Deep-cleaning your chain

If your chain doesn’t respond to the wipe-down treatment, you must get serious. Dirty, oily chains need degreaser to clean them up. This is strong stuff, so take care not to let it seep into bearings, where it breaks down the grease that keeps things well lubricated and running smoothly.

I prefer liquid degreaser, which you can apply with a brush, to the spray cans. Spray is more wasteful and harder to direct accurately. But whether you use spray or liquid, you need a brush. Washing-up brushes work well; they’re cheap and you can buy them in regular shops. Bike shops sell special sets of brushes, but my favourites are paint brushes. You can cut off the bristles about halfway down, so what remains is firm but flexible. Keep the brushes you use for your drivetrain separate from those for frames, rims and disc rotors. Use rubber gloves to protect your hands from the degreaser. Take your bike outside, as this business always gets messy. Keep the bike upright, with the chain in the largest chainring at the front. Dip…

You're reading a preview of

Bike Maintenance Tips, Tricks & Techniques (Digital) - 1 Issue, Bike Maintenance Tips, Tricks & Techniques 3rd Edition

DiscountMags is a licensed distributor (not a publisher) of the above content and Publication through Zinio LLC. Accordingly, we have no editorial control over the Publications. Any opinions, advice, statements, services, offers or other information or content expressed or made available by third parties, including those made in Publications offered on our website, are those of the respective author(s) or publisher(s) and not of DiscountMags. DiscountMags does not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, truthfulness, or usefulness of all or any portion of any publication or any services or offers made by third parties, nor will we be liable for any loss or damage caused by your reliance on information contained in any Publication, or your use of services offered, or your acceptance of any offers made through the Service or the Publications. For content removal requests, please contact Zinio.