Been doing it for years. I just spray it on and wipe it with a rag. Works perfectly.

Thanks for the quick reply! I'll pick some up today.

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A friend who is very knowledgeable about these types of things says that SG can be hard on a chain, I still use it but do another cycle with soap and water to remove SG residual

I use it in a 50/50 mix with water

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John Behme
Charlotte, NC

I think the answer depends on which Simple Green variant is being used. If it is the Simple Green Foaming Bike Spray cleaner then no worries but the green stuff in the squirt bottles, if used undiluted and left on metal surfaces for an extended period of time will remove coatings/slightly etch metal.

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Prolonged exposure to Simple Green can embrittle chain links and cause the chain to snap under load (which can lead to a nasty crash).

The issue seems to have occurred when the chains are left to soak in a bottle of SG vs. just using it for cleaning.

http://velonews.competitor.com/...-simple-green-2_9216

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ECMGN Therapy Silicon Valley:
Depression, Neurocognitive problems, Dementias (Testing and Evaluation), Trauma and PTSD, Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)

Yikes. I was just planning on adding it to the Park Tool chain cleaner tool in place of the Citrus chain cleaner, wiping the chain down after a few rotations through the chain cleaner tool, and lubing the chain. Might make sense to rinse the chain after cleaning it with the simple green to remove any residual and then re-lubing the chain. Thanks for pointing this out.

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http://simplegreen.com/products/bike-cleaner-degreaser/

I would recommend this, diluted orange degreaser, or simple green extreme.

Simple green for various exterior surfaces of a bike to degrease? Sure, just use it carefully, remove fully when done cleaning with it, and avoid any areas where it can creep in where you can't thoroughly remove all of it (i.e. avoid all bearings and bushings).

But simple green for a chain? Not a good idea.

Why? Simple green is corrosive and it is thin enough that it can easily get inside the chain bushings. Simple green cuts oil and grease very very effectively and, once it is inside the chain, it will prevent chain lubricant from working like it should. And, depending on how much simple green gets inside the chain, it will/may begin corroding the inside of the chain. The best way (well, the fastest and cheapest way) to clean your chain is to just do it on your bike, in most cases, with the same lubricant you normally use for your chain plus an old rag.


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Advanced Aero TopTube Storage for Road, Gravel, & Tri...ZeroSlip & Direct-mount, made in the USA.
DarkSpeedWorks.com.....Reviews.....Insta.....Facebook
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You bet. It will do exactly that.



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Advanced Aero TopTube Storage for Road, Gravel, & Tri...ZeroSlip & Direct-mount, made in the USA.
DarkSpeedWorks.com.....Reviews.....Insta.....Facebook
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I have best results with:

Kerosene in Park chain cleaner..
Then rinse with water
Then use truck wash (or car wash) in chain cleaner and rinse with water
Repeat this twice until chain is as new looking..
WD-40 to get out water, wipe with towel
Apply chain lube (Morgan Blue race oil in my case).

Only do this every few weeks or after a wet / gritty ride.. (i live on the coast so mindful of sand and salt if i head down the coast front roads)

After each ride its a wipe down with a towel / rag and re-apply wet lube to inside edge of the chain...

DO NOT USE THE KERO ON THE MECHS OR AROUND THE HUBS OR BB. it will desolve the grease in there over time...

Diesel fuel is pretty cheap and not corrosive.

corneliused wrote:

Diesel fuel is pretty cheap and not corrosive.

works in a pinch when you run out of Engine Brite

http://www.autobarn.net/cheb-1.html?site=google_base&gclid=Cj0KEQiAtZWkBRC9ibSfhoKEyLYBEiQA5fDxkZruUJw17VM5MLK4labMaP2mF9379EhDZa24Bz9YVqcaAi6n8P8HAQ

been using simple green for about 12 years in a 50/50 mix. I remove the chain and cassette cogs and put them in solution. I let them soak for the ~5 min it takes to get all my brushes and other junk I need. I clean the cogs first with a brush and rinse completely with water. The chain goes last after a few good swishes. I dip my brush in the SG and scrub what's in my hand and rinse with water. Move up a handful of chain and repeat. Rinse the whole thing again in water and paper towel dry. Install back on the bike and drip one drop of lube on each roller. I'll spin the cranks a few times to work things in and let it sit. When it's time for my next ride, I'll wipe off any excess lube. I use sram chains with the powerlink and I've never had a problem with exploding chains or fractures, though I have heard rumors of them. Maybe prolonged soaking has a different effect?

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Great things never come from comfort zones.

Its even worse on aluminum. So make sure undiluted simple green does not touch unfinished aluminum.

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"In the world I see you are stalking elk through the damp canyon forests around the ruins of Rockefeller Center. You'll wear leather clothes that will last you the rest of your life. You'll climb the wrist-thick kudzu vines that wrap the Sears Towers. And when you look down, you'll see tiny figures pounding corn, laying stripes of venison on the empty car pool lane of some abandoned superhighway." T Durden

You can get a gallon of zep citrus degreaser for lowes for the same price as the bottle of park stuff. They have it in a spray bottle too if you just want to try a smaller amount.

Then no worries about all the issues with simple green on metal.

Considering the other options I have seen so far, I'm most comfortable with this option. While I'm sure the various fuel-related options work like a charm, I'm not particularly comfortable with using the flammable solutions. Thanks and thanks to everyone that took the time to help me out. Truly appreciate it!

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spray, brush, soup, brush, dry it, back on the bike, lube, clean excess...

never a problem

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The entire event (IM) is like "death by 1000 cuts" and the best race is minimizing all those cuts and losing less blood than the other guy. - Dev

I use Brakclean found at any auto parts store. Cleans it and brings it back like new. Even tried leaving it in a container overnight for my 29'er and holy crap all the guck came off, it's like a new chain.

Never use Simple Green to degrease chains! Weakens metal and increases chance of breakage. They make an aviation simple green which is ok to use.

I have tried lots of things.

Auto brake parts cleaner.... With the chain removed from the bike. Spray chain, scrub, spray chain again. Wipe off. Brake parts cleaner dries ultra quick.

Use white lightening or other chain lube. You can also spray with royal purple... Works better than wd40, but hard to find. Tri-flow is another alternative. Any of the sprays usually make for a greasy chain, so I try to avoid that.

I usually don't clean chains often. I prefer to buy a new chain as a bike always rides best with a new chain.

I'm actually on a team sponsored by Simple Green. Many of their employees are bike nuts, so their bike specific products are good to go. I honestly use regular Simple Green for cleaning most of my bike frame and parts for a wipe down. I usually use Clean Streak, etc. for cleaning components. For my chain, I remove it and soak it in the industrial strength purple degreaser. I think everyone has their own technique. Ironically, one of the reasons I joined the team was that Simple Green was the title sponsor...I always prefer riding for a team where I believe in what the sponsors stand for.

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"Most of my heroes don't appear on no stamps"
Blog = http://extrememomentum.com|Photos = http://wheelgoodphotos.com

I've been using SG to clean my chains for the past few years with no problems. I have a gallon of concentrated SG. I cut it about 15:1 with water. I run the chain (on the bike) through a clamp-on chain scrubber. I do this about 3-5 times till the liquid is light grey instead of black. I then use my air compressor to blow off all of the remaining liquid. Then I lube as usual. Works well and that gallon will last me a lifetime.

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"It doesn't get any easier, you just get faster" - Greg LeMond