I individually crush an olive and slowly let the oil drip onto each chain link. One olive per link. A bit time consuming but works well and leaves your chain smelling great.
Kidding asside, you were doing it right, he just said motor oils are a lot thicker yet he refraise again with using bs specialized meneral oils from some brands he showed, guess what a mineral oil is the exact same product that 100% occupied oil shelfs in the 80s had, you can find meneral motor oils as light as SAE 10-w30 it present the amount of thickness that it doesn't get washed by rain but also not very viscous the it require additional effort in peddling. It is a though reality to realize that as time progress the bs improves just as fast if not faster than tech or life-quality etc.
I melt wax over each individual roller to conserve wax. I then polish it with a silk rag, and repeat until I get the desired shine. It takes a few days but it's worth it.
Yess I walk to China to buy fresh silk rag. Last trip resulted in two deaths in my family due to exhaustion. Nobody can claim that I don't go extra mile for a perfect bike chain though.
I paint the Sistine chapel in between each roller just to ensure a baseline minimum quality of having the chain work at all, then I do a couple of PHds in directional speaker cables and homoatephy while gearing up for the second application. I am going supersonic, man.
Summary for non aerosol lubing: 1. Make sure drivetrain is cleaned with degreaser, removing any excess lube. 2. Find joining pin at bottom rung. 3. Apply lube to each individual inside roller. 4. Wipe away any excess lube outside of roller.
It's like: Me: "Yeah, let's just use aerosol lubricant for my chain!" GCN: "First tip when using aerosol: Find yourself a friend." Me: "Ok, I'm out..."
I used to do the stream on a rapidly back pedaling chain. I never knew when the whole chain was done, so I just kept spinning. Lubing the chain is important -- better keep going, I figured. Then I saw Jon do the drop on each roller as a brief suggestion in another video. Enlightenment struck. I now do drops from a bottle. It is really no more tedious than spinning the chain furiously and it is more effective, along with being less messy and wasteful.
I wipe of my chain with a clean cloth after every ride while spinning it. Then I apply liquid dry wax and warmup the chain with a heatgun to open up the gaps and force the wax into the chain while keep it melted. Then leave it to cool down. It take me less than 5 minutes. Very happy with the outcome so far.
Just a commuter cyclist myself; I usually just ride it till I have to shoot it; & get another, swapping parts along the way. Transfer the saddle & grocery go-getter milk crate bike rack to the next "horse-bike" and move on. But, knowing how to feed & care for the "bike-horse" is vital information that I am grateful that you provide in these videos. Cheers from The USA, you goofy blokes. Here in Chitcago 4 out of my 6 bikes were free abandoned or alley finds. People just seem to be too lazy to repair a cheap bike; hello, I'll have a go at it, thanks. Paid $200 for one, (Nice Cannondale ) and $10 for another, ( LaJolla Women's bike cruiser for the winter, blasts through snow & ice like a tank ) Other than that, my bikes have all been free finds, or giveaways. Do really like the video though, gave me insight as to how to winterize my Trek & Cannondale for Winter storage, thanks. Ready for Spring now.
Very useful vid Jon. Seen plenty of chains lately that haven’t been cleaned or lubed for some time. It’s a quick & easy job that makes a massive difference to the performance of the drive train.
Jon, did you unscrew your pedal and replace it with that tool just because it was going on the stand? Can we have a video of the 5 most pointlessly specific cycling tools please?
Yup. Been doing it for some thirty years now and it's one of the best things I ever did in my cycle maintenance career. Apply as necessary, weather and conditions dependent. Takes seconds and your chain is smooth, free running and clean. I generally do fortnightly in summer and once every couple of days in winter or even daily if it's hosing down every day.
I am 100% sold on the hot wax method. It may require a bit more effort, but I enjoy working on my bike anyway and I believe it provides excellent results. A huge bonus is the method's elimination of greasy stains appearing on my calf.
This is so helpful and fascinating... Lubricating your chain is not as simple as it seems, but if done correctly and using the correct lube, it's worth the effort!
Data collection and mic audio used plus camera and location plus everything you told the Internet yourself. Ie what you like to watch. It's disturbing.
Much easier than wasting time searching for the joining pin: just mark your starting link with a permanent marker, then go 'round. It's easier to see, and comes off easily when you wipe off the chain afterward.
I actually got hooked on the waxing thing. Sure it is a bit noisy but that doesn’t really bother me. It’s just incredible how much less maintenance you have to do when you have a waxed chain.
Technically, think about where the friction in the chain occurs. It is between the inner and outer link and between the inner link and the pin. The rollers are just there to make the pin thicker, there are even chains (not on bikes) without any rollers, just the pins. the rollers themselves do not spin and so don't need to be lubed. Your method works and it is probably impractical to perform it precisely on a narrow bike chain, but you could also get away with lubing the outside of the chain, as long as the lube gets in the gab between the links. This would keep the rollers dry, attracting less dirt on the chainrings and cassette.
