Motor Oil On My Chain. Am I A Bad Person?

[Gionnirocket]

To me cleaning a chain in solvent may be a detrimental thing to do. The way I see it one is dissolving the lubricant from the internal sliding parts of the chain and possibly washing some abrasive dirt into those internal sliding parts.
If it is brushed of dirt on the outside and oiled I don't believe it will carry abrasives to the internal chain parts as the lube soakes in.
Chains on chain driven equipment are not normally taken off and washed but just oiled.
An actual test would be interesting to do.

The day I remove my chain... is the day I am replacing.

 

[DouglasB]

Picked this up off of Sheldon Brown's site (bicycle mechanic, technical expert and author): "I used to use a parts cleaning tank and a toothbrush to clean chains, but Zaven Ghazarian, an excellent mechanic I used to work with, came up with a better system: drop the chain into a plastic Coke bottle with a couple of ounces of un-diluted citrus degreaser, cap it, and shake thoroughly. Fish the chain out with a spoke, rinse in water, and you are all set! (I am told that Pepsi bottles also work, and are easier to remove the chain from, because they have a wider mouth...but I'm a Coke guy, not a Pepsi guy.)"

 

[FlatSix911]

Please note that the grease suggested in those videos are during installation and to aid in future disassembly, not lubrication for function

Correct...

 

[FlatSix911]

Picked this up off of Sheldon Brown's site (bicycle mechanic, technical expert and author): "I used to use a parts cleaning tank and a toothbrush to clean chains, but Zaven Ghazarian, an excellent mechanic I used to work with, came up with a better system: drop the chain into a plastic Coke bottle with a couple of ounces of un-diluted citrus degreaser, cap it, and shake thoroughly. Fish the chain out with a spoke, rinse in water, and you are all set! (I am told that Pepsi bottles also work, and are easier to remove the chain from, because they have a wider mouth...but I'm a Coke guy, not a Pepsi guy.)"

Sheldon was the man on all things bike related... may he rest in peace.

Sheldon Brown-Bicycle Technical Information

A go-to source of information about bicycle maintenance, repair and customization

www.sheldonbrown.com

 

[6zfshdb]

When I was e-bike shopping, I test rode a Pedego at an LBS who also rented them. I had been maintaining the chains on my three Trek MTB's for years and was curious how it was done by a professional. The LBS owner just smiled and pointed to a large 100' spool of bicycle chain. His mechanic is part time and with his rental fleet and customer service, they can't afford to spend a lot of time on chain maintenance. They spray them with dry lube occasionally and when the gauge indicates the chain is half worn, they simply replace it. He can replace a chain in less than half the time it takes to properly clean & lube one.

The idea appeals to me but buying bulk spooled bicycle chain isn't that easy. The 6 bikes I currently maintain also use different chain sizes so the economics wouldn't be practical.

 

[DouglasB]

When I was e-bike shopping, I test rode a Pedego at an LBS who also rented them. I had been maintaining the chains on my three Trek MTB's for years and was curious how it was done by a professional. The LBS owner just smiled and pointed to a large 100' spool of bicycle chain. His mechanic is part time and with his rental fleet and customer service, they can't afford to spend a lot of time on chain maintenance. They spray them with dry lube occasionally and when the gauge indicates the chain is half worn, they simply replace it. He can replace a chain in less than half the time it takes to properly clean & lube one.

The idea appeals to me but buying bulk spooled bicycle chain isn't that easy. The 6 bikes I currently maintain also use different chain sizes so the economics wouldn't be practical.

I hate a dirty chain. I suppose it would be OK for rental customers.

 

[FlatSix911]

When I was e-bike shopping, I test rode a Pedego at an LBS who also rented them. I had been maintaining the chains on my three Trek MTB's for years and was curious how it was done by a professional. The LBS owner just smiled and pointed to a large 100' spool of bicycle chain. His mechanic is part-time and with his rental fleet and customer service, they can't afford to spend a lot of time on chain maintenance. They spray them with dry lube occasionally and when the gauge indicates the chain is half worn, they simply replace it. He can replace a chain in less than half the time it takes to properly clean & lube one.

The idea appeals to me but buying bulk spooled bicycle chain isn't that easy. The 6 bikes I currently maintain also use different chain sizes so the economics wouldn't be practical.

Interesting idea... did the LBS owner mention how many miles on average between chain replacements?

 

[6zfshdb]

Interesting idea... did the LBS owner mention how many miles on average between chain replacements?

Although I should have, I didn't ask. The Pedego bikes he rents have rear hub motors so chain wear shouldn't be much greater than on conventional bikes.

I have seen deals on individual replacement chains but the economics aren't the same as they would be for bulk spooled chain. Besides, cleaning & lubing gives me something to do in the off season.