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?

3 comments

3 Comments

thea8572mo agoMost Upvoted

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.

piperb932mo ago

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

ross.kevin1mo ago

Thea857 makes a good point about the degreaser getting into the bearings, but I think the bigger issue people miss is what kind of degreaser they're using. Most of the spray cans at the hardware store are way too harsh. They can actually eat the grease seals on your bottom bracket and hubs over time, even if you're careful about overspray. A good citrus-based bike degreaser is much safer, but even then, you don't want to drench the chain. Spray it on a rag instead, then run the chain through the rag while spinning the cranks. That way you control exactly where the solvent goes. Otherwise, like @thea857 said, you're just asking for a dry, squeaky bottom bracket down the road.