I have experimented with all kinds of products and methods of drivetrain cleaning and lubing over the years and have found the following to be the most effective at keeping grime to a minimum and everything lubed properly - the whole process takes around 20 min - Deep clean your entire drivetrain with a quality degreaser (Muc Off or Elbow Grease etc) and use a Parktool chain cleaner for your chain with said degreaser. Rinse chain and the rest of your drivetrain with hot water then dry thoroughly with a microfiber cloth Then apply one or two coats of 'metal of honour' to the chain - this is a metal specific car detailers wax to stop corrosion which also repels water and grime Lubricate chain sparingly and occasionally with 3 in 1 oil or more frequently with a dry lube. Use 3 in 1 oil for derailleur pivots and jockey wheel bearings etc
Might try this. I dropped a bit of lube in every pin like this video says, wiped away the excess later on and my chain and cassette were still covered in lube
Each roller takes 1 second, and you have about 116 rollers on your chain... Should take no more than 5 minutes if you are completely slow with your hands. It's worth the extra time since the rest of your chain is clean as it should it be. Therefore, it won't attract grease as much as if it were full of oil.
Use a 1" X 1/4" brush.Clean chain with diesel. Allow chain to dry- leave it in front of my air blown heater- Dry the brush or use another one.Then dip the brush in oil & run the chain with a loaded brush. Leave for a while then wipe the excess off.
Just bought an old pair of snow tires. today, normally i just park my bike for winter but i moved farther away from work this year so i decided to get a set. hopefully i can keep my bike in good shape.
In Canada with the 70% humidity +35 celcius in the summer we all use the Wet Lube mix. If we use the dry lube the chain will start making noises. The wet mix lube does attract more road dust so I clean the chain every 50 km.
Also, I used baby wipes to clear the grit and dirt out of the chain once a month. I degrease first, clean each link, and then spray with GT85. Leave it for 10 minutes, wipe it down again and then oil it.... then go to my happy place.
I used to have a bicycle oil spray with a 10 cm long, thin applicator tube. I dry cleaned the chain, then applied the oil spraying while back pedaling until it started to drip, and immediately wiped with a cloth while continuing to back pedal. This way, I got a cleaning and lubricating done in one step. Never had a squeaky chain, and they lived for more than 10000 km. Actually, I had more chains replaced because I broke them rather than for wear.
I use a light gear oil, drip it on from a bottle and then wipe off the excess, I replace the chain each spring on the winter bike because the salt damage and grime is more costly to remove than a new 1/8 inch chain is to buy. I put 10ml of sae 20 or 30 gear oil into the rear hub every 4-6 weeks too, and some into the bottom bracket oiler on the bikes that have them
In between proper cleans, I always clean my chain before every ride by squirting high pressure GT85 through the chain onto a rag, whilst back spinning. It's cheaper than degreaser, it's a lube anyway and the pressure loosens up & pushes all the dirt out. I repeat this until the rag is wiping pretty clean oil, (so I know the dirt is out). I then dry it best I can and apply my chosen lube. (Usually Eat My Dirt Chain oil), before wiping/drying again. TIP: I found wiping the chain as it goes round BOTH top & bottom jockey wheels allows you get at the dirt that accumulates on the end/edges of every link!! Hold your rag on the chain as it corners each jockey wheel and you'll cover both sides of each link-end. You'll be extremely surprised at how much dirt is still left on your chain! You're welcome.
Thanks for the info. New to riding but very happy I made the decision to purchase a bike. My health is getting better and I am feeling stronger everyday. I am 35 and I started to feel like this was the year that age catching up with me.
When you add the oil, do you have to change gears for every one and do it each time? I'm having a lot of issues with my gears not changing properly or phantom shifting. Sometimes when I'm changing gears to ride up hill the chain just feels like it's catching on something and it interferes with my riding. I'm just getting back into biking now after 10 years so my knowledge is a little rusty
First thing I do it actually wash the bike.... Jon, did you not clean that Canyon and DT Swiss wheels before filming? It's filthy... I mean your drive train is nice and clean... but.. :)
2 chain cleaners! One full of brake cleaner Anderson the other with either pro-link or WD-40 lithium grease(for wet conditions). Fast, easy and always wipe the chain dry after!
Rock N Roll says you should lube the chain when you're in the highest gear, i.e., smallest cog on cassette and big ring up front. Do you think that really makes any difference?
Some questions. Thanks. You say pedal backwards to move the chain along for lubricating, but without comment you're also spinning the wheel around backwards by the spokes. Do I need to bother with that? I can't see a pattern here and what you're doing (wheel versus pedal-wise) usually can't be seen. You say find the joining pin and work round til you get back to it. It sounds like it looks different but I can't see any difference in the video. When lubing my bicycle chain I usually just go around hoping where I started still has lubricant on thickly enough that I can be sure when I've gone all the way around. What is this joining pin? I don't have and really can't get a bicycle stand or always have someone around to hold the bicycle up while I move the pedal etc., so I turn it upside-down for lubrication. Does that sound like a good solution? Upside-down it seems to be turning the pedal backwards I would be turning it towards the front of the bicycle, right?
I've been waxing my chains for about 6 months now. Started with a new one to test, and it's been real fine till now. Buying religious candles seems cheaper too.
