For cleaning chains with an ultrasonic cleaner I find a very handy method is to put your cleaning solution (I use mineral spirits) in an empty jar, put the chain in the jar, then put the jar into the water bath in the ultrasonic cleaner. When you're done you just remove the jar and store it with the lid on for the next time. You've kept the water clean in the ultrasonic cleaner's water bath, so you can just dump it out and don't have the hassle of cleaning oily/greasy cleaning solution from the ultrasonic cleaner. For parts that won't fit into a jar you'll just put them into the ultrasonic cleaner as shown in this video, but for parts like chains that will fit into a jar, this saves some time and hassle.
Use a coffee filter to filter the cleaning solution (I use cleaning benzine) afterward to get rid of the dirt before reuse. I give it a second run to completely clean it.
I'm on the train as well! Thanks for doing the research and R&D to make carbon tech available to enthusiasts like me who don't have 12k to drop on branded bike.
Agreed, as always Luke has carved quite the interesting and informative niche for himself. Others try to be funny, he actually really is, in a very likeable way. Top bloke, top content.
Protip: never cheap out with underfilling your ultrasonic cleaner, it will kill your cleaner's container. Instead fill it with plain water and throw your parts into a plastic bag with your cleaning agent. The sonic waves will mostly go through the bag anyway. You dont make a big mess and dont have to clean the container all the time. Keeping stuff sealed in plastic bags or jars will avoid any toxic fumes going around your living quarters. They also sell professional made bags that increase the effects of the ultrasonic cleaning by creating small bubbles on its inner surface.
Thanks Trace. I've got a ultrasonic cleaner and love using it. One thing I have found is when I offered to help clean a friends bike, their chain was so thick with crud that it barely shifted anything in the cleaner. When keeping on top of maintenance nothing beats it.
Had one for a couple of months. Love it. Good tip is that you can put stuff in jars inside the water and it'll still work - so e.g. a jam jar with some stronger detergent in it with a chain, at the same time as some other parts in the main tank.
You mentioned researching these ultrasonic cleaners and I was when I stumbled across this video.... I ride off-road on CX, gravel and MTB's virtually all of the time but have the token road bike in the collection (6 different bikes) and am now convinced I need one of these as. as your good self, live in a flat !!! The amount of wear on the drivetrain is very noticeable when you off-road as the grit, mud and general rubbish really is there !!! In a flat, you have to clean by hand, which can be a laborious process but it's what you do.... By the way, using wax chain lube really does make a difference to the state of the grinding paste you mentioned and really worth a go....I was using wet and dry lubes for decades before starting to use this a year ago and, even in muddy winter conditions on MTB's, it doesn't cak up the jockey wheels on the rear mech.... I'll have to get a large capacity one as I have some rather big cassettes as I run 1x on 5 bikes.....Gotta get summat to fit a 12 speed SRAM Eagle 11-50 on my full suss trail bike !!! After this video, I am convinced that I would save a lot of cash and the unit would pay for itself very swiftly
I was also once told to agitate the dirt on my drive-train. After 3 hours of uncomfortably staring and shouting at it it was still just as dirty. Go figure. :D
My top tip is experiment first with sacrificial (damaged / broken) parts, especially anodised parts. Hard lesson learnt today using ultrasonic cleaner for first time. Plain metal parts no problem. Clear coated chrome more tricky (even with diluted cleaner - identical liquid to Luke ) First mix ineffective not much cleaning. Second mix managed to remove outer clear coat and replace it with a black film coat. Not a total disaster but made lots of extra work having to scrub the black film coat off and re-polish all the parts on the buffer wheel. Also no clear coat protective top coat for time being Will ceramic spray in due course . Key to work out for individual types of parts what mix they will tolerate and what duration and what intensity of clean (if you have full power / delicates choice). Once that’s nailed it’s a bit of kit that will pay it’s way for sure 👍
As long as your cassette fits in the container, any ultrasonic cleaner will do the job. I paid some £8 for a small used jewelry ultrasonic cleaner on eBay and had it for years. Hands down, best cleaning tool you can buy for your bike.
I bought a used set of Shimano 105 shifters off ebay a few months ago and the previous owner had loaded up one of the shifters with spray lithium lube probably in an effort to try solving some rough shifting issue. I borrowed an ultrasonic cleaner from a friend and popped the shifters into the cleaner with some WD-40 and after a short period of time, they came out squeaky clean and they shifted great after being cleaned. So yes, I too can endorse using ultrasonic cleaners with bike parts.
I love my ultrasonic cleaner. I use it with just water to remove any trace of degreaser fro my chain before a quick rinse in alcohol and then straight into a PTFR wax bath for 30 mins. Works great on screws, keys, jewelry and even glasses!
Interesting to hear about noisy waxed chain, guys from gcn also noticed this, but since I started waxing my chain last summer, my drivetrain is perfectly smooth and quiet. The key is absolutely clean and degreased chain before waxing.
Agreed, sometimes I add just a bit of glycerine for a softer quieter wax treatment. Most of the time I just use plain paraffin. I find that I need to keep the chain direction and orientation constant from treatment to treatment or I will get noise initially. I think taking care of keeping the chain in the same orientation extends the life of the chain as well. For me wax in the rain is not worth it, as does not seem to last very long in the wet.
Mine just arrived and I’ll install it after my nap! Matte finished and center cut out for more blood flow. OZ cycle also explains how to know how wide your saddle should be~ Very insightful
You can put the degreaser in a bag or container. It still works and keeps the internals clean. Not sure if you can use the heat function, but I’m not sure that’s really necessary.
*RE: Chain Wax* - I tried waxing my chain a couple years ago...hated the noise and gave it up. I just started waxing my chains again with the "newer" style formula with PTFE common in *_oz cycling_* videos. There is an improvement in chain noise, but I still can only get about 5 hours of riding before the noise becomes unbearable. This on four different bikes (road + MTB, mine and my g/f). I am thinking of trying adding molybdenum into my mixture and see if that makes it any quieter for longer periods. I know adding moly b will require a complete drivetrain cleaning every rewax, but if I can get more like 10-15 hours of usage on a single go, it'll be worth it in my opinion.
