Anyone using Goo Gone to clean their Chain???????

[F#*k you cat]

Seriously
I was cleaning up some stickers off a frame and the rag still had some of this on it

I inadvertently cleaned my chain next and Presto.....cleaner than I have ever seen it before. We are talking like new clean.

So... the question is. Does goo gone leave residue. or is it like rubbing alcohol or hydrogen peroxide and evaporates leaving no trace.

Is this the next wonder drug for bike shops everywhere..... or am I so late to the game that it is old news.

Discuss please......


CAT

[marshalolson]

or am I so late to the game that it is old news.

"chain brite" is the bike shop chain cleaner of choice, and is citrus degreaser based, same as goo gone.

[huckbucket]

Simple Green

[Dickeymotto]

I picked up a jug of this stuff several years ago at the local discount grocery store (aka the ghetto mart) for $3. Its the shit they degrease fryers with at pretty much every restaurant. Works far better than anything I've ever seen.

[superstator]

Simple Green

I'm pretty sure I could overhaul a nuclear reactor with the holy trinity of Simple Green, Tri-Flow, and zip ties.

[jm2e]

WD40
ftmfw

[danadog]

Simple Green

Simple Green works great for this kid. I buy it at Home Depot in the gallon size for something like $8 I think.

[jqualls]

It seems like I have read several times not to clean your chain with a degreaser. I read there is a factory grease on the pins and links that once you remove, it cannot be replaced. Is that idea way off or is there truth to it. I ussually just clean with lube and a brush.

[grabtindy]

I stick with Rock and Roll Gold, cleans well enough for me and stays dry and quiet. No degreaser required.

[Catch22]

Exactly, it might not come out with the side plates glowing like new but I won't come near my chain with a degreaser product. I learned this from someone who's bike knowledge I had a lot of faith in years ago and it's worked great for me. A few months back a buddy posted this on his blog and I couldn't agree more with their philosphy on chain cleaning.
http://mooseknuckleralliance.org/moo...an-your-chain/

[superstator]

It seems like I have read several times not to clean your chain with a degreaser. I read there is a factory grease on the pins and links that once you remove, it cannot be replaced. Is that idea way off or is there truth to it. I ussually just clean with lube and a brush.

The factory lube is great stuff, but it eventually gets full of grit like any other lube and needs to be cleaned and refreshed. The best lube in the world + dust and dirt = rubbing compound.

[marshalolson]

It seems like I have read several times not to clean your chain with a degreaser. I read there is a factory grease on the pins and links that once you remove, it cannot be replaced. Is that idea way off or is there truth to it. I ussually just clean with lube and a brush.

the factory ships with packing grease so the chain won't rust while on a boat headed across an ocean. it for sure attracts and holds dirt.

[jqualls]

Seems like it is damned if you do damned if you dont depending on who you talk to. I will probably just keep cleening with a lube maybe I will try it each way on different bikes and see what I think. The fact that KMC says not to clean it makes me lean towards no degreaser.

[HobieTony]

Exactly, it might not come out with the side plates glowing like new but I won't come near my chain with a degreaser product. I learned this from someone who's bike knowledge I had a lot of faith in years ago and it's worked great for me. A few months back a buddy posted this on his blog and I couldn't agree more with their philosphy on chain cleaning.
http://mooseknuckleralliance.org/moo...an-your-chain/

I thought I was just being lazy - Looks like I have been doing it right all along

[Dromond]

Exactly, it might not come out with the side plates glowing like new but I won't come near my chain with a degreaser product. I learned this from someone who's bike knowledge I had a lot of faith in years ago and it's worked great for me. A few months back a buddy posted this on his blog and I couldn't agree more with their philosphy on chain cleaning.
http://mooseknuckleralliance.org/moo...an-your-chain/

While generally this seems reasonable, when I get home and my chain is entirely filled with sandy, gritty mud, just adding more lube and wiping still leaves a grinding, gritty sound. How exactly is this not wearing the crap out of the chain and cogs? I've rarely cleaned chains, but I feel like the lube+wipe is lacking for extremely wet and dirty conditions.

[jqualls]

After I lube it I dont just wipe the chain I flex the chain at each link and wipe all the crap off on the bearing. It gets a lot of the crap in between the plates off. I have no idea if it is a good or bad thing to do but it seems to remove some of the build up if there is any.

[bagtagley]

I've been using DuMonde Tech for a while. I've found that, if you don't follow their instructions (get the chain squeaky clean before applying), the stuff isn't anything special. If you do go to the effort of getting the chain clean and free of grease for the first application, the stuff works incredibly well, and all you have to do is reapply and wipe the excess after that.

