Bicycle Tutor recommends cleaning and lubricating your bike’s drive chain at least once every month to maintain optimal performance and protection. The chain and drivetrain are typically the dirtiest parts of your bike, and this dirt is bad news for bike longevity and performance.
- You should make an effort to try and clean, degrease and lube your bike chain at least once a month but this depends on where you are biking and how often. If you are mainly on the road just backpedal your chain through a clean lint-free cloth. This can be done anytime and it is quick, especially before you re-apply lube.
Contents
- 1 Should I lube my chain after every ride?
- 2 How do I know if my bike chain needs lube?
- 3 How often should I lubricate my chain?
- 4 Can you lube your bike chain too much?
- 5 Can I use wd40 on bike chain?
- 6 Do you need to degrease bike chain?
- 7 How do you clean a road bike chain?
- 8 How often should I clean my road bike?
- 9 How often should I wax my bike chain?
- 10 Can I use engine oil as chain lube?
- 11 Why does my bike chain go black?
- 12 How often should I clean my chain?
Should I lube my chain after every ride?
“In the winter months it’s advisable to clean and lube your chain ideally after every ride depending on where you have been riding,” says Sampson. She recommends using a degreaser and chain cleaner to give the chain a thorough, deep clean in order to ensure it’s sparkling before re-lubing.
How do I know if my bike chain needs lube?
Over-lubing can also be detrimental, as excess lube attracts dirt, forming a gritty paste which grinds down chain components and other drivetrain bits. Appearance, time, or distance are not as reliable as sound (grinding, creaking, squeaking, squealing) as an indicator for when a chain needs to be lubed.
How often should I lubricate my chain?
Lube your chain when the cracks and crevices are vacant of lube. Ride 5 miles a week in good weather and you’re good for months. Average 30 miles a week in good weather and you should be lubing about every 2 weeks.
Can you lube your bike chain too much?
Over lubricating your chain, on the other hand, is also bad for your chain and will annoy your bike mechanic. Excess lube attracts dirt and dust and creates gross buildup on your drivetrain. This can actually wear out your drivetrain faster than a dry chain! To properly lube a chain you only need a couple supplies.
Can I use wd40 on bike chain?
You can use WD-40 Multi-Use-Product. It is a water based lubricant that provides the right amount of lubrication to the chain lube. WD-40 is a great bike chain lube water based lubricant and will not only lubricate the chain well, but will also keep it rust and corrosion free.
Do you need to degrease bike chain?
In the end, the general advice is to keep your drivetrain clean with a smart selection of chain lube, and a consistent routine to ensure gunk doesn’t build up. If you do this, you’ll only rarely need to use degreaser, and when you do, you’ve got plenty of options.
How do you clean a road bike chain?
Step-by-step instructions
- Degrease your chain.
- If you don’t have a special tool, use a brush to degrease your chain.
- Rub down your chain with soapy water and a rinse to clean off excess degreaser.
- Choose your lube.
- Lube your chain.
- Wipe off any excess lube, and you’re ready to ride!
How often should I clean my road bike?
We recommend cleaning your road bike monthly (or every 20 to 25 rides) and a mountain or ‘cross bike more often.
How often should I wax my bike chain?
Generally speaking, the more frequently you re-wax your chain, the better your drivetrain durability will be. “If you re-wax every 200 km, wear rates will remain untraceable for a long time,” says Kerin. “Re-waxing every 300 km, the average for a top chain like YBN SLA is 15,000 km to the recommended 0.5% wear mark.
Can I use engine oil as chain lube?
Usage of engine oil or grease is not at all recommended over a proper chain lubricant. Grease wont penetrate into the O rings and X rings as compared to chain lubricant. Whereas engine oil lasts only for a few days which reduces the life of your chain and sprocket.
Why does my bike chain go black?
If you use too much lube or heavy oil not made for bicycle chains, the drivetrain will turn into a black mess. Depending on how dirty it is, you should still be able to wipe the links clean, but you’ll have to scrub harder and longer to cut through the crud.
How often should I clean my chain?
Ideally, chains should be thoroughly cleaned after each and every ride. Unfortunately not many of us have the time to do this, but even a quick wipe with an clean rag can make a huge difference.