Blah, blah, Sheldon Brown R.I.P. "A Religious Question Chain maintenance is one of the most controversial aspects of bicycle mechanics. Chain durability is affected by riding style, gear choice, whether the bicycle is ridden in rain or snow, type of soil in the local terrain, type of lubricant, lubrication techniques, and the sizes and condition of the bicycle's sprockets. Because there are so many variables, it has not been possible to do controlled experiments under real-world conditions. As a result, everybody's advice about chain maintenance is based on anecdotal "evidence" and experience. Experts disagree on this subject, sometimes bitterly. This is sometimes considered a "religious" matter in the bicycle community, and much vituperative invective has been uttered in this regard between different schismatic cults.
This article is based on my personal and professional experience and my own theories. If you disagree with them, I won't call you a fool or a villain, you may be right. I hope you will extend me the same courtesy." <http://www.sheldonbrown.com/chains.html> Madison winter riding is particularly rough on chains. I like the banana flavored Triflow®, and have to replace my drivetrain pretty much every two years. Now, how about those bike lanes on East Johnson/Gorham? POOF! They're gone! R. On Sun, Jan 10, 2010 at 10:40 PM, Mark Shahan <[email protected]> wrote: > Hans, > > I clean my winter bike in the basement laundry room which has a floor > drain. My winter bike has kick stand so it is a little easier to clean than > putting it on a bike stand but I have used a bike stand as well. I hook a > garden hose to the laundry sink faucet and use a gentle stream of water to > wash off the worst of the sand and grit. Then I put a little high > efficiency laundry detergent in a basin and dissolve it in warm water. Next > I use nylon brushes and old rags to gently wash the grime off the bike with > the exception of the drive train using the detergent solution. After a > rinse with the hose to remove any detergent, I move on to cleaning and > lubing the drive train. > > I too use a chain cleaning tool you attach to the chain. I use the Park > Chain Tool and I use Citrasolv undiluted as the solvent. Citrasolv works > great to get greasy grime off metal parts (be careful using it on some > rubber and plastic which may soften or dissolve) and is biodegradable so you > can put it down the drain. You can purchase Citrasolv at the Willy Street > Coop. Rinse off the Citrasolv with water, wipe off the excess water with a > rag, and let the chain dry. > > When dry, I use 10W-30 motor oil to lube the chain as it has corrosion > inhibitors and is a detergent oil, i.e., helps suspend fine particles. > Rather than spinning the the pedals backward as you drip the oil on the > chain over the rear cluster which in my view gets too much oil on the chain > and cluster, I lube each link rivet on the top section of chain between the > cluster and the chain ring starting with the connecting link. Then, pedal > backward to bring up the next section of chain to lube and repeat until you > get back to the connecting link. My connecting link is distinct because it > doesn't require tools to connect the chain. Each link should be visibly wet > to the point of almost dripping. Wipe off the excess oil with a rag and you > are ready to roll. This is my full relube procedure. Many time I just wipe > the chain and put on more lube or I degrease with the chain tool but don't > rinse with water since I am doing a quick cleaning in the garage. The full > procedure gets done 2-3 times a winter depending on how severe the winter. > > I disagree with India on another point. If the side plates of your chain > are rusty, it is a good bet that the lube is mostly gone from the link > rivets as well. This is a good clue it is time to at least wipe off your > chain and relube. > > Mark > > On Mon, Jan 4, 2010 at 5:06 PM, Kirks <[email protected]> wrote: >> >> I find that after using the chain cleaning tool that attaches to the chain >> to scrub the grit off that using another one that has lube in it is a good >> way to apply it. The lube needs to be in the link's rivet and the best way >> to do that is submersion. Wait until it drys on its own before wiping >> excess off. Or get a bike you don't care about and just ride?... >> >> >> ----- Original Message ----- >> From: Hans Noeldner >> To: [email protected] >> Sent: Monday, January 04, 2010 1:43 PM >> Subject: [Bikies] Chains in Winter and Cleaning >> >> I would welcome suggestions regarding chains and lubes for winter. Right >> now mine is a rusty mess despite my having lubricated it very recently. One >> lousy ride and it's just awful! >> >> >> >> Normally I lube my chain with a combination of Phil's Tenacious Oil well >> worked in (lots of cranking plus I use a toothbrush to work it in from both >> sides) followed by light spray of T9, and then I wipe off the excess to >> avoid clinging dirt. My chain is a medium-quality Shimano. Are there >> special chains for winter? >> >> >> >> Also I would welcome suggestions for how to wash my bike indoors, inside >> so as to avoid splashing, spilling, and otherwise making a mess. Right now >> I prop a plastic concrete mixing trough up the legs of my bike stand, but it >> is "tippy" and doesn't catch all the water. I've thought about using the >> tub, but the stand doesn't fit in it, and I'm worried about stains from the >> oil, etc. >> >> >> >> ________________________________ >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Bikies mailing list >> [email protected] >> http://lists.danenet.org/listinfo.cgi/bikies-danenet.org >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Bikies mailing list >> [email protected] >> http://lists.danenet.org/listinfo.cgi/bikies-danenet.org >> > > > > -- > Mark N. Shahan ------ __o > 607 Piper Drive ------- _`\<,_ > Madison, WI 53711-1338 ---- (*)/ (*) > (608) 274-9367 > [email protected] > > _______________________________________________ > Bikies mailing list > [email protected] > http://lists.danenet.org/listinfo.cgi/bikies-danenet.org > > -- Pointlessly blogging at www.robindavies.us Try something new every day. _______________________________________________ Bikies mailing list [email protected] http://lists.danenet.org/listinfo.cgi/bikies-danenet.org