Yeah this was totally my issue with wax. I cannot stand a clunky drive train, really puts me off when I'm trying to get my head down and concentrate on the road. But that was a few years back, maybe if I try a new wax formula it will be better. As you say, maybe a bit of molybdenum will do the trick... Anyway thanks for the comment!!
One thing you did not cover is the washing of the ultrasonic cleaner after use. This is ofc not a big issue, but a way to get around this is to fill the ultrasonic cleaner bath with minimum required water, then put the parts that you want to wash in zip lock bags (or you can use plastic/glass containers) which you again fill with water and cleaning product(s). This also means you can get away with using less cleaning product(s) as you only need enough for a small ziplock bag compared the whole 6L container. Not sure if this is advisable to use the heat setting with ziplock bags though.
If you want a clean drivetrain use dry lube. Apply after ultrasonically cleaning your chain. It is essentially a very thick oil with solvent in it. Apply generously (most people make the mistake of applying too little and end up with a noisy chain), spin the pedals (slowly, otherwise it flies off) to make sure it penetrates well, and let it stand for about 5 minutes so the solvent can evaporate. Then - this is important - wipe the chain down as well as you can. Use a rag, or better still, an old towel. The chain should be as dry as possible on the outside, then it collects almost no dirt. The only drawback is that you need to apply it about twice as often as you do with a wet lube. If you are riding long-distance, a couple of hundreds of kilometres, you may have to take a small bottle along to top up along the way.
Trace please do a video on cycling glasses. Most of the Ali Express glasses are out of this world quality for very little cash. I enjoy an extensive collection.
Interesting comment from Luke that waxed chains were noisier in his experience. I hot paraffin wax my chains with PTFE powder added and have not noticed any extra noise so far. I appreciate how much cleaner everything is compared to oiled chains or chains with molybdenum disulfide or graphite lubricants. For me just a hose down between waxes is the only cleaning I need.
This might sound appalling but as a motorcycle courier in Melbourne Australia for 8 years we came to the conclusion in the end the best and cheapest and greenist form of chain oil was simply sump oil . Strain it , put it in a old style pump engineering squirt container and apply to rollers . Because it’s so thin it penetrates easily and couple of fast revolutions before riding flings off excess and you wipe chain with paper towelling and good to go . Free chain oil and free service on your car to collect it . Win win . Doesn’t attract fa grime as not sticky and chain stays clean for ages . Just need to apply regularly as thin . 500,000 km of R&D lol 😂
Chain wax is really good. Lasts ages and is “quicker” than normal lubricant. Weirdly, the noise you get from a waxed chain is a good thing because it means it’s not sticking together like it does with other lubricant. Now we are talking small amounts that in reality mean nothing to normal riders but the sticking that lubricants cause actually increases resistance in your drivetrain, meaning you have to produce more power to turn it. Wax doesn’t do this and is therefore actually smother to ride :) Oz cycles videos on the diy wax are very good and I’ve used it myself for a while now, just don’t follow what GCN did with diy wax because they haven’t got a clue!
I clean my vinyl with ultrasonic. Works great... with the chain id be concerned that the grease is off the chain rollers and not be able to get it back in from the outside.. I use finish line ceramic grease, with that Therese none or less of the dirt and mud sticks to the chain...
Dude it's like you have read my mind this is exactly what I do to my mountain bikes and I even used finish line lube. This method it makes your drivetrain as smooth as silk and super super quite. To anyone who waxes I mean your chain not your legs more noise=more friction it's called science look it up.
My waxed chains run totally silent. Even more silent than from any wet lube. In dry weather, I've had a waxed chain last me almost 1200km (your mileage may vary). Only the first waxing step needs cleaning but once you're done with that, there's really no need to clean the chain/drivetrain for re-waxing. I use silca hot melt wax. One bag of their wax lasts forever. Squirt wax based lube comes close but is not as "clean" and when you go through the hassle of cleaning your drivetrain to prep it for squirt, might as well go the extra mile and immersion wax your chain. Chain wear is also imperceptibly small with waxed chains.
interesting...i just have one of those cheap blue handheld chain cleaner things...and while id does give a decent clean(i think) the liquid just pours out everywhere and is a pain in the ass really...having to clamp it together around the chain, the slightest tip in any direction and the liquid just dumps out...very cool in theory and worth the 5$ i paid for it but have to lay a towel down before using it...i did recently switch to a dry lube though which has realllly helped keep it clean, especially compared to the wet lube...
Honestly, my ultrasonic cleaner has paid for itself like 10 times over. If you ride often, it makes cleaning chains and cassettes 1 million times easier, can recommend
If you go through all this trouble to clean your drive train then might as well do the extra mile and wax your chain instead of greasing it with some oil , that way your drive train will stay shiny and clean alway and you can just wipe of dirt. I use squirt lube because it's easy to apply but if you have an ultrasonic cleaner there might even be better solutions. Waxing was such a game changer for me, it does not attract dirt and the wax even prevents dirt from getting into the rollers in the first place
I would love to hear your opinion on waxed chain - I think you need to use additives like molybdenum disulfide and probably powdered teflon to make it quieter
In other video somebody made a 3d model of the chain to show what is wearing. According to him its mostly the surfaces between pins and inner links. Volume between pins, inner links and rollers collects the abrasive particles, shaved from pins and links, so the abrasive keeps eating those surfaces. I wonder how to get rid of those shavings from a waxed chain. Its probably hard to get the wax from this inside volume.
Oz Cycle, the other channel You linked to in Your video, has an updated recipe for chain wax which includes PTFE powdered lubricant (1.6 micron) in the mixture. Supposedly it quiets the noise.
