[Closed] Degreasing drivetrain

GT-85 and one of them fangled cleaning brushes with curvy bits etc on.

After every ride.

Do you just lash it on all over when fitted or do you have to strip it down?

get a park tool type chain scrubber.

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they do a kit that includes the scrubber, a brush to use on your cassette and some degreaser.

Once that runs out Halfords do some orangey degreaser by the litre (that's rebadged Weldtite stuff) is fine and costs about a tenner.

Fenwicks foaming degreaser, a cup of tea (while it does it's magic), then an old washing up brush and a bucket of water

Chain cleaning tool (as above), [u]hot[/u] water and washing up liquid.

Back pedal the chain a lot through the cleaner do cassette and rings with a stiff brush and more hot water and washing up liquid.

Empty chain cleaner and run the chain through with clean water (twice if I'm feeling very moralistic). Rinse down thoroughly - there should be no real worries about using washing up liquid if you rinse it off thoroughly.

SRAM links are a godsend, I simply remove the chain, scrub with washing up liquid and water and brush out the chainrings and cassette.

In summer when using a dry lube I'll do this once every three or four rides but in winter it'll be every ride.

Jizer & old tooth brush

Big fan of proper chain cleaners...they just make life easy. Finish Line Citrus Degreaser is pretty damn effective too.

Plastic pot with paraffin in. Chain comes off, goes in pot, gets shoogled, soaked for a few minutes, shoogled again- comes out sparkling clean. Quick wipe down, let it air dry, then relube while off the bike (you've got to really get the relubing right as you've fully degreased it- I use a melt-in wax.) Sounsd like epic faff but isn't really, the actual work is just moments.

Can't be beat imo.

Take chain off, put it in a jam jar of paraffin shake and leave, then remove chain wipe with cloth and re-oil ,,,,job done.

Anyone use ol' fashioned Gunk engine degreaser?

HOPE Sh*t Shifter and a few brushes. I found the Bikehut Citrus Degeaser just seemed to smear and smudge the existing grime around the drivetrain without really removing much of it.

commute on it for a week in pi55ing rain. Usually strips all lubricant if not topped up!

rattle in a jar of white spirit / wipe / spray with GT85 / wipe / lube

I use neat Fenwicks FS1 in one of those clip on chain cleaners up there^^ except mine was from Lidl and quite cheap

Yeah I use Gunk engine degreaser and it's very effective. Just chuck it in a jambar or bowl over night and it's then just a case of wiping clean. I tried some juicy lubes citrus decreased and I would strongly advise everyone to steer clear. I can only assume it was mainly water as over night my nice new chain had the beginnings or rust! All this biodegradable eco nonsense that it's trendy to have written on bike cleaning stuff just doesn't seem up to the job to me.

Park Tools citrus degreaser. I know it works as the chain'll get surface rust in an hour if it isn't re-greased.

I have an old washing up bowl, a dish washing brush and those pliers for SRAM's qiuck links. Makes it a 10 minute job.

Oh and the automotive stuff doesn't cost a fortune like the bike specific stuff.
I don't think proper degreaser should make a chain rust!

Chain off once a month and into white spirit for a while, scrub, repeat, rinse, dry.

Sugar soap works and is cheap.

White spirit as it has a little oil in so stuff doesn't rust straightway.
Also been using Eurocarparts cheap as chips brake cleaner when I need to de-winter clean stuff. But not on brakes, "as it has a little oil in "

Petrol in a jar, brush off later on/next day. Apply lube carefully to each roller. (I use White Lightning Clean ride as the wax gets back into the rollers nicely)

My drivetrains last ages as I'm a spinner not a grinder.

3 chain rotation, one on the bike, one in soak, one oiled.

So ok I get the chain options......while lashing the gunk/white spirit or whatever degreaser on cassette and chainrings etc need I worry about said stuff attacking BB/freewheel hub/bearings and effectively degreasing or damaging them?

Fenwicks foaming degreaser and my amazing new Park chain cleaning device. Other devices seemed ok, but it turns out my chain is actually silver in colour, and I got 20p for the scrap metal that collected on the magnet at the bottom as well!

For my geared bikes: Chain off, into old milk bottle 1/3rd full of white spirit, shake it about a bit, Leave while I scrub other bits with old washing up and tooth brushes and soapy water to get the shite off, shake the chain about a bit more, leave for longer, eventually pull out, clean/off and shove in jam jar of oil, shake about leave, shake about some more (ideally leave in that over night if I'm not using the bike the next day), shake some more...

