CityCyclingEdinburgh was launched on the 27th of October 2009 as "an experiment".
IT’S TRUE!
CCE is 15years old!
Well done to ALL posters
It soon became useful and entertaining. There are regular posters, people who add useful info occasionally and plenty more who drop by to watch. That's fine. If you want to add news/comments it's easy to register and become a member.
RULES No personal insults. No swearing.
"Not cleaning your chain to save factory lubricants smacks of a convenient urban myth to get you out of a potentially mucky task! "
You may be correct (judging by the rusty chains I see in the bike shed) but you really don't need to use a degreaser to clean the chain unless perhaps you are off-roading. I do happen to use a degreaser on occasion but to clean other parts of the bike.
No Scottoilers? I was given one to try out but I haven't got round to fitting it on the bike.
I have been using the bike medicine degreaser, seems to work pretty well.
The rain today reminded me that it is the rusty chain that is the worst, not wet on way home need to take some rags impregnated withnGT85 to work
"WD 40 is a very light oil"
You really dont want wd40 near your bike chain.......its a solvent
Cleaned chain today (my only-oil & rags, no-degreaser way) and also cleaned and re-greased the rear hub. Like a whole new bike!
I guess there's no one "right" way to clean a chain but there are plenty of wrong ways! If it doesn't kill the chain and you're happy with it and it works for you, then go for it.
If a revenue-hungry bike shop advises you to buy a degreaser to clean the chain followed by a can of Wd-40 to displace the water followed by a bottle of expensive lube to replace the lube now removed, are they doing you a favour or are they looking to sell your more stuff ? The best outcome for them would be that the products they sell would actually maximise chain wear cos then they can sell you a new chain and new cassette and new chain rings on a frequent basis as well. Is there a game of bluff and double bluff going on here ?
Charterhall, I've seen every chain cleaning and lubing method mentioned in this thread (and others*) including my own described as the best and the worst approach at some time. You may well be right. But until there's some research we'll all probably stick to what we think is best.
*chain-saw oil, car engine oil, three chain rotation, cooking in paraffin wax, GT85 as a lube.
There must be the odd engineering student in our midst ? An undergraduate research project perhaps ?
"Inspired by this thread I gave my chain a liberal dose of 3-in-1 this evening. Am I the only one still using such an unfashionable product ?"
Years ago I was told by someone in a bike shop not to use 3in1 on a bike and since then I never have.
I think it was probably the guy in Quality Cycles in D'Mains. Must have been well over 20 years ago. I can't really remember the reasons (wrong viscosity or something?), no idea if he was right or not. It's funny how something sticks with you though, so I have always shunned 3-in-1 since then.
May I suggest that the real reasons were that he was able to make more profit on other products ?
But Sheldon says "No"!
"Household" oil, such as 3 in 1, is a vegetable oil and is acidic. It tends to gum up. (It's really bad news inside internal hub gears, too...)
So now chain oil needs to be pH balanced ? Like moisturiser ? I'll look forward to the new bike range from Lancome. I expect the Rapha shop will have some available.
I use QD links so just remove chains and swill them round in a jar of diesel before allowing to drip dry. Cleans well and leaves an oily residue.
Blueth: "in a jar of diesel"
Sounds good but (a) how do you get a jar of diesel and (b) if you're a klutz like me how do you clean it up off the floor of the shed when you spill it?
Tom
(a)If you don't have an Approved container with which to purchase it perhaps a kind neighbour will allow you to syphon some from their car - don't sook too hard.
(b) You don't, consider it as timber treatment.
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