How To Clean And Lube A Bicycle Chain With A Chain Cleaner Effetto Mariposa's Mangiacatena

[@UWMailing]

In my experience these kinds of tools are better than nothing but nothing beats an actual solvent bath. I use a shallow plastic tub into which I pour low odor mineral spirits, a couple of inches deep. I remove the chain, cassette, and chainrings and throw them all in the mineral spirits bath. Agitate and clean with a stiff bristle brush, then remove from the bath and drain on paper towels. I hit everything with a heat gun to drive off the solvent, then re-install on the bike and lube. Really doesn't take long, very similar to the amount of time you've spent here, and it results in cleaner parts in my experience. I haven't used the product you're using here but I have used the Park version, and tested it by doing the solvent bath after cleaning with the Park cleaner. The solvent bath still removed a lot of muck, even after the chain had been through the Park tool. Ymmv of course.

[@JimLangley1]

Thanks very much for watching and sharing your chain cleaning routine and tips, AD, appreciate it!🙏

[@EK1H]

Flower Power is awesome it stays on in the wet. I found paraffin and Squirt are great in the dry but are gone very quickly if you go on a wet ride.

[@JimLangley1]

@@EK1H thanks a lot for watching and sharing how Flower Power is working so well for you in the rain. That’s great to hear, appreciate you letting me know 🙏

[@sylvainmichaud2262]

Personally, I do a third step with isopropyl alcohol. It _displaces_ the water and evaporates far quicker. Not to mention that it helps cleaning the tool. Another advantage is that if you don't lube your chain immediately e.g. let it sit overnight, you won't have any rust (visible or not) on the chain the next morning. As for the chain cleaner, I use a two step process where in the first step is the cleaner used in the previous cleaning step 2 that I let sit in a _Mason_ jar and then filter in an old coffee cone filter when pouring in the cleaning tool. Top it up with new cleaner as required. I then use new cleaner in the second step (that will be stored and use in the next step 1 later on). Great for the environment and the wallet.

[@JimLangley1]

Thanks for watching Sylvain and really appreciate you sharing your technique. Thanks a lot! Just to explain in case I didn't make it clear enough in the video, what I did in the video was the method Effetto Mariposa shows and describes in their documentation with the tool. Thanks again Sylvain!

[@sylvainmichaud2262]

​@@JimLangley1 I see. Thanks for the precision.

[@chuckb4375]

The design precision and build quality of Effetto Mariposa torque wrenches have really impressed me - what are your thoughts on the durability and design of this chain cleaner? I have a Park Tool CM5.3 - have you used one of those enough to be able to compare? Things I've noticed about the Park Tool is that it has a magnet to remove and hold metal filings, such that they don't washed back up inside the chain. It does indeed collect quite a bit, so I'm wondering if that makes a significant difference in friction and/or chain life. It also has a sponge at exit that helps keep cleaning solution inside the tool, instead of dribbling onto the floor. Thanks for another great review!

[@JimLangley1]

Thanks for watching and the great comment Chuck. I actually haven't used a Park cleaner in a long, long time and definitely don't have one anymore. So I can't compare. But the Mangiacatena impressed me with how few drips there were. The ends have plastic wipers that keep the solvent inside the tool. It also felt like they used a good quality plastic and the tool fit together nicely and sealed tightly. I didn't see any deformation or damage to the brushes or gears after using it this one time. It did a nice job but as I mentioned in the video, I can see how someone who never used one of these tools before might expect the chain to come out shiny and clean straight out of the tool - not expect to have to wipe the chain off with a rag to final clean it. It's not a big deal but some people prefer to remove chains and use serious equipment like ultrasonic cleaners (like Josh at Silca who has some great videos on chain cleaning). So I think this tool is quite effective and well made and easy to use - their solvent and lube too, but if you want to eat off your chain - that level of cleanliness, I think you'd take it to the next level, but that would add time and could add expense too if you go ultrasonic. Thanks Chuck!

[@chuckb4375]

@@JimLangley1, No I don't want to "eat off my chain". With mention in your video of Mangiacatena being Italian for "Chain eater", I'm detecting a pattern here ;-) I think I like that Park Tool idea of putting a strong magnet in the cleaner - hmmm I wonder if one would fit inside the Mangiacatena?

[@JimLangley1]

@@chuckb4375 ​ glad you got my joke Chuck. Yes you could put a magnet in the Mangiacatena, something like a tiny adhesive one would work I think - I've seen really strong magnets like that. I don't know how long they'd stick with the solvent sloshing around though. Maybe a magnet could be glued to the bottom but outside the case to keep it out of the solvent, seems that might work too.

[@runawaytrain9794]

Hmm, Interesting, but doesn't the Zero Friction Chart take into account that the chain must be cleaned AND fully waxed first? Because I hear most people say that before you use ANY wax based lube, you must clean and wax the entire chain first by taking the chain off the bike, use a crockpot or whatnot to wax the chain, etc... let it dry, then use the wax based lubes LATER as needed, for maintenance. I guess this method is also acceptable with ANY wax based lube as well, and not just with Effecto Mariposa. I like YOUR method BTW, but again, I suspect ZF's results were from having the chain fully cleaned and waxed first. IDK for sure. Thank you.

