I've fallen in love!

[KnottedYet]

And it's a true and wild love. An uncomplicated pure love. I knew the moment I saw that vision of beauty. So glorious I simply couldn't look away! My soul was filled with desire, I couldn't sleep for the fantasies in my mind, oh sweet torment!

My heart leaps at the name of my beloved: Park Tool Cyclone Chain Cleaner!

60 (well, I did 80. more is so much more satisfying) rotations of the crank and one change of Citrus Chain Brite and my chain is clean clean CLEAN. And it was way grody, lemme tell ya. There was RUST on my darling's chain! Bike Cooties!

I was amazed at how utterly filthy the Chain Brite solution got. And all the metal bits stuck to the magnet in the Cyclone! ICK! The Chain Brite sure smelled good, though. Even when it was dirty.

So when my dear Kona is all dry I will apply Boeshield, in preparation for my commute tomorrow.

My bike looked so lovely I had to do some maintainence on myself so as not to shame her. OPI "Friar Friar Pants on Fire" to the toes and fake tan to the legs. Gotta look fabulous in my Terry commuter skort tomorrow!

P.S. Skort matches bike. Coincidence.

[KnottedYet]

Just put the Boeshield on my orange-scented bike. Because the bottle says it's a "unique solvent and parrafin wax formula" I was shaking the bejeebers out of it. Expecting it to be like White Lightning.

Nope, this stuff is just like oil, goes on easily. (once you figure out that those aerospace engineers at Boeing expect you to realize ya gotta snip off the end of the drip spout. i'm not an aerospace engineer. i'm one of those healthcare workers. took me a bit.)

S'posed to dry for 2 hrs, then wipe off excess. Then ride to work.

We'll just have to see if this stuff is the Pacific Northwest miracle my bike goddess boss says it is.

I'm still giddy from the Cyclone and Citrus Chain Brite. (no, I didn't sniff it.)

[DirtDiva]

Sheesh. You're making my recycled toothbrush experiece feelings of intense inadequacy.

[DebW]

For those of you into truly sensual experiences with your bike, I could teach you how to take a wheel, tuck it lovingly into your armpit and caress its rim with your ear, while turning the hub to listen to those silky smooth bearings. You must also jiggle the cones and listen for any sounds of looseness in order to give it the perfect hub adjustment.

Don't blame me for going off the deep end. KnottedYet started it.

[Trek420]

ok, that's it. I need to get out more often

This is all sounding way too good. Just imagine when the capris arrive.

[KnottedYet]

Ok, the Boeshield has had plenty of time to dry, I've "wiped off the excess" several times over several days, and I've ridden 50 or more miles since I put it on my chain. At the very least, my chain looks clean because i've wiped it off so often. My cogs and chainrings are clogged with dirty goo.

Not quite sure what all the fuss is about. Haven't seen miracles. But then, I haven't ridden in heavy "real" rain yet, either.

It seems just as smeary, goopy, and dirty as any lubricating oil. For the dry paraffin effect I'd say White Lightning wins hands down.

Updates as events warrant.

Boeshield T-9. The Boeing Company. Distributed by PMS Products Inc. (I'm not kidding!) $10 for 4 oz.

[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)

[Kalidurga]

There was RUST on my darling's chain! Bike Cooties!

Considering the way you've freaked over rust and dings in the past, I find this hard to believe (Or was that Trek freaking over rust in one of the holes in the frame...? I can't remember now. If I'm wrong, just ignore me.)

And please, wipe down those cogs, would ya?

[KnottedYet]

yeah, it was me....

a little hysteria here, a little melodrama there