I wonder if your short run in period of the chain would be better if you first cleaned the chain. When I clean a new chain, especially Dura Ace, they are a ton of small metal filings left in the mineral spirits. I can't image letting that crap roll around in there is helpful, though it might not do too much damage.

All that stuff is terrible and that is what continues to wear out the chain and maintain friction as the chain streatches over time.

It's just a continual grinding of high points.

The 5 minute initial run in we do is an attemp to get the really high peaks knocked down/offso to give the chain a chance otherwise to deltas would be unrealistically high. That is primarily for lube testing.

For finish optimized chains it just to free up the wax.

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Dan Kennison

facebook: @triPremierBike
http://www.PremierBike.com
http://www.PositionOneSports.com

Degreaser
Wipe
Alcohol
Wipe
Mineral spirits
Wipe
Alcohol
Wipe
Rock n roll extreme
Wipe
Install
Lube
Wipe

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Eric Reid AeroFit | Instagram Portfolio
Aerodynamic Retul Bike Fitting

“You are experiencing the criminal coverup of a foreign backed fascist hostile takeover of a mafia shakedown of an authoritarian religious slow motion coup. Persuade people to vote for Democracy.”

no spray bottle? mini hudson sprayer?

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Dan Empfield
aka Slowman

In the past I just added some degreaser or alcohol in the jar, added the chain and shake.

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Dan Kennison

facebook: @triPremierBike
http://www.PremierBike.com
http://www.PositionOneSports.com

ah. well. yes. but that requires taking the chain off the bike. i like the connex link (and the sram link) because i can do that. but i'm lazy and i will do that only so often. i want to clean my chain more often than i want to take my chain off the bike.

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Dan Empfield
aka Slowman

Same here, except I spray WD-40 into the rag first to create a small "saturation spot". That's the part that gets wrapped around the chain lower run as I turn the cranks backwards.

I actually do this after each ride (takes all of 4-5 seconds)...keeps the chain cleaner overall between lube applications.

edit: I don't like applying degreaser and such to a mounted chain due to the difficulty of removing all of that. WD-40 is basically a small bit of silicone lubricant in a volatile solvent. The solvent/rag combo do a good job of removing the external "grunge" and the only residue left over is going to be silicone lubricant.

Wiping off the dirt in this manner prior to re-lubing (typicall RnR Extreme, a drop on each roller) keeps the chain and gears reasonably clean, while also apparently extending life. I typically get ~4k miles on a chain before I see any measurable elongation (using a 12" rule), at which point I replace.

I personally think people get a bit too concerned about cleaning the bushing/pin interfaces. If you minimize the dirt residing on the chain, then not much actually gets in there to create "lapping compound" in use...

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http://bikeblather.blogspot.com/

wow. you wrote WD40. in conjunction with a bicycle. boy are you in trouble now.

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Dan Empfield
aka Slowman

See my edit above.

WD-40 has many purposes in regards to a bicycle...one just has to remember that it's mostly a solvent, with a small amount of silicone added. For the purposes of cleaning a chain (at least keeping the outside clean), or displacing water from various areas after a wet-down, it's a great solution. Rely on it as a primary lubricant? Not so much...

BTW, I've often cleaned off the thick factory chain grease by putting the chain in a zip-loc bag and spraying it down with a bunch of WD-40. It dissolves away most of the grease, but leaves a small amount of silicone in place. It definitely cuts down on the thick "grunge" that forms if you don't remove the grease, and I don't have to worry about removing any de-greasers or any sort of multi-step baths. Seems to work well...

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http://bikeblather.blogspot.com/

i'm just giving you the business. i have arrived at the same solution you have... so to speak.

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Dan Empfield
aka Slowman

I see what you did there ;-)

BTW, if you're not part of the solution, then you're part of the precipitate :-)

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http://bikeblather.blogspot.com/

I use an old gummy vitamin jar.

I would say that the Molten Speed Wax recipe is the go to reference https://moltenspeedwax.com/pages/clean-your-chain

I clean and wax the chain for its initial use and then just do follow up applications of Squirt lube. Until I have the need for another round of cleaning/waxing.

I use the Wd40 on a rag to occasionally clean any dirt/dust off the outside, but once your entire drivetrain is waxed, it really doesn't build up that nasty layer of black goo you get from "regular lubes". I can handle any part of my drivetrain and not have messy hands. The best part is that there are none of those little black grease spots on the carpet. The wife used to get really POed about those

If I'm using a regular oil type lube (last couple of years Morgan Blue Race Oil), then I follow the "pro mechanic" routine:

Bike in stand.
Take off wheels, put some cardboard underneath the bike.
Install chain keeper.
Put Morgan Blue chain cleaner in jar, use their brush to apply to chain, pulley wheels, chainrings. Watch crud fall off onto the cardboard.
Remove cardboard, spray bike with Motorex bike clean. Wait a few seconds, then hose and sponge the bike. Let it drip dry, then use a rag to help dry the chain more.
Meanwhile, do similar cleaning with Morgan Blue/Motorex for the sprockets/wheels.
Everything then spotless. Wheels back on, lube chain.
Pretty fast and undemanding once you're practiced.

Interesting...I usually have a can of the DuPont Multi-Purpose Teflon lube on hand for dry-lube applications like Speedplay cleats and the like. I wasn't aware of this version. Looks like they add Molybdenum to the mix...and that there's a 4 oz. liquid dispense bottle available.

Hmmm...I might have to play with some of that...

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http://bikeblather.blogspot.com/

Duncan;

I have not tried the connex chains yet; how do they compare to shimano sram or kmc? What is the durability of the chain and the coating? How does the coating deal with rain and wet weather?

when do you think your coating will be available?