Basic bike chain maintenance tips
by Sholto of FIXMYRIDE
Taking good care of your chain will keep your riding fun and your maintenance costs low, even in wet winters or dusty summers.
It's a good idea to take good care of chain when it's new as it can save you lots of hassle down the track. All new chains come pre-lubricated with a high quality lubricant that covers all the internal parts of the chain. This lubricant is a better quality than any you can apply yourself, and if you don't ride the bike in wet or dusty conditions it can last for hundreds of kilometres.
You can tell it is time to apply lubricant the chain yourself when it has started to blacken and clog up with road grime, or if your drive train starts to get noisy. There a few basic tips to follow to properly lubricate your chain:
- Use a degreaser with some rags and a brush (an old toothbrush works well) to clean away grime from the chain and inside the derailleur. This can get messy so don't do it on your favourite carpet! Wear gloves as the degreaser will remove the natural oils and moisture from your skin.
- Lubricate the chain by backpedalling and letting out a thin stream onto the rollers on the inner side to wash leftover degreaser, old lubricant and grime out from the moving parts of the chain (this helps prevent wear).
- If you over-lubricate the chain, wipe off the excess by backpedalling and rubbing the chain with a rag. Leaving extra lubricant on the chain will give the grit and grime flung up by the front wheel something to stick to and will wear it down over time.
- Leave the lubricant time to dry on the chain. Try to lubricate the night before to give the solvents in the lubricant time to evaporate. This gives time for the lubricant to penetrate the chain, and in some cases, bond with the metal surfaces.
- Lubricate all pivot points on your derailleur's to help them operate smoothly, as well as the jockey wheels on the rear derailleur.
Choose a lubricant specific to bicycles as other lubricants tend to be too heavy and thick or not durable enough for all weather riding.
There are a few different kinds of lubricant you can choose, just take into account the conditions you will use your bike in the most.