Whether riding on road or in off road conditions, it would be impossible to ride without a properly working chain. Every great ride relies on the smooth operation of the chain; regularly looking after and keeping your chain in top notch condition is crucial to the long-term performance and lifetime of your bike. Most riders could tell you how often they change their tyre but, how often do you lube your bike chain?
There are many varieties of lubricant out there on the market, some specifically designed for bikes and automotive chains, while others are designed as general-purpose lubricants. As the leading provider of Specialist Anti-Fling Chain Lube, we at WD-40 Australia may be bias; however, we’re pretty confident we have the expert knowledge on bike lubrication. As such, we’re going to look at why using a bike lubricant should be an essential part of your bike maintenance routine and how much lube to use on bike chains to ensure the best results.
Why Your Bike Chain Needs Lubricant
Regardless of what conditions you ride in and how often you go out, your chain will accumulate dirt and grime. How often do you lube your bike chain will have an impact on your equipment. Naturally, over time, rust will accumulate on the chain and drivetrain. As these gritty particles build up, they grind away at the metal links on the chain and increase friction. An easy way to identify if you chain needs lubrication is if it starts to squeal or squeak and is not smoothly shifting.
A bike chain lubricant will help to reduce mechanical resistance and prevent wear and tear from rust, dirt, and grime. This will help extend the lifetime of your chain, increase the performance on the drive train and result in rides that are far more enjoyable. Without adequate lubrication your chain will wear quicker, and the flexibility of chain links will reduce. Additionally, a poorly lubricated chain will put extra pressure on the derailleur and drive train cogs, and all together will decrease shifting performance. In worst case scenarios your bike chain may be in such a poor condition that it might just snap midride. Thoroughly cleaning and lubricating your bike chain is a practice that is sure to increase the performance of your bike, result in less turnover of parts and save you money.
What Does A Lubricant Do?
How often do you lube your bike chain with specially designed bike lubricants? Naturally, the idea of specific products and lubricants for bikes can spark some doubt. However, if you want to take the best care of your bike it is important to use a lubricant that is specifically designed to look after your chain and surround parts.
A specially formulated bike lubricant like WD-40’s Chain Lube is designed to penetrate roller chains, chain links, pins and bushings to provide long lasting lubrication. It is quick drying and excellent for preventing fling. Specialised lubricants can also be used on derailleurs and shifters to ensure smooth pedalling and shifting of gears.
So, the two key takeaways for what a lubricant does include:
- Quick drying.
- Provide smooth lubrication to reduce chain wear.
How Often Do You Lube Your Bike Chain?
Although there is no exact frequency that is best for every bike, it is important have a routine maintenance process to look after your bike and bike chain. The biggest factor that determines how often do you lube your bike chain is how often you ride and where you are riding.
If you are consistently riding, especially in tough conditions, you would probably want to clean and look after your bike chain more regularly than the casual weekend rider. That being said, it is important to get this frequency right as not looking after your bike will result in significant wear and tear whilst over lubricating could result in excess build of dirt and damage to your chain and drive train parts.
A handy tip is to keep some old rags in the back of your car or garage which you can use to give your chain a quick wipe down after your ride. Using a soft material such as the rag will help wipe off any excess dirt that may have accumulated during the ride without taking off any lubricant. Looking after your chain like this will also make regular cleaning and lubrication routine easier.
What to Do Before You Lubricate the Bike Chain
How often do you lubricate your bike chain after cleaning it first? Before you lubricate your bike chain it is important to ensure it is clean and you have cleaned off as much dirt as possible.
Although consistently giving your chain a wipe with a cloth after you ride is a good way to reduce significant build-up, you will also need to give your chain a deeper clean every now and then. This is by no means necessary after every ride but should be completed on a regular basis. So, flip your bike upside down and get ready to get dirty.
First, grab an old toothbrush and scrub in between the chain links to get rid of that deep dirt and grime. This will break up and loosen more permanent spots of build-up that you wouldn’t usually reach with just a cloth.
Next, grab an old rag and spray some degreaser or isopropyl alcohol on it. Hold the cloth around the chain and slowly crank the pedals backwards. As you pass the chain through the cloth it will pick up any loose bits remaining after you brushed the chain and the degreaser will help break up and remove grease and oils as well. You should pass the chain through the cloth three or four times to ensure you’ve given it a good clean. Once you’ve done this, give the chain a quick clean with some water and let it dry before you apply any lubricant.
Note: Do this slowly and take good care of your fingers around the chain and other components.
Using a Chain Scrubber
If you don’t fancy cleaning the chain by hand, you can buy chain scrubber devices to mount onto the chains itself. Once you fill a small reservoir with degreaser, device will clamp around the chain and has small brushes on the inside which will clean the chain
The Best Way to Lubricate Your Bike Chain
Now that the chain is clean and dry, it is time to apply the lubricant. The best way to lubricate the chain is with a lubricant designed for bikes such as WD-40 specialist chain lubricant that will penetrate deep into the chain and provide long lasting lubrication.
Hold the bottle just over the inside of the chain and slowly crank the pedals backwards like before, ensuring an even application across the whole chain. This is also a good opportunity to inspect the health of your chain and look for any defects. Run the chain around several rotations whilst applying the lubricant. After you have done this run through 10 rotations then slowly shift through the gears to distribute the lube to the cassette gears and chainrings. Once you are done grab a clean rag, pack pedal the gears and wipe of any excess lube. How often do you lube your bike chain then go out and ride before its dry? You shouldn’t! Make sure it is dry before you go out to ensure your chain is protected and good to go. Plan ahead and try do this the night before or well ahead of time.
How Much Lube to Use on Bike Chain
There is no exact science in knowing how much lube to use on bike chains. The best way to go about it is to apply an even amount across the whole chain, ensuring the resistance of the moving parts have been reduced without being excessive. Wiping off after application will also help with reducing the accumulation of dirt and grime from excess lubrication.
WD-40 Specialist Bike Chain Lubricant
WD-40 have developed a specialist formula spray designed to provide long lasting protection and performance for your bike. Specifically made to lubricate, chains, derailleurs and shifters and penetrates deep into the inner chain, pins and bushings, WD-40 dry chain lubricant is the ideal solution. Suitable for wet and dry conditions and all riders, we promise our product will be a great investment for your bike. If you would like any more information on our lubrication products and how they can work for you contact us on our website enquiry form or call our customer service team on 1800 00 9340.