How I CLEAN my Bicycle Chain - Quick, Easy and Deep Clean Methods

How do you clean your chain? If you need a clean cassette here's a related video https://youtu.be/lfC9rmhdM_A

I love the way you use regular basis on a regular basis during this video :)

Your ‘before’ chain looks cleaner than my ‘after’ chain 😂

I've found that the best way to keep your drivetrain healthy, other than to clean it often, is to make very sure that you wipe off ALL the excess oil after you lube the chain. That one simple thing has done more to prevent the early death of chains and cassettes than anything else I've been able to figure out. Excess oil collects dirt like a magnet, and it can soon become a gritty paste that grinds away at all of your drivetrain components with remarkable efficiency.

I use a degreaser like Simple Green for the first go through the chain cleaner, then switch to very diluted dish soap for round two, then to plain water to rinse everything off. The chain comes out sparkling clean.

After quite a few pints , I find it easy to clean my chain and surrounding areas . Also derailleur adjustments are far easier when high .

Tip: Cleaning the chain and cassette on the bike can often slightly contaminate the brake rotor. I like to clean the rotor with iso or similar cleaner after I am done with the drivetrain just to be safe.

It is a good idea to use a chain hook to hold the chain before opening the quick links else the tension in the derailleur may send the chain and quick links flying. Learned that the hard way.

You need to be careful with the Muc-Off degreaser on the cassette. I used it quite enthusiastically for a while and it got into the bearings of my rear wheel, dissolving the grease, so I had to replace the bearings. Now I use Squirt wax lubricant and clean the chain with a rag every week. Once a year, I remove the chain and cassette and clean them thoroughly.

quick links are a godsend. Its so easy to take your chain off, stick it in a jar with some chain cleaning solution and give it a proper going over, why wouldnt you! Ive been doing that for several years now (KMC DLC quicklinks) and it makes a huge difference, makes it much easier to clean your cassette and chainrings aswell. win win.

Brilliant, the one thing I will add is that there is something to be said to get more comfortable taking the chain off and putting back on because if you don’t your first time may be in front of a bunch of people helping someone with a broken chain like me and you may do it wrong lol.

If you ride when the ground is wet or just after it rains, little grains of sand stick to the tires and fall onto the chain and sprockets. Needs to be removed as it’s super abrasive. Good video. A reminder a little “preventative maintenance” will help keep a smooth ride on the bike.

I think you said "on a regular basis" more than I have ever uttered the phrase in my life during this short video, and I am 762 years old! - Good video in any case, useful info.

I love how David split off and made his own channel. This guy truly knows his bikes and knows how to review as if you were the one purchasing.

Taking effort to take off might as well hot wax it. So easy and chain just always looks clean and no more grease spots on hands or legs.

Hot melt wax and a three chain rotation. Perfectly spotless drivetrain and is actually less work.

Great tutorial, please do allow me to share my washing routine, i use the muc off c3 dry lube (dish soap soluble no need for degreaser AT ALL) So i blast water into the chain links and spray dish washing liquid on the chain and brush all of the chain + pulley + chain rings and i once again blast it. By this stage the only thing on the bike is dirt on the frame and totally oil free. I then spray dish washing liquid all over the bike without any care for rotors because if you can eat off your plates, your rotors will not be contaminated. I then sponge wash the whole bike and proceed to drying/protection. Since i have used Turtlewax ice seal and shine on the frame and wheels, dishwashing liquid will NOT remove any hydrophobic coating at all (proof on youtube video on the turtlewax) all i have to do is use a portable air blower to blast off the water and since it is hydrophobic it just slides off. I blast all bolts as well as FD and FD as well as chain. By this time the bike is 100% dry and chain is 80% dry. I feel comfortable to relube the FD, RD and chain with 0% chance of contaminating the brake rotor. I bought the muc off protect but i have never found it to be a good idea to spray any aerosol anywhere within 50m radius of my pads and rotors. I wash my bike once every week and they are absolutely pristine.

I ride my EMTB daily at all conditions and I never clean chain and it works just fine. But I use it in combo with Kindernay gear hub. I never had issues with chain. I change chain once in 3-4 years (maybe around 8000 miles) with front and rear sprockets (quite cheap) all together when the front sprocket teeth become shark fin shaped and start sliding on the chain.

1. Proper lubrication = correct wet/dry lube + right way of putting it on the chain (not as mucoff advice). 2. Regular cleaning after every ride and deep cleaning once per 2-3 weeks.

As well as the sliced beetroot jar, I have also had success with a picked gherkin jar and hope to be trying other tasty products soon. I use a food-grade wax bath with a pinch of teflon powder.