnot couldn't hold the cleaner steady and pedal, so one of us holds the cleaner and one of us pedals when we do his bike.

I still love that Park Tool chain cleaner. It's getting a little worn at the sponges, but still works great. I found it to work better with soapy water than with Chain Brite. And the Boeshield works MUCH better when I've cleaned the chains with soapy water rather than Chain Brite. (but Chain Brite still wins the Nice Smell award!)

[li10up]

DebW/KnottedYet:
The chain was in a straight line and the directions did say to put the chain on the smallest rear cog, which I did. What you describe with the jockey wheel sounds exactly like what is happening. I didn't have the bike completely stabilized on the rack so it was trying to swivel while I was doing this. That was probably contributing to the problem. It just seemed like the chain wouldn't travel through the cleaner...I'll give it another go next time. Thanks.

[DebW]

My old Vetta chain cleaner has a wire loop that goes behind the jockey wheels to position the device. You don't have to hold it by hand - just let go and backpedal. But it drips fluid on the ground like crazy.

[KnottedYet]

Yup, when I'm using the chain cleaner and it starts feeling like the chain just won't travel through the cleaner, that's when I know I've started to change the way I was holding the cleaner relative to the chain.

Wanna borrow SKnot? He's very good at holding the cleaner lined up neutral to the chain! (using both hands)