Went from chain noise to silence after I degreased my drivetrain the wrong way for 6 months

So I've been fixing bikes at my shop for about a year now. For the longest time I'd just spray degreaser on the chain and cassette, wipe it down, and relube. Always had some clicking and grinding noise but figured it was normal. Last week a customer brings in his bike that's way older but sounds butter smooth. He shows me how he takes the chain off, soaks it in a jar of mineral spirits overnight, and brushes each cog individually. I tried it on my own bike and the difference was night and day. Like a whole different machine. Now I'm wondering how many bikes I serviced that left with that noise still there. Y'all actually do this every time or am I the only one who was half-assing it?

3 comments

3 Comments

quinn34116h ago

Wait, you were soaking the whole chain in a jar? Lmao I thought the trick was just taking it off and wiping each link with a rag soaked in mineral spirits.

pat_harris17h ago

Man, that six months of chain noise you put up with hits way too close to home lol. I did the exact same thing for way too long before I learned the soak method and felt like such a dummy.

caleb_bell513h ago

The soak method is a total game changer, straight up. Fill a mason jar with mineral spirits or something like simple green, drop the chain in, and let it sit overnight. Then shake it up the next day and all that gunk just falls off, no scrubbing required. Way less hassle than trying to wipe each link and you actually get it clean from the inside out. My drivetrain went from grinding sandpaper to smooth as butter after I started doing it. Just make sure you lube it good after drying it off with a rag and let it sit for a bit to soak in. That half hour of setup saves you months of miserable noise down the road.