I’ve recently picked up the Park Tools CG-2 Chain Gang Chain Cleaner Set from Wiggle after it was heavily discounted. I’d always been a little dubious about how good this tool could be and have previously opted for a manual cleaning process which involved removing the chain and scrubbing with a brush and degreaser.
The tool itself was easy to attach to the chain, simply remove the top, then replace it with the chain between the top and bottom pieces. To perform the cleaning, just hold onto the handle and then move the pedals in a backwards rotation. It can be a bit of a mucky operation as some of the cleaning detergent will slosh about in the cleaner, occasionally spilling out onto the ground – so make sure you put something underneath the bike before you begin.
As you can see from the photo, the degreaser ended up completely black from dirt, despite the chain appearing relatively clean to start with. What you can’t easily see from the photo is the vast amount of metal that gets sucked to the bottom of the unit by the integrated magnet. Metal that would otherwise be rubbing and wearing away at the chainset components.
After this shot was taken I rinsed out the chain cleaner and started the process over again, removing even more dirt, oil, grit and metal. I was thoroughly impressed with the cleaning ability of the Cyclone, it was quick and easy, and resulted in a chain which looked cleaner than when I first bought the bike! I’ve not tried any other chain cleaners, but compared to scrubbing the chain manually, this beats it hands down, every time.
MarkIngramUK 