Thx for your review. I´m much interested in ultrasonic cleaning for my bike parts specialy for the chain and chain rings. But what I´ve really learned is that to clean your chain you have to open the chain lock. This lock is adviced by the manufactures to be only used once. So for my KMC x11 chain this means 8€ per cleaning session. Buying a fully new KMC x11 chain incl. the chain lock will cost me 16€. So cleaning this way is very expensive and not a good solution so far. Degreasing the chain before first usage and putting chain wax onto it might be done perfectly by ultrsonic cleanig. Therefore I´m still thinking of buying such a device.
You can buy reusable links. YBN 11 Speed QRS links are reusable up to 5 times (they work fine with KMC chains). Adam Kerin (Zerofrictioncycling) says he can get 10 uses out of them. They are also very cheap.
hey trace: I just saw a video on youtube. Put your gears, chains whatever in plastic bags or plastic boxes with the dissolvant. Then just place just in the water tub again. All the frequencies will travel there. Making you not having to clean the Ultrasonic cleaner itself
The benefit of this that I see is that it is a much friendlier solution for those who don't have much space or freedom to spread the dirt and oils from washing the bike on the ground. From my experience most annoying and oily dirt comes off exactly from the drivechain, the rest of the bike just turns water grey and sandy. This looks like a good solution to clean the dirtiest parts in an enclosed and controlled environment rather than having it leak on the ground and annoy the neighbours. Can a conventional degreaser be used with this device? Say some muc off product?
Try SMOOVE (by far the best one i've used to date) or Squirt, two really good wax based lubricants. Price tag is high, but it CERTAINLY pays off on the long run, as chain keeps lubricated for loooooong kms without relubing, takes much more time to retain dirt/moisture, and drivetrain lasts muuuuchhh longeeeeerrr.
Thanks again for the great video. I saw that you are rocking the 6l version, would you say that you need such a large one or could the 3 liter be just as good?
@@TraceVelo That's a good point but maybe the sponsors will send you free things to change your mind and then you can make a video entitled "Why I Was Wrong About Cheap Chinese Carbon" but you secretly kept your Chinese Carbon bike behind that door like a dirty little secret and you only ride it under the cover of night wearing a mask and there's your superhero origin story.
I've been also thinking about getting an ultrasonic cleaner. What would you say are the key aspects that I should look for? By the way: I't would be interesting to see that chainwax test.
Yeah, i dont like to go into so much trouble. I do rekon that the ultrasonic cleaner is better for removing everything, but the ParkTool chain cleaner does almost the same with a lot less hassle. And if you are like me and keep your bike clean on a daily basis, a brush and some WD-40 is enough to clean the most part of your drive train.
I have started riding again after a long time. I got a new bike and as I was learning about how the cycling world had changed I discovered the chain waxing. I decided to give it a go. I was also told that there would be a bit more noise. I am not sure what noise people are referring too. I have enjoyed all your videos.
Hey man, thanks for the vid! Looking at getting one myself. Could you recommend the minimum power/volume requirements required for a good cleaner? Also do you need the heater function? Thanks! :)
FYI it is a common misunderstanding that the chain wear (stretch) is due to the rollers wearing. Actually it is the bush on the inner plates wearing on the pin. This wear accumulates over any given distance. The roller wear happens but does NOT accumulate. Over one foot or one metre roller wear is just the first and last roller being pushed apart.
I've just ordered one ! I live in a small appartment, without any means of cleaning my bike outside. So hosing it down takes place in my small shower-cabin (!). It bothers me A LOT about getting water in to my cables and inside my frame - and what if I one day get a Di2 ? - . How about a miniseries about "Small Appartment Bike Cleaning" ? Biking from work is a 30K ride, so I'm not happy with using an hour on top of that cleaning the bike every day, then take a shower myself and then feeding myself and my son. It's very late dinner !
Top tip, use paraffin oil and when it settles you can suck the muck out of the bottom with a turkey baster and use the paraffin again and again, also leaves your kit coated with a protective coating so it doesn't rust. edit: be careful with plastic and rubber, it can destroy it.
I also use one to clean vinyl records. You can also re-use your cleaning solution if you use a cheap fish tank filter/pump to remove the muck from it afterwards
I’ve had my eye on picking up one of these Ultrasonic Cleaners. Same overall design as yours. My main purpose in watching your video was to see what size you chose. I was thinking that the 3 Liter model would work for the simultaneous cleaning of a cassette and chain. Then I saw yours was a 6 Liter. Do you think I could get by with a 3 Liter? Also, on other videos I’ve seen people fill the ultrasonic cleaner with water, then put the chain and cassette into separate, sealable plastic bags along with a small amount of full strength degreaser. Then, after removing the remaining air from and sealing the plastic bags, dropping them into the water and proceeding with the process. The reasoning is that the parts get the benefit of the full strength degreaser and there is no direct cleanup involved of the ultrasonic cleaner. Curious if you have tried or considered this? Thanks!
Yeah def get a 6l one. I doubt the 3l will be big enough to fit a cassette into. Also regarding putting stuff into separate bags with degreaser, I've never tried this. Sounds like it might be worth a shot tho....
@@TraceVelo I have received my Ultrasonic Cleaner. Thank you for recommending the 6L version. Clearly the correct choice. Waiting on degreaser order to try it out. Will be interested in sharing notes with you regarding the optimal solvent solution for cassettes and chains.
I have great results with a supermarket jewelry cleaner on chains. I just use hot water and citrus degreaser. I've experienced coating damage when using too much degreaser, so be cautious!
Could the ultrasonic cleaner clean ceramic bearings and bearings? Could the balls inside the bearings be damaged? I wanted to maintain my in line skates
Really interesting! What are you/other people here using to relink the chain though? Somehow the linking pins for the shimano 10s chains that I'm using are a few euros each, which is a bit much imo for every time I clean my chain.
