gleaming chain

[Gerry Attrick]

Indeed wet wipes are responsible for extending the lives of many of my chains. Old time pipe cleaners also have a vital role in cleaning between the plates.

 

[Fab Foodie]

What are "Wet Wipes"? Are these the tissue thingies the wife carries about in her hand bag? if so, she doesn't even ride a bike

There may be something she's not telling you...

Apols, I meant baby wipes.
In fact I cleaned my road-bike last night from tip to toe with Tesco Baby Wipes, drive-train and all and she gleams like a new pin. Used about 6 or so last night to clean the filth from a very wet sunday ride.
To economise, use the ones that were used to clean the cleanest bits as the first ones to clean the drive-train gunk, get nicely in amongst the sprockets and they're extra good for cleaning the grey brakey-gritty crud from wheels....

 

[Fab Foodie]

Aha! After a similarly long and varied chain cleaning career, I may have learned something I didn't know

Happy to be of service, Sir!

 

[Svendo]

Further to above, I've found twisting the corner of one then threading it in and out of the insides of chainlinks by far the easiest to get the inner surfaces clean. Soooo much easier and cleaner than farting about with chain cleaning machines.

 

[longers]

I've not tried this method yet. If Sheldon says it's good, it must be eh?

 

[Gerry Attrick]

I've not tried this method yet. If Sheldon says it's good, it must be eh?

Nah. If you look carefully at that seventh link from the left, there is a spot of muck on it.

 

[NickM]

Further to above, I've found twisting the corner of one then threading it in and out of the insides of chainlinks by far the easiest to get the inner surfaces clean. Soooo much easier and cleaner than farting about with chain cleaning machines.

Hmmm... you seem to have quite a lot of spare time - you're either retired or a student, you lucky devil

 

[Tynan]

cleaning links inside and out one by one by hand?

ocd, fact, dear god

 

[Svendo]

Hmmm... you seem to have quite a lot of spare time - you're either retired or a student, you lucky devil

How very dare you! I work for a living me!

Seriously, twisting a corner into a 'needle' it's as quick to thread it through each link as it is to set up a chain cleaner, put paper down, run detergent then water then dry and all that.

My girlfriend does comment that I seem to spend more time caressing the bike...

 

[gavintc]

New chain mate.......... wipe clean method for me on all my 4 bikes.. MTB, FIXED, and Road...........

+1 - definitely a new chain. And as others have already replied, since reading the Mickle posts, I no longer use a chain bath cleaner and just use the wipe clean. I clean both bikes weekly and the chain is always in pretty good order. But, I think I would have replaced the chain 3 times in 1 1/2 yrs.