After scrubbing the gears and degreasing the chain, rinsing, and drying, I use rock 'n' roll gold according to the directions on the bottle, applying over the cassette while backpedaling, then backpedaling for a bit, then wiping the chain with every last clean surface of a rag until the chain leaves nothing behind. No matter how much I clean and how spotless it is before the lube, the solvent in rock 'n' roll gold always finds a little more grime to wash out.
I like the bottle but I’m not as accurate or patient as you. Now I’ll try to be next time. Can you recommend a good style brush for getting in to clean everything?
I know im just a hack commuter with over 500 round trips and ride cheap used bikes off Craigslist, but I use motor oil applied with an old toothbrush. Someone suggested chainsaw oil, havent tried it yet. Live 2 Ride, be Safe Out There!
Morgan Blue spray for me, I don't do link-by-agonising-link stuff! Degrease and dry the chain first, then just rotate cranks whilst spraying steady on chain, spin chain swiftly for a few revolutions in both directions, leave for a bit then wipe with a rag.
I've got a question regarding cranksets and frontmech. Is it possible to combine a Campi record carbon crankset with Shimano Ultegra Di2 front mech? Big fan of the carbon cranksets but can not say my Di2 goodbye. Doesn't necessarily have to be Campi carbon though, these just caught my eye.
Been using solely WD40 for some thirty years now and it's one of the best things I ever did in my cycle maintenance career. Apply as necessary, weather and conditions dependent. Takes seconds sprayed with a straw directly onto the chain at the cassette for a rev or two - no need to wipe down afterwards - and your chain is smooth, free running and clean without any of that appalling road gunge buildup. I generally do fortnightly in summer or more with heavy mileage and once every few days in winter or even daily if it's hosing down every day. It's so easy you're tempted to do it more often and your chain is always in tip-top clean condition. Wax?? You gotta be kidding me!
@@isatntt Just the regular old product in the blue and yellow can. They do a bike specific version but the original WD40 works so well I've never even been tempted to try. I've used GT85 too and it works pretty much the same as WD40 except it's really whiffy so I gave up on it because I usually keep the bike in the house.
Dot each individual link? Seems like a time waster, especially for volatile dry lube. I put the tip of the bottle nozzle against the inside of the chain and squeeze bottle while turning the crank backwards. Repeat for both sides. Then wipe up as specified..
Instead of starting at the joining pin, I take a yellow highlighting marker and colour a link. It comes off easily and is a lot more visible when you're staring at link after link after link after link...
Hi jon. Sorry if you already answered a thousand times : after a general and deep cleaning of my bike, is there a lubrication needed for the rear derailleur ? thanks
Squirt lube, one roller at the time. Starting with the joining pin on the bottom and continuing until I see it again. Squirt seems to be long lasting, it doesn't attract very much dirt, and I've never experienced having a squeaky chain after I've started using it. Only downside is a slightly noisier drivetrain.
Good show old man keep up the good work you're doing a good job I take off the chain completely by the link then I put it in a can of gasoline so it cleans it out then I put it in another can of motor oil let it soak for 10 or so minutes put it somewhere so the excess lube falls off and put it back on. Needless to say I'm just a little lazy. What is up with that wax thing I can just do wax and call it A-day.
I once degreased the chain and then applied PTFE spray grease once a year, but i've just switched to PAG 46 aircon oil, a drop for each roller, about 2mL for the entire chain, and right now it feels like some ceramic lube... i'll see if it functions as a wet or dry lube but it seems to leave a very resistant film on everything it touches.
hi, can i actually put another type of lube(dry) on my unwashed chain,because i used to always use wet lube? or do i have to clean up the wet lube first?
I use mainly a bottle of dry lube, tried to use WD40 and other product but went back to ceramic lube which i found the best for the weather condition in Taiwan
I clean my chain with WD40 then wipe it. Then apply oil with an oil can. Just squirt the oil on the chain back pedalling. Leave for a couple of minutes and wipe off excess. Not too fussed if I waste some as I bought a 2ltr bottle. Plenty to go at.
Hi Jon, one question for you as the expert: I always spray well with water after degreasing. But if some residues of degreaser would remain within the chain, would these still be active after drying the chain. I am afraid these residues might dissolve / reduce the functionality of the lubricant or wax.
Hopefully Jon will chime in, I'm not expert at all, however my idea about that is if you're wanting to lube the chain to that completeness, perhaps it would be best to either lube more liberally or soak it in the wax. I'd say after soaking it in wax it's going to deal with all remaining degreaser. To be honest I don't think this one roller at a time for one revolution is a thorough enough way of lubing the chain. I'd either lube the chain liberally with the bottled stuff until I thought it was pretty well soaked, then leave it to soak in. Or soak the chain in a vat. I can't see how one roller at a time for one revolution is going to both lube well, and perhaps the smaller part of that failure is going to be combating any remaining degreaser. It's true you're saving money by not using as much lube, however I think using more lube will save money with protecting components in the long run.
Yep. That's very true. You definitely don't want degreaser eating away at your lovely new lube. I tend to use soapy water and an old sponge, running the chain through the sponge. It also makes you clean your bike because you have the soapy water and sponge to hand anyway...
