I am trusting you guys.....

[funkylyn]

not to come up with any dumb blonde quips.....

but......advice on the easiest, cleanest, least messy way to clean my slightly rusting chain after being on the back of the m/home in the wet !

I've never had a rusting chain before.....is WD 40 OK or something more ...... sort of... oily ??


Lynda

 

[wurly]

3-in-1, Lynda. It available nearly everywhere and is in a nice convient tin with a nozzle. Turn the cranks backwards and add drops to the chain as it's moving.

 

[JuicyBike]

Get a stainless chain Lynda - only a tiny amount of oil, if ever, required so the chain picks up much less dirt and so the derailleur and gears stay in better condition longer.

 

[eddieo]

I would get a cover for bike rack, as e bikes and heavy rain not really a good mix for reliability. Fiamma do a cheap one..... How have you managed to get the bike up and down from the rack?

My lubricant has disappeared so cant remember brand (son probably nicked it for Uni, along with my pump) but any local bike shop will have it on shelf....

 

[jerrysimon]

Or a belt drive

Not much use for derailleur though and you would have to cut your chain or seat stay to get it on

Seriously though I didn't know you could get stainless steel chains ?

Regards

Jerry

 

[funkylyn]

Thankyou, 3 in 1 it is then .........didnt think it would be that easy !!

Stainless chain sounds like a very good future idea........and I have hub gears....so...easier ?

Yes, must get a cover, and so far, Ive been lucky enough to always find
a convenient strong man to lift it up onto the rack, cos there is absolutely no way
that I could do it myself. Nearly kills me getting it off.....

Belt drive ? ?

Thanks for letting me off lightly........I know I should feel ashamed enough to learn about these maintenance type things

One day......I promise.......and if anyone hears of any bike maintenance courses in the south west let me know

Lynda

 

[piotrmacheta]

And remember to oil it properly when you go for a ride, WD40 is not a lubricant and will lead to chain wear.
I use Profi-dry spray on teflon stuff because it keeps your chain clean but it's not good in the wet so won't stop the rust.

 

[spiritburner]

You can buy a silicone lubricant, a lot less dirty than using oil but you have to clean all the old oil off first using a dissolvent, then soak everything in silicone lubricant failing that WD40 works every time, i did see on ebay a chain cleaner, item number ebay.co.uk 280769891649

regards

Neil

 

[jerrysimon]

Belt drive ? ?

Lynda,

Its made of nitrile rubber and special glass fiber, does not need lubricating, thus no mess and lasts about 8 times as long. Expensive though and does not split like a normal steel chain, so you need a bespoke frame that has a split/break point in the seat stay to get it off and on.

More details here

-- CDRIVE

Regards

Jerry

 

[Cyclezee]

My preferred chain lubes both come from Halfords, this one for winter and wet conditions Halfords | BikeHut Wet Synthetic Bike Chain Lube 125ml and this one for dry summer riding Halfords | Bikehut Dry Wax Bike Lube 125ml.

If you want to study the subject in depth check out Sheldon Brown Chain Maintenance

Regards,

 

[wurly]

Well trust me to get it wrong.
Sheldon Brown site says do not use 3in1.
I think any oil is better than none, but i concede to others who know better.

It seems to me, chains wear no matter what you do to them.

 

[steveindenmark]

Oil is always a iffy subject, regardless of what it is going to be used for and we will never agree on this.

I use WD40 on my offroad motorbike and all my cycles and have found it works perfectly well and does not cause undue wear as it is often claimed.

I find it does not pick up as much dirt as some of the waxy lubricants.

It works for me and is easy to use. If it is ok for an off road motorcycle it is ok for a bike.

Steve

 

[flecc]

It seems to me, chains wear no matter what you do to them.

And that's my lifetime experience, gain equals pain, the more effort a procedure takes the better the effect.

Any old oils will stop a chain rusting and will lubricate it, but will also attract dirt that wears the chain. Personally I use any light oil on derailleur chains and thick grease on hub gear or single speed chains. The grease dries out and flakes off, carrying dirt with it, not pretty but effective.

 

[funkylyn]

My preferred chain lubes both come from Halfords, this one for winter and wet conditions Halfords | BikeHut Wet Synthetic Bike Chain Lube 125ml and this one for dry summer riding Halfords | Bikehut Dry Wax Bike Lube 125ml.

If you want to study the subject in depth check out Sheldon Brown Chain Maintenance

Regards,

Thanks, never thought I would ever want to study chain maintenance in depth, but that looks like a good link, so I will study it......I will try anything once...... though dont expect I will ever download it onto my kindle for in bed reading

I always knew this would get complicated ......... and it has

Lynda

 

[flecc]

I always knew this would get complicated ......... and it has

Lynda

Nah. Just use any old oil here and olive oil when you're in Spain!

 

[funkylyn]

Lynda,

Its made of nitrile rubber and special glass fiber, does not need lubricating, thus no mess and lasts about 8 times as long. Expensive though and does not split like a normal steel chain, so you need a bespoke frame that has a split/break point in the seat stay to get it off and on.

More details here

-- CDRIVE

Regards

Jerry

That belt looks interesting Jerry, except of course I dont have a bespoke frame...at least I dont think I have

Lynda

 

[funkylyn]

Lets just get back to basics here.....

1. Blonde
2. Dont want no mess and dirty oil on my hands.....far less on my clothes or shoes....heaven forbid !
3. Cant remove chain.....just want to squirt something at it.....or rub something on it
4. Got some home produced virgin first pressed Olive oil......would that really do, if I just rub it on with a cloth and at the same time use it as a hand cream ?
5. Could it really be that 'simples ' ?


Lynda

 

[funkylyn]

It seems to me, chains wear no matter what you do to them.

WHAT ?.....chains wear..... as well as get rusty ????

Its getting worse.......

Why is nothing simple

Lynda

 

[flecc]

As Sheldon-Brown says Lynda, it's a very contentious subject. Most experienced cyclists eventually conclude as Wurly does above, chains wear anyway. The rate of wear varies very little with different treatments, in the end they and the sprockets need changing together anyway.

Olive oil was a joke of course, but it will stop rust just as well as anything else, just not as good a lubricant as a proper mineral oil. For simplicity just use a light oil like that sold by Halfords and others, applying it to the inside of the bottom run of the chain as you turn the pedals backwards. That will disperse over the chain, preventing rust and minimising wear.

 

[funkylyn]

Thanks Flecc....Halfords it is then...

Shame about the Olive oil..... thought I had it sorted there !

Lynda