The rest of the bike - almost every ride as it’s Ti and it cleans very easily. Once a year before putting it away for the winter (if you put it away for the winter!)? A tip - centralise your chain on the cassette before back-pedalling to run the chain through the rag. Wow, that's quite a cleaning routine and you don't degrease what so ever or does "deep clean" count as degrease? I use cloth. I then apply a Dupont dry film lube (approved for O rings) to lube the rings. Happy cycling! Wash the rest of the bike. Your bike chain will gradually wear with use and will need changing from time to time in order to maintain your drivetrain’s performance. The chain is almost always in motion and under constant tension, bearing against other parts in the drive train. Follow the manufacturer’s application instructions. How to clean your bike chain and drivetrain in just five minutes. If your bike has one of these chains, you’ll need to keep a closer eye on it for wear and attend to it more often. I was under the impression that every time I cleaned I had to degrease. If it's been thru mud it's best to clean before it dries. Keeping your bike chain clean and lubed is the best way to extend the life of your drivetrain, keep your bike shifting smoothly, and save money in the long run. While it’s one thing to know how to clean bike chain, regular maintenance for your bike is important, regardless of how dirty it looks. You do this by slowly turning the pedals backward to move the chain a section at a time so you can clean it by either spraying on the solvent as you wipe down the chain with an old rag or by wiping down the chain with a rag that is saturated with the solvent. A forum for folks with questions about bicycle repair. I've been told once a month, I've been told it depends on how long I ride for and what environment I ride through. Spin in a rag(s) til nothing comes off of the chain. This chain will require the most maintenance because it doesn’t have any way of keeping itself internally lubricated like an O-ring chain does. Follow up question: is ceramic lube any good? You can also use the bike chain cleaner or brush. There are many schools of thought about how to properly clean a chain - ask 10 bike mechanics and you’ll probably get 8 different opinions. At the most basic level, you’ll need: A bucket; Bike cleaner Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. Press J to jump to the feed. A super clean drivetrain rapidly reduces the rate of wear on your bike components. Do this for about 45 seconds or until the chain feels dry to the touch. I clean my chains when I pressure wash the bike but I use plain water in a low pressure electric pressure washer. I have an expensive bike so I give it clean after every messy ride, the canal paths will get your bike dirty coming into autumn. We welcome bicyclists of all skill levels including those who don't yet own a bike. Bike Chain Maintenance. Ask us your questions or meetup with other redditors in your area for local rides. By "clean" do you mean "wipe chain with a cloth and re-lube" or "de-grease chain in a bottle of solvent and re-lube"? Press J to jump to the feed. I ride 20miles round trip to work and back. Worn chains shift poorly, wear sprockets quickly, and sometimes break. “For chain replacement we do not state 'every x kms' as this is not possible,” says SRAM. Either with the chain on the bike or by removing the chain from the bike. Spray, sit for a few minutes, wipe, spray again, wait a min, wipe any excess. If you notice your bike chain is excessively dirty and grimy, with a crust of dirt and environmental sludge, it’s probably time to clean your chain. Ah ok, I do 8 miles a day, so just a quick wet rag rub down and relube will do it? The majority of the time you’ll get away with the first option. There can be alot of dust on dry days and alot of mud on rainy days not to mention the wind as it's right by a huge river plus potholes from lorries. On the other hand, chain holes get clogged with oil, dust, and stain after a certain period of time. Go home after work. Definitely lube the bike after cleaning the drivetrain, or after riding in the rain. Clean it whenever it looks like it needs it? I think they say you should do it basically every 30-50 miles... but probably do it closer to every 100 or if I get really gunked up. If you spend a lot of time riding in wet, muddy conditions, or if you ride hard, fast and often, plan to clean your bike more frequently. Non-Sealed Chains. Just a few drops of lube should be enough, unless you ride on very dirty roads. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. I don't over lube either, one drop per link and I wipe off the excess with a rag. If it's been thru mud it's best to clean before it dries. Before you get started, make sure you’ve got all the right tools, you will need: What you’ll need. Amateurs don’t have pro mechanics cleaning and prepping their bikes for the next day. If you cycle regularly or routinely ride in wet conditions or on dirty roads, you should clean and lube your bicycle chain every week or at least fortnightly. Just run the chain backward several spins. All on Birmingham canals, my mtb get caked in mud. So when should you change your chain? You can also take a 5-minute spin around the block to help it dry faster. Friday, spray down bike chain with water. When it comes about cleaning gears and bike chain, you must need a good quality of the grease-remover solution, nailbrushes, cloths, and chain-lube in the beginning. I've been told once a month, I've been told it depends on how long I ride for and what environment I ride through. Because i do 100miles a week, once a month I'll get in with a degreaser. Let it sit on the chain for 5 mins (hint: go off and fill a bucket with soapy water for washing the bike). A buyer's guide to bike chains. Now take chain and use a Qtip to clean between the pins/plates. Rotate one of the pedals backwards so the chain runs through the rag. Let the chain soak until most of the … So, to avoid a serious mess, a broken bike, or even stained clothes, take a look at these rainy day bike maintenance rules. 