Chain Lubrication

Bike chains require a high amount of maintenance. Being close to the rear tyre, the chain accumulates a lot of dirt, and is susceptible to rust because it’s made of steel. Preventing rust by keeping the chain clean, dry and lubricated is an easy way to keep your chain in top notch condition, and to avoid a $20 sting every time you need to replace the chain!

We’re going to show you how to clean and lubricate your bike chain.

Tools

You’ll need the following:

  • Chain Lube
  • Chain Cleaning Tool (or a rag)
  • Degreaser
  • Toothbrush (optional)

Cleaning and lubricating the chain

First of all, you should know that your chain should be replaced yearly if you ride your bike fairly often. If you ride hard or ride regularly (e.g. everyday to work), the chain should be replaced every 3 months. If you don’t, and the chain binds up, you can damage the sprockets.

  1. Use the chain cleaning tool (or rag) with some degreaser to clean any dirt, grease and grime off the chain. This step is important, so take your time – use a brush if you have one to clean in the hard-to-reach areas.
  2. Dry the chain when you’re done.
  3. Lubricate the chain using either the chain cleaning tool or a NEW rag (not the dirty one!). You can also get brush-on and spray-on lubricant.

That’s it! It should only take you about 20 minutes but will save you a lot of trouble, especially if you ride often or in dirty conditions (dirt/mud, offroad etc).