2 Likes. If you use a light lube then you'll likely need to apply more often. Warm the bike up then lube everything. Clean the chain just before washing the bike. Now your chain cleaning process is complete. Providing excellent rust protection and making bicycle maintenance all the easier, Finish Line has produced a fantastically effective, bike chain lubricant for occasional users and bikes that have been placed in storage for a long time. Avoid basic WD40, gun oil, or anything that might have unintended side effects on your bike. If you are a regular bike commuter you should lube your bike chain at least every month or every 150-200 miles (240-320 kms). Not it you use a dry lube (like PURE Dry), let it dry out after application, and carefully wipe the chain so there's no lube on the outside. Every 400-500 miles I remove the chain and soak it for a while in diluted citrus solvent, then lovingly re-lubricate the chain and put it back on the bike. Wax-type also require MUCH less cleaning, but on longer rides or lots of stream crossings I've had my chain go dry (I use either white lightening, Pedros Ice wax or finish line- … I found this only lasted a few days, 3 max. How often should you apply bike chain lube? JMO, but I think the Scott oiler is a bit of overkill. 22K+ miles on the original chain and sprockets and they still look basically new. This lube lasted around 150 miles each application and after the first application I didn't even need to use … Simon is here for a special maintenance episode of Ask GCN. Remember all the others on the road are crazy & out to kill you. Clean chain rings on both cranks and hub. Of all the parts that make up a bicycle, the drive chain is among those that receive the most wear. But then i'm averaging 150 miles a week. If you ride often, once a week is likely enough. /*# sourceMappingURL=https://www.redditstatic.com/desktop2x/chunkCSS/ReredditLink.f7b66a91705891e84a09.css.map*/Depends. And even if you don’t ride that often, performing a monthly chain cleaning is highly recommended. This keeps everything happy and running smoothly, plus I have a nice silver chain the whole week. There are almost too many technologies in bike lubes to talk about! Dumonde tech lite. In addition to cleaning the bicycle chain, regular lubrication and oiling is also required. During winter when it's wetter I wipe it down after every ride and re apply when it gets squeaky. I clean the chain and rear sprocket with a biodegradeable degreaser and water whenever I wash the bike. IN RACkS (and many others) defense your "use of words" didn't make us think having a bike was in the past only the type of lube used was in the past PLUS you said "plus 2 of the new ones" which to me sounds like you still have a M/C... .. I ride the bike about 6 days / 150km per week. For the unsealed plain bike chain, you only need to use the lube and clean the excess. When the bike is still quite new, you may not know what the well lubricated chain feels like compared to a dryer chain. I don't know when the last time my chain was tightened, but since ive bought it I have put on 1700 miles, havent tightened it, and from what I can measure the play is about 1" - 1 1/4" So how often do you? Dry Lube was first developed for mountain bikers where a chain can pick up dirt, but is widely used for all kinds of bike chains these days. When lubricating your bike, really all you have to look for is the moving parts, where metal pieces move against one another. Chain comes out looking like new. It’s time to ride. … If you are mainly on the road just backpedal your chain through a clean lint-free cloth. Douse the crap out of your chain and spend a minute or two wiping it clean, all the grime comes off like it was degreased. Once a week, or any time its anytime its in the rain. Bontrager Degreaser Shop now Bontrager Lube Shop now Park Tool Gloves Shop … I try to do it once a week when I'm riding regularly. 2 … And lube your chain less often. G650 November 1, 2018, 2:52pm #4. However, sealed chains come with an integrated O-rings system that automatically lubes the interior of the chain. It all depends on the lube you use Use a dry or wax type lube, and you should probably be lubing it every single ride. Of all the parts that make up a bicycle, the drive chain is among those that receive the most wear. Clean it by running the chain backwards through a cloth - I first put light pressure on the chain sides with a cloth and run it backwards about a dozen times, then move the cloth and put light pressure on the rollers (top and bottom), run the chain backwards a dozen times. Naturally, some of the lube on the chain rubs off on these wheels but it is necessary to do some extra lubing. In summer when it's dry here I can go about a week between lube jobs (125 miles average). This is a crucial part of the bike, and if it seizes, the bike cannot move. Also, can anyone reccomend a good degreaser, becuase last week I spent and hour using a chain brush and water with dish detergent trying to get it clean, got fairly clean but i know it can be less cruddy. It's silent up until 200km - I don't think PTFE lube lasts long. I wash it with a hose and keep the pressure down. It takes 5-10 seconds, not tacky and very easy to wipe clean unless you let it sit for a couple of days. This translates into a need to clean and lubricate the chain more often. bicycles If your lube leads to poorer efficiency and increased drivetrain wear, having to replace worn parts of your bike more often will undoubtedly cost a lot more in the long run than an efficient lube. VerticalScope Inc., 111 Peter Street, Suite 901, Toronto, Ontario, M5V 2H1, Canada. The rule of thumb that I follow is this: If I am riding in a lot of water, dust, or mud, I will lubricate my chain after each ride. How To Lube Jockey Wheel: For better result, you might need to take off the chain. RevZilla photo. Same as my lubrication schedule for everything else: if it's starting to hurt, lube. However, the best way to go about lubing a chain is to do i… We've found Finish Line Dry Lube to be a reliable, hard-wearing and efficient chain lubricant - small 120ml bottles are available from most local bike stores. Choose your lube. (I recommend a Park tool to monitor chain wear which will vary with riding