5 Steps on How to Clean a Bike Chain Step One – Prepping the Cleaning Device. If it's a dry ride and the bike doesn't look dusty then it can go a few rides between cleans but keep the chain oiled. If it is just dusty, I'll just clean the chain and forgo a deep cleaning. Riding on a Tacx Neo the chain noise is the main sound you hear to its really easy to monitor it. If you’ve been riding in deep mud or clay, and the chain is literally caked with mud, there’s no way you’re going to be able properly clean it on the bike, you’ll have to remove it. I quickly clean, wipe, wet lube and dry 2 -3 a week. It’s something mentioned all too often in bicycle maintenance guides, but rarely correctly understood. The chain is also open and exposed to any elements that can damage it, including water and dirt. Some riders will make sure to clean the chain right after a ride in the rain, to get moisture off before rust can start forming. I mean like a full degrease, wash and relube. Every few months or so (more often for mountain bikes), completely remove your chain using a chain-removal tool. Don't forget that a clean bike is a fast bike (specifically when we talk about transmission). If former, after every longer/rainy/dusty ride or when the chain starts to squeak, whichever comes first. Takes 10 minutes and can be done after your last commute of the week. If you think your bike chain looks worn at any time, it’s important to simply throw it away and grab yourself a new chain, to avoid any risk of injuries. I wash my bike when it looks dirty but type of dirt matters too. How often you clean your drivetrain, and to what extent, will vary depending on your lube selection, riding conditions, and mileage. Check your manual to see how often you should clean and lubricate the chain on your motorcycle. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. Chainset - after every ride particularly if it’s been in any way wet. With your bike in position, apply solvent (something like WD-40 or isopropyl alcohol) to the chain. You'll like the ring chains, very little stretch and I get about a year between chain adjustments. A: Professionals clean their bike chains after every serious ride but were aware that this isn’t feasible for most people! It’s fun on all levels—that is, until you get home and have to clean up. David Fiedler. It really helps if you can provide pictures and/or video. I feel like once a month is too little cleaning, should I make it once a week or fortnight instead? My typical environment is through an industrial zone leading into some docks … Again emphasis on having the components oiled properly. I usually keep it to once a month but even after a week of riding I can run my finger along the chain and it's black with grimey oil. Wipe down braking surface with a wet paper towel. Keeping these two things in mind, you must proceed for the overall cleaning process.. And even if you don’t ride that often, performing a monthly chain cleaning is highly recommended. Once a year before getting it out for the new year? Regular cyclists will likely perform a chain cleaning every week or two, or at least once every 200 miles or so, depending on how much riding is … In terms of adding lube in between cleanings, every week or two should be fine, more often if the drivetrain is getting noisy. The most simple type of chain is a standard, non-sealed chain. Chain wear. As the saying goes, a clean bike is a fast bike. You can start by taking your chain cleaning device and filling it with a degreaser. Use dirt bike chain lube before each ride and after every wash. Now if it's dry lube in a rain storm I skip all the parts, dry and relube. You just need to take a commonsense approach when it comes to cleaning your bicycle chain. scrub with a brush. Of course, it's not a bad idea to do it more often if you're riding in wet or dirty conditions. A regular schedule of maintenance (monthly, weekly or more often depending on your type of riding) is important. There are different opinions out there. Of all the parts that make up a bicycle, the drive chain is among those that receive the most wear. As soon as I hear some noise, I give it some love as soon as I have time. Apply a dedicated chain lube that’s designed to avoid attracting dirt to the chain before each ride or race. No not everytime. Like others said, it depends on the type of grime. My routine was to run it through my chain bath cleaner once every other week depending on how filthy the conditions were, sometimes it was once a week. Do you clean it after every ride? Here’s a comprehensive guide on how to clean your bike (including how to clean the bike chain), which tools you need, and how to set it all up. Buy WD40 Bike degreaser and lube. Let it sit for about 5 to 10 minutes after so you know it’s fully dry before you lube it. Video: How to adjust a rear derailleur and index your gears. If it's winter and you're roads are salty wash it often and oil it appropriately. Brush it well and completely immerse it in a chain solvent to get rid of built-up grime that brushing can't remove. The cleaning process ranges from a simple wipe with a clean rag right through to a full degrease. Alternatively, the chain keeper can be used with a clip-on type chain cleaner device, such as the Park Tool CM-25 I reviewed recently. Check out the video below to see how easy it is to properly maintain your chain. Two wheels, or three, sometimes one, but never more than twenty. Repeat til Friday. Best Bike Chain Degreaser FAQ: Q: How often should I clean my bike chain? If latter, once per season is often enough. This translates into a need to clean and lubricate the chain more often. The amount of degreaser needed to fill the device should be written or displayed alongside the gadget. The chain is at the heart of the bike, says Rob McCreedie of Juice Lubes, and it's vital to keep it clean and well lubed through winter Clean and lube your chain as often as possible (Pic: Media24) A clean chain is needed to use the wax-based White Lightning’s Clean Ride lube. If it's winter and you're roads are salty wash it often and oil it appropriately. Just remember to keep your chain lubed and clean so you have a healthy drivetrain. I'm not a pro at any of this lol it's just what I've been doing after alot of research. How often should I clean my chain whilst taking my ride route into consideration. From what I've read, it sounds like it's a good year-round lube so you don't have to change between using dry lube in summer and wet lube in winter, and it requires less maintenance in general. After each ride, but it can be only a splash of water to remove dust or a 10min wash with bicycling shampoo when it's covered of mud. I let the bike tell me. Blast the chain and cassette with a hose/water, I then spray a bike cleaner on it it you dont have to. A bucket of warm water and a soap isn’t going to cut through the grease and grime here, what you need is specialist bike cleaning products. Dry with a rag then you will want to lightly use a wet oil then dry off again with a rag. Lucky for me, I love silence, and bike wrenching. I do this twice a week. If it's a dry ride and the bike doesn't look dusty then it can go a few rides between cleans but keep the chain oiled. 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