http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Topic: Chain oil/cleaning regime for winter en Thu, 02 Jul 2026 03:13:36 +0000 http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=13903#post-172620 Tue, 18 Nov 2014 14:24:36 +0000 amir 172620@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Halo!! </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=13903#post-172618 Tue, 18 Nov 2014 14:22:09 +0000 I were right about that saddle 172618@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I oiled my chain this morning, despite it not making a noise or being rusty. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=13903#post-172612 Tue, 18 Nov 2014 14:06:33 +0000 amir 172612@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>@Cyclingmollie<br /> Last time it was CRC but I do shop around. I bought SRAM PC850 8 speed chains at £7.49 and SRAM PC1051 chains at £14.99 - you can see why I keep an 8 speed set-up on the winter/commuter bike! </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=13903#post-171802 Tue, 11 Nov 2014 16:16:00 +0000 condor2378 171802@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>My routine is:</p> <p>1) Look at oil and muck covered chain.<br /> 2) Think "I must do something about that".<br /> 3) Leave for a week then return to 1) </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=13903#post-171762 Tue, 11 Nov 2014 12:54:40 +0000 Darkerside 171762@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Well, I re-did all my dynamo connections over the weekend. Given my competence at manual tasks, anything's possible. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=13903#post-171761 Tue, 11 Nov 2014 12:47:00 +0000 wingpig 171761@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><blockquote><em>"...and nickel-plated chain to avoid rust..."</em></blockquote></p> <p>You must be using a different sort of nickel to the nickel on my nickel-plated chains. Is it nickel-plated but also electrified, with extra sacrifical zinc anodes dotted here and there? </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=13903#post-171749 Tue, 11 Nov 2014 11:12:18 +0000 Darkerside 171749@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>0 - Have mudguards and nickel-plated chain to avoid rust.<br /> 1 - Apply green oil wet lube.<br /> 2 - Ride until squeaky squeaky (about a month).<br /> 3 - Go to 1.</p> <p>150km-ish a week. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=13903#post-171709 Mon, 10 Nov 2014 22:38:41 +0000 Cyclingmollie 171709@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>@amir, where do you buy the cheap chains? </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=13903#post-171708 Mon, 10 Nov 2014 22:31:47 +0000 Instography 171708@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Sometimes wipe off excess gunk but otherwise the stretch kills it before wear or rust gets a chance. Apply oil when it sounds like it might thank me for it. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=13903#post-171696 Mon, 10 Nov 2014 20:57:09 +0000 Baldcyclist 171696@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Apply wet oil weekly until gunk from jockey wheels is rubbing on rear spokes.</p> <p>Pick gunk off monthly with pointy thing, and clean spokes.</p> <p>Apply some more wet oil weekly</p> <p>Get new chain and cassette at end March.</p> <p>Really annoying on the odd occasion that chain skipping becomes too much in January, and replacement needs done then. That almost always means another replacement required at end March anyway. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=13903#post-171695 Mon, 10 Nov 2014 20:48:13 +0000 minus six 171695@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Fenwicks Foaming Chain Cleaner once a week.</p> <p>Purple Extreme Lubricant every three days.</p> <p>Use sparingly, but apply and clean often.</p> <p>For a 28 mile a day commute I find this keeps everything reliable and efficient. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=13903#post-171693 Mon, 10 Nov 2014 20:19:48 +0000 Nelly 171693@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Wash the bike when its uber-yellow-ness gets really grotty.</p> <p>Ignore chain unless its so gunked up it tries to jump off - they are so cheap I am not fussed if it needs replaced once a year !</p> <p>If I was running a geared bike, suspect regime would be more convoluted. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=13903#post-171684 Mon, 10 Nov 2014 18:42:23 +0000 jdanielp 171684@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>In terms of my still fairly new hub-geared bike, so far I have not felt compelled to do much more than spinning the pedals whilst gently pressing kitchen towel against the chain from different angles to help ease the worst of the gunk off (not much to date), followed by either applying a modest coating of Green Oil or an extended spray of Finish Line Teflon Plus lube depending on the expected weather, and then wiping off any excess using the rest of the bit of kitchen towel every week or so. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=13903#post-171679 Mon, 10 Nov 2014 17:39:56 +0000 amir 171679@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Rub down fairly often, especially when wet. Try to remove dirt in links with brush. I use oil to help move the dirt if necessary. Doesn't take too long if dirt isn't allowed to build up. I try to change chains in anticipation of full wear to save the cassette. Chains bought in "bulk" in sales. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=13903#post-171676 Mon, 10 Nov 2014 17:26:30 +0000 Cyclingmollie 171676@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>After every 150km or each week:<br /> Split chain at quick-link<br /> Degrease and rinse<br /> Spray with water repellent (eg GT85)<br /> Clean chainrings, rear mech and sprockets<br /> Replace chain<br /> Lube with lots of Finish Line Cross Country</p> <p>My LBS loves me. