FYI. I have Ultegra on my bike.
I want to clean my chain off the bike from now on. What do I need to buy. I know there is a tool. What is it called? What system do you use? Do you wax? What cleaner do you soak it in? How long? I have been cleaning it on the bike but can tell it is not as clean as I would want. I have been using a smidge of White Lightning after cleaning.
Any tricks to the trade? Issues? Things to look out for? Thanks
Given the conditions you stated - off the bike cleaning period.
You probably will want to get a diffent type of chain, as with Shimano chains you need to break it and reinstall a new pin everytime you take it off.
I’ve been using SCRAM chains for a few years. They use a Powerlink to connect the chain. Chain can be on and off in seconds and no worries about stuck links from reinstalling pins Powerlink is two pieces and as strong as rest of chain
Jim
You need a chain tool or the sram chains with the ez off link. I don’t remember what the link is called. Push a link pin about 3/4 of the way out then work the chain apart with your hands. I soak my chain in some degreaser (409,simple green, etc) then wipe it off until it is clean. Depending upon how dirty this may take a couple of dunkings. Since the chain is off I usually take the chain rings off and break the cassette off and soak those as well. Wipe everything shiny clean and put the cassette and chain rings back on. I have a little metal rack over another bucket that I lay the now clean chain on and lightly drip lube on. Let it sit for 5 min while I down a beer and then wipe the excess lube off and reinstall. Bingo a clean drive train.
I second the SRAM or Whipperman style chains. Very easy to deal with and still secure on the bike. For cleaning, I use the standard biodegradable degreasers. Simply Green works fine. If you check on this site, there is an article from Dan about this. I soak the chain for a few hours in an empty old water bottle with the degreaser, rinse well, then take it in the backyard and whip it around in wide circles to get the water out. The after cleaning the rest of the drivetrain, install and lube, wipe of excess…
If you stick with a Shimano chain, you’ll need a chain tool. While you can save the pin by leaving a small amount in the link then reattach, it is not recommended.
Hope this helps.
No need to pull the pin all the way out of the chain, in fact your chain tool will probably already be preset - just twist the handle until you hit the stop and the chain will be broken with the pin left in it.
I get a huge jug of citrus degreaser from home depot (similar to simple green but a 5gal. jug for same price as one squirt bottle of simple green). I put the chain into a 1 qt. gatorade bottle and pour in some degreaser. Put the cap on the bottle and shake like crazy. Let it sit for 5’, rinse gently and let it dry. Apply oil while it is still off the bike.
I have to use oil since I live near the coast with extremely high humidity. I had a chain rust when I left it overnight to dry before I put oil on it.
I have bit my tongue for so long on this topic but I can’t hold it in any longer.
If you take the chain off and soak it in degreaser you will wash all of the debris off of the chain as well as all of the lubricant from inside the pivot points which keeps the chain running smoothly. IMO, all you need to do is make sure that the chain is dirt free to keep the chainrings and rear sprockets from wearing out and keep the chain lubricated.
I think everyone is obsessed with a sparkling clean chain to the point that they need a shrink, yes, keep the chain clean but don’t go crazy doing it. If it is so bad that you need to take it off to clean it, you should be putting a new one on. $30 for a Dura Ace chain twice a year won’t kill anyone.
Feel free to flame me, I’m expecting it.
jaretj
I don’t think you understand the mechanism behind chain and chainring/cassette wear. Quoting from an article titled “Chain Care” elsewhere on this site:
http://www.slowtwitch.com/mainheadings/techctr/maintenance/chain.html#Anchor-Wear-49575
“At the outset the term “chain stretch” is misleading and wrong. Chains do not stretch, in the dictionary sense, by elongating the metal through tension. They lengthen because their hinge pins and sleeves wear. This wear is caused almost exclusively by road grit that enters the chain when it is oiled. Grit sticks to the outside of a chain in the ugly black stuff that can get on ones leg, but external grime has little functional effect because it is on the outside where it does the chain no damage. Only when a dirty chain is oiled, or has excessive oil on it, can this grit move inside where it causes damage.”