[@JimLangley1]

Thanks for watching and the question runaway. Zero Friction tests lubricants so they probably use the same steps for every chain otherwise it wouldn’t be a “fair” test. I think they explain their testing process on their website. In the video I’m showing how Effetto Mariposa instructs to use their chain cleaner tool to prepare a chain that’s on a bike for lubing with their Flower Power wax lube. That’s the most common scenario - waxing a chain on the bike with drip wax lube. But for the most effective wax job, you start with a clean chain off the bike - like a new chain - and hot wax it. Silca just came out with a special product that turns factory chain lube into a wax like lube compatible with their wax. So with that you can wax a new chain without cleaning it. I’ll be testing the system when it arrives. Thanks!

[@runawaytrain9794]

@@JimLangley1 Thanks for clarifying, Jim. It makes sense. I'll look forward to that particular test Silica soon. For now, I think I'll keep it as simple as possible to maintain my chain and do exactly what you did here with 'Flower Power'. Cheers!

[@JimLangley1]

@@runawaytrain9794 that's a good idea to keep it simple. We've been waxing chains different ways for a long time now and not everyone agrees on the best way to do it. For the ultimate in efficient pedaling, sure it makes sense to go for perfect cleaning and hot wax application. But most riders don't need perfection and might not even know the difference riding the bike. The drip lubes keep chains clean, are still very efficient and are super easy to use. One that's affordable and lasts a long time is Squirt that you can get on Amazon for about $15 so it's reasonably priced too.

[@凸Bebo凸]

You can put the new chain on the bike, ride it a few hundred miles until the factory grease wears out, clean and apply wax drip lube, it will work fine. Don't overthink it, everything doesn't have to be perfect and clean.

[@kai715]

Is that a GRX 48/31 up front paired with a 11/42T cassette?

[@JimLangley1]

Thanks for watching and the question. Yes it’s 11-42 but it’s a 30/46 GRX crank. Hope this is helpful.

[@kai715]

@@JimLangley1 Thanks for the response! Planning to install 11/42T cassette to pair with my GRX 815 with 48/31 crankset. As I understand, a Wolftooth roadlink DM would be required to clear the 42T in the rear, so I am intrigued on how your rear derailleur was able to clear the big cog. Much appreciated.

[@JimLangley1]

@@kai715 ​​⁠ all I needed to do is turn in the B tension screw to get clearance Kai. I went from a 48/32 crank to the 46/30 so chain length wasn’t an issue. The only issue for mine is avoiding shifting into the 46-42. That’s too tight for my chain. But I would never make that mistake. The Wolf Tooth adapter gives even more clearance but I’m not sure if it’ll allow shifting to the 48-42. Some riders want to have that option just in case they end up making that shift. So you might want to see if Wolf Tooth tells what max big/big combination works. Hope this helps.

[@kai715]

@@JimLangley1 I'll try the B-Screw method first to see if it works; I also got the Wolftooth ready just in case it doesn't work. Hopefully the shifting won't get too wonky. Thanks for taking the time to reply!

[@JimLangley1]

@@kai715 good luck, mine shifts fine and I’ve pushed it pretty hard on some rides - haven’t had any trouble. I think yours will too.

[@josephcasalino314]

Great tool (much better than Parks's) and great customer service. Mine was damaged in shipping, a replacement was sent. No cost.

[@JimLangley1]

Thanks a lot for watching and sharing your experience with Effetto Mariposa and their chain cleaner, appreciate it Joseph. 🙏

[@cup_and_cone]

0:59 - Pine oil... Turpentine?

[@JimLangley1]

Thanks for watching and the question cup_and-cone, appreciate it. No, turpentine and pine oil are two different things even though they both come from pine tree, turpentine from the resin of the tree, pine oil from the pine needles - according to a quick google search. Thanks for asking!

[@cup_and_cone]

@@JimLangley1 Thanks for clarifying. I had no idea 'pine oil' is also made from distillation into alcohols like turpentine, and considered a different chemical.

[@JimLangley1]

@@cup_and_cone you're welcome. I should have mentioned that this Allpine Extra degreaser worked very well and didn't have any noticeable smell to me. That's the complete opposite of turpentine.

[@markokitzing4291]

I use a second tool dedicated just for the part with the water. I also remove the wheel and replace it with a chain keeper for the whole process. I feel like just cleaning the chain is of less value then cleaning chain, cassette and pulley wheels at the same time.

[@JimLangley1]

Thanks so much for sharing your tips Marko, appreciate you watching and telling how you keep your drivetrain clean 🙏nice tips!

[@elleffeff]

How do you like the lube after a few months? Thanks for the video!

[@JimLangley1]

Thanks for watching and asking about the lube elleffeff! I like it just fine. It keeps the chain lubed and clean. I get around 250 miles before relubing, which seems avg for these wax lubes. I wish I could say that it added a bunch of watts to my riding 🤣but it feels like other wax lubes to me. Maybe if I was fitter and faster I could feel something. Thanks again.

[@StanEby1]

Great job.

[@JimLangley1]

Thanks for watching and commenting Stan, appreciate it.