[Catch22]

I'll use some other cheapish lubes to really douse and clean the chain and then this stuff, far and away the best lube I've ever used.
http://www.squirtlube.com/products/index.php

[El Chupacabra]

the factory ships with packing grease so the chain won't rust while on a boat headed across an ocean. it for sure attracts and holds dirt.

I dislike the factory lube that chains come packed in. Sticky and definitely holds dirt and crud.

Exactly, it might not come out with the side plates glowing like new but I won't come near my chain with a degreaser product. I learned this from someone who's bike knowledge I had a lot of faith in years ago and it's worked great for me. A few months back a buddy posted this on his blog and I couldn't agree more with their philosphy on chain cleaning.
http://mooseknuckleralliance.org/moo...an-your-chain/

The problem I have with the method above is that even if its theory is entirely true (and is the best possible way to preserve the chain itself), it still results in a ton of dirt/crud/crap sticking to the rest of the drivetrain: derailleur pulleys & nearby parts, cassette teeth, chainring teeth. All those parts wear out too, and each of them costs more than a $20 chain.

My method:
(1) soak new chain in degreaser tank overnight, rinse, wipe dry, let air dry. Install on bike and lube.
(2) cleaning on-bike: spray degreaser onto chain (and cassette & chainrings) and brush. Rinse.
(3) cleaning off-bike: same as (1).

My preferred chain lube: Dupont Teflon spray - available at Lowe's for about $6 for a big can. Made by Finish Line; I believe it is the same product as Finish Line Dry Lube. Doesn't attract much dust, dries to thin non-oily film within seconds of applying -- spray on chain, but do not wipe off excess, it all dries.
http://www.amazon.com/Dupont-Multi-U.../dp/B000GL19TY

This is not a good lube for riding in wet conditions, as it does wash off. In dusty/dry conditions, I like it a lot.

[creaky fossil]

I stick with Rock and Roll Gold, cleans well enough for me and stays dry and quiet. No degreaser required.

+1.

People who degrease before lubing remind me of people who wash their hands before washing their hands.

[Ccard257]

I'll use some other cheapish lubes to really douse and clean the chain and then this stuff, far and away the best lube I've ever used.
http://www.squirtlube.com/products/index.php

I got a couple little sample bottles of this stuff in a race packet a month or two Ago. I finally used it this past weekend and was very impressed.

[BrianH]

FWIW, Shimano recommends a "neutral detergent" for cleaning their chains.

So I'm thinking of just filling a spray bottle with soapy water, then wiping off the chain and applying lube.

For on bike cleaning,I'd worry that solvent would seep into bearings and other places you don't want it.

[wcf3]

The main arguement against using solvents/degreasers is that they are designed to first disolve the old lubricant so that it loses most of it's viscosity (and adhesive properties) then evaporate, leaving things not only clean but dry (as such completely unlubricated). If you can get at all surfaces that need to be lubed after cleaning this is fine (just relube the surface). The friction surfaces of a chain though are difficult or impossible to get at directly (without breaking the chain at every link). As such, the inaccesible friction surfaces are only cleaned by flushing and dilution.

Using a typical solvent/degreaser on a chain will generally leave some solvent residues in the most inaccessible places (on the pins under the rollers) because these areas are designed to be difficult to penetrate. After relubrication, these residues will tend to break down the newly applied lubricant and reduce it's effectiveness.

If one still feels that it is necessary to degrease a chain, two possible recommendations:
-If using a true solvent, after cleaning go through and dry the chain thoroughly using high pressure air which will have a better chance of removing solvent residues.
-Rather than using a true solvent, degrease the chain using kerosene which, even if it leaves residues won't actually destroy the viscosity of new lubricant when it is applied (although it will reduce it).

Degreaser is fine to use on chain rings and cassette (although not on derailleur pulleys, see above) as long as the chain is off. One does need to be careful with composite frames and wheels though, to keep any solvents off the composite material, since they can degrade some of these materials. I prefer just soapy water and a toothbrush (if not terribly gunky) or a wire brush (if really gunked up).

Bike shops use degreasers because cleaning goes faster and the results 'look better' for their clients. They, of course aren't necessarily interested in getting the ultimate longevity out of the equipment.

[frorider]

if you do use a solvent degreaser, lay the chain out in the sun before applying the lube (rock n roll gold is my lube of choice).

chain on the driveway will get damn hot & those solvent 'residues' will evaporate.

[ZomblibulaX]

I stick with Rock and Roll Gold, cleans well enough for me and stays dry and quiet. No degreaser required.

R&R is composed largely of petroleum distillates. Hydrocarbon solvents. So it cleans and then lubes. I love the stuff, too, but you are using a degreaser every time you lube.