Retrieve chain, wipe off excess oil and refit,

maybe once every 4-6 weeks or so... DH Bike chain has been sat in white spirits for about 2 months though, so it should be really, really clean by now...

for the SS and Fixie I just smear more oil on the chain every other ride and possibly degrease it as above maybe once a year if its lucky...

Tried one of those chain cleaner tools, found it quite faffy and not very effective TBH...

Anyone else not bother with any of this and yet still get decent life out of their chains?

Those recommending washing up liquid - I seem to remember being told a long while back that this washing up liquid was a bad idea because it has salt in it. Is that still an issue?

Petrol in a jar, brush off later on/next day.

I use diesel - more or less the same effect, but considerably less danger of burning down the shed. 🙂

thepurist - Member

Anyone else not bother with any of this and yet still get decent life out of their chains?

Alright life, but much inferior performance- a well cleaned and lubed chain deals far better with bad conditions.

whatever degreaser on cassette and chainrings etc
Cassette off.

Fenwicks FS1 and a toothbrush.

Liberally drizzle FS1 over the cassette & chain while back pedalling until the chain has done one rotation then scrub with a toothbrush for a few seconds and wash off with a good blast from the hosepipe.

Anyone else not bother with any of this and yet still get decent life out of their chains?

Me. I just spray with GT85 once every few months and do a scrub down, then relube. It's probably overdue a scrub.

I've always found the putting it in a jar and shaking it approach doesn't really get the dirt off in winter.

Chain scrubbers really clean them plus you get enough degreaser on the rest of the driver train to give it a scrub with the same stuff.

Since switching to Rock N roll Blue 2 years ago a wipe with a rag is generally enough then re apply lube and that is it.

thepurist - Member
Anyone else not bother with any of this and yet still get decent life out of their chains?

Got about 1200 miles on a chain and cassette, mostly offroad, some beach/rockpools etc. Hose it down regular and lub it and not had any bother so far. Think the chain might be nearing the end of its life now tho.

thepurist - Member
Anyone else not bother with any of this and yet still get decent life out of their chains?

Me. Clean chains are nice, but I'm not convinced it makes much difference to wear, or performance (up to a point).

Even completely dry chains are as efficient (different point I know).

Will try to keep everything clean with a wash on the bike with Hope Sh*t-shifter (far superior to neat Fenwicks FS1 imo), but if it's caked in black greasy crud then it's off the bike & clean with toothbrush & WD40 before Sh*t-shifter. Usually only need to do this with new chains as the manufacturers' lube seems to coagulate into a sticky mess in no time.

Use Prolink progold extreme lube, applied as a drop to each roller before wiping the chain as dry as possible afterwards. This seems to avoid the greasy black crud & reduce requirement for off-the-bike cleaning to once or twice a year.

Scottoiler Ultimate bike solution.

Can't beat removing the cassette (30 second job) and cleaning with the pressure washer. Comes up like new every time. Cheain is soaked every couple of weeks in diesel for few hours and then pressure washed too, air dried and re greased. The natural riding we do around here in wales means it stays looking nice for about 30 seconds! 🙁

Park chain cleaner with some bike cleaner for regular clean leaving the chain on.

Brake and clutch cleaner in a jar a for not-dicking-about proper sterilisation when the chain comes off.

The best thing I ever did was stop using Finish Line Wet Lube. It's so thick and stinky that everything sticks too it. It gets broken out occasionally when I know the weather is going to be particularly grim, but it needs to be properly rank. The rest of the tine I use Juice Lubes Viking Lube which is ok in wet conditions and not so sticky that everything ends up on the chain. It's also to remove done cleaning time.

The Juice Lubes degreaser is hopeless.

As someone already said, I recently switched to rock n roll blue having heard good things about it. I ride in all weathers and was cleaning the drivetrain and cassette after every ride but it was getting seriously mucky. Since moving to rock n roll cassette and drive chain remains remarkably clean. Weather hasn't been as bad but it is waaay more clean than previously.

Soak in muc-off.
Agitate with a dust pan brush pushed down into the cassette while turning cranks than add water from hose or watering can and continue scrubbing.
That will clean a mildly mucky chain.

