Chain maintenance

[Sunshine2021]

Hello

as I am a new ebike owner (and never did any maintenance on my bio bike) I am wondering about chain maintenance:
- how often / when to do it
- what needs to be done
- Oli (?) or wax - what is better

Thank you for getting me started !

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Technique first: You need to raise the rear of the e-bike so the rear wheel can spin freely. It can be the easiest done by a workshop stand (but it is expensive and takes space). The other possibility is standing your bike upside down but you need to be careful as not to destroy the display, etc. Now. You cannot spin the crank backwards as it is possible with a traditional bike. To make the chain move (so you can do maintenance), it is necessary to spin the rear wheel backwards.

How often? That really depends on what are your riding conditions (and if it was raining or you made the chain dirty because of any reasons).
If it rained, you should actually use some penetration fluid such as WD-40 on your chain, section by section, while rotating the wheel backwards. Dry the chain thoroughly with a rag. Then apply the lube (in form of oil or spray). If it is oil, only put a droplet of oil on each roller (the rest of the chain doesn't need to be lubricated). Then wipe all the outer surfaces of the chain dry. If you do not remove the excess of oil, your chain will attract the dust.

If it didn't rain, I would maintain the chain weekly or biweekly. Cleaning the chain with a rag and oiling is sufficient.

There are two type of bike chain lubes: for wet or dry weather. It is good to use the proper lubricant.
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The most important activity is measuring the chain stretch. It is the best to do it with a caliper (the best: digital one). Stretch the chain and measure the distance between centres of pin for consecutive 10 chain links. New chain: 127 mm. Chain to be replaced soon: 128 mm. Too late, small cassette cogs might got worn already: 129 mm.

 

[Coolbob]

Opinions on chain maintenance are a lot like bellybuttons, everyone has one. I made a YouTube video on my maintenance routine and here's the link for your consideration.

 

[Dallant]

Hello

as I am a new ebike owner (and never did any maintenance on my bio bike) I am wondering about chain maintenance:
- how often / when to do it
- what needs to be done
- Oli (?) or wax - what is better

Thank you for getting me started !

Park Tools does great videos on bike maintenance.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Opinions on chain maintenance are a lot like bellybuttons, everyone has one. I made a YouTube video on my maintenance routine and here's the link for your consideration.

And just to think Bob I made the full maintenance on my Vado chain today only to discover later the chain needed replacing because of the 0.5% stretch mark...

 

[m@Robertson]

I like to service my chain as part of a trip to a local park. Turn it into another excuse for a bike ride. Sitting on a picnic bench, I have the bike in front of me as I sit backwards facing away from the table. I can reach a length of the chain and work on that, then I roll the bike backwards (which rolls the entire drivetrain, chain included), then forwards a few times, repeating the process until a new length of chain is in front of me, whereby I clean it and repeat until I've got it all. Drop a chain checker on it and take a peek, too.

I have a bike stand and I could do the chain maintenance in a more straightforward/traditional fashion, but I would rather make it a part of a ride. The bottle of cleaner and rag come along in a little ziploc bag no problemo.

Some folks remove the chain, do an ultrasonic clean and then wax the chain, get it blessed by the parish priest etc. I'm not that guy. I use Rock and Roll Gold in summer and Rock and roll Extreme in the wet months. Its a combination solvent and lube. You squirt on, wipe the chain thoroughly with a rag and move to the next length of links. If I have crud on the cogs and pulleys, I scrape that off, usually (carefully!) with a screwdriver tip and a rag wipe. Front chainring gets only a wipe. No metal on metal there. A couple weeks later whether it needs it or not, I do it again. the two bikes I am riding have 2000 and almost 1000 miles on them and chains and clusters are still going strong. I can expect to get 3000 before I replace cluster and chain together, if history repeats itself.

 

[Rincon]

I use GraphenLUBE. You only need to relube the chain every 1,100 miles (1,800km). Plus it adds 10 watts of power going up hills. It's like an e-bike. Sometimes I don't even pedal uphill. I just kind of float up. Best chain lube ever.

 

[kahn]

I use GraphenLUBE. You only need to relube the chain every 1,100 miles (1,800km). Plus it adds 10 watts of power going up hills. It's like an e-bike. Sometimes I don't even pedal uphill. I just kind of float up. Best chain lube ever.

Do you apply it to your chain or drink it?

 

[jimk]

I use GraphenLUBE. You only need to relube the chain every 1,100 miles (1,800km). Plus it adds 10 watts of power going up hills. It's like an e-bike. Sometimes I don't even pedal uphill. I just kind of float up. Best chain lube ever.

Or wear it as cologne?

 

[JLCGreen]

Wow you guys are great! I was just thinking I might need to do some maintenance on my bike (I'm close to 500 miles) and voila.

 

[kahn]

Wow you guys are great! I was just thinking I might need to do some maintenance on my bike (I'm close to 500 miles) and voila.

And we have a tonic, electrolyte replacement, cologne and chain lube all in one!

 

[kahn]

I use GraphenLUBE. You only need to relube the chain every 1,100 miles (1,800km). Plus it adds 10 watts of power going up hills. It's like an e-bike. Sometimes I don't even pedal uphill. I just kind of float up. Best chain lube ever.

edit: Oh, I see they have a video of the entire procedure.