When I was a kid I use to lub the chain with olive oil, however it become gummy after few Km in the heat but it resit the rain very well. Then now I'm having a salary and an expensive bike I use Wet lub 😊. I have tried waxing the chain, it works, but the amount of work and time behind it put me a side from waxing the chain. I use a Wet lub in a spray form, because the spray push the oil inside the links there were it should sit. Avoid turning the chain fast and spraying because it is wasting a lot of expensive oil everywhere on the floor the wheel and create a messy place. I prefer to take the time and spray one strong push of spray at each link and then when finish I spin the chain around til I'm tired and finish it by a good cleaning. I clean each link separately too to avoid any excess oil that will collect rubbish. enjoy !
Every 1-2 weeks I cycle my chain 2-3 times with a chain cleaner and simple green then flush the degreaser with water and dish soap, then flush the dish soap with plane water. After that I wipe the chain until bone dry or use air compressor. clean the chain ring and cassette (without removing them) and lube the chain link by link, wipe off the excess. Next day I wipe the excess again and go riding. Let me know if this is over kill.
So if you apply lube only on the rollers, how do you prevent links from rusting in wet winter conditions? I ride a couple of hours a day, leave the bike outside at work for most of the day (protected from rainfall but yet exposed to wind and moisture so it takes a while to dry after a heavy downpour). I'm afraid if I only lubricate the rollers then all the links are going to get rusty. What's your advice on that ?
I always seem to lose track of the pin where I started and even though I start with individual rollers I end up squirting and spinning. From a bottle.😩
Moltern speed wax super clean yeah its a bit of a faff but rotate 3 chains and you are good to go and lasts for up to 350+mi, when it squeaks its time to swap another on in.
I've started using Squirt lube (wax based) after reading ppl sharing about it online. Did it the same way, link by link from the master chain ring. Lubed twice this way now, will probably do again soon since have been riding in some wet weather
Just before the wintertime I degreased the chain and put the dry lube on it. I'd like to know if the lube still be inside the chain-links when I want to use my bike again after winter or do I have to degrease it and lubricate it once again?
I individually crush an olive and slowly let the oil drip onto each chain link. One olive per link. A bit time consuming but works well and leaves your chain smelling great.
Whaaat? For real?
Same here, only I use olives from trees I grow myself and after each olive picked I throw away the tree.
LOL
I like to use blueberries
Omg I fell from my chair lmao
As a kid I would flip my bike upside down, crank the pedal and pour whatever motor oil we had on the chain. The 80s was a crazy, lawless era.
Kidding asside, you were doing it right, he just said motor oils are a lot thicker yet he refraise again with using bs specialized meneral oils from some brands he showed, guess what a mineral oil is the exact same product that 100% occupied oil shelfs in the 80s had, you can find meneral motor oils as light as SAE 10-w30 it present the amount of thickness that it doesn't get washed by rain but also not very viscous the it require additional effort in peddling.
It is a though reality to realize that as time progress the bs improves just as fast if not faster than tech or life-quality etc.
I still do that....
Chain lube though.
I am still doing it
Hitting me with that nostalgia - we did the same except we just let the WD-40 rip.
99 % of people with bikes do it like that
I just toss my chain in the deep fryer when ever I'm using it. Works great, smells great, and adds a bit of seasoning to whatever I'm frying
Good laugh, thanks for that. I bet you have the best chips in town.
lmao
Bacon grease does wonders
I waxed my chain for the first time yesterday, and took it for the first ride today. It was super rainy and gritty, but the chain held up! I love it
Nice
Thanks mate. Between you and the Park Tools vids, i am now less shit as a bike mechanic.
I melt wax over each individual roller to conserve wax. I then polish it with a silk rag, and repeat until I get the desired shine. It takes a few days but it's worth it.
Yess I walk to China to buy fresh silk rag. Last trip resulted in two deaths in my family due to exhaustion. Nobody can claim that I don't go extra mile for a perfect bike chain though.
@@mryan4452 good for you mate
I paint the Sistine chapel in between each roller just to ensure a baseline minimum quality of having the chain work at all, then I do a couple of PHds in directional speaker cables and homoatephy while gearing up for the second application. I am going supersonic, man.
Summary for non aerosol lubing:
1. Make sure drivetrain is cleaned with degreaser, removing any excess lube.
2. Find joining pin at bottom rung.
3. Apply lube to each individual inside roller.
4. Wipe away any excess lube outside of roller.
It's like: Me: "Yeah, let's just use aerosol lubricant for my chain!" GCN: "First tip when using aerosol: Find yourself a friend." Me: "Ok, I'm out..."
I used to do the stream on a rapidly back pedaling chain. I never knew when the whole chain was done, so I just kept spinning. Lubing the chain is important -- better keep going, I figured. Then I saw Jon do the drop on each roller as a brief suggestion in another video. Enlightenment struck. I now do drops from a bottle. It is really no more tedious than spinning the chain furiously and it is more effective, along with being less messy and wasteful.
I wipe of my chain with a clean cloth after every ride while spinning it.
Then I apply liquid dry wax and warmup the chain with a heatgun to open up the gaps and force the wax into the chain while keep it melted. Then leave it to cool down. It take me less than 5 minutes. Very happy with the outcome so far.
