Cleaning the bike chain isn't just about visual aesthetics, in a way, a clean chain keeps your bike running smoothly, with performance back to its original factory condition, helping riders express themselves better. In addition, regular correct bike chain cleaning can avoid stubborn oil adhesion in time, thereby prolonging the service life of the bicycle chain.
The loss of the bicycle chain is caused by the friction between the grit and the chain. If you want to reduce the wear and tear of the bicycle, you must clean the chain at the right time. This operation allows you to save a lot of money on replacing chains, flywheels, and platters.
Experiments by independent test institutes have confirmed that dirty chains can greatly reduce the performance of bicycles. Depending on how "dirty" the chain is, the wear and tear of the chain may also vary. But on average, when a rider uses a dirty chain at 250 watts, it adds about 3 to 5 watts of power loss, for a total of about 1% to 2%. When the chain is not properly cleaned and lubricated, the friction on the chain increases. Usually a clean and well-lubricated chain consumes only about 7 watts of power when riding on the road, but when the chain becomes dirty, it creates an additional 3 watts of loss. The extra loss of power increases with how dirty the chain is, and in extreme cases it can even produce a loss of 12 watts.
As we all know, the fastest way to clean up a chain is to replace it, and if the chain is too worn out, there is no point in wasting time on it. Once the chain shows signs of dirty wear, we should take the old chain off the bike and clean them properly with cleaning equipment.
Should the chain of the bicycle be removed and cleaned?
As for whether the chain should be removed for cleaning, the majority of car friends seem to have a relatively large disagreement.
In the past, it was common for riders to wash chains by removing them from their bicycles and rocking them in a jar filled with detergent, but this is now less common. With the increasing gear ratio of transmission gears, transmission parts have become more and more precise, and the previous simple and rough cleaning method is no longer suitable for today's bicycle chains.
The durability of the magic clasp of a 7-speed, 8-speed, and 9-speed chain can usually support two or three disassembly. The magic clasp used in 10-speed, 11-speed and 12-speed chains is usually disposable, and repeated disassembly and use will wear out, which may cause danger. Manufacturers recommend using the new magic clasp every time you install the chain.
Choice of chain washer
The most effective way to clean the chain is to remove it and put it in an ultrasonic cleaner, which only takes five minutes, and even stubborn stains can be removed, and the effect is very obvious. If you want to speed up the process of using an ultrasonic cleaner, you can use a hard brush to assist in cleaning the bicycle chain, and then a second cleaning by an ultrasonic cleaner, rinse with clean water after completion, and then air dry. After the whole operation, you will get a brand new chain. However, it should be noted that the chain cannot be soaked in the cleaning agent for a long time when cleaning, because the metal part of the chain may be corroded by the cleaning agent and cause cracks on its surface.
If you don't buy an ultrasonic cleaner, scrubbing the chain can achieve almost the same effect, and a clean chain can make you ride faster.
For the average rider, using a regular dishwashing brush, an old toothbrush and even a toilet brush can be used to clean the bicycle chain. But never brush the chain with a tightrope ball, as this will most likely damage your chain.
Whether you use a hard bristle brush, rag or an ultrasonic machine to clean the chain, the defilement work is best done outdoors to avoid getting your home dirty. It is recommended not to use harmful solvents containing diesel, benzene, gasoline or acetone, and to choose products that are safe and harmless to the environment.
If your bike has disc brakes, be careful not to let oil splash on the brake discs when washing the chain. To do this, you can remove the rear wheels while washing the chain and wrap the brake calipers in a plastic bag.
Is the original lubricant on the chain better or the expensive chain oil better?
Before each bike race starts, in order to ride efficiently, even if the chain is in a very dirty state, the chain should be lubricated.
Choosing an efficient chain oil is the easiest and cheapest way to reduce drivetrain friction.
Through experiments, it was found that different brands and models of chain oil will have a power loss gap of up to 5 watts. The performance of the lubricating oil on the original chain is not as good as the most advanced retail chain oil, but some cheap chain oil is even inferior to the lubricating oil on the original chain.
Some chain oil brands claim that their products are an epoch-making product that integrates lubrication and cleaning, but it turns out that after a long ride, the efficacy of any chain oil is no different.
Should I choose to use a regular metal cleaner or a chain cleaner produced by a professional brand?
Whether it is an ordinary metal cleaner or a chain cleaner produced by a professional brand, it can complete the task very well. In general, metal cleaners are available at grocery stores or hardware stores.
Some riders believe that most of the chain cleaners on the market are too strong to take away the lubricant inside the chain when cleaning the chain, which will only shorten the service life of the bicycle chain. At least it will be reduced from the original 3000km or 4000km to 2500km. But studies have shown that it takes only a minute for the chain oil to drip onto the surface of the chain to fully soak the inside.
There are a large number of different prices and different flavors of cleaners to choose from, and you can shop around, consult a mechanic or seek advice from other car owners to pick out your favorite products.
Bicycle chain lazy cleaning method
1. Clean up the flywheel
Shift gears so that the chain is at one end of the flywheel, then brush the appropriate amount of chain cleaner, brush all the gears clean, then move the chain to the flywheel at the other end, and then clean up the remaining gears.
2. Clean the large plate
After the flywheel is cleaned, the next step is to clean the large plate. When cleaning this part, you can take the chain off the large plate and then carry out the next step of cleaning. The next step is to apply a large amount of chain cleaner to the brush as you would on the flywheel, and then scrub it clean.
3. Clean the rear dial guide wheel
When cleaning the chain, please do not forget to clean the rear guide wheel, this part is the place where dirt and grime will be most hidden, it will only become dirtier and dirtier over time, so it should be thoroughly scrubbed and cleaned. You can occasionally drop a drop of chain oil here, and lubrication once can be used for a long time.
4. Clean the chain
Now it's time to clean up your chain, if your bike isn't a single-reel system, hang the chain on the larger plate and turn the larger plate while scrubbing the chain with the right amount of chain cleaner until it's clean.
5. Rinse gently with water
After the drivetrain of the bicycle is all cleaned, it is rinsed with water to wash away the remaining gravel. Avoid flushing with a high-pressure water gun, as this is likely to damage the bike's drivetrain.
Well, your chain is now clean, but it's not quite over yet, you'll need to wipe the moisture off the chain or use a hair dryer or blow dryer to blow it dry to prevent it from rusting, and then drizzle new chain oil.
6. Drip chain oil
Drizzle chain oil on each section of the chain, then let it sit for a few minutes to allow the chain oil to penetrate better into the inside, then wipe off the excess lubricating oil and you're done.
If you don't want to spend too much time on the deep cleaning of the entire process every time afterwards, you can wipe and lubricate the chain with a rag on a regular basis. When lubricating, do not soak the chain in chain oil, but use the drip chain oil to lubricate every joint of the chain. Although this takes more time, it also allows you to better examine every part of the chain so that problems can be identified and resolved in a timely manner.
Source of this article: American Riding Network