(Okay, how do you use it? Apply like oil/lube or remove chain and soak in this stuff?)

 

[ActionJackson]

I use GraphenLUBE.

That nozzle looks suspiciously like a Preparation H applicator.

 

[kahn]

View attachment 94294
That nozzle looks suspiciously like a Preparation H applicator.

I guess that stuff could smooth things along.

I just want to know if this stuff is really worth the price of gold?

 

[PedalUma]

I did a bike today in alternative way, because I am always trying new stuff so I can screw up Early and Often as part of the learning curve.
I cleaned the chain using Turtle Wax, Spray and Wipe. Normally I just use a spray bottle with soapy water. Then I used Muc-Off dry lube. It is dry in California and I do not want to attract road grit. This lube is waxy not petroleum. It is VITAL to clean the roller guides of a derailleur and the chainring teeth or you will never get your wipe rag running white. Soapy water with a water rinse is great for the rear gears, provided that it is low pressure. You do not want water penetrating the seals of bearings. If you have junk on the handlebar such as a bell or display adjust it so the grips are up. Then flip the bike upside down. Cut a section to fit around the seat post of cardboard to catch any drips. This works better than a pro workstand when cleaning a chain. A clean chain will make all the difference. I change chains like racecar drivers who want to win change their spark plugs. To win against more powerful bikes this week I used fishing reel lube on one chain, slick stuff that is water resistant for our costal morning drizzle.

 

[Prairie Dog]

I employ a similar method with respect to quick and relatively thorough cleanings of the drive train between every other ride but I don’t bother using a water hose but do use my trusty Park workstand. I remove the rear wheel and use a bucket of soapy water and a soft brush to remove any grime from the cassette then spray any trace of water away with compressed air.

I have several old tooth brushes and firmer one for cleaning the rear pulley/tensioner. I then snap on my Park Dummy Hub and attach a Velo chain cleaning tool with some diluted de-greaser and back pedal until the solution begins to look clear. This might involve a couple of sessions depending on how dirty the chain is. Both sides of the front chain ring only need a wipe down with a rag dampened with de-greaser. A simple spritz of compressed air along the chain and wipe down with a dry clean rag does the trick.

When back pedaling during cleaning and also when applying lube along each link, I use an old hex key wrapped in masking tape and insert it into one of the openings on the spider. The KMC missing link is gold colored which makes a good reference point when lubricating the chain. Muc-Off Dry works for me too.

 

[ActionJackson]

After reading this thread, as a matter of practicality, I’m thinking I will just take my bike to the Specialized shop for regular maintenance. I don’t have a private garage or a shed to keep dozens of ointments and concoctions along with the gadgets, so maybe it will cost less overall to outsource it like I do my car maintenance.

 

[kahn]

After reading this thread, as a matter of practicality, I’m thinking I will just take my bike to the Specialized shop for regular maintenance. I don’t have a private garage or a shed to keep dozens of ointments and concoctions along with the gadgets, so maybe it will cost less overall to outsource it like I do my car maintenance.

I like that attitude. I recall being suckered in by a friend to come over her house and clean my chain - what a pain-in-the-ass mess. But I also realize that I probably won't take it in as often as I should. And with the local bike shop in such demand, it might be more downtime than I would appreciate.

 

[Rincon]

edit: Oh, I see they have a video of the entire procedure.

(Okay, how do you use it? Apply like oil/lube or remove chain and soak in this stuff?)

I tried a couple of different ways. On a new chain I followed absoluteBLACK’s recommendations and cleaned the chain in mineral spirits, let it dry for 24 hours, then soaked it in GRAPHENLube. Worked like a charm. Rode 300 miles of mostly gravel in dry conditions and it didn’t need any lube, but I got bored and dropped more on the links – so I’m not sure how long it would have gone.

On a kind-of-new chain that needed re-lubing every 160 miles or so, I just dropped GRAPHENLube onto the dirty links. It needed lube again in about 160 miles. Relubed with GRAPHENLube a second time. It went about 220 miles. Third time it went about 300 miles. I’m on the fourth lube at this point and I’ve totally lost track of the miles. Must be at least 600 miles. Maybe 800 or more. This is my Zwift bike. I ride it 4-5 times a week. My wife rides it too. The chain is still quiet like it was just lubed.

GRAPHENLube works. Tadej Pogačar just won the Tour de France with it for the second year running. I like it for the opposite reason: I’m lazy. I don’t have to oil my chain as often. That part of it works.

I‘m now using it on three bikes. Two chains got the full mineral spirit cleanse and deep GRAPHENLube soak. After the soak you pour the lube back into the bottle. All told I still have about 1/2 of the bottle left. I expect it will last into 2022. Not terrible economics.

 

[BioWheel]

Just adding to the chain cleaning confusion. I use Simple Green cleaner in a spray bottle and just spraying the solution on the chain cleans it pretty well. I also use a small brush for any pieces of debris that become lodged in the sproket. Then, I just lube with 3 in 1 brand oil for the lube and works well. Vado SL is my first eBike but I do get about 3k miles out of road bike chain using this system and that works for me.