Thread: Chain waxing
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Old June 10th 18, 12:22 AM posted to rec.bicycles.tech
JBeattie
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Posts: 5,870
Default Chain waxing

On Saturday, June 9, 2018 at 8:04:24 AM UTC-7, Joerg wrote:
On 2018-06-08 10:06, jbeattie wrote:
On Friday, June 8, 2018 at 9:17:37 AM UTC-7, Joerg wrote:
On 2018-06-08 07:59, Duane wrote:
On 08/06/2018 10:36 AM, Joerg wrote:
On 2018-06-07 17:02, sms wrote:
On 6/6/2018 7:35 AM, Joerg wrote:

snip

I clean my chain thoroughly using interdental toothbrushes.
My wive found a brand at Costco that is more rigid than the
usual ones so the job goes faster now. First used for my
teeth, then later some day for a chain. Afterwards
scrubbing with an old regular toothbrush, followed by a
good wipe-down with Kleenex. Once the chain is really shiny
I apply White Lightning Epic Ride. If you shake the bottle
well the waxy stuff in it dissolves and thus gets onto the
chain as well. I use a Q-Tip to dab it onlto the links,
then gently wipe off any excess with a Kleenex.

That way a road bike chain can run 150-250mi between
cleanings depending on whether I ride more roads or more
bike paths. Gets dirtier on roads. 40-50mi on the MTB,
mostly on dirt trails. The upside is that this method does
not require me to take the chain off the bike which I would
really dread.

OMG, is anyone really spending that much time on chain
maintenance?!

Get yourself a Park chain cleaner (or some other brand). Fill
it with kerosene and run the chain through it. Repeat with
clean solvent until the chain runs clean.

Unless the chain is in the solvent, and moving, you won't get
it clean on the inside.

When it's clean, lubricate it with a foaming chain lube.


So how long does that process take? And I mean with clean-up
including the cleaning of the tools used. For most of those of
us who are married clean-up is necessary, we can just leave the
stuff sitting on some bench.


The bike is already on the stand for washing.


Last time I washed my road bike was ... ahm ... nineteen-sumpthin.
The MTB doesn't get washed either, it just wouldn't make sense.


... I have a pan in my shed with a bottle of degreaser (not
kerosene but something biodegradable) and the Park chain cleaner
in the pan. Takes a few minutes to fill up the tool and run the
chain through it. The pan catches the slosh. I don't usually
change the degreaser. A couple minutes in the chain cleaner
works well enough for me. Hose out everything and let it dry
while the bike is drying. Certainly takes less time than what
you describe with the toothbrushes.


Well, yeah, if you just put the bath, the pan and so on back on
the shelf as is. Not gonna happen here.


What? No shelves? You can buy shelves at Home Depot you know. Is it
about your wife? Does she check your wash buckets to make sure
they're clean inside with no biodegradable solvent-filled chain
cleaning machines in them?



Yes :-)


... Mine too!



See?


... She was up at like 2:00 AM this
morning going through all my buckets in the garage . . . totally
****ed off at the condition of some of my bike cleaning brushes. So I
asked her about the dust under the refrigerator . . . "have you seen
that . . . have you? How could any self-respecting wife allow that
disgusting accumulation? And your hair in the drain! It's like
stringy snot! I want a divorce!"


When making bacon and eggs this morning I mentioned a li'l grease spot
on the range from yesterday. When I came home late from a fun MTB ride
and she still made a very nice dinner. That didn't go over very well :-)

Most women are neat freaks while most men would become real slobs if
they weren't married to them.


Have you seen Lou's garage? You could do surgery on the floor without fear of infection.

My wife has been very patient with the mess I made in the family room downstairs. I've been watching movies and doing heavy bike maintenance for the fleet which doubled when my son moved in after his injury.

I just got back from Universal where I bought a liter of Shimano mineral oil for the hydraulic brakes. It was $4 more than buying 50ml from Bike Gallery. Incroyable -- $17.99 for 50ml. Even from Western, it's $12.75 for 50ml.. You can get 1,000ml for anywhere from $18-22 low street price. I didn't even bother price matching at Universal and paid $22. I'll never use all that mineral oil, but I couldn't bear spending so much for 50ml. Maybe I'll sell the left overs on the disk brake black market.

By the way, I tried to buy $9 worth of hydraulic mineral oil made by Finish Line, and the guys at Bike Gallery (who I really like and have been good to me), basically swatted my hand away, saying that Shimano was the only way to go. I think either (1) Shimano has everyone cowed, or (2) Finish Line needs better PR. I think Shimano actually claims that the warranty on the hydraulic discs is voided if you use non-Shimano magical oil.

-- Jay Beattie.





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