Just a commuter cyclist myself;
I usually just ride it till I have to shoot it; & get another, swapping parts along the way.
Transfer the saddle & grocery go-getter milk crate bike rack to the next "horse-bike" and move on.
But, knowing how to feed & care for the "bike-horse" is vital information that I am grateful that you provide in these videos.
Cheers from The USA, you goofy blokes.
Here in Chitcago 4 out of my 6 bikes were free abandoned or alley finds.
People just seem to be too lazy to repair a cheap bike; hello, I'll have a go at it, thanks.
Paid $200 for one, (Nice Cannondale ) and $10 for another, ( LaJolla Women's bike cruiser for the winter, blasts through snow & ice like a tank )
Other than that, my bikes have all been free finds, or giveaways.
Do really like the video though, gave me insight as to how to winterize my Trek & Cannondale for Winter storage, thanks.
Ready for Spring now.
Owned bikes for years, first time I've learnt how to lube up a chain. I have done it so wrong for so long, thanks!
But how do you know it was wrong? Something bad happened to your bike?
Your method might be different, but not necessarily wrong 😉
Very useful vid Jon. Seen plenty of chains lately that haven’t been cleaned or lubed for some time. It’s a quick & easy job that makes a massive difference to the performance of the drive train.
Jon, did you unscrew your pedal and replace it with that tool just because it was going on the stand? Can we have a video of the 5 most pointlessly specific cycling tools please?
Wrote that before watching the actual lubing and I've just realised you did most of the pushing on the spokes too!
It's a tool many shops use because most bikes come without pedals, so it makes it a lot easier to assembly the bikes for them.
Gustav Oelsner it still looks pretty ridiculous
mac schwarz Sure does, especially in a situation like this where it’s definitely not necessary
Haha brilliant. Pointless indeed
Thank you for mentioning wd-40, saved my trip to bike store to buy bike lube. used wd-40 and it worked like a charm
Yup. Been doing it for some thirty years now and it's one of the best things I ever did in my cycle maintenance career. Apply as necessary, weather and conditions dependent. Takes seconds and your chain is smooth, free running and clean. I generally do fortnightly in summer and once every couple of days in winter or even daily if it's hosing down every day.
I am 100% sold on the hot wax method. It may require a bit more effort, but I enjoy working on my bike anyway and I believe it provides excellent results. A huge bonus is the method's elimination of greasy stains appearing on my calf.
This is so helpful and fascinating...
Lubricating your chain is not as simple as it seems, but if done correctly and using the correct lube, it's worth the effort!
Lubing the chains one link at time makes me feel like I'm in a Zen state.
tokuchaan
Because you are!
Its so satisfying!
Mental disease .. seriously
I love how GCN's topic and my current problem is match all the time! Or spooky.
ChromeStrand we are watching you
Data collection and mic audio used plus camera and location plus everything you told the Internet yourself. Ie what you like to watch. It's disturbing.
Much easier than wasting time searching for the joining pin: just mark your starting link with a permanent marker, then go 'round. It's easier to see, and comes off easily when you wipe off the chain afterward.
My link chain is a different color from the rest and helps in finding it
Probably easier and quicker looking for the joining pin
Yeah, they're so hard to spot Mr. fucking Magoo.
@@propdouchebag my thoughts exactly
Thank you! You never mentioned how often should I lube the chain.
Depends on how often you ride. If you ride daily, you might need to lube every 2 weeks.
What about the cassette or the other chainring? Will lubing just the chain itself be sufficient?
Thanks so much for these videos, guys. So helpful for cycling noobs :)
I actually got hooked on the waxing thing. Sure it is a bit noisy but that doesn’t really bother me. It’s just incredible how much less maintenance you have to do when you have a waxed chain.
Sorry lads, I can't come riding tonight, GCN says it's going to take me four hours lube my chain? 🤦🏻♂️
😂
Lmao
Ok so I was the only one thinking this
@Sam Seed haha
This is seriously the dumbest chain lube video on the interweb. And this dude is being serious...
3 I 1 oil in a can is the best bicycle chain oil you can use - I've regularly achieved over 5000 miles on a chain - brilliant 😊👍👌
Technically, think about where the friction in the chain occurs. It is between the inner and outer link and between the inner link and the pin. The rollers are just there to make the pin thicker, there are even chains (not on bikes) without any rollers, just the pins. the rollers themselves do not spin and so don't need to be lubed. Your method works and it is probably impractical to perform it precisely on a narrow bike chain, but you could also get away with lubing the outside of the chain, as long as the lube gets in the gab between the links. This would keep the rollers dry, attracting less dirt on the chainrings and cassette.
I have experimented with all kinds of products and methods of drivetrain cleaning and lubing over the years and have found the following to be the most effective at keeping grime to a minimum and everything lubed properly - the whole process takes around 20 min -
Deep clean your entire drivetrain with a quality degreaser (Muc Off or Elbow Grease etc) and use a Parktool chain cleaner for your chain with said degreaser.