A better way to use less degreaser is to put water in the ultrasonic cleaner and then put your chain and cassette inside a zip close freezer bag containing some degreaser. It works just as well and does not contaminate the whole bath just take the bag out and empty out the dirty degreaser and fill with warm water and washing up liquid and shake before finally rinsing with clean warm water.. To get an absolute clean chain soak overnight in petrol then ultrasonic clean and finally rinse with methylated spirts chain clean and ready for waxing...
Luke you need to use a different chain lube, i had finish line green lube and i found the chain gets dirty and clogged so easily like yours so i ended up stop using it and the chain doesn't get so grubby as quickly like before perhaps you could find a lube and do a video on them in the future?
So I've tried a number of chain lubes in the past, and I've always come back to the green finish line. I've tried a few wax based ones aswell and haven't been super impressed. But always open to try some new stuff, few people have suggested squirt chain wax, what are you using these days?
Well another guy in the comments has suggested this stuff aswell... Wax based lubes have never really impressed me tbh, but maybe I should give it a go..
@@TraceVelo it's honestly the best thing that I discovered in Cycling the last years. Wet or dry, no dirt sticks to my chain. Only thing is that you need to apply it the first time to a 100% clean chain, after that it's a dream.
I used squirt for a while, but went back to “regular” lubes. Squirt was quiet, and the application was easy (along with the promise of “never needing to degrease”). Problem was, the waxy buildup was too much to deal with. It was impossible to get off the jocky wheels especially. Seemed to gunk-up all over. I really liked squirt at first, but i don’t think i’d go back.
@@TraceVelo If you hate waxing and like regular lubes, I would definitely recommend you checkout Boeshield T9. It's always been my go-to for twenty years when I want a more conventional lube that won't attract crazy dirt. Just make sure you let it setup overnight so it can dry to a nice film.
@@TraceVelo Definitely agree with this. ozcycle has a really good homemade chain wax video that he recently posted. I've been using it for about 3000 kms now. Its absolutely fantastic. I will not go back to regular lube
Now my 5l container of degreaser has instructions for medium dirt to water down between 50:1 and 100:1 so you have between 250l and 500l of degreaser and you went through that in 12 months. I guess the drains around you are very clean.
Finally a bike channel for those of us without access to the proceeds of a major bank robbery!
All able bodied people should rob at least one bank
For cleaning chains with an ultrasonic cleaner I find a very handy method is to put your cleaning solution (I use mineral spirits) in an empty jar, put the chain in the jar, then put the jar into the water bath in the ultrasonic cleaner. When you're done you just remove the jar and store it with the lid on for the next time. You've kept the water clean in the ultrasonic cleaner's water bath, so you can just dump it out and don't have the hassle of cleaning oily/greasy cleaning solution from the ultrasonic cleaner.
For parts that won't fit into a jar you'll just put them into the ultrasonic cleaner as shown in this video, but for parts like chains that will fit into a jar, this saves some time and hassle.
I use ziplock baggies - glass bottles lessen the US waves that hit the chain/part. Baggies dampen the waves as well, but not as much.
Oooô⁰ooppooo⁰
Use a coffee filter to filter the cleaning solution (I use cleaning benzine) afterward to get rid of the dirt before reuse. I give it a second run to completely clean it.
@@workingguy-OU812 Good to know, but I'm unsure about putting benzine into ziplock bags. Maybe a plastic jar will do the trick as well?
Because of you I am OBSESSED with CHINESE CHEAP CARBON FIBER!!!!!!!!!!!!
Holy shit, me fucking toooooooooooooooooooo!@
I'm on the train as well! Thanks for doing the research and R&D to make carbon tech available to enthusiasts like me who don't have 12k to drop on branded bike.
Do you guys have any "best of chinese carbon finds"? I myself love my handlebar, stem, seat and seapost. what else should i try?
@@callemacody I’ve got a seat post and saddle. Both look amazing and are lightweight. Not sure what to get next
My favorite cycling channel by far
Thanks ch3xmix!!!
Nah man this channel makes cycling too accessible... we need more channels that talk about cheap wheelsets costing "only" 1800£ 😂😂
Agreed, as always Luke has carved quite the interesting and informative niche for himself. Others try to be funny, he actually really is, in a very likeable way.
Top bloke, top content.
Protip: never cheap out with underfilling your ultrasonic cleaner, it will kill your cleaner's container. Instead fill it with plain water and throw your parts into a plastic bag with your cleaning agent. The sonic waves will mostly go through the bag anyway. You dont make a big mess and dont have to clean the container all the time. Keeping stuff sealed in plastic bags or jars will avoid any toxic fumes going around your living quarters. They also sell professional made bags that increase the effects of the ultrasonic cleaning by creating small bubbles on its inner surface.
Thanks Trace. I've got a ultrasonic cleaner and love using it. One thing I have found is when I offered to help clean a friends bike, their chain was so thick with crud that it barely shifted anything in the cleaner. When keeping on top of maintenance nothing beats it.
Had one for a couple of months. Love it. Good tip is that you can put stuff in jars inside the water and it'll still work - so e.g. a jam jar with some stronger detergent in it with a chain, at the same time as some other parts in the main tank.
You mentioned researching these ultrasonic cleaners and I was when I stumbled across this video....
I ride off-road on CX, gravel and MTB's virtually all of the time but have the token road bike in the collection (6 different bikes) and am now convinced I need one of these as. as your good self, live in a flat !!!
The amount of wear on the drivetrain is very noticeable when you off-road as the grit, mud and general rubbish really is there !!! In a flat, you have to clean by hand, which can be a laborious process but it's what you do....
By the way, using wax chain lube really does make a difference to the state of the grinding paste you mentioned and really worth a go....I was using wet and dry lubes for decades before starting to use this a year ago and, even in muddy winter conditions on MTB's, it doesn't cak up the jockey wheels on the rear mech....
