Saw a mechanic at a charity ride use a pedal tap for chain cleaning.

I was at a group ride in Austin last Saturday and one of the shop guys was cleaning his chain with a pedal tap tool, just spinning the cranks and spraying degreaser on the cassette. He said it saves him 10 minutes per bike compared to taking the wheel off and using a chain scrubber. Anyone else tried this method, or is it just asking for messed up derailleur alignment?

2 comments

2 Comments

thea85720d ago

Pretty sure you mean a pedal wrench or a crank puller, not a "pedal tap." A pedal tap is something you use to fix stripped threads on pedals, not for cleaning chains. That said, spinning the cranks with a chain scrubber or a rag is pretty standard for quick cleaning. It won't mess up your derailleur alignment as long as you're not blasting high pressure water directly into the jockey wheels or pivot points. The real risk is getting degreaser in the hub bearings or bottom bracket if you spray too much. If the guy is just spraying light degreaser onto the chain while spinning, then wiping it off, that's totally fine. Taking the wheel off every time is overkill for a maintenance clean between rides.

piperb9320d ago

Oh great, another reason for me to spray degreaser all over my bottom bracket and pretend it's fine...