Five tips for a clean chain

**timothy.john** · 4th May 2012

**timothy.john** · 4th May 2012

Here a five tips for a clean chain. Anyone have their own tried and trusted methods for keeping a chain in fine working order?

**coolboarder** · 9th May 2012

Originally Posted by timothy.john

Here a five tips for a clean chain. Anyone have their own tried and trusted methods for keeping a chain in fine working order?

Having exalted the wax lube route to a chain than keeps itself clean on numerous previous occasions I feel the rest of the forum have heard it enough to have made their own decision on the matter, but wax is the way to go.

**VLAD (the Friendly Vamp)** · 4th May 2012

Dont take it out of the packet.

**Mike the bike** · 4th May 2012

Fit a full metal chain case like they did fifty years ago. Of course, it won't work with a derailleur so we'll have to go back to Sturmey Archer 3-speeds but that's not such a bad idea. Back then the world was a rose-tinted place with no traffic, no traffic lights, and no traffic wardens. And motorists, being in a very small minority, were invariably kind to cyclists and would scatter rose petals along our path.

Happy days.

**Spindoctor** · 5th May 2012

jockey wheels always seem to be the natural collecting point for gunk, I try to give these particular attention, and I agree with the double dipping treatment, just wish I had an airline - that sounds a great idea

**wyadvd** · 5th May 2012

2 or three decent chains in rotation, change over once a week and dunk in some white spirit; leave it there all week , stiring ocasionally. on a friday take it out and dry the white spirit off, and lube. change chains saturday morning. wipe lube off really thoughroughly. Car Gear oil is best and not a rip off.

**Tom12481** · 7th May 2012

1, feel a clamp on chain cleaner with white spirit and run through chain.
2, take off clamp cleaner and run through the gears which will spread the white spirit on the cassette.
3, spray washing up liquid and water on the back cassette while rotating the crank arm. I use a plant sprayer thingy.
4, dry chain with rag and apply a SMALL amount of dry lube on rollers only. Run through gears then wipe away with a rag.

Lovely shinny chain and cassette and costs to a min.
I apply little more lube every 3 or so rides.

**Pete Appleby 3** · 7th May 2012

Take chain off, clean in Diesel ( its a lubricant as well ) hang chain up to dry, soak in the chain lube of your chooseing, ( you dont need that much in a container and you reuse) wipe of excess, let it dry and wipe off the excess, chain now has lube where its needed in the rollers and on the pins, side plates should be clean, has worked for me for years, yep its a faff but worth it my chains last

**timothy.john** · 8th May 2012

Top stuff, chaps! Got some more tips coming from Peter 'Spike' Taylor, who fettled Team GB's machines in Beijing and now lists Rapha Condor Sharp among his clients.