I'll have to get a large capacity one as I have some rather big cassettes as I run 1x on 5 bikes.....Gotta get summat to fit a 12 speed SRAM Eagle 11-50 on my full suss trail bike !!!
After this video, I am convinced that I would save a lot of cash and the unit would pay for itself very swiftly
good that you know Oz cycle I ALWAYS lube the chain with PTFE wax.
And never have to clean it.
@@GADonMc yeah pretty much!
Just hot water, dip again in the ptfe wax and done!
"A freshly cleaned drivechain is a joy to ride." Agree 100%, the best reason of all. 👍👍👍
This video contains the best explanation I've heard so far of why and how not staying on top of cleaning your chain accelerates wear.
I was also once told to agitate the dirt on my drive-train. After 3 hours of uncomfortably staring and shouting at it it was still just as dirty. Go figure. :D
My top tip is experiment first with sacrificial (damaged / broken) parts, especially anodised parts. Hard lesson learnt today using ultrasonic cleaner for first time. Plain metal parts no problem. Clear coated chrome more tricky (even with diluted cleaner - identical liquid to Luke ) First mix ineffective not much cleaning. Second mix managed to remove outer clear coat and replace it with a black film coat. Not a total disaster but made lots of extra work having to scrub the black film coat off and re-polish all the parts on the buffer wheel. Also no clear coat protective top coat for time being Will ceramic spray in due course . Key to work out for individual types of parts what mix they will tolerate and what duration and what intensity of clean (if you have full power / delicates choice). Once that’s nailed it’s a bit of kit that will pay it’s way for sure 👍
Trace say 'drive the train' - 'drive the train'
Now say it without 'the' - 'drive train'
Now say 'drivetrain' - 'drivechain'
I always thought it was just a mispronunciation of drivetrain but he actually spelled it “drivechain” in the video. Is that a word?
No, its an ill met contraction.
Daaaaang.. just spent 4hs cleaning my whole drivetrain... And it is still dirty as F... Will buy one of this ASAP!! Thanks Luuuuuuke!!!
As long as your cassette fits in the container, any ultrasonic cleaner will do the job. I paid some £8 for a small used jewelry ultrasonic cleaner on eBay and had it for years. Hands down, best cleaning tool you can buy for your bike.
I bought a used set of Shimano 105 shifters off ebay a few months ago and the previous owner had loaded up one of the shifters with spray lithium lube probably in an effort to try solving some rough shifting issue. I borrowed an ultrasonic cleaner from a friend and popped the shifters into the cleaner with some WD-40 and after a short period of time, they came out squeaky clean and they shifted great after being cleaned. So yes, I too can endorse using ultrasonic cleaners with bike parts.
I love my ultrasonic cleaner. I use it with just water to remove any trace of degreaser fro my chain before a quick rinse in alcohol and then straight into a PTFR wax bath for 30 mins. Works great on screws, keys, jewelry and even glasses!
Dude!You are one of the beste UA-cam entertainer i have Seen. It is only fun to watch your Videos...
incredible result , i do it every month , as new
I actually have a smaller 1l cleaner like this, never thought I could clean drive train w/this! Can confirm the sound it makes is demonic!
How is it working for you? Is it one with 50W heating and 60W Ultrasonic power?
Thanks for the info man,
Interesting to hear about noisy waxed chain, guys from gcn also noticed this, but since I started waxing my chain last summer, my drivetrain is perfectly smooth and quiet. The key is absolutely clean and degreased chain before waxing.
Agreed, sometimes I add just a bit of glycerine for a softer quieter wax treatment. Most of the time I just use plain paraffin. I find that I need to keep the chain direction and orientation constant from treatment to treatment or I will get noise initially. I think taking care of keeping the chain in the same orientation extends the life of the chain as well.
For me wax in the rain is not worth it, as does not seem to last very long in the wet.
I just do a petrol bath for the chain and petrol with a toothbrush for the casette and front chainrigs and jockey wheels, works impeccably.
Hilarious presentation plus really interesting content. PS I've ordered a carbon saddle. thanks again
Thank you Jeremy!
Mine just arrived and I’ll install it after my nap! Matte finished and center cut out for more blood flow. OZ cycle also explains how to know how wide your saddle should be~ Very insightful
Thanks for the top tips!-) Glad 2 C U link another bike nut 🥜. You’re a gifted presenter and I like your info. Thanks!-)
You can put the degreaser in a bag or container. It still works and keeps the internals clean.
Not sure if you can use the heat function, but I’m not sure that’s really necessary.
*RE: Chain Wax* - I tried waxing my chain a couple years ago...hated the noise and gave it up. I just started waxing my chains again with the "newer" style formula with PTFE common in *_oz cycling_* videos. There is an improvement in chain noise, but I still can only get about 5 hours of riding before the noise becomes unbearable. This on four different bikes (road + MTB, mine and my g/f). I am thinking of trying adding molybdenum into my mixture and see if that makes it any quieter for longer periods. I know adding moly b will require a complete drivetrain cleaning every rewax, but if I can get more like 10-15 hours of usage on a single go, it'll be worth it in my opinion.
Yeah this was totally my issue with wax. I cannot stand a clunky drive train, really puts me off when I'm trying to get my head down and concentrate on the road. But that was a few years back, maybe if I try a new wax formula it will be better. As you say, maybe a bit of molybdenum will do the trick... Anyway thanks for the comment!!
One thing you did not cover is the washing of the ultrasonic cleaner after use. This is ofc not a big issue, but a way to get around this is to fill the ultrasonic cleaner bath with minimum required water, then put the parts that you want to wash in zip lock bags (or you can use plastic/glass containers) which you again fill with water and cleaning product(s). This also means you can get away with using less cleaning product(s) as you only need enough for a small ziplock bag compared the whole 6L container. Not sure if this is advisable to use the heat setting with ziplock bags though.