conditions.) Works great for me. Getting lube on the outside of the chain … After a while, you get a feeling about how your chain and sprockets wear. If you do it regularly(the regularity depends on your style of and location of riding) you will prolong the lifespan of the parts of your bike, and the bike as a whole. How Often Should You Clean and Lube Your Bike Chain? I wash it with a hose and keep the pressure down. For the motorcycle chain lube to adhere to the chain, it needs to be applied to a dry surface. After 5000km on one bike the chain measures around about 0.26 wear. Apply lube at least 10-12 hours before your next ride to give it time to set. Some cheap lube options are: Hot paraffin wax dip - get a used crockpot, melt a pound of paraffin wax in, drop your clean chain in, let it sit for 15-20 minutes, pull out with a coat hanger, let dry, install on bike. This is that part of the bicycle that the chain is attached to. Never really looked upon milage as to when I should or should not check the chain. After the rest of the bike is dried off, I go out of my way to ensure that the chain is thoroughly dry. Then clean the chain again as per above. Don’t forget to clean up the workstation and the entire … ._2JU2WQDzn5pAlpxqChbxr7{height:16px;margin-right:8px;width:16px}._3E45je-29yDjfFqFcLCXyH{margin-top:16px}._13YtS_rCnVZG1ns2xaCalg{font-family:Noto Sans,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;font-weight:400;line-height:18px;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex}._1m5fPZN4q3vKVg9SgU43u2{margin-top:12px}._17A-IdW3j1_fI_pN-8tMV-{display:inline-block;margin-bottom:8px;margin-right:5px}._5MIPBF8A9vXwwXFumpGqY{border-radius:20px;font-size:12px;font-weight:500;letter-spacing:0;line-height:16px;padding:3px 10px;text-transform:none}._5MIPBF8A9vXwwXFumpGqY:focus{outline:unset} A forum community dedicated to all sportbike owners and enthusiasts. An easy way to determine how often to lube your chain is to do weekly visual check. I bought wet lube in a hurry (Giant's liquid silk; smells like tasty cinnamon) from the LBS in a city where it rarely rains and after applying it and not even riding more than 20 miles with it the chain would start to squeak a lot. Bike chain lube technologies. Of all the parts that make up a bicycle, the drive chain is among those that receive the most wear. If you ride regularly then you should decrease and lube your bike’s chain at least once every month to maintain optimal performance. On the bottle it reads "....re-apply only when you begin to hear your chain; sound not appearance or time, is the best indicator of when the chain needs a reapplication of lube. This means it was made thin enough to drip on and penetrate the rollers and pins, yet thick enough to set up and remain, all while preventing rust and resisting dirt, water, and mud (depending on lube type) as much as possible. I even get out the soap and water and scrub it. I usually clean and lube it when it gets noisy which tends to be every other week or every 10 hours. When the weather breaks, i'll probably wipe it down every week or two. Some lubes are made with their primary focus on keeping the … Otherwise, I will just apply lubricant every 50 miles or after everytime I clean my bike and chain. That's what I do anyway, I like a clean and smooth drivetrain. bike After every long or hard ride . Then I repeat! Clean it if it's dirty. Here is where we help you out by answering some of the most popular questions that get asked when it comes to chain maintenance and lube. The sprockets still look great and the chain hasn't stretched or gotten any stiff links. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. This is why I prefer a wet lube, although it makes cleaning the chain more annoying. ._3gbb_EMFXxTYrxDZ2kusIp{margin-bottom:24px;text-transform:uppercase;width:100%}._3gbb_EMFXxTYrxDZ2kusIp:last-child{margin-bottom:10px} cycling, Press J to jump to the feed. Finish Line makes some of the best bike chain lube types out there, so it’s no surprise that the 1-Step Bike Chain Cleaner and Lubricant came at the top of our list. However, you can determine if it needs lube with a simple "twist test." Original Chain: Not cleaned as frequently as the later 2. Then out of desperation and to save my ears I just used some vegetable oil and nothing has made … But I'm forgetful. In the snow I wiped down the chain every day and applied a lil bit. Chain maintenance all starts with proper chain lube selection and use. That bike saw a lot of snow but was a single speed with a chain guard. Bicycle-specific lube is designed with your chain’s best interest in mind. Now onto cleaning: hold a rag behind the chain while you spray it with degreaser or alcohol, then run the chain through the rag. If you cycle regularly or routinely ride in wet conditions or on dirty roads, you should clean and lube your bicycle chain every week or at least fortnightly. Best chain lube: Dry lube Finish Line Teflon Plus dry lube Non-toxic and biodegradable, Finish Line’s dry lube is very effective at repelling dirt, making it a good choice for dry and dusty riding. If I'm being really diligent I give my drive train a quick clean and lube once a week. I live in Australia, when I lived in Holland for a year I kept my bike outdoors and never did anything to it apart from pumping the tires. Preferences for the best type of chain lube are vast and include everything from specialty items such as Maxima Chain Wax to regular ol’ chainsaw bar oil. Fast answer: A good rule of thumb is to apply every 100 miles and after each time you ride in wet weather. It depends on how much I ride. As a general rule, excess lube should always be carefully wiped away before the bicycle is ridden. Nevertheless, apply the oil to help keep the exterior of the chain from corrosion and rust. Last weekend I actually just overhauled the drivetrain on my girlfriend’s trainer bike, new chain and cassette…and I won’t touch that again until it gets noisy. The chain just becomes another component in the wash. 2. I try and keep mine cranked down until the swingarm starts to buckle.. heheh Seriously the 1 1/4 -1 1/2 is a good rule of thumb. Which is more like twice a week - with more like 40-80 miles a week. 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