You know what really can slow you down when riding a bike, even with your fullest potential? A bike chain with rust on it! If you don’t find a way and learn how to get rid of rust on a bike chain, chances are soon it would make the vehicle unusable almost. But before that happens, let’s get things out of the way. Let me tell you the whole process of how you should be cleaning those rust off. Enjoy!
What We Will Cover
How to Get Rid of Rust on a Bike Chain with Vinegar & Coca Cola.
If you don’t have any idea of how to clean bike chain with these two substances, then you’re missing out on a great formula basically. Vinegar has a lot of potentials when it comes to working on metal for removing rust. And if you don’t have that, buy a bottle of Coca-Cola, this one also helps. They’re really strong acetic properly makes the rust go away. Here’s what you need to do:
- Wear a good pair of plastic gloves to start things. You want to bring a spray bottle. Add whatever you chose out from vinegar and Coca-Cola. Also, you don’t have to be specific with the total quantity used. It’s simple enough to determine how much exactly you’ll need depending on the amount of rust you’re dealing with.
- Use the spray bottle for generously spraying on your bike chain. Then you need a toothbrush for scrubbing that area. You can use any tool that basically gives the scrubbing effect.
- Next, you want to get some tinfoil. And then wrap the tool with it. Once again scrub the chain. This really helps if the accumulated rust is too much. With passing time, you’ll notice the rust coming off.
- Suppose this does not prove to be enough in fighting the rust. In that case, you can add another fabulous ingredient in this process. And it’s the baking soda. Just a tiny bit of it would be enough to add inside the spray bottle. Give the whole thing a good shake. And now you can spray this mixture on the chain to scrub just like before.
- If you don’t really like the idea of scrubbing, get a container and fill it with vinegar or Coca-Cola solution. Now dip the chain in it and let things sit for a while. Perhaps 10 minutes. And then you want to take it out, rinse in clean water to finally wipe with a dry cloth.
- Don’t think about keeping it soaked for too long. There’s a chance that the solution will cause the metal to corrode or eat it away. Also, make sure to wash thoroughly. This method even helps if you are wondering how to remove rust from tow chains.
Putting Effort in Lubrication is Important.
As soon as you get rid of the rust, it’s time to also include a proper lubrication step. You can find chain lube for gravel bikes,mountain bikes, road bikes, and basically whatever type you own. Just make sure the choice of your lube is right and you pick something good in quality.
However, if you are not quite ready in investing in a store-bought version, keep in mind the DIY version won’t be very effective in giving benefits that you should usually want from this entire step.
There are many ingredients available at your home that can help with the lubrication process. But that won’t ever be close to a specifically made variant.
Some people go for motor oil or even Vaseline for lubrication. That’s an awful idea! Vaseline won’t ever be enough in providing the protective layer to avoid rust issue. And motor oil is stuff that comes with finite particles as well as chemicals. This can be a great way to damage the chain over time basically.
For application, you simply pour the lube on your chain directly. And then try turning those tires so that things spread nice and even. A clean cloth will help you get rid of anything excess and you’re done!
Make sure you keep this step included after each session of bike chain cleaning. This will keep the need for next cleaning session a bit farther away than usual.
Should You Just Buy a New Chain Instead of Rust Removal – Only When It’s Absolutely Necessary!
Both sides have stories to tell, so it’s actually something that varies from person to person. Yap, if the bike chain’s condition is so bad because of rust that it just can’t work, and you’ve tried to make things work but couldn’t, this argument is not valid for you. Go ahead and just buy a new bike chain.
But let say, you kept the bike store inside a confined space, maybe your garage, for quite a long time. And only when you felt like missing the bike rides, you wanted to check the condition of that bike sitting inside garage. Just to discover many parts including the bike chain are severely rusted.
Now should you give up on it and simply buy a new one? Well, that rusting only happened because of no cleaning and oiling done to it for a quite long time. And if a simple clean-up plus lubrication saves it, you should give things a try before spending the money.
Only when you’ve basically used the bike so much that chain is just worn out with rust and many other issues, then it seems like a desperate call for replacement with buying a new one. Otherwise, opting for a clean-up and lubrication first seems the wiser choice.
By the way, a new bike chain won’t cost you a fortune also. It should be somewhere between 20 to 50 dollars. The high-end bikes however require a bit costly bike chain. Around 100 dollars perhaps. And to get the thing replaced (if you don’t know how to) another 10 to 15 dollars would be added for hiring a professional. So, decide it for yourself, I guess.
Wrap Up
That’s all for today folks! Now you know good few things about how to get rid of rust on a bike chain and keep things smooth as much as possible. If you are a person who values maintenance then a few chores will be your regular thing.
For example, cleaning the chain, giving your other bike parts attention such as using that air compressor for bike tires, keeping seat upgraded when necessary, dusting the handlebars, and so on. Remember these are the steps you take for keeping your bike going for as long as possible. And those who absolutely don’t want to spend another good amount getting a bike, would for sure prioritize such maintenance and keep up with them really often. So be smart and know which side to pick between those who just stay clueless about these maintenance needs and the ones who take their time to give attention to their beloved riding companion.