Here's some basic chain lube and maintenance tips:
1. Start with a clean chain
* brush the chain, cassette, and cogs with a chain / cog brush * wipe your chain down with clean rag * "floss" your cassette & cogs with a rag to get them really clean between the cogs & platters
* if you rode in wet/muddy conditions, be sure to get all the mud & gunk off the entire drivetrain before lubing. Use a gentle spray of water & a mild degreaser (dishwashing soap is best) to help remove the gunk. If you have a quicklink, this is a good time to remove the chain for a good cleaning & drying. Be sure to completely dry the chain before applying lube - you may want to let it sit (indoors) overnight to dry.
* for new chain - good to rub down with degreaser (acetone or spirit) or other cleaner to get off the new-chain-grease (don't really need to soak - if you want to soak, PM for important notes). After wiping down with cleaner, let it dry. Then wipe down with rubbing-alcohol (IPA) and let dry to remove any traces of the cleaner. Doing this exposes the bare metal which is critical for proper adhesion of the new oil or wax. If you skip this step, you may find that the oil doesn't work well or needs frequent re-application. Go back & re-do this step properly! 2. types of lube: * for our local conditions, a good 'dry' lube is perfect. A good "dry" lube such as ProGold, Joe's Dry, Finishline, dry, etc. (for our general conditions stay away from "wet" lubes) - here dry & wet refer to for dry / wet conditions. If you're going to ride in wet, use wet lube & don't ask me about cleaning
* stay away from classic WD40 (it's for releasing rusted metal). Bike WD40 is for bike chains is OK * wax based lubes (white lightening, etc. I personally don't like - they leave a wax residue between the cassette sprockets) * hot wax - excellent. PM for instructions. I did it for a while, amazing. now went back to lube...recently there have been many advances in this technology (Silca brand, etc.) 3. to lube - take your lube of choice & put *1 drop* on each roller (the *only* place you need lube is inside the rollers). enough will shed to get on chain & sprocket/cogs. Use your quick link as a marker to be sure you do each roller once! (For a new chain, let the oil dry & then re-apply a 2nd coat.) 4. After applying the lube, wipe down chain gently with clean rag (if you followed 6, you really don't need to do this :) ) 5. run your chain forwards & shift to get all cogs / sprockets 6. let sit overnight to let lube solvents evaporate. 7. ride safely & enjoy!
I recommend lubing every 100-200km depending on how the riding feels/sounds - I can tell when my chain needs lube.
If you forgot to lube, and you ride on a dry chain, you may find yourself replacing the chain on the side of the trail!
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