Zinn & The Art Of Mountain Bike Maintenance - VeloPress

4.3 Wiping the jockey wheels with a rag 4.4 Using a solvent-bath chain cleaner
1. Grab the chain with a rag. Grasp the lower
length of the chain (between the bottom of
the chainring and the rear-derailleur lower
jockey wheel).
2. Turn the crank backward a number of revo-
lutions. Pull the chain through the rag (Fig.
4.2). Periodically rotate the rag to present a
cleaner section of it to the chain.
3. Lubricate the chain as in §iv-1.
To encourage regular care, leave a pair of rub-
ber gloves, a rag, and some chain lube next to your
bike. Then, whenever you return from a ride, put on
the gloves, wipe and lube the chain, and put your
bike away. It takes maybe a minute, your hands
stay clean, and your bike is ready for the next ride.
If you can find time to take a shower after you ride,
you can find time for this. Wipe the chainrings,
cogs, front derailleur, and jockey wheels (Fig. 4.3)
while you’re at it, and the entire drivetrain will
always work ideally.
iv-3
USING CHAIN-CLEANING UNITS
Several companies make chain-cleaning units
that scrub the chain with a solvent while it is
on the bike. These chain cleaners are generally
Sample from Zinn & the Art of Mountain Bike Maintenance, 5th Ed.
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made of clear plastic and have two or three
rotating brushes that scrub the chain as it moves
through the solvent bath (Fig. 4.4). The units offer
the advantage of letting you clean the chain
without removing it from the bike. Regularly
removing the chain shortens any chain’s life;
moreover, with 9- or 10-speed chains unless you
use a master link, you may find that the chain
breaks under high load, thereby driving your foot,
and perhaps your entire body, into the ground.
Most chain-cleaning units come with a non-
toxic, citrus-based solvent. For your safety, and
other environmental reasons, I strongly recom-
mend that you purchase nontoxic citrus solvents
for the chain-cleaning unit, even if it already
comes with a petroleum-based solvent. If you
recycle used diesel fuel, then go ahead and use it.
In any case, wear gloves and glasses when using
any solvent.
Citrus chain solvents often contain some
lubricants, so they won’t dry the chain out. The
combination of lubricant and solvent is why diesel
fuel has had such a following as a chain cleaner.
A really strong solvent without lubricant (acetone,
for example) will displace the oil from inside the
rollers. The solvent will later evaporate, leaving a
CHAPTER 4
53
CHAINS