Rinse chain and the rest of your drivetrain with hot water then dry thoroughly with a microfiber cloth
Then apply one or two coats of 'metal of honour' to the chain - this is a metal specific car detailers wax to stop corrosion which also repels water and grime
Lubricate chain sparingly and occasionally with 3 in 1 oil or more frequently with a dry lube.
Use 3 in 1 oil for derailleur pivots and jockey wheel bearings etc
I use the 12,12,12 method. 12 random drops, back pedal for 12 seconds, wipe down the side plates for 12 seconds.
Might try this. I dropped a bit of lube in every pin like this video says, wiped away the excess later on and my chain and cassette were still covered in lube
Each roller takes 1 second, and you have about 116 rollers on your chain... Should take no more than 5 minutes if you are completely slow with your hands. It's worth the extra time since the rest of your chain is clean as it should it be. Therefore, it won't attract grease as much as if it were full of oil.
Use a 1" X 1/4" brush.Clean chain with diesel. Allow chain to dry- leave it in front of my air blown heater- Dry the brush or use another one.Then dip the brush in oil & run the chain with a loaded brush. Leave for a while then wipe the excess off.
I just spray down some WD every week or so. Seems to work fine for me.
Would GT85 work?
@@patrykskill306 yeah that works fine too. Just any lube you can get into the links
@@nsoper19 what do you clean your chain with or dont you do it
@@patrykskill306 pressure washer every now and then and plenty of wd40. Works all the dirt out if lubed often.
Just bought an old pair of snow tires. today, normally i just park my bike for winter but i moved farther away from work this year so i decided to get a set. hopefully i can keep my bike in good shape.
In Canada with the 70% humidity +35 celcius in the summer we all use the Wet Lube mix. If we use the dry lube the chain will start making noises. The wet mix lube does attract more road dust so I clean the chain every 50 km.
Also, I used baby wipes to clear the grit and dirt out of the chain once a month. I degrease first, clean each link, and then spray with GT85. Leave it for 10 minutes, wipe it down again and then oil it.... then go to my happy place.
I used to have a bicycle oil spray with a 10 cm long, thin applicator tube. I dry cleaned the chain, then applied the oil spraying while back pedaling until it started to drip, and immediately wiped with a cloth while continuing to back pedal. This way, I got a cleaning and lubricating done in one step. Never had a squeaky chain, and they lived for more than 10000 km. Actually, I had more chains replaced because I broke them rather than for wear.
I personally just drip lube on the chain at the rear cassette as I pedal backwards, maybe a little more wasteful, but it's much quicker.
I use a light gear oil, drip it on from a bottle and then wipe off the excess, I replace the chain each spring on the winter bike because the salt damage and grime is more costly to remove than a new 1/8 inch chain is to buy. I put 10ml of sae 20 or 30 gear oil into the rear hub every 4-6 weeks too, and some into the bottom bracket oiler on the bikes that have them
In between proper cleans, I always clean my chain before every ride by squirting high pressure GT85 through the chain onto a rag, whilst back spinning. It's cheaper than degreaser, it's a lube anyway and the pressure loosens up & pushes all the dirt out. I repeat this until the rag is wiping pretty clean oil, (so I know the dirt is out). I then dry it best I can and apply my chosen lube. (Usually Eat My Dirt Chain oil), before wiping/drying again.
TIP: I found wiping the chain as it goes round BOTH top & bottom jockey wheels allows you get at the dirt that accumulates on the end/edges of every link!! Hold your rag on the chain as it corners each jockey wheel and you'll cover both sides of each link-end. You'll be extremely surprised at how much dirt is still left on your chain! You're welcome.
Do you do any on the cassette?
How often should I lube? Per how many miles or hours?
Thanks for the info. New to riding but very happy I made the decision to purchase a bike. My health is getting better and I am feeling stronger everyday. I am 35 and I started to feel like this was the year that age catching up with me.
Same I just started riding to, I'm 27 this will do a great deal on my health!
How do you do anything with the chain if you can’t backpedal? My bike has its main brakes in the pedals.
When you add the oil, do you have to change gears for every one and do it each time? I'm having a lot of issues with my gears not changing properly or phantom shifting. Sometimes when I'm changing gears to ride up hill the chain just feels like it's catching on something and it interferes with my riding. I'm just getting back into biking now after 10 years so my knowledge is a little rusty
First thing I do it actually wash the bike.... Jon, did you not clean that Canyon and DT Swiss wheels before filming? It's filthy... I mean your drive train is nice and clean... but.. :)
Can we use 100% pure coconut oil using bottle drip method?
Always got my chains in great shape (key for that clean them at least once a week) but I never lubed a cassette. Should we do that?
2 chain cleaners! One full of brake cleaner Anderson the other with either pro-link or WD-40 lithium grease(for wet conditions). Fast, easy and always wipe the chain dry after!
Rock N Roll says you should lube the chain when you're in the highest gear, i.e., smallest cog on cassette and big ring up front. Do you think that really makes any difference?
How often we should lubricate the chain?
Is that all the lube you apply? Was absolutely coating the chain in it before.
Do we need to clean the chain with degreaser first before we relube? Thanks before.
Some questions. Thanks.
You say pedal backwards to move the chain along for lubricating, but without comment you're also spinning the wheel around backwards by the spokes. Do I need to bother with that? I can't see a pattern here and what you're doing (wheel versus pedal-wise) usually can't be seen.
