How To Clean The Chain and Gears

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Chain maintenance is extremely important. A bike with a clean chain and gears will shift better. Cleaning the chain will also increase the life of the chain and the gears. You don't need to remove the chain from the bike to clean it.

There are special tools for cleaning the chain and gears but you can use household items to do the job.

1- What You Will Need - At a minimum, a clean rag, a toothbrush and bicycle degreaser can be used. If you don't have degreaser, some dish washing liquid soap and water can be used..

2 - Cleaning The Chain- The simplest way to clean the chain is to hold a rag tightly around the chain and turn the pedals force the chain through the rag. You can lean the bike against a railing and turn the pedals backwards with one hand and hold the rag with the other hand. Applying some degreaser to the chain before wiping it with the rag will help to clean it. Use the toothbrush to loosen caked on dirt that has built up on the chain. If a chain is very dirty, spray a little WD-40 on the rag that you use to clean the chain. Don't spray WD-40 on the chain. It will penetrate the rollers and disolve the lubricant in the chain.

3 - Cleaning The Gears- Use the tooth brush to clean the chain rings. You can remove the rear wheel or shift the chain to the lowest gear. Use the tooth brush to loosen dirt on the rear gears. Use strips of a clean rag to "floss between the gears. Shift the chain to a higher gear so you can get to the smaller cogs with the rag. Use the tool brush and rag to clean the derailleur pullys.

4 - Lubing the Chain - The quickest way to lube a cleaned chain is with an aerosol lubicant. Spray the lube on according to directions and then wipe the excess off of the exterior parts of the chain. Excess lube will allow dust and dirt to stick to the chain, which will get on the gears and derailleurs. If you use bicycle lube in liquid form or tri-flow, place a drop on each roller, let it soak in and then wipe off the excess.

5- When To Install A New Chain - As a chain is used, it stretches. If the chain
is not replaced it will continue to stretch and begin to wear the gears. You will then need to replace both the chain and rear gears. To determine the amount of wear on a chain, you can use a special tool called a chain guage or you can measure it with a ruler or tape measure. Measure from the center of a pivot to a point exactly one foot away. On a new chain, that point will align with the center of another pivot. If the pivot is 1/16 of an inch beyond 12", replace the chain. If the pivot is 1/8" beyond the pivot, you may need to also replace the chain ring and rear cassette. This measurement can be difficult to do with a ruler. A bike shop can use a chain gauge and show you the extent of the wear on the chain..
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