Are You STILL Lubricating Your Bike Chain Incorrectly?
Summary
TLDRThis video covers common mistakes in bike chain lubrication and offers advice on how to avoid them. It explains the importance of shaking lubricants, allowing dry lube time to evaporate, and cleaning chains regularly, especially when using wet lube, which tends to attract dirt. The video emphasizes the need to avoid over-lubricating or applying lube on dirty chains, which can accelerate drivetrain wear. Proper lubrication involves cleaning the chain, applying the lube to individual rollers, and wiping off excess. Different lubes have different properties, so it's essential to choose the right one and follow manufacturer recommendations.
Takeaways
- 🚲 Always shake your chain lubricant before use, as it helps mix the wax (for dry lube) or oil (for wet lube) with the liquid carrier.
- ⌛ Dry lube requires time to evaporate after application, so avoid applying it right before a ride to prevent attracting dust.
- 🌧️ Wet lube, being oil-based, doesn't need time to dry and can be used right away. It's more water-resistant but attracts more dirt.
- 🧼 Clean your chain regularly if using wet lube, as it picks up dirt and can create a grinding paste that damages your drivetrain.
- 🚿 Never apply lubricant to a dirty chain. Doing so traps dirt, creating a grinding effect that wears down the drivetrain.
- 🆕 Clean new chains before installation to remove factory grease, which attracts dirt and grime, leading to a buildup of black gunk.
- 🔧 Different lubricants behave differently with dirt, so if you notice excessive dirt buildup, consider switching to a higher-quality lube.
- 🎯 Focus lubrication on the chain rollers (the moving parts), not the outer chain links, as excess lube on the outside will attract dirt.
- 💧 Use minimal lube, applying only one drop per roller, then wipe off any excess to prevent attracting dirt.
- ✅ The best practice for chain lubrication: start with a clean chain, apply lube to individual rollers, and follow manufacturer recommendations for drying time if using dry lube.
Q & A
What is the main issue with not shaking your chain lubricant before use?
-If you don't shake the lubricant, the wax and the liquid carrier may not mix properly, causing you to apply only the carrier to your chain without the lubricating wax, which diminishes the lubricant's effectiveness.
Why shouldn't you apply dry lube right before a bike ride?
-Dry lube needs time for the liquid carrier to evaporate, leaving the lubricating wax on the chain. If applied right before a ride, the liquid can gather dust and dirt, reducing its effectiveness in protecting the chain.
How is wet lube different from dry lube in terms of application?
-Wet lube is oil-based and doesn’t require drying time like dry lube. You can apply it and ride immediately, and it also offers better water resistance for wet conditions.
What is a common mistake when using wet lube?
-A common mistake is not cleaning the chain often enough. Wet lube can attract dirt, grit, and mud, which can create a grinding paste that wears down the drivetrain if not cleaned regularly.
Why is it important to apply lubricant to a clean chain?
-Applying lubricant to a dirty chain can trap dust and dirt, creating a grinding paste that accelerates drivetrain wear. A clean chain ensures the lubricant can properly protect the chain.
Why should you clean a new chain before applying lubricant?
-New chains often come with factory grease, which protects the chain but also attracts dirt and grime. Cleaning this grease off before applying your preferred lubricant prevents dirt buildup.
What could cause black gunk buildup on a chain, and how can you prevent it?
-Black gunk buildup could be caused by not cleaning the chain frequently enough or using low-quality lubricant that attracts dirt. Regular cleaning and using a high-quality lube can prevent this issue.
Is it necessary to lubricate the outside of the chain?
-No, only the rollers of the chain need lubrication. Excess lubricant on the outside of the chain should be wiped off to prevent it from attracting dirt and dust.
How should you apply lubricant to each roller of the chain?
-Shake the lubricant well, apply one drop to each roller of the chain while turning the crank backward, and make sure to wipe off any excess lubricant from the outer chain plates.
How often should you check and relubricate your chain?
-You should regularly check your chain to see if it needs cleaning or relubrication. If the chain becomes dirty, clean it and reapply lubricant to ensure smooth operation.
Outlines
🚴 Common Mistakes When Lubricating Your Bike Chain
The speaker highlights common mistakes cyclists make when lubricating their bike chains. While many people follow correct lubrication practices, errors such as not shaking the lubricant properly, applying it just before a ride, or not allowing dry lube to evaporate can reduce its effectiveness. For dry lube, the wax needs time to evaporate, or it can attract dust, reducing chain protection. Wet lube is oil-based and doesn't need evaporation time, but can collect dirt if not cleaned regularly, causing drivetrain wear.
⚙️ Why Cleaning Your Chain Before Lubricating is Crucial
Applying lubricant to a dirty chain is a common but harmful practice. Lubricating over dirt encapsulates debris, creating a grinding paste that accelerates wear on your drivetrain. Even new chains need cleaning because they come coated in factory grease, which can accumulate grime. Using a degreaser is necessary before applying high-quality lubricants, ensuring better performance and easier cleaning in the future.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Dry Lube
💡Wet Lube
💡Carrier
💡Evaporation
💡Factory Grease
💡Grinding Paste
💡Degreaser
💡Chain Rollers
💡Over-application
💡Drivetrain
Highlights
Common mistakes in lubricating a bike chain that can reduce its effectiveness.
Dry lube is wax-based and suspended in a liquid carrier, requiring a good shake before use.
Applying dry lube right before a ride can cause it to gather dust since the carrier liquid needs time to evaporate.
Wet lube, being oil-based, doesn't need to dry, so it can be used immediately after application.
Wet lube lasts longer and is water-repellent but can pick up dirt, requiring frequent cleaning of the chain.
A common mistake is applying lube to a dirty chain, which can trap dirt and cause damage to the drivetrain.