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=13903#post-171674 Mon, 10 Nov 2014 17:23:21 +0000 I were right about that saddle 171674@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>@edd1e_h</p> <p>I tried dry lube, but my chain turned to scrap in a week. </p> <p>Having discounted chain cleaning devices and dry lube I'm back on paraffin in an old oven tray, a toothbrush and White Lightning Wet Lube. Messy and dull.</p> <p>I do feel a Kevlar belt and hub gear bike coming on. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=13903#post-171667 Mon, 10 Nov 2014 16:35:41 +0000 chdot 171667@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Clearly someone needs to create a DryLube Super Hero graphic. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=13903#post-171665 Mon, 10 Nov 2014 16:33:30 +0000 wingpig 171665@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Does dry lube have the power to actively repel self-adhesive leafmulch and pathmuck? </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=13903#post-171663 Mon, 10 Nov 2014 16:22:16 +0000 neddie 171663@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Keep using dry lube throughout the winter. Keep a bottle handy at work/home so you re-lube after rain (don't forget)</p> <p>Your chain will stay clean and lubed by virtue of the rain / lack of grit attracting-ness of the dry lube. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=13903#post-171662 Mon, 10 Nov 2014 16:16:12 +0000 Greenroofer 171662@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>1) Clean off the old oil and gunk with Tesco baby wipes until the chain is shiny. Imparts a delicate fragrance to the chain. Floss the chain ring and rear sprocket with a baby wipe.<br /> 2) Apply a stream of lubricant to the moving chain. (I've recently been using Fenwicks wet weather lube, which is pink and suprisingly fluid. It seems to disappear quite quickly, and doesn't cover the chain in a sticky mess. I don't know if this is good or not). Went back to Finish Line green this weekend, which is much stickier. This morning the chain was much quieter than it was with the Fenwick's lube.<br /> 3) Operate chain for a 30 seconds or so.<br /> 4) Leave for 20 minutes or so while doing other bike-check activities so the oil can soak in.<br /> 5) Wipe off superficial oil with a rag. Result is a chain that's coated with oil (but not dripping with it) and that smells of a strange mixture of bike shop and nursery.</p> <p>I have a 1/8" singlespeed chain on a hub gear. The chain cost £4.99. I'm not sure all this effort is worthwhile: the IWRATS technique might be cheaper in the long run. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=13903#post-171661 Mon, 10 Nov 2014 16:13:24 +0000 wingpig 171661@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I scrape crap off my chain/chainrings/mechs if it looks to be growing so compacted as to change the effective shape of the components. Otherwise, if it looks like rain and it's been a while since I refreshed the wet lube I add more wet lube. If I notice a wee spot of rust on the chain, I add more wet lube. If it's been a particularly salty week I might scoosh the underside and drivetrain with a garden scoosher if I remember to when at the allotment, where the garden scoosher lives. If there's a sale on anywhere over autumn/winter I pre-order a couple of fresh chains and a fresh cassette, possibly accompanied by a chainring. When skipping grows too frequent to ignore, the old/skippy/gunky stuff is removed, which preferably does not happen until the worst of the gritting season is over, unless pre-empted by mechanical error such as the largest sprocket wedging itself irremovably onto the freewheel shell. If a chain dies before its scheduled rotation-mileage, such as by mangling itself off as I go from North Bridge to Leith Street then the fresh chain is rotated on and another rotatable chain sourced, if I remember. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=13903#post-171658 Mon, 10 Nov 2014 16:02:28 +0000 kaputnik 171658@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I'm currently of the school of thought that all that oily gunk built up at this time of year prior to salt being on the roads may form some sort of protective barrier.</p> <p>Probably wishful thinking, but for the cost of a new chain at some point I'll pass on the chain scrubbing and TLC sessions. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=13903#post-171649 Mon, 10 Nov 2014 15:30:09 +0000 I were right about that saddle 171649@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I refuse to look at a bicycle chain during the operation of Greenwich Mean Time.</p> <p>If the chain makes its presence known before the return of BST then I have it flogged. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=13903#post-171647 Mon, 10 Nov 2014 15:21:43 +0000 geordiefatbloke 171647@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>My 2p worth, I degrease/clean first using a citrus degreaser and a chain cleaner device. Then rinse well, dry/wipe with a cloth, then oil with wet lube. Try to do it weekly over the winter, as I do about 60 miles a week commute on roads. As mentioned in another thread this didn't manage to save my chain last year but it did keep the bike running quietly and smoothly until gear slippage overwhelmed it. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=13903#post-171644 Mon, 10 Nov 2014 15:13:34 +0000 chdot 171644@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I'm sure this gets asked every year - there will be threads and threads somewhere. </p> <p>AND everyone has a view!</p> <p>Manufacturers never seem to quite come up with the 'perfect oil that never washes off or attracts dirt and creates gunge'. </p> <p>Some people are more 'oil it when it squeaks and replace everything in the spring'. </p> <p>So... </p>