Best way to clean and lube bicycle chain/gears?

Question

The gears on my bicycle are grimey. I want it to look bran' spankin' new. What should I do?

Answer 1

Hey,

never, ever use WD40. It will root your chain in no time. You should always use a neutral cleaner - not acid or alkali. Use a citrus based degreaser from a bike shop - you can even use orange oil used around the house on stoves, ovens etc if you need it in a hurry.

Apply it liberally and let it 'soak' in - 10 minutes or so. This will break up the 'grimey' stuff. Then just use a clean rag and clean your components. It is important after you have finished to lightly oil your chain to keep everything running smoothly!

Hope this helps

Answer 2

My answer is different. Use a old bath towel as a rag. Buy brake parts cleaner from the auto parts chain store -- it is like $1.99 a can. Fold the towel to a manageable size and hold it under and behind the chain in my left hand on the bottom of the loop the chain makes between the front and back gears. (Bike is on a stand or the paint shelf of a step ladder) Concentrate the spray within 2" -- 3" from the chain. This solvent is fast evaporating and dissolves oil. Crank the chain backwards one length at a time until it is all flushed off. By the time you make one loop, It will be dry. You will see the old oil and dirt come off FAST. It will all be caught in the towel, which you can lay outside and it will dry out for the next time you clean. Do not use this solvent on anything else (painted surfaces) as it is aggressive in its cleaning action.

I do not like WD-40 to lube my chain. Yes, it is universally available, but I have not found a bicycle professional use it. Penetrating oil like WD-40 use silicone -- very light duty lubricant and prone to water wash-out. There are good dry lubes like "White Lightning" that are wax-based and do not hold or attract dirt. If you use penetrating oil use an oil that is fortified with Teflon. One brand that is in a lot of bike stores is Tri-Flo. The Teflon is slipperier than silicone and the base oil in Tri-Flo is more viscous and resists water better than WD-40.

Answer 3

WD-40 will cause dirt to stick to the parts of your bike; it's meant (as noted by another responder) to act a moisture repellent. Use products made specifically for bikes and sporting goods to lubricate your bike parts; there are many varieties of chain lube out there, but unless you are doing serious riding, just get an all purpose chain lube. Just remember that whenever adding lube, you must first clean the part with a degreaser to remove the old lube, then add the new lubricant once the old dirt and grime has been removed. Otherwise, you are just adding more grease to a dirty chain and are creating a bigger mess and not really cleaning the dirt off.

Answer 4

Get a good quality degreaser like Muk Off.

To get them really clean you may find it easier to take the chain off, but try without first.

Spray on the Muk Off leave and give the chain and cassette a good scrubbing with an old tooth brush and maybe something like a nail brush (or go to a bike shop and buy the proper brushes)
Once you have given it a good scrub rinse off, repeat if needed.

When your happy with how clean everything looks spray the gears with something like WD40 just to get rid of any moisture and dry with a cloth.

Get some decent oil, I use Finishline which has Teflon in it, give the chain a good coating and cycle through the gears, and wipe off the excess.

After every ride clean with water and reapply the oil, the Teflon in it will stop too much dirt sticking to the gears.

Answer 5

Lay your bike on the ground over some used bath towels. Cover the spokes, frame, and tires to prevent grime splatters. Use a can of WD 40 and spray over the chains and gears, and let it sit. Use canned compressed air to blow out the debris, grime, and dirt. Spray your gears and chains again with WD 40 and wipe with a soft cloth.

Your gears and chains are good as new. Do NOT use water or acetone solvents.

Good luck!

Answer 6

Chains, Gears, derailleurs are expensive. It is The dirt hung up on the chain that acts like sandpaper and wears everything out.

Do it right and save lots of money and hassle.

Go to your local bike shop and get the good stuff. White Lightening, T9 Boshield, Pedro's, they Will last about 3 years for a $6 bottle.

doubles the life of your chain, your crank rings and your rear gears. Cheap investment.

Answer 7

spray chain an gears with WD40 to clean then take motor oil an drip on chain while turning the pedals
drop motor oil on gears an shift gears

Answer 8

Check the lube products at the following websites---www.blueskycycling.com,www.pricepoint.com and choose what you prefer or what seems BEST for your bike.

Answer 9

i use wd-40 spray and a clean rag. just be careful where the spray is going.

Answer 10

It is dangerous, but people have been known to use gasoline, and kerosene.