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Tech review - March 13, 2004
Park Tool CM-5 Cyclone Chain Scrubber
A car wash for your chain
By Anthony Tan
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Put your hands up if you think you can properly clean a chain without having to take it off. Now raise your hands up if you believe the only way is to take the chain right off, dunk it in kerosene, put it on top of a washing machine during its spin cycle, rinse with soap and water and then blow-dry.
If you're around hardened bike shop mechanics, the answer would most certainly be the latter. Their argument - and a valid one - is that by spraying degreaser on the chain and scrubbing built-up gunk with a brush while turning the pedals, you are committing two serious no-nos. Offence #1: With the chain still on, degreaser will run into other parts of the bike, such as the rear hub, derailleurs, bottom bracket and pedal axles - all places where degreaser shouldn't really go. Offence #2: Scrubbing without proper soaking will rid the chain of superficial muck, but will only embed the non-visible grit deeper into the chain, contributing to faster chain wear.
However, the latter method also takes time and effort. With a number of newer model chains requiring new pins each time you break them, and for those without a chain-breaker having to make two trips to the bike shop to take their chain off and put it back on again, surely there must be an easier solution?
Is that a gun in your pocket, or Park Tool's Cyclone Chain Scrubber?
Enter Park Tool's CM-5 Cyclone Chain Scrubber. A simple but sturdy gadget, the main unit consists of two brushes (one for the underneath of the chain and one for the sides), a piece of foam padding to wipe away any excess gunk and help the chain move along, and a removable plastic handle. The lid also houses a brush, and when clipped onto the main unit, the top part of the chain also gets a good scrubbing. Also, to prolong product life, all three brushes are replaceable.
Once you've shifted the bike to the smallest cog in the rear and the middle chain ring in the front, it's a simply matter of filling the main unit with your favourite degreasing agent to the "Fill" line, placing the unit under the lower section of the chain and pushing the chain down on the rollers, making sure the chain is fully engaged on the sprocket in the large roller, and placing top cover into place by closing each end-clip.
The fun part
Now's the fun part: as you hold the unit with your left hand, you back-pedal with your right hand, making sure you keep the unit aligned with the chain (otherwise you'll derail the chain) and count to roughly 30 pedal revolutions. (Trust me - the first time you use the chain scrubber, you'll find the concept of splatter-free chain cleaning so fascinating, you're likely do double this amount! Also, some fluid does come out while you're putting the chain through the wash cycle, so don't do this over your mum's favourite flower patch...)
Once that's over, it's time for a rinse-off with some soap and water. With the unit emptied and washed out, fill the chain scrubber with some water and washing detergent - again to the "Fill" line - and repeat the back-pedalling to flush the chain. Use an old cotton rag to wipe the chain dry and presto! Result: one very clean and shiny chain!
This all seemed just a little too easy, but as you can see, my chain came out looking brand-spanking new. However, as Tech Editor John Stevenson informed me, the chain scrubber's true test still lay ahead...
The real test: a run through the spin cycle
To determine how effective this widget really was, John told me to take the chain off, dunk it into a container filled with kero and place it on top of the washing machine; if plenty of grit still came out after a serious spin cycle, the chain scrubber hadn't done its job.
Well, after 40 minutes and a load of washing complete, it appeared the Cyclone Chain Scrubber had defied the sceptics. Just to be sure though, I thought I'd wait till the following morning to let the residue settle, and despite a little more grit than expected, it wasn't enough to say the chain scrubber didn't work. And while hard to prove, it's unlikely this method contributes to chain wear, so it's still a far better solution than scrubbing your chain with bits of gunk flying everywhere and degreaser going in all the wrong places - but it still can't match doin' it the old-fashioned way.
Recommended retail price: US$24.99
Pro: Easy to use and clean, minimal mess
Con: Not quite as effective as taking the chain off, giving it a good
soak in kerosene and a run through the spin cycle on the washing machine
More information: Park
Tool Company
Cyclingnews Rating: 
