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    Which chain cleaner is best? Pic1 is juicy lube brand. Pic2 is BBB brand. Pic3 and 4 are Finish brand. Thanks

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    34 Comments

    2. otismcotis on

      These things all leak and don’t clean all that well.

      Keep it simple – degreaser spray, rag, and a catch tray below the chain.

      Or if you really want a clean chain go down the hot wax rabbit hole.

    4. alexseiji on

      The best is getting a cheap ultrasonic cleaner and dropping the chain in every 100 miles and scrubbing the rear cogs with a wire brush and simple green. Reassemble and relibe and good to go. Feels as crispy as day one

    5. niamulsmh on

      i take the chain off. hot water, dish soap and go nuts with a brush.

      iso, dry. wash with water, dry. wax, dry. put it back on.

      those chain cleaners, they all work the same; gives you an illusion of chain being clean but not really

    7. teakettle87 on

      I use #4 and an old toothbrush.

      Whichever you go with, don’t buy the bike specific degreasers, go to the hardware store and get a gallon of denatured mineral spirits. It’s way cheaper and works amazing.

    12. CezarTheSalad on

      I use a Pedro’s pig one and think it works great and is shaped like a pig.

      Sure, it leaks, as someone mentioned but that’s fine, it would be crazy to think it will keep all the liquids inside. 
      I use it outdoors when I clean my entire bike anyway.

      It scrubs the chain pretty well from all sides and is really easy to use, you can happily spin away for miles, changing the cleaner a couple of times, and makes loads of suds with the brushes it’s got, and did I mention it looks like a pig? 

      https://youtu.be/BQkhnfflaDM?si=OYvpvVhmGRlA6_1O

    13. the-diver-dan on

      Are you degreasing to now wax the chain? If so you need to remove the chain and degrease with in a can or jar.

      Otherwise I have the bbb. And it does leak, I mean so what I am washing my bike anyway, but it does do a good job of bathing the chain and making the dirt mobile to wash off.

    14. BikesAndCatsColorado on

      I just switched to the Silca Brake and Drivetrain cleaner. Spray on, rinse off, no scrubbing needed. I’m sure it has to be super toxic gnarly chemicals, and it reeks, but it works great.

    15. dsli00 on

      I use the brush from photo #3 and Pedro’s Orange Peelz degreaser. I use the straight bristle brush to apply degreaser to the cassette and cogs. And dip the U-shaped brush the in a small cup of degreaser and run the chain through the brunch for a few seconds. Everything looks nearly brand new after rinsing, drying, and applying chain lube

      I’ve tried the muc off chain cleaner tool. It’s just nearly as effective as the U-shaped brush.

    16. butternutflies on

      I got one at Decathlon for 18€, super easy to use, just cleaned my chain with it and it did a great job at it. Don’t understand all the hate in this thread…

    18. Gullible-Factor-8927 on

      I use the grungebrush with Dawn Powerwash…it works so good too. I will spray plenty of Dawn Power Wash onto the chain and cassette and then use the brush and create some tension on the chain to really scrub in. I’ll use the other end to scrub the cassette although I rather find a tougher brush. But my chains look brand new and then I dry them off with a leaf blower and re-lube

    19. 2new2newt on

      I have the Park Tool one. It works well, especially with their specific degreaser (which is expensive). But I don’t use it anymore — I’m on the hot melt wax train and like it much more.

    22. YoucantdothatonTV on

      I use the Park Tool version and I love it.
      I thought it was gimmicky at first but it cleans the chain really well. I use Simple Green (undiluted) and rotate the cranks backwards 50x. Then I dump the detergent, add 70% ethanol and do it again. Then I put Ballistol drop by drop, link by link. It’s like brand new.

    23. OS36- on

      Removing chain and a glass container with gasoline, shake shake shake and voila. Just like new.

    26. DLH-7635 on

      I tried a few of these when I got back into cycling at 60. IMO, they never did a good job and splatter from them made a mess in my garage floor and workbench cabinet. Gave up on them and switched to quick links, pulling the chains then washing in in a jar with various degreasers. Worked well for quite a few years, but switched to wax over the holidays and am a total convert.

    28. knarleyseven on

      A fingernail brush is about the best I’ve come across if the chain is on the bike.

    30. lrbikeworks on

      I honestly can’t even.

      Go ahead, downvote me. I don’t care.

      It’s a wear part. You throw it away. They go in the landfill or end up as jewelry some goth kid wears. This is not a family heirloom. It’s not going back in your grammas jewelry case. It will not be distributed with your other prized possessions according to instructions in your will. It is a 30 dollar part that is designed to be thrown away.

      Oil and wipe every week. Replace it when you do the rear tire and give the cassette and chainrings the toothbrush treatment.

      For the love of god, this obsession over chains drives me nuts.

    31. Returning2Riding on

      I I still own the finish line chain cleaner from the 1990s. I guess it works fine but in the following years, I stopped using it

      too much hassle to fill it with degreaser clip it onto my chain and pedal the bike backwards. I just get two cheap scrub brushes from the dollar store spray the bike with Orange Zep and run it between the two brushes.

      Seems to do just as well.

    32. FrankensteinBionicle on

      I’ll be 100 with you bro, I don’t use these. I’ve been taking the chain off, hand washing it with dawn dish soap in a bowl of hot water, rinse, letting it dry, and slapping it back on, then lube and ive been doing this for years with no issue.

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