Chain cleaning separates into two camps: the meticulous types who remove their chain every few weeks for a thorough solvent bath, and everyone else who sprays some degreaser on a rag and calls it good enough. The Park Tool CM-5.3 Cyclone splits the difference, letting you deep clean your chain without removing it from the bike. Fill the reservoir with your preferred degreaser, clamp it around the lower chain run, and backpedal. Three rotating brush heads scrub all four sides of each link while the chain passes through, and the dirty solvent collects in the reservoir instead of dripping onto your garage floor.

The CM-5.3 represents the third generation of Park Tool's Cyclone design, with a redesigned handle that makes it easier to hold the unit steady while you crank the pedals backward. The transparent reservoir holds enough solvent for a complete cleaning session and lets you see just how much grime you're pulling out of those rollers. A magnet embedded in the base captures metal particles, keeping that metallic sludge from recirculating through the brushes and back onto your chain.

The rotating brush system does the real work here. As the chain moves through the unit, it drives three sets of brushes that attack the inner and outer plates, the rollers, and the spaces between links. This mechanical scrubbing action gets into places a rag simply can't reach, pulling out the grinding paste that forms when road grit mixes with chain lube. The brushes are replaceable when they eventually wear down, so you're not buying a whole new unit every couple of years.... Read More