Mikkel Tysland worth testing the theory. Good tip 👍🏼
If you want a clean drivetrain use dry lube. Apply after ultrasonically cleaning your chain. It is essentially a very thick oil with solvent in it. Apply generously (most people make the mistake of applying too little and end up with a noisy chain), spin the pedals (slowly, otherwise it flies off) to make sure it penetrates well, and let it stand for about 5 minutes so the solvent can evaporate. Then - this is important - wipe the chain down as well as you can. Use a rag, or better still, an old towel. The chain should be as dry as possible on the outside, then it collects almost no dirt. The only drawback is that you need to apply it about twice as often as you do with a wet lube. If you are riding long-distance, a couple of hundreds of kilometres, you may have to take a small bottle along to top up along the way.
Or even better chain wax. Keeps your chain even cleaner and no need to do any re-cleaning other than wiping the flakes off.
Bro, you should make more videos. Great content, great delivery, and your charisma bleeds through the screen. 🤗
Great video! Had been thinking about getting an ultrasonic cleaner for same time now to clean my DriveTRAIN 😜
Maybe do a follow up vid with wear measurements to really show the haters? Great work!
Trace please do a video on cycling glasses. Most of the Ali Express glasses are out of this world quality for very little cash. I enjoy an extensive collection.
Because of oz, I've been waxing my chain and I can't hear any noise. Always clean.
Interesting comment from Luke that waxed chains were noisier in his experience. I hot paraffin wax my chains with PTFE powder added and have not noticed any extra noise so far. I appreciate how much cleaner everything is compared to oiled chains or chains with molybdenum disulfide or graphite lubricants. For me just a hose down between waxes is the only cleaning I need.
This might sound appalling but as a motorcycle courier in Melbourne Australia for 8 years we came to the conclusion in the end the best and cheapest and greenist form of chain oil was simply sump oil . Strain it , put it in a old style pump engineering squirt container and apply to rollers . Because it’s so thin it penetrates easily and couple of fast revolutions before riding flings off excess and you wipe chain with paper towelling and good to go . Free chain oil and free service on your car to collect it . Win win . Doesn’t attract fa grime as not sticky and chain stays clean for ages . Just need to apply regularly as thin . 500,000 km of R&D lol 😂
This is definitely a bit unorthodox, but I love it! Sump oil, amazing hack!
Chain wax is really good. Lasts ages and is “quicker” than normal lubricant. Weirdly, the noise you get from a waxed chain is a good thing because it means it’s not sticking together like it does with other lubricant. Now we are talking small amounts that in reality mean nothing to normal riders but the sticking that lubricants cause actually increases resistance in your drivetrain, meaning you have to produce more power to turn it. Wax doesn’t do this and is therefore actually smother to ride :) Oz cycles videos on the diy wax are very good and I’ve used it myself for a while now, just don’t follow what GCN did with diy wax because they haven’t got a clue!
I clean my vinyl with ultrasonic. Works great... with the chain id be concerned that the grease is off the chain rollers and not be able to get it back in from the outside.. I use finish line ceramic grease, with that Therese none or less of the dirt and mud sticks to the chain...
That black stuff on your chain also has cassette and chainring paste from the grinding action introduced by the addition of sand to the drivetrain.
Do not throw in anodized parts (eg casette with Black cogs) the anodized collor will fade/dissapear.
Other than that, its absolutely stunning
Dude it's like you have read my mind this is exactly what I do to my mountain bikes and I even used finish line lube. This method it makes your drivetrain as smooth as silk and super super quite. To anyone who waxes I mean your chain not your legs more noise=more friction it's called science look it up.
🥖🥖🥖🥖🥖🥖 Looked for a good UltraSonic video and this popped up. Thank you!
Sounds good to clean 🙂 still waiting for the crankset 🐻 go give us the crankset video. A indor bike wash tutorial would be lovely too
Well... Funny you should ask, because I've just finished the script this evening. Gonna 'crank' out the filming tomorrow...
@@TraceVelo can't wait to see the FTP data on that crank sesh.
This intro is amazing!!
My waxed chains run totally silent. Even more silent than from any wet lube. In dry weather, I've had a waxed chain last me almost 1200km (your mileage may vary). Only the first waxing step needs cleaning but once you're done with that, there's really no need to clean the chain/drivetrain for re-waxing. I use silca hot melt wax. One bag of their wax lasts forever.
Squirt wax based lube comes close but is not as "clean" and when you go through the hassle of cleaning your drivetrain to prep it for squirt, might as well go the extra mile and immersion wax your chain. Chain wear is also imperceptibly small with waxed chains.
Surprised your not a waxer…. Much cleaner and fun for the diy-er!
Good vlog Luke, I'll be looking at getting one of these👌👌🚲
Cheers Paul!
Your style reminds me a bit of how Rowan Atkinson might do bike related videos.
interesting...i just have one of those cheap blue handheld chain cleaner things...and while id does give a decent clean(i think) the liquid just pours out everywhere and is a pain in the ass really...having to clamp it together around the chain, the slightest tip in any direction and the liquid just dumps out...very cool in theory and worth the 5$ i paid for it but have to lay a towel down before using it...i did recently switch to a dry lube though which has realllly helped keep it clean, especially compared to the wet lube...
Honestly, my ultrasonic cleaner has paid for itself like 10 times over. If you ride often, it makes cleaning chains and cassettes 1 million times easier, can recommend
If you go through all this trouble to clean your drive train then might as well do the extra mile and wax your chain instead of greasing it with some oil , that way your drive train will stay shiny and clean alway and you can just wipe of dirt. I use squirt lube because it's easy to apply but if you have an ultrasonic cleaner there might even be better solutions.
Waxing was such a game changer for me, it does not attract dirt and the wax even prevents dirt from getting into the rollers in the first place
Thanks for the video.
Always nice made and with some funny jokes.