You say find the joining pin and work round til you get back to it. It sounds like it looks different but I can't see any difference in the video. When lubing my bicycle chain I usually just go around hoping where I started still has lubricant on thickly enough that I can be sure when I've gone all the way around. What is this joining pin?
I don't have and really can't get a bicycle stand or always have someone around to hold the bicycle up while I move the pedal etc., so I turn it upside-down for lubrication. Does that sound like a good solution? Upside-down it seems to be turning the pedal backwards I would be turning it towards the front of the bicycle, right?
I've been waxing my chains for about 6 months now. Started with a new one to test, and it's been real fine till now. Buying religious candles seems cheaper too.
Does this make your riding Holier??
Just sure they keep me "holying". And didn't crossed any vampires or demons. Maybe it's just coincidence, maybe not.
Is it true that lubricant should sit at least a few hours before riding?
After scrubbing the gears and degreasing the chain, rinsing, and drying, I use rock 'n' roll gold according to the directions on the bottle, applying over the cassette while backpedaling, then backpedaling for a bit, then wiping the chain with every last clean surface of a rag until the chain leaves nothing behind. No matter how much I clean and how spotless it is before the lube, the solvent in rock 'n' roll gold always finds a little more grime to wash out.
I love this guy's technique. Agree 100 %!
I like the bottle but I’m not as accurate or patient as you. Now I’ll try to be next time. Can you recommend a good style brush for getting in to clean everything?
I know im just a hack commuter with over 500 round trips and ride cheap used bikes off Craigslist, but I use motor oil applied with an old toothbrush. Someone suggested chainsaw oil, havent tried it yet. Live 2 Ride, be Safe Out There!
Morgan Blue spray for me, I don't do link-by-agonising-link stuff! Degrease and dry the chain first, then just rotate cranks whilst spraying steady on chain, spin chain swiftly for a few revolutions in both directions, leave for a bit then wipe with a rag.
Thanks basic info. Been using way to much. Granma rides again 😎
I've got a question regarding cranksets and frontmech. Is it possible to combine a Campi record carbon crankset with Shimano Ultegra Di2 front mech? Big fan of the carbon cranksets but can not say my Di2 goodbye. Doesn't necessarily have to be Campi carbon though, these just caught my eye.
Hi guys:) I just realised i do not have any chain oil or chain lube after cleaning , What can I use alternatively as a last min solution? Thanks!
Can I use a thin wet lube designed for motorcycles? I have Motul racing wet lube that's excellent, I'm hoping I can use it for my new bike also.
i use the chain cleaner and fill it with lubrciant and do the same thing you do to clean the chain with it , pretty easy .
Been using solely WD40 for some thirty years now and it's one of the best things I ever did in my cycle maintenance career. Apply as necessary, weather and conditions dependent. Takes seconds sprayed with a straw directly onto the chain at the cassette for a rev or two - no need to wipe down afterwards - and your chain is smooth, free running and clean without any of that appalling road gunge buildup. I generally do fortnightly in summer or more with heavy mileage and once every few days in winter or even daily if it's hosing down every day. It's so easy you're tempted to do it more often and your chain is always in tip-top clean condition. Wax?? You gotta be kidding me!
what kind of WD40 do you use specifically?
@@isatntt Just the regular old product in the blue and yellow can. They do a bike specific version but the original WD40 works so well I've never even been tempted to try. I've used GT85 too and it works pretty much the same as WD40 except it's really whiffy so I gave up on it because I usually keep the bike in the house.
What kind of tires are on the canyon
I use Power steering fluid to lube my bike chain, no issues yet!
WAX never looked back, it's so clean.
Thank you for all your info, I use bottle
Dot each individual link? Seems like a time waster, especially for volatile dry lube. I put the tip of the bottle nozzle against the inside of the chain and squeeze bottle while turning the crank backwards. Repeat for both sides. Then wipe up as specified..
What can be used as a good degreaser for your chain?
Can you put cooking oil?
Instead of starting at the joining pin, I take a yellow highlighting marker and colour a link. It comes off easily and is a lot more visible when you're staring at link after link after link after link...
Years ago we used 3 in 1 Oil......never had to worry about oiling the chain for weeks. How times change.......
we used axle grease …. worked fine
Hi jon. Sorry if you already answered a thousand times : after a general and deep cleaning of my bike, is there a lubrication needed for the rear derailleur ? thanks
Squirt lube, one roller at the time. Starting with the joining pin on the bottom and continuing until I see it again. Squirt seems to be long lasting, it doesn't attract very much dirt, and I've never experienced having a squeaky chain after I've started using it. Only downside is a slightly noisier drivetrain.
Good show old man keep up the good work you're doing a good job I take off the chain completely by the link then I put it in a can of gasoline so it cleans it out then I put it in another can of motor oil let it soak for 10 or so minutes put it somewhere so the excess lube falls off and put it back on. Needless to say I'm just a little lazy. What is up with that wax thing I can just do wax and call it A-day.
How frequently should I oil my chain?
Thanks for the tips. Degreaser then lube
What about all-weather lube?