If it needs more then it goes in one of those plastic fresh soup tubs with some eco soluble degreaser stuff and gets a big shake / left to soak.

Second chain goes on and other one is hung up to dry for a week or two until the next swap.

Can't remember the last time I degreased my chain. Rock n roll blue lube does the job.

I stopped degreasing my chains about 15 years ago. I think it just causes more problems by washing out the lubricant in between the rollers and plates etc.

All I do is wipe the filth off with a rag, apply a drop of lubricant to each roller, run the chain up and down the block a couple of times and then wipe the excess off the outside of the plates.

The Fenwick's foaming degreaser is a revelation. Squirt on, leave for a few mins, agitate with a soft brush and hose off.

I only do the "soak in something smelly" option on brand new chains (to rid the horrible OEM grease) or if its mega crappy.

mattbibbings - Member

I only do the "soak in something smelly" option on brand new chains (to rid the horrible OEM grease)

Countdown to someone quoting Sheldon at you... 10, 9, 8...

How do you get rid/filter the white spirit/diesel after you've used it to clean something?

Goodish weather: White spirit+agitate / air dry / can of hot wax
Badish weather: White spirit+agitate / air dry / oil

If you're minted then use White Lightning, but it doesn't last long.

I used to degrease the chain using one of those chain cleaner things and various degreasers. 5l of Gunk froma car parts shop was far and away the best value and it worked.

However, I've just stopped bothering for the last year or so. The drivechain gets wiped down and re-lubed when required. I can't say I've noticed any difference in wear or performance. Less harmful solvents and chemicals going into the enviornment and more time riding.

It's bizarre how much opinions vary on this. I use Finish Line Wet all year round, apply it liberally and wipe off the excess with kitchen towel. When the chain is particularly muddy I'll clean with by running it through a kitchen towel wet with paraffin but often I'll just run it through a dry kitchen towel, relube and then wipe off. I poke the dried mud out of all the sprockets when it seems problematic. I swap back and forth between two or three identical chains on each bike every couple of months, always using whichever chain is shortest (least worn) and when the chains are off they get cleaned in a bottle of paraffin.

Considering the lack of comprehensive cleaning bar the chain my drivetrain usually looks and sounds and feels pretty good - anyone who knows me will confirm my bikes are usually mud colour with a gleaming gold chain!

curiousyellow - Member

How do you get rid/filter the white spirit/diesel after you've used it to clean something?

I don't- muck settles to the bottom quickly, so you can top it off and just reuse the clean part. If you're anal, like me, you can take the dirty parts and pour them off into another jar to let that settle too. There's probably tons of invisible suspended crap left in the paraffin- ptfe and oils and that- but that's cool, it doesn't seem to matter. The only wastage is what comes out on the chain.

Hose all the crap off, Clean with GT85, dry the chain, lube the chain.

I'm not to fussed about the chain being spotless. 9 speed cahins aren't axactly expensive and I'm sure there comes a point where you are spending more on cleaning regimes than just buying a couple of cheap chains a year

Muc-off in chain cleaner, back pedal, leave a few mins whilst spraying muc-off on cassette and front chainring, scrub them, water in chain cleaner, back pedal to rinse, fresh water in again, pedal pedal to rinse again until water is cleanish, remove chain from front chainring (if necessary) and scrape out any crap from chainring, chain back on and scrub cassette then rinse.

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> How do you get rid/filter the white spirit/diesel after you've used it to clean something?

I don't- muck settles to the bottom quickly, so you can top it off and just reuse the clean part.

Same here. I stuck a wire mesh in the bottom of my container so all the crud can settle to the bottom, away from whatever I'm cleaning. Works pretty well.

I am puzzled by the dishwasher method.

Encouraged by people mentioning it on here I placed a sooty sacepan in one once. I had to disassemble the entire friggin' dishwasher and scrub all the gunk off the trays, the arms and anything plastic afterwards. Took well over an hour and it didn't really go away.

I dread to think what would happen if I placed a smeggy cassette in one!

My OH decided we should have a steam cleaner recently, for oven and bin cleaning etc.

Makes a great bike parts cleaner, so I'm well impressed. Chains, old cassettes, as new in 5 mins with no solvents. Fumigated a sleeping bag pretty well too.

My OH decided we should have a steam cleaner recently, oven cleaning etc.