Thanks Philippe, really appreciate it 😀
I would love to hear your opinion on waxed chain - I think you need to use additives like molybdenum disulfide and probably powdered teflon to make it quieter
from 2 3 videos and couple laughs i subscribed ur amazing man keep making videos thats utube for suggesting the cheap saddle replacement vid 🍻❤️😍🚴
Good video, thanks for the info, very , very useful, please keep them coming!
In other video somebody made a 3d model of the chain to show what is wearing. According to him its mostly the surfaces between pins and inner links.
Volume between pins, inner links and rollers collects the abrasive particles, shaved from pins and links, so the abrasive keeps eating those surfaces.
I wonder how to get rid of those shavings from a waxed chain. Its probably hard to get the wax from this inside volume.
I am looking to buy one, but am not sure how big ultrasonic cleaner I need for bike parts. There are a bunch of options, like 6L, 10L, 15L...
What size did you get?
Please test a wax lube for the chain, i use it and it´s superb
Informative and funny too. Well done dude.
Oz Cycle, the other channel You linked to in Your video, has an updated recipe for chain wax which includes PTFE powdered lubricant (1.6 micron) in the mixture. Supposedly it quiets the noise.
Thx for your review. I´m much interested in ultrasonic cleaning for my bike parts specialy for the chain and chain rings. But what I´ve really learned is that to clean your chain you have to open the chain lock. This lock is adviced by the manufactures to be only used once. So for my KMC x11 chain this means 8€ per cleaning session. Buying a fully new KMC x11 chain incl. the chain lock will cost me 16€. So cleaning this way is very expensive and not a good solution so far. Degreasing the chain before first usage and putting chain wax onto it might be done perfectly by ultrsonic cleanig. Therefore I´m still thinking of buying such a device.
You can buy reusable links. YBN 11 Speed QRS links are reusable up to 5 times (they work fine with KMC chains). Adam Kerin (Zerofrictioncycling) says he can get 10 uses out of them. They are also very cheap.
I've replaced like 15 chains now (gravel) in 13 months and my cassette is just fine :p (winter chain replacement is more often)
hey trace: I just saw a video on youtube. Put your gears, chains whatever in plastic bags or plastic boxes with the dissolvant. Then just place just in the water tub again. All the frequencies will travel there. Making you not having to clean the Ultrasonic cleaner itself
The benefit of this that I see is that it is a much friendlier solution for those who don't have much space or freedom to spread the dirt and oils from washing the bike on the ground. From my experience most annoying and oily dirt comes off exactly from the drivechain, the rest of the bike just turns water grey and sandy. This looks like a good solution to clean the dirtiest parts in an enclosed and controlled environment rather than having it leak on the ground and annoy the neighbours.
Can a conventional degreaser be used with this device? Say some muc off product?
Try SMOOVE (by far the best one i've used to date) or Squirt, two really good wax based lubricants. Price tag is high, but it CERTAINLY pays off on the long run, as chain keeps lubricated for loooooong kms without relubing, takes much more time to retain dirt/moisture, and drivetrain lasts muuuuchhh longeeeeerrr.
Ok cool, I'll check it out, thanks for the tip Rômulo!
Thanks again for the great video. I saw that you are rocking the 6l version, would you say that you need such a large one or could the 3 liter be just as good?
You should join the GCN team, I think they are still looking for more announcers/hosts/tech people.
Working for GCN would be pretty freaking amazing. Not sure my obsession with cut price carbon would sit well with their sponsors tho 😋
@@TraceVelo That's a good point but maybe the sponsors will send you free things to change your mind and then you can make a video entitled "Why I Was Wrong About Cheap Chinese Carbon" but you secretly kept your Chinese Carbon bike behind that door like a dirty little secret and you only ride it under the cover of night wearing a mask and there's your superhero origin story.
I've been also thinking about getting an ultrasonic cleaner. What would you say are the key aspects that I should look for? By the way: I't would be interesting to see that chainwax test.
Yeah, i dont like to go into so much trouble. I do rekon that the ultrasonic cleaner is better for removing everything, but the ParkTool chain cleaner does almost the same with a lot less hassle. And if you are like me and keep your bike clean on a daily basis, a brush and some WD-40 is enough to clean the most part of your drive train.
I've started waxing my chain and now it doesn't pick up dirt anymore :)
I have started riding again after a long time. I got a new bike and as I was learning about how the cycling world had changed I discovered the chain waxing. I decided to give it a go. I was also told that there would be a bit more noise. I am not sure what noise people are referring too.
I have enjoyed all your videos.
deep clean my chains every 400-500km, and soak them in hot wax/paraffin mixture, never had an issue and keeps the drivetrain clean.
@Kleiner Helfer well 15min job, and I can do other things while soaking, cheap as well, bottle of paraffin and a few candles will last a long time.
Does a container of degreaser with components in on top of a speaker playing loudly work?
Hey man, thanks for the vid! Looking at getting one myself. Could you recommend the minimum power/volume requirements required for a good cleaner? Also do you need the heater function? Thanks! :)
try the "gunk" biodegradeable degreaser from halfords. Cheap and effective (and kind to the critters)
Use simple green for a degreaser, its environmentally friendly and super cheap.
FYI it is a common misunderstanding that the chain wear (stretch) is due to the rollers wearing. Actually it is the bush on the inner plates wearing on the pin. This wear accumulates over any given distance. The roller wear happens but does NOT accumulate. Over one foot or one metre roller wear is just the first and last roller being pushed apart.
would be interested in a video about how/how often you tune up your bike
Probably every week
The greyness actually mostly comes from the the steel in the rollers, which is why the chain wears out
Trace, I was crying when you gave yourself that heros medal hahaha, my dream is to meet you in Richmond park some day boyyy!
So how exactly to dispose of the solvent properly?
with fire
Here in the States it is common to have a local household hazardous waste facility where you can properly dispose of most scary household products.