I once degreased the chain and then applied PTFE spray grease once a year, but i've just switched to PAG 46 aircon oil, a drop for each roller, about 2mL for the entire chain, and right now it feels like some ceramic lube... i'll see if it functions as a wet or dry lube but it seems to leave a very resistant film on everything it touches.
hi, can i actually put another type of lube(dry) on my unwashed chain,because i used to always use wet lube? or do i have to clean up the wet lube first?
I use mainly a bottle of dry lube, tried to use WD40 and other product but went back to ceramic lube which i found the best for the weather condition in Taiwan
I clean my chain with WD40 then wipe it. Then apply oil with an oil can. Just squirt the oil on the chain back pedalling. Leave for a couple of minutes and wipe off excess. Not too fussed if I waste some as I bought a 2ltr bottle. Plenty to go at.
Hi Jon, one question for you as the expert: I always spray well with water after degreasing.
But if some residues of degreaser would remain within the chain, would these still be active after drying the chain.
I am afraid these residues might dissolve / reduce the functionality of the lubricant or wax.
Jan Willem Kuilenburg....... Bingo! Thank you very much for riding that!
If you use a water soluable detergent you flush it out with water, let air dry, and then properly lube the chain!
Hopefully Jon will chime in, I'm not expert at all, however my idea about that is if you're wanting to lube the chain to that completeness, perhaps it would be best to either lube more liberally or soak it in the wax. I'd say after soaking it in wax it's going to deal with all remaining degreaser.
To be honest I don't think this one roller at a time for one revolution is a thorough enough way of lubing the chain. I'd either lube the chain liberally with the bottled stuff until I thought it was pretty well soaked, then leave it to soak in. Or soak the chain in a vat.
I can't see how one roller at a time for one revolution is going to both lube well, and perhaps the smaller part of that failure is going to be combating any remaining degreaser. It's true you're saving money by not using as much lube, however I think using more lube will save money with protecting components in the long run.
Yep. That's very true. You definitely don't want degreaser eating away at your lovely new lube. I tend to use soapy water and an old sponge, running the chain through the sponge. It also makes you clean your bike because you have the soapy water and sponge to hand anyway...
soapy water is also a degreaser.
When I was a kid I use to lub the chain with olive oil, however it become gummy after few Km in the heat but it resit the rain very well. Then now I'm having a salary and an expensive bike I use Wet lub 😊.
I have tried waxing the chain, it works, but the amount of work and time behind it put me a side from waxing the chain.
I use a Wet lub in a spray form, because the spray push the oil inside the links there were it should sit. Avoid turning the chain fast and spraying because it is wasting a lot of expensive oil everywhere on the floor the wheel and create a messy place. I prefer to take the time and spray one strong push of spray at each link and then when finish I spin the chain around til I'm tired and finish it by a good cleaning. I clean each link separately too to avoid any excess oil that will collect rubbish. enjoy !
What about using synthetic engine oil ?
Wrong oil is a lot better than no oil ;)
Every 1-2 weeks I cycle my chain 2-3 times with a chain cleaner and simple green then flush the degreaser with water and dish soap, then flush the dish soap with plane water. After that I wipe the chain until bone dry or use air compressor. clean the chain ring and cassette (without removing them) and lube the chain link by link, wipe off the excess. Next day I wipe the excess again and go riding. Let me know if this is over kill.
is it safe to lube it with cooking oil ?
So if you apply lube only on the rollers, how do you prevent links from rusting in wet winter conditions? I ride a couple of hours a day, leave the bike outside at work for most of the day (protected from rainfall but yet exposed to wind and moisture so it takes a while to dry after a heavy downpour). I'm afraid if I only lubricate the rollers then all the links are going to get rusty. What's your advice on that ?
I do it the way you describe with a dropper. Always the night before. I don't wipe off excess until the next day.
Tuned to see if I was doing it right. Turns out I am. Thanks for the instruction. I use drops from a bottle
I always seem to lose track of the pin where I started and even though I start with individual rollers I end up squirting and spinning. From a bottle.😩
So after lubricate the chain, how many hours should I wait or I can wipe away excess lubricate immediate after spinning the chains?
According to Google, lube, spin, wait an hr, wipe off excess then u can start riding
@@blalala6181 thank you 🙏
Moltern speed wax super clean yeah its a bit of a faff but rotate 3 chains and you are good to go and lasts for up to 350+mi, when it squeaks its time to swap another on in.
Is it ok to use transmission oil?
use gear oil. a person did a test on all different kinds of chain lube, and gear oil did the best job.
just search "gear oil bike chain fortnine" in youtube
I've started using Squirt lube (wax based) after reading ppl sharing about it online. Did it the same way, link by link from the master chain ring. Lubed twice this way now, will probably do again soon since have been riding in some wet weather
The chain is usually soaped, I recommend Dove.
Just before the wintertime I degreased the chain and put the dry lube on it. I'd like to know if the lube still be inside the chain-links when I want to use my bike again after winter or do I have to degrease it and lubricate it once again?
I use hhs 2000 from wurth .. (liquid grease) ..spray it on after 10 minutes wipe the chain with a rag all good😊