Australian Cycling Forums - Bicycles Network Australia

Man i just gave my new Park Tools chain cleaner a run & i thought my chain was pretty clean as i cleaned it last Sunday , anyway gave it a run & man the cleaning liquid goes in clear & comes out black & the chain looks as new (well it is only 300 or so k's old) but i am very impressed with how good it works

Careful not to lose the little spindles that hold the round brushes. Store it closed.

Onto my third rebuild kit for mine. Must have cleaned my chains a couple of hundred times....

One of the best things I've bought. Even have a 4 litre bottle of FinishLine Citrus Degreaser.

+1 from me. I'm skeptical of new-fangled stuff like this, but I borrowed my Dad's a few months ago and it was absolutely brilliant.

Hey ValleyForge where did you get the 4lt bottle from ?

bollo wrote:Hey ValleyForge where did you get the 4lt bottle from ?

Just asked my LBS after I kept buying the small bottles - they suggested it!

Although it cleans well, i find the mess it makes and the fact that the chain needs to be run through more than once detracts from those chain cleaners.

I prefer to remove the chain completely and let it sit in kerosene overnight.

Rex wrote:Although it cleans well, i find the mess it makes and the fact that the chain needs to be run through more than once detracts from those chain cleaners.

I prefer to remove the chain completely and let it sit in kerosene overnight.

What sort of mess do they make?

I have been using similar types since we got our bikes and I don't end up with any mess.

Just hold the chain cleaner in the left hand with a cloth being held up against the chain where it exits the cleaner, then turn pedal with right hand. No mess.... And clean chain.

Cheers


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+1 from me too. Though I don't use it as often now that I use the Rock n Roll Gold lube...and when I do it cleans up faster.

I use a citrus based degreaser concentrate called Septone Superclene http://www.septone.com.au/detail.asp?it ... page_num=1 that I get from the engineering supplies shop in town

+1

best thing I've ever bought. Clean blink blink chain after.

bollo wrote:Hey ValleyForge where did you get the 4lt bottle from ?

I bought a big bottle (think it was 5lt) from a local auto parts store (autoOne in Waitara, Syd). Top stuff!

As a maybe interesting aside, I had a problem in my bike shed which was infested with mosquitoes. Couldn't get ride of them using normal methods (mozzie coil, those electrical thingys, etc). After I bought the citrus degreaser and cracked the container open, the strong citrus smell hung around for a while and I stored it in the closed shed. Haven't seen a mozzie in there since . It was worth buying the big bottle for that feature alone! And no, the shed is not that overpowered with the smell, just don't store it inside your house.

Quick question - I have the barbieri chain cleaner, which I would rate as 7/10 on the scale of how well it cleans. Has anyone got any experience with the difference between the park tool one and the barbieri?

I don't have experience with the Barbieri Chain Cleaner, but do have a Park. The main differences (going from the picture of the Barbieri) would be:

* the park scrubs the side plates of the chain
* the park has a magnet at the bottom of the well which keeps any small metal filings from re-circultaing in your cleaning fluid.
* the park has a sponge before the chain exit to reduce the amount of fluid that spills out with the chain exiting (doesn't elimitate that though)

silentbutdeadly wrote:+1 from me too. Though I don't use it as often now that I use the Rock n Roll Gold lube...and when I do it cleans up faster.

I use a citrus based degreaser concentrate called Septone Superclene http://www.septone.com.au/detail.asp?it ... page_num=1 that I get from the engineering supplies shop in town

Yes I don't use it that often, however the thicker grunge does build up over time when just using RR Gold so I find that a scrub is very beneficial every 1000k's or so, especially in winter to save all that mess on your rear rim & frame.

I use Australian Export Degreaser in a pressure pack (about $2 a can) about 4 cleans per pack - does a great job and is biodegradable although I guess the can is less enviro friendly.