Bottom line- dirt on the outside of the chain may have some small effect on shifting performance, but the dirt inside the chain links is the killer to chain, chainring, and cassette wear. You can’t get this off simply by wiping the chain. You have to take it off and soak it.
You could use a Craig SuperLink with your Ultegra chain for easy removal. You’ll need a chain tool to remove 1/2 a link from your chain. The SuperLink works like any other removable chain link - just click it into place by hand.
For cleaning, I usually take the chain off the bike, shake it around in a bottle with citrus degreaser, rinse it off, and let it dry.
The lub I’ve been using lately (which I really like) is ProLink. You want the lubricant inside the chain, not outside. Try to aim between the plates so that the oil can get to the pins. Spin the drivetrain to work the lub into the chain, then wipe off the chain exterior.
“At the outset the term “chain stretch” is misleading and wrong. Chains do not stretch, in the dictionary sense, by elongating the metal through tension. They lengthen because their hinge pins and sleeves wear.”
I didn’t mention anything about chain stretch, so that point is moot.
“This wear is caused almost exclusively by road grit that enters the chain when it is oiled. Grit sticks to the outside of a chain in the ugly black stuff that can get on ones leg, but external grime has little functional effect because it is on the outside where it does the chain no damage. Only when a dirty chain is oiled, or has excessive oil on it, can this grit move inside where it causes damage.”
I think you missunderstood what I was getting at or maybe I didn’t explain myself as well as I thought.
Yes, the dirt and grime need to be removed from the entire exterior surface of the chain. That includes the points where the chain touches the chainring and cassette. What I was getting at is where the chain pivots on itself. The little tiny sleeve bearings that come greased from the factory. After you soak a chain in degreaser, all of that is washed away and there is no way to replace it unless you took every link apart and regreased them. In my opinion, oil is not enough to take care of this lubrication. If there is a way to get this grease back into those pivot points, please let me know.
Personally, I use a brush and lubricant to clean my chains. (added at 11:53am, a little after jkatsoudas last post)
I’m sorry I dissagree with Dan on this point.
8 years in heavy machine repair, repairing and rebuilding drivetrains is my source of information.
jaretj 
Good info! I appreci - tate - it! On to cleaner and better things.
I didn’t mention anything about chain stretch, so that point is moot.
Yes, the dirt and grime need to be removed from the entire exterior surface of the chain. That includes the points where the chain touches the chainring and cassette. What I was getting at is where the chain pivots on itself. The little tiny sleeve bearings that come greased from the factory. After you soak a chain in degreaser, all of that is washed away and there is no way to replace it unless you took every link apart and regreased them. In my opinion, oil is not enough to take care of this lubrication. If there is a way to get this grease back into those pivot points, please let me know.
Jaret-What type of lubricant do you use?
Do you do anything to the chain after you lube it?
Jeff
After writing so much, I just went out to clean my chain to refresh my memory of the difficulty of cleaning the chain on the bike. I know I’m going to get blasted for this but I use WD-40 to clean the chain mainly cuz its so cheap (meaning I get it from work) and it doesn’t wash away grease like degreaser does. After I am satisfied that all the debris is gone and my exotic cleaner is wiped off, I use Boeshield T-9 to lube the chain. It’s kind of pricy but I’m happy with it. As with any petroleum lubricant, it will attract dirt, and as others pointed out, that will destroy your drivetrain, so make sure you wipe the chain down after you lube it.
Oh yes, I use a lot of rags too. (same source as exotic cleaner)
jaretj
(This message sent with 100% recycled kilobytes!!!)
FWIW I don’t enjoy bicycle maintenance and am pretty much loathe to do it. I was introduced to Ecotech and the Finish Line chain cleaning tool this weekend, and it actually does a super job. I had tried the Park chain cleaning mechanism with the Park biodegreaser and it doesn’t hold a candle to the Finish Line stuff.