New chains come with factory grease, which protects the chain but attracts grime, so it should be cleaned before applying lubricant.
If your drivetrain keeps producing black gunk, you may not be cleaning it enough, or you could be using low-quality lube.
It's best to apply one drop of lube to each roller in the chain, as these are the parts that need lubrication.
Excess lube should be wiped off the outer chain plates to avoid attracting dirt.
Lube should only be applied to the chain, not to the cassette, chainrings, or pulley wheels.
For dry lube, check the manufacturer's recommendations for drying time, which is typically overnight.
Wet lube allows you to ride immediately after application but still requires regular cleaning.
For best results, clean and degrease your chain before each lubrication to avoid encapsulating dirt.
Monitor your chain's condition, re-lubricate as needed, and clean it when dirty to maintain optimal performance.
Transcripts
we have done a number of chain
lubricating videos over the years but
advice changes and soda products and to
be honest I've seen people correctly
lubricate their bike but sometimes there
are common mistakes that crop up that
means they're not getting the best from
their actions so I'm going to go over
those mistakes with you today so that
hopefully you can avoid them in the
[Music]
future dry lube and often all weather
Lube is largely waxed based now the wax
is what's lubricating your chain but in
order for it to be in a liquid form it
needs to be suspended in a liquid
carrier so the first mistake I see being
made is people not shaking their
lubricant because if it's not mixed in
then you might just be applying carrier
to your chain and none of the wax the
next mistake I see being made with dry
lube is people applying it to the chain
immediately before a bike ride now the
problem with this is that dry lube needs
time to evaporate as we discussed the
wax is suspended in a carrier which
means that once you apply it it needs
time for that carrier to evaporate and
leave the wax behind now if you go out
and ride then it means there's this
liquid on your chain that may gather
dust and therefore work against what
your Lube is trying to do in protect
protecting your chain from that dust now
wet Lube is often oilbased and this will
need a good shake when you apply it as
well but because it's oilbased you won't
have to wait for it to dry out when you
apply it so you can apply it and go
straight away and that's great and also
wet Lube being oilbased means it'll last
a little longer than dry and it will be
highly water repellent as well so it's
great for foul weather however the
common mistake I see being made with wet
Lube is people not paying attention to
how often you need to clean your chain
with this being oilbased it will pick up
dirt and grit and mud and that can
create a bit of a grinding paste in your
drivetrain which if you don't clean it
often enough it will wear out your
drivetrain sooner so stay on top of
cleaning your chain if you're using wet
Lube regularly and don't over apply or
apply onto dirty chain I'll explain why
in a minute chain lubing maintenance is
really simple all you have to do is
clean your chain lubricate it and if it
gets dirty you repeat the process but I
see this mistake being made so often and
that is people lubricating onto a dirty
chain now the problem with this is that
the lube should be protecting your chain
from wearing out quickly but if it's
Gathering dirt and dust and your lubric
ating over that you could be
encapsulating that dirt and dust and
creating a grinding Pace that will wear
out your drivetrain sooner than you had
hoped so what you need to do is make
sure your chain is clean every time it
gets dirty and if you're buying a new
chain while it looks clean it does
actually still need cleaning before
putting on your bike the problem with a
new chain is that usually comes lined in
Factory grease and this grease is really
good at protecting the chain but it's
also really good at picking up dirt and
grime and the problem with that is that
often a black Gunk builds up on the
chain and the drive train and this will
need a strong Degreaser to remove it so
ideally you want to degrease this chain
before you put it on your bike so that
you can use a high quality lubricant
that can be removed by just using a bike
cleaner I think it's important to say
that not all Lube is made equally there
are different formulas and even
different oils they're inside things
like wet lube and they will behave
differently with dirt so if you have a
drivetrain that keeps creating that
black Gunk that we talked about earlier
chances are one of two things that's
happening here you're not cleaning your
bike often enough or you have a poor
quality Lube that is picking up that
dirt too easily and perhaps it's a good
idea to try something different when
that lube runs out now you don't need to
be a total nerd like me and apply one
tiny drop to one roller at a time but it
does help to do this method because it's
only the rollers that we want to
lubricate those are the moving parts we
don't need to lubricate the outside of
the chain indeed if you have lubricant
on the outside of the chain we should be
removing that anyway so that it doesn't
pick up dirt and dust along the way now
you can lubricate your chain and work
the crank backwards in order to speed up
the process but don't keep going around
and around because you'll just be
wasting product on that chain but if you
were in a rush and you did use this
method give it a minute to let the lube
sink into the rollers and then wipe off
the excess particularly from the outside
plates because otherwise you just going
to be gathering mud and dirt again and
also you don't need to be using your
Lube to lubricate anything other than
the chain you don't need to lubricate
the pulley or the cassette or the chain
ring for that matter so let's finalize
with the absolute best practice for
lubricating your chain first you want to
start with an absolutely clean chain to
make sure there's no dirt on there
already ideally degreased if you have it
then you need to find a point of
reference on your chain I like to use a
quick link if I have one and I'll Circle
that to the bottom of my bike and what I
will do is then get my lube make sure
it's really well shaken up and then I
will apply one drop to each individual
roller and keep going along the chain
and until I meet that link again and
that way I will know that every single
roller in that chain is lubricated and
then if I've used a dry lube I will
check the manufacturer spec to find out
how long it takes for that to dry with
Petes their ideal advice is to apply the
lube the night before and let it dry
overnight uh but if you have wet Lube
chances are you can just get riding
straight away and the next thing I will
do is to keep checking that chain to see
if it needs any
relubrication later along the way or if
it needs cleaning because if it's dirty
clean it and repeat anyway hopefully
that has been useful to you but let me
know down in the comments below if you
have any advice for our fellow gmbb and
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