Any mess that comes out of the scrubber goes on some old rags that I keep on the floor below the work stand. I'd give the Park Tools version about 9/10 - I have used a couple of cheaper versions with less capacity. The brushes last a long time in the PT scrubber and replacements are available, as with the foam blocks although you can cut your own.

visrealm wrote:I don't have experience with the Barbieri Chain Cleaner, but do have a Park. The main differences (going from the picture of the Barbieri) would be:

* the park scrubs the side plates of the chain
* the park has a magnet at the bottom of the well which keeps any small metal filings from re-circultaing in your cleaning fluid.
* the park has a sponge before the chain exit to reduce the amount of fluid that spills out with the chain exiting (doesn't elimitate that though)

Ahh thanks. I've never noticed the metal filings being an issue, but points 1 and 3 sound like worthy improvements on their own. the Barbieri spews cleaner everywhere when you use it and the side plates don't come out particularly clean. And I guess you wouldn't realise the magnet was useful until you had one that actually filled up with filings

it is possible that over cleaning your chain is detrimental.

http://www.kmcchain.eu/?en/maintenance/

the BEST lube is that which is applied inside the rollers by the factory during the manufacturing process.....vigorous cleaning with greasers/solvents etc removes the original lube and you are replacing it with an inferior lube.

save some time and money and just wipe down the chain with a cloth, apply some lube and then wipe the excess. job done.

ciao

mrs slocombe's pussy wrote:the BEST lube is that which is applied inside the rollers by the factory during the manufacturing process.....vigorous cleaning with greasers/solvents etc removes the original lube and you are replacing it with an inferior lube.

Those sound like Sheldon Brown's words.

save some time and money and just wipe down the chain with a cloth, apply some lube and then wipe the excess. job done.

That's more or less my approach. When the chain is dirty and/or dry I just saturate the chain in ProLink lube then wipe off the muck and excess lube. Effective and easy as. I sometime use a degreaser spray to help get the accumulated crud out of the cassette and derailleur jockey wheels but not the chain.

Hotdog wrote:

mrs slocombe's pussy wrote:the BEST lube is that which is applied inside the rollers by the factory during the manufacturing process.....vigorous cleaning with greasers/solvents etc removes the original lube and you are replacing it with an inferior lube.

Those sound like Sheldon Brown's words.

save some time and money and just wipe down the chain with a cloth, apply some lube and then wipe the excess. job done.

That's more or less my approach. When the chain is dirty and/or dry I just saturate the chain in ProLink lube then wipe off the muck and excess lube. Effective and easy as. I sometime use a degreaser spray to help get the accumulated crud out of the cassette and derailleur jockey wheels but not the chain.

great minds think alike hey!

yeah agreed.....its a chain, not a dinner plate!

mrs slocombe's pussy wrote:

Hotdog wrote:

mrs slocombe's pussy wrote:the BEST lube is that which is applied inside the rollers by the factory during the manufacturing process.....vigorous cleaning with greasers/solvents etc removes the original lube and you are replacing it with an inferior lube.

Those sound like Sheldon Brown's words.

save some time and money and just wipe down the chain with a cloth, apply some lube and then wipe the excess. job done.

That's more or less my approach. When the chain is dirty and/or dry I just saturate the chain in ProLink lube then wipe off the muck and excess lube. Effective and easy as. I sometime use a degreaser spray to help get the accumulated crud out of the cassette and derailleur jockey wheels but not the chain.

great minds think alike hey!

yeah agreed.....its a chain, not a dinner plate!

Here we go again I'm opting out of this one.

tallywhacker wrote:well, I suppose the pros must have it wrong then

I see bike wash, water and sponges there, no chain cleaning machines or long soaks in aggressive degreasers. I'm not sure what point I was supposed to take from that? Looks pretty much like what I do to my own bikes when I feel the urge to clean the frames as well as the drivetrain.

I certainly wasn't advocating dirty chains, mine are as clean and shiny as the next bike. My point was (that with certain types of lube at least) you can keep your chain nice and clean simply by wiping and lubing it, intensive chain maintenance techniques or specialised equipment are not always essential. I've tried chain cleaning machines and all manner of chain cleaning fluids in the past and eventually concluded that they weren't worth the hassle, especially for me because each of my bikes has 2 and half times the standard length of chain on it!

As a general point the practices of pro team mechanics aren't always the best guide for how to maintain your own bike. Remember that they have little interest in longevity, those team bikes only have to last a single racing season before they're replaced. Much of what they do is no problem in that respect but there are a few things you'd want to be wary of, e.g. be very, very careful if you're going to use a pressure washer on a bike!

Hot soapy jet wash and olive oil... My chain sparkles.

toolonglegs wrote:Hot soapy jet wash and olive oil... My chain sparkles.

Your bike must smell great

I use the bio virgin press as well ... All jokes aside it is one of the best chain lubes I have used.