Of course we all know that if you wax your chain, it be cleaned off simply with hot water. And we also know if you have a SRAM drivetrain, you don’t remove the quicklink unless you absolutely have to! Tell me how you go about pouring boiling hot water on your bike. Are you not worried about all those small parts in the derailleurs? Is the carbon fiber frame good even at 100°C? What about the BB? How do you not burn yourself? etc.
Would love to hear all the good tips/tricks out there on how to quickly clean a drivetrain without risking damage to the smaller, more fragile parts in the splash zone.
I started waxing my SRAM chain three years ago and I have not had problems with reusing quicklinks. To be honest, the biggest problem is that when I take them off, I misplace them while I’m cleaning the chain! As a rule of thumb (and if I don’t lose them), I use them for ten cycles (take off - put back on is one cycle). Over the three years, I’m at the 7th quicklink, which cost me the grand total of £28 so far.
Honestly, I rarely have to clean a waxed chain. I generally use a microfiber towel to wipe the chain down before throwing it in the wax pot when it needs waxing due to mileage or rides in the rain. After really muddy or sandy/dusty rides, doing the boiling water clean is, IMHO, warranted.
As for quick links, SRAM says not re-use them. There was a discussion or two on the Geek Warning about reusing quick links, and there have been an article in EC about it. I’d check those out to get some good information. I thought that YBN was going to make a flattop chain, and if that is actually the case, then it’ll have a YBN quick link, probably a reusable one. FWIW, I use YBN quick links (I don’t have a SRAM drivetrain) that YBN says you can reuse 5 times. I use them until the “click” when closing the link become less distinct.
Thanks all, but can we stay on topic? This isn’t about reusing quick links. We’ll let those who have questions on that look at the many other discussions aleeway active. (I only brought up SRAM to avoid people assuming Shimano, as I thought that would lead to a conversation about getting a Wipperman link. Damned if you do, damned if you don’t! )
So then back to the original question. Do you do anything more than blindly pour boiling water on your drivetrain (and anything else it splashes on)? Thx
I use a quick link. Always have since I started waxing my chains. You can use a teapot to better regulate water flow so as not to splash boiling water. Pouring water on the chain on its return to the chain ring will further help minimize any splashing.
Josh from Silca years ago did a YouTube video on this. Basically use a goose neck kettle. Normally used for coffee prep so a little pricey and way too many heating features but I just use it as a normal kettle. Much better pour control right onto the chain.
His directions are to put it in the big ring in the front and pour at 3 o clock. I’m the same as the OP where I feel that the BB will suffer with this method so I put the chain in the biggest cross chain possible and then pour it in the middle of the lower chain length. Doesn’t get near the derailleur or bb then. Nice slow pour and chain rotation forwards.
The reason for the cross chain, as Josh points out in a another chain lube video, is it articulates the chain links so they open up the spaces between the rollers and plates which helps get the wax/lube in but also I’m guessing the reverse, that it helps the wax drip out.
The gooseneck kettle I’ve got is 0.8 litres which is plenty for 1 chain. I then use a microfibre while the chain is still warm to aid cleaning the outer surfaces.
I live in the UK so wet dirty chains are common. I do the hot water flush every 10 rides probably or after a really muddy ride. IPA on micro fibre for a wipe down after every ride.
I don’t bother cleaning waxed chains other than a wipe down.
I reuse quick links and have without issue for years.
When it’s time to rewax I just take off the chain, wipe it off, wax it, and put it back on with the same link. My procedure had gotten simpler over the years skipping things like the boiling water.
I think that’s just mad. Apart from the fact that it doesn’t sound very safe, the whole point of sloshing the chain around in hot water for a minute is to get rid of any remnants of the old wax and any dirt. No way you can achieve that by pouring hot water on a chain.
I think the implied answer (and certainly my answer) is you don’t attempt to pour boiling water on the chain whilst on the bike. If you want to do a boiling water clean, the chain comes off the bike (and hence discussion about re-using quick links becomes pertinent).
I don’t do the boiling water thing. If it’s been a muddy ride, I use a Park chain scrubber (that’s only ever seen waxed chains) filled with alcohol and run the chain through that a few times, wipe off, dry and either top up drip wax or take it off and put it in the wax pot.
For me the purpose of using boiling water is to reduce the amount of contamination being introduced to the wax pot. It’s really only for visibly dirty/grubby chains.
So chain off and strung up on a piece of wire (or newer chain holder). Then I’d pour a kettle of boiling water over the chain (in front of a sink). Let the chain dry off (or dry it) and it’s ready for the wax pot.
If the chain is not going into a wax pot, then I’d recommend just running the chain through a little bit of Isopropyl alcohol on a micro fibre cloth. This will keep it externally clean and allow the better application of a drip wax.
I take the same approach as Dave. Most of the time I won’t do anything but if the chain is looking super gross (or I’ve ridden in some bad conditions) I’ll take the chain off and hang it on my swisher as normal.
Then I’ll boil a kettle and pour the lot over the chain either over a sink or outside over a drain.
I find this more manageable than having a sink/container full of boiling water.
I can appreciate why this is better….but it completely negates the “cleaning a waxed chain is sooooo easy! Just use boiling water!!” spin you get from everyone. If I’m taking the chain off, then may as well put the next one in the rotation on, or drop it in hot wax, etc.
Perfect, thanks for the description. This is the sort of thing I was wondering about. Not surprised Silca has a detailed plan for how to do it.
For what it’s worth I do use boiling water on the chain/drivetrain while on the bike. Since I live in an apartment I put the back of the bike on an old towel and literally take the kettle to the bike. It works surprisingly well and since the water has cooled down a bit, I am not concerned on ‘‘melting’’ anything. Yes you do have to take care to not burn yourself but that’s it!
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