Anyway, for 20$ at Nashbar you get 4 oz. of degreaser and a plastic reservoir with three brushes that attaches to the chain. Pedalling the bike backwards forces the chain through the brushes and the gunk is dislodged. Rinse with garden hose! (I really loved that part) Let dry and lube. The cleanest chain I’ve had in a long time with almost no effort.
I didn’t mention anything about chain stretch, so that point is moot.
Yes, the dirt and grime need to be removed from the entire exterior surface of the chain. That includes the points where the chain touches the chainring and cassette. What I was getting at is where the chain pivots on itself. The little tiny sleeve bearings that come greased from the factory. After you soak a chain in degreaser, all of that is washed away and there is no way to replace it unless you took every link apart and regreased them. In my opinion, oil is not enough to take care of this lubrication. If there is a way to get this grease back into those pivot points, please let me know.
Personally, I use a brush and lubricant to clean my chains. (added at 11:53am, a little after jkatsoudas last post)
Lemme try this again… (for some reason- probably user error- my response didn’t post last time).
I would argue that chain stretch is definitely not moot. Chain stretch, not grime on the exterior of the chain, is the cause of chainring and cassette wear. The stretched chain tries to pull the teeth of the gears apart to match it’s longer spacing.
Dirt on the exterior of the chain may have some small impact on shifting performance, but no impact on chain, chainring, or cassette wear. It’s the grit that’s inside the bushings that causes chain wear. Given that a chain’s bushing is not a sealed system, the factory grease was never intended to be there permanently. Once it get’s contaminated with grit it has become an abrasive and needs to be removed and replaced with fresh lubricant. The only way to do this effectively is to remove the chain and soak it in degreaser.
-John
I see you point but don’t agree with it.
A dirty chain doesn’t make it stretch, a stretched chain will definitly wear the sprockets as well as a dirty one will, but the origional post was about cleaning, not stretching, wearing or shifting performance. That is why I said that point was moot.
“Dirt on the exterior of the chain may have some small impact on shifting performance, but no impact on chain, chainring, or cassette wear. It’s the grit that’s inside the bushings that causes chain wear. Given that a chain’s bushing is not a sealed system, the factory grease was never intended to be there permanently. Once it get’s contaminated with grit it has become an abrasive and needs to be removed and replaced with fresh lubricant. The only way to do this effectively is to remove the chain and soak it in degreaser.”
If the factory grease was never intended to be there permanently, then why do they grease it? It would be cheaper to oil it and put it in a sealed bag. IMO if you have dirt in the bushings, it’s time for a new chain because it’s trash now and no amount of soaking will fix it.
My last post on the subject, feel free to have the last word
jaretj
For the sake of the environment and your health, perhaps you could use something other than wd-40 to clean your chain.
I like wd-40, but this application requires a large volume.
Save the WD’s!
Does the Superlink work well with road DA/Ultegra chains? I have heard it causes shifting problems and wonder if it would be better to just go with a Wipperman. Thanks
I sprinted, climb 10%+ grades, had hard uphill shifts and hit some big freaking leave the ground bumps and the superlink chain hasn’t given me one bit of trouble. I put one on my wife’s bike and two friends bikes. No trouble at all. 2 thumbs up and no more shimano chains for me.
Does the Superlink work well with road DA/Ultegra chains? I have heard it causes shifting problems and wonder if it would be better to just go with a Wipperman. Thanks
I haven’t had a problem with the Shimano/Super Link combo. Make sure you get the correct size.
I switched from a SRAM to the Super Link because I was having shifting problems on my tandem (which has a bad chain line). The SRAM PC69 Powerlink was just a hair wider than the Craig Super Link. The SRAM was catching on the front chainring if I was in a bad gear. The Shimano/Super Link solved the problem.
Craig Metalcraft www.theramp.net/craig/
available at www.likebike.com