360º Chain Brush Tested

Ask my coworkers or any of my racing buddies about my chain-husbandry habits and they’ll say they’re borderline obsessive. I’m the guy who wipes down and lubes his links between races, and I’ve hollered over at riders in traffic to let them know that their drivetrains need love. In a nutshell, I’m nuts about chain maintenance.

And I have a kindred spirit in Basile Andrews, owner of Tirox and the creator of the 360° chain brush. "I saw a lot of dirty chains out there," Andrews says, "and I knew what products were already available for cleaning chains, and I knew I could do better." And he has. I've tried nearly every cleaning product and method out there, and aside from a submersion in gasoline (not recommended for O-ring chains), nothing does a more thorough job than the Tirox 360° brush.

As the brush’s name suggests, it hits the chain from all angles, so it reaches between the side plates, in among the rollers, and all around the O-rings. It’s basically just a row of stiff nylon bristles, crimped in a steel spine and twisted into a spiral that encircles your chain two and a half times. The brush’s flexible nature means the same tool works on 400-, 500-, and 600-series chains.

Using the 360° bush is easier than any other brush contraption out there, with no assembly or special positioning required. Just douse your chain in kerosene or degreaser, spin the brush on like a corkscrew, run it along the links, and rinse with a hose. I like to wipe the chain down with a clean rag and then take the bike for a quick ride to dry off all the water, and then it’s ready to receive your chain lube of choice. Andrews has also developed his own chain cleaner and lube (he says he was dissatisfied with other products), and his cleaner comes with a 360° brush stored in the cap.

Why does a clean chain matter? Well, it looks better, for one, but it also yields less friction, better fuel mileage, quieter operation, and longer life. And for clean-chain evangelists like Andrews and me, there’s even more to it than that. “It’s like getting that overdue haircut or cleaning your garage. It just feels good, like you have corrected a wrong.” I couldn’t have said it better myself.