New From ShelBroCo!
| Sheldon Brown & Tom Deakins | 
| Proudly Present: |
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The ShelBroCo Bicycle Chain Cleaning System
| Disassembly | Cleaning | Lubrication | Re-assembly |
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| Sheldon Brown & Tom Deakins |
| Proudly Present: |
|---|
| Disassembly | Cleaning | Lubrication | Re-assembly |
|---|
It is well-known that proper chain cleaning is the most vital and important aspect of cycling. There are zillions of doo-dads and gimmicks out there intended to make this task easier for spoiled, lazy cyclists.Unfortunately, there's no "free lunch" in bicycle maintenance, and all of these existing systems are fundamentally mono-buttocked kluges.
The only proper way to clean a bicycle chain is to disassemble it, otherwise there is no way to be sure you've thoroughly cleaned and properly lubricated the critical internal parts where chain wear occurs.
Similarly, there's no way to apply correct lubrication to an assembled chain, since the rollers have different lubrication needs than the link articulation pins do!
Use your chain tool to drive each chain pin halfway out. It only has to go far enough to clear one of the outer plates.If you will be using replacement pins or Powerlinks to reassemble the chain, drive the pins all the way through and discard them.
Ready to go! Tom is all set, properly protected, with a supply of:
Pipe cleaners, paper towels, cotton swabs, Deakinol Rinsing Solvent, Shelbrothane Cleaning Solvent, Shelbroconol Pre-soak, Phil Wood green grease and Deakins White RollerGrease
| 1. Soak entire chain overnight in Shelbroconol Pre-soak | 2. Clean each piece thorougly with Shelbrothane Cleaning Solvent | |
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3. Clean each roller using a cotton swab |
4. Clean each inner plate hole using a pipe cleaner |
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| 5. Rinse each piece thorougly with Deakinol Rinsing Solvent | |
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Lazy, careless cyclists lubricate their chains with various sorts or oils or other liquid lubricants, including "dry" lubricants that are delivered by a liquid medium.Serious cyclists, who value performance and are willing to take the time to do a job correctly use grease, but, of course, disassembly is required to access the surfaces that need to be greased.
If you're a cheapskate, yoou can use the same grease for both the pins and the rollers, but if you want to do it right, you will use:
- Deakins White RollerGrease for the rollers, so they can roll freely.
- Phil Wood green grease for the pins, which are the parts that usually wear first.
This is the step that makes your chain better than new! When chains come from the factory, they're lubricated by dipping, so that the same lubricant is used on all parts of the chain. This is a cost-cutting move on the part of the manufacturers, who choose a lubricant that is a compromise between an optimal roller lube and an optimal pin lube.
6. Lubricate each roller using
Deakins White RollerGrease7. Lubricate each inner plate hole using
Phil Wood green greaseReal Cyclists, however, eschew such penny-pinching compromises, and use the correct lubricant for each application, even if it is a bit more trouble.
Re-assembly is the reverse of disassembly.
Basic Kit $69.95
Baic Kit Includes:
- Park CT-3 Professional Chain Tool
- Shelbroconol Pre-soak
- Shelbrothane Cleaning Solvent
- Deakinol Rinsing Solvent
- Phil Wood green grease
- Deakins White RollerGrease
- Cotton Swabs
- Pipe Cleaners
Shimano Deluxe Kit $199.95
Baic Kit Includes:
- Park CT-3 Professional Chain Tool
- Shelbroconol Pre-soak
- Shelbrothane Cleaning Solvent
- Deakinol Rinsing Solvent
- Phil Wood green grease
- Deakins White RollerGrease
- Cotton Swabs
- Pipe Cleaners
- 114 Shimano Replacement Pins (cost $71.82)
Sram Deluxe Kit $249.95
Baic Kit Includes:
- Park CT-3 Professional Chain Tool
- Shelbroconol Pre-soak
- Shelbrothane Cleaning Solvent
- Deakinol Rinsing Solvent
- Phil Wood green grease
- Deakins White RollerGrease
- Cotton Swabs
- Pipe Cleaners
- 57 Sram Power Links
Note, if you use this option, you don't need to clean the outer links or chain pins, because these are replaced by the Power Links (cost $102.60
| The Inventor of The Carrababy baby carrier, Tork-Grip Universal Torque Wrench, Real MAN Saddles, Symmetrispokes, Geomagnetic Booster, and POWerwheels, Sheldon "Genius, But Modest" Brown |
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| George Brown photo |
Shelbroconol Pre-soak ® is the ideal pre-soak for chain cleaning, especially when used in conjunction with Shelbrothane Cleaning Solvent ®, but it is extrenmely carcinogenic. Do not breathe vapors from Shelbroconol Pre-soak ®, or you will almost certaily develop lung cancer within two weeks!
Shelbrothane Cleaning Solvent ® is the finest chain cleaner ever developed, especially when used correctly in conjunction with Shelbroconol Pre-soak ® and Deakinol Rinsing Solvent ®. However it is EXTREMELY toxic!In case of skin contact, immediate amputation is indicated.
If swallowed, do not bother to induce vomiting, it won't do any good, you're a goner!
Deakinol Rinsing solvent is the ideal solvent for chains, and is perfectly compatible with but it is highly volatile and explosive. Deaknol Rinsing Solvent must NEVER be allowed to come into contact with Shelbroconol Pre-soak, as this combination is highly explosive, and will detonate withotut warning!
Deakins White RollerGrease is the ideal lubricant for chain rollers, but it is important to keep it away from skin contact, as it will cause intense, unbearable itching!
Note! This page is a joke! Note the date above!
ShelBroCo does not actually recommend taking your chain completely apart! Deakinol Rinsing Solvent, Shelbrothane Cleaning Solvent, Shelbroconol Pre-soak, and Deakins White RollerGrease are all imaginary products.
If you are looking for serious advice on Chain Maintence, click here!