Makes a great bike parts cleaner

Oooooh good tip. We've [i]acquired[/i] one of those too (women and shopping channels are never a good mix).
It's shag all use for cleaning the floor, so hopefully it'll do better on bike bits.

Chain off, cassette off. Soak in DEB pink degreaser, rinse then into my missus' ultrasonic bath ,as Rorshach above. Hot water and pink stuff and let the little exploding bubbles do their work. Sparkles when it comes out...her indoors thought I was being really considerate when i bought it her for cleaning her jewellery...Yeah right!!!

Years ago I bought a 50 litre tub of citrus degreaser from a motor factor and I still have heaps left. It’s pretty strong when neat, so I dilute it 50/50 into an old Hope Sh!t Shifter spray bottle. It does a great job of cleaning the drivetrain on my bikes, and it’s also used to clean loads of other things like car wheels, bugs off front bumpers etc. Once the drivetrain is clean and dry I apply some Purple Extreme dry lube, which is slightly heavier than most other dry lubes, but not quite as sticky as full on wet lubes.

when I buy a new chain it goes in a jam jar of white spirit to clean it of the gunk it comes coated in

then I lube it up with Squirt dry lube

from then on the chain just gets wiped down with a rag and more squirt added as needed

when i'm washing the bike the chain gets removed - the dirt on the chain just dries and falls off really - no need to degrease. and the rest of the drivetrain doesn't build up layers of black goop like you get with wet lubes

The only downside is you need to remember to lube your chain several hours before you ride - if you apply it then ride straightaway it just gets lost

when I buy a new chain it goes in a jam jar of white spirit to clean it of the gunk it comes coated in

http://sheldonbrown.com/chains.html#factory

I can see the logic in cleaning the coating off, as it quite quickly looks "dirty". Good lubrication and looking shiny aren't the same thing though.

Scottoiler Ultimate bike solution.

So I just use tap water and a brush (if I can even be bothered with that).

I clean new chains too, on KMC's advice- I did a warranty on a brand new chain that died after a single ride from constant chainsuck, they said I should clean the replacement and relube with something "more suitable for your riding conditions", which were really nothing unusual.

Road and commuting use I leave it on though, it's great for that.

I'm aware of sheldon's advice

Squirt doesn;t work if you apply it over existing lube - it needs to go onto a clean, degreased chain for first application

Those recommending washing up liquid - I seem to remember being told a long while back that this washing up liquid was a bad idea because it has salt in it. Is that still an issue?

The cheap ones do use salt to thicken them, good quality ones generally don't.

I acquired some solvent based cleaner used for cleaning the blades of gas turbines and use that every month or so.

Squirt doesn;t work if you apply it over existing lube - it needs to go onto a clean, degreased chain for first application

Is that so? I've just bought some Squirt but haven't applied it yet. The bike is only a month old with only ever the factory grease on the drivetrain, I've never lubed it yet. But it is a bit dusty. Are you saying I need to degrease it all first? Reading Sheldon made me not want to do that. I was planning to just wash the dirt off with hot water then apply the Squirt. Is that a bad idea?

I use filter coffee papers to filter the crap out of my degreaser so that I can re-use it. I re-lube with an oil bath and allow to drip free, and I filter that too. I bought a large container of finish line wet lube 12 years ago and split it with a friend. We had 1.7 litres each and we're still using it.

Yes you need to get the chain proper clean. There are instructions on the squirt website I think

Anyone else not bother with any of this

* wipe excess oil off new chain using a rag with WD40 on it
* apply Squirt
* ride

polish chain and re-apply Squirt as required (quite often during bad weather)

Have not degreased a drivetrain for years

A good tip for cleaning cassettes without taking them off: I use a folded rag, and use the folded egde to 'floss' between the cogs, this cleans both faces of all cogs. Cassette comes up nice and shiny and it's pretty quick and easy. Do it with the bike on the ground and you can use the resistance of the freehub on the down stroke, and move it round on the up storke. I've not found special brushes very useful.

I do this after a spray of degreaser on chain and then wash off, or it can be done when the cassette is only a bit dirty, along with a wipe of the chain.

Using a thinner lube helps no end too...

Shirley hosing down hubs with degreaser is why people get through so many hubs?

Gunk here too. Slap it on then leave whilst washing rest of bike. Clean off with soapy water then rinse, wipe dry and lube.