I wonder if there are places you can take your drive train for commercial cleaning, like a ultrasound launderette?!
I've just ordered one !
I live in a small appartment, without any means of cleaning my bike outside.
So hosing it down takes place in my small shower-cabin (!).
It bothers me A LOT about getting water in to my cables and inside my frame - and what if I one day get a Di2 ? - .
How about a miniseries about "Small Appartment Bike Cleaning" ?
Biking from work is a 30K ride, so I'm not happy with using an hour on top of that cleaning the bike every day, then take a shower myself and then feeding myself and my son.
It's very late dinner !
What is the minimum size ultrasonic cleaner you would recommend?
Top tip, use paraffin oil and when it settles you can suck the muck out of the bottom with a turkey baster and use the paraffin again and again, also leaves your kit coated with a protective coating so it doesn't rust. edit: be careful with plastic and rubber, it can destroy it.
I also use one to clean vinyl records. You can also re-use your cleaning solution if you use a cheap fish tank filter/pump to remove the muck from it afterwards
@Trace Velo, is it worth having an ultra sonic cleaner for a waxed drive train?
A worthy alternative would be a steam cleaner (such as some Kärcher models with a hose and various adapters).
I’ve had my eye on picking up one of these Ultrasonic Cleaners. Same overall design as yours. My main purpose in watching your video was to see what size you chose. I was thinking that the 3 Liter model would work for the simultaneous cleaning of a cassette and chain. Then I saw yours was a 6 Liter. Do you think I could get by with a 3 Liter? Also, on other videos I’ve seen people fill the ultrasonic cleaner with water, then put the chain and cassette into separate, sealable plastic bags along with a small amount of full strength degreaser. Then, after removing the remaining air from and sealing the plastic bags, dropping them into the water and proceeding with the process. The reasoning is that the parts get the benefit of the full strength degreaser and there is no direct cleanup involved of the ultrasonic cleaner. Curious if you have tried or considered this? Thanks!
Yeah def get a 6l one. I doubt the 3l will be big enough to fit a cassette into. Also regarding putting stuff into separate bags with degreaser, I've never tried this. Sounds like it might be worth a shot tho....
@@TraceVelo I have received my Ultrasonic Cleaner. Thank you for recommending the 6L version. Clearly the correct choice. Waiting on degreaser order to try it out. Will be interested in sharing notes with you regarding the optimal solvent solution for cassettes and chains.
I have great results with a supermarket jewelry cleaner on chains. I just use hot water and citrus degreaser. I've experienced coating damage when using too much degreaser, so be cautious!
What ratio? I'm thinking Simple Green.
@@derekmoffett3939 I don't measure. About 1:10 maybe. It is some industrial stuff, but probably the same as any other in the stores.
@@Zolus84 Thanks!
Yeah citrus degreaser works like a charm 👌. You can usually pick up a 5 litre bottle for like £15 on ebay or amazon, and it lasts AGES!
Could the ultrasonic cleaner clean ceramic bearings and bearings? Could the balls inside the bearings be damaged? I wanted to maintain my in line skates
Really interesting! What are you/other people here using to relink the chain though? Somehow the linking pins for the shimano 10s chains that I'm using are a few euros each, which is a bit much imo for every time I clean my chain.
Bada Bing Boom, funny stuff!
A better way to use less degreaser is to put water in the ultrasonic cleaner and then put your chain and cassette inside a zip close freezer bag containing some degreaser. It works just as well and does not contaminate the whole bath just take the bag out and empty out the dirty degreaser and fill with warm water and washing up liquid and shake before finally rinsing with clean warm water.. To get an absolute clean chain soak overnight in petrol then ultrasonic clean and finally rinse with methylated spirts chain clean and ready for waxing...
How many times do you use a ultrasonic cleaner to clean your bicycle ? Like weekly or monthly or yearly or when?
Yes trace!! Now I want one
Luke you need to use a different chain lube, i had finish line green lube and i found the chain gets dirty and clogged so easily like yours so i ended up stop using it and the chain doesn't get so grubby as quickly like before perhaps you could find a lube and do a video on them in the future?
So I've tried a number of chain lubes in the past, and I've always come back to the green finish line. I've tried a few wax based ones aswell and haven't been super impressed. But always open to try some new stuff, few people have suggested squirt chain wax, what are you using these days?
Trace Velo erm.... wd40 🤭
Good video! I use chain wax (Squirt) all the time and honestly it's more quiet than regular lube. Would love to see a vid about it!
Well another guy in the comments has suggested this stuff aswell... Wax based lubes have never really impressed me tbh, but maybe I should give it a go..
@@TraceVelo it's honestly the best thing that I discovered in Cycling the last years. Wet or dry, no dirt sticks to my chain. Only thing is that you need to apply it the first time to a 100% clean chain, after that it's a dream.
I used squirt for a while, but went back to “regular” lubes. Squirt was quiet, and the application was easy (along with the promise of “never needing to degrease”). Problem was, the waxy buildup was too much to deal with. It was impossible to get off the jocky wheels especially. Seemed to gunk-up all over. I really liked squirt at first, but i don’t think i’d go back.
@@TraceVelo If you hate waxing and like regular lubes, I would definitely recommend you checkout Boeshield T9. It's always been my go-to for twenty years when I want a more conventional lube that won't attract crazy dirt. Just make sure you let it setup overnight so it can dry to a nice film.
@@TraceVelo Definitely agree with this. ozcycle has a really good homemade chain wax video that he recently posted. I've been using it for about 3000 kms now. Its absolutely fantastic. I will not go back to regular lube
What about the front cogs and both derailers? Why not ultrasonic clean those as well?
thanks for the tips
Now my 5l container of degreaser has instructions for medium dirt to water down between 50:1 and 100:1 so you have between 250l and 500l of degreaser and you went through that in 12 months. I guess the drains around you are very clean.