How To Clean Up A Rusty Bike Chain
Turn the bike upside down setting it on the seat and handlebars.
How to clean up a rusty bike chain. It is dependent on how rusty the chain is. Align the pin of a link removal tool against a pin within a chain link. In most case you can remove bike rust yourself. Standing next to the bike lift the rear end and spin the foot pedal in a backward motion through several rotations while looking for dirt grime and rust between the chain links.
Soak the chain in a bowl of lime or lemon juice for 60 minutes to two hours. Examine the entire length of the bike chain to check for any surface grime or dirt. Your bike needs just as much care as your car or truck. Few things look worse than rust on your bike but rusty parts don t need to be thrown out.
Crank the tool until the link loosens and pops out. Don t take your bike to a professional for rust removal. After your chain is all cleaned up back on the bike and lubed make sure you clean it every month to prevent it from the dirt and the rust again. With a few things you ve probably already got around your house you can have rusty bike parts looking.
Evaluate the condition of the chain. The citric acid in the lime juice reacts with the rust dropping it off. A rusty bike can turn an enjoyable ride into a bumpy mess or ruin your bike s overall shine. Rust on your chain is no good it creates additional friction places wear on your other drivetrain components and makes the chain more susceptible to breakage.
Being simple in their aesthetics bikes are often forgotten and not taken care of by their owners ending up corroding and eventually the parts break down. Take a look at your chain up close. To ensure the longest life and best operation of bike chains avid cyclists should clean their chain once. With the bike still upside down you can start cleaning the whole chain using lime juice if you have not removed the chain.
One that is too rusty will need a good soaking in the lime juice before embarking on cleaning. A complete guide to remove rust from bike chain with vinegar. Check out this article which explains how to clean a bike chain just under 5 minutes. If you notice warping imperfections in the metal or similar deterioration you and your bike will be better off with a new chain surface rust buildup and crustiness can all be removed so your chain runs like new.