To lube a bicycle chain, use wet lube if you live in a rainy or snowy climate, or use dry lube if you live in an arid climate. Dry the chain: Use a clean, dry rag to dry your chain well before you apply chain lube. A poorly maintained chain can hurt the efficiency of this energy transfer, making your bike ride less smooth and more strenuous! While degreaser rids the chain of grime, it also strips it of the very substance your chain needs. As David says, there are more methods than you can shake the proverbial stick at. You can use a bike degreaser that will help to remove any mud and thick dirt. Now use a bucket of clean water and brush to rinse all of the parts in the same order you cleaned them. Can I use WD-40 as a de-greaser on bike parts, such as the bike chain? There are those that are keener when it comes to cleaning their bikes as compared to others. Washing Cleaning your bike often will call for the use of more lube on the bike. REGISTER FOR TIPS & ADVICE. Cleaning your chain makes your bike work better, look better and it prolongs the life of the chain and gears. The use of cooking oil originated from the use of castor oil. I found its better to use a light cleaning kind of oil, like ProLink Gold. WD-40 & Chain degreasing . For the motorcycle chain lube to adhere to the chain, it needs to be applied to a dry surface. It can also be used to lubricate moving parts but temporarily. Before I applied it the first time I washed my chain and dried it. All you need is a soft brush and sponge and hot soapy water — the hotter the better for shifting greasy oily marks. Good repair stands allow rotating the bike 360 degrees, too, for inspecting all frame surfaces. There are varying strength degreasers but for a bike you don’t need the most invasive. Got any suggestions? Take your time to fully dry the chain and remove all of the chain cleaner prior to lubricating. In dry conditions it can arguably keep your chain cleaner longer than regular bike lubricants, because is less oily. The obvious solution to this is to clean them, but there's a lot of uncertainty as to what is best to use to do this - any product that leaves a residue can often end up making the problem worse. Step 3 Remove the chain from the cleaning solution. Know how to remove rust from the bike chain. Again, the real world answer is… it depends. Scrub the chain with a coarse brush or scouring pad. This stage is to brush and scrub the dirt, grease and grime off your bike chain. ... so it doesn’t get covered in crap and in winter just use water as most of whats on the chain is mud and not oil. Whatever kind of lube you use, make sure it's designed specifically for bike chains, and never use WD-40 since it evaporates quickly and can cause dirt and grime to build up on your chain. Cooking oil for my bike chain. Considering what your bike chain has to bear and how important the chain is. Routine use of degreaser on a chain prior to application of fresh lube as best practice is debatable. Once off the bike I put the chain in a plastic bottle with a little degreaser (I use white spirits, which is quite nasty but reusable -- just pour it back into a bottle and the dirt settles to the bottom) and give it a good shake (aka the Sheldon Shake). To be very clear – WD-40 will not ruin your bike chain. The question of how often should I degrease and lube my bike chain is a common question, especially when beginning. Wash the bike, not just the chain. Degrease The Bike Chain. Not doing the same will be a problem for your chain. I am on the verge of using WD-40 since it is lying around in my home and I heard it is a good chain cleaner (though not a good lubricant). If I’m re-building a bike with particularly ratty chain, I’ll remove it and let it soak in kerosene for some time. To degrease or not to degrease? It’s a great product not only for cleaning your bike chain, but also as your main lubricant. A super clean drivetrain rapidly reduces the rate of wear on your bike components. I finally ran out of bike chain cleaner, and I am thinking that I might be able to just use something that I already keep around the house instead of buying something just for this. Where many cyclists would perhaps degrease and clean their chains before re-adding lubricant, others may wish to use WD-40, which will clean you chain and add lubricant at the same time. You can use special chain degreasers or simply use degreaser from a kitchen. A 15min soak in 50/50 hot water, then a scrub with a golf club brush to get the remaining crud off. I use ProLink to chase the junk out of my chain, rag it off then put a coat of DuMonde Tech chainlube on there. Commuter, sportive rider or seasoned pro your bike is what makes you a cyclist. However, you could use it … I use Simple Green to degrease my bike chains. How to degrease and lube your chain Navigation: ... We guide you through the basics of bike anatomy, show you how to find your perfect position on the bike to maximise comfort and performance and how to maintain your bike to keep it running smoothly and efficiently. More at http://bikebook.si Got home after the ride and washed my bike and the chain again. Whether you use a bike repair stand or something homemade to hold your bike off the ground, it will make bike washing easier and faster. A bad day of cycling is better than a good day at work Work Truck - … You can use a specific rotor cleaner or rubbing alcohol to clean the rotors. We did a 60km and after about 30km the chain started squeaking. For chain lubes, if it is a road bike I would use the lightest chain lube possible. All that grit acts like sandpaper wearing your expensive components down. Follow that up by drying the bike … I imagine that any degreaser might work, but I'm … Pay attention to the chain, working the brush into the derailleurs and rubbing the links to dislodge lumps of dirt and oily grime. Getting too strong of a degreaser can cause coatings on your frame and parts to wear off as well as can be harmful to breath and touch. ... My chain gets wiped after almost every ride. Scrubbing. You can also use this as an opportunity to clean up your workstation, as by this point things are probably a bit gross. When you lube the chain, that trace of degreaser breaks down the lube in short order. Having the bike high keeps it closer to your eyes for better inspection and it saves you from having to bend over. I use Simple Green to degrease my bike chains. If you are mountain biking and getting into the mud, I'm a fan of both the T9 stuff and White Lightening. Bike-specific companies like Park Tool make brushes just for this purpose, and even devices that can fit over your chain to clean it. Step 2 Place the removed bicycle chain into the pan or plastic tub. Step 4 Place the chain back into the cleaning solution. The Pig Juice was initially intended as a ready-to-pour degreaser for use inside their Chain Pig chain cleaner, while the more viscous Degreaser 13 offers more power and sticks without dripping. The stage to degrease the bike chain is to clean the chain from any dirt and grease. There are a number of methods that you can make use of this purpose. If I want to clean my chain of dirt, is there a cheaper solution than using bike specific degreaser like Finish Line citrus degreaser etc? Applied the WD-40, wiped off the excess oil and went to ride the next day. This classic bicycle product is quick to use and will extend the life of your bicycle chain by keeping it lubricated and preventing corrosion. But any kind of cleaning or scrub brush will do just fine. I found out the hard way that this degreaser MUST … I used to use a disposable citrus cleaner and an expensive Teflon chain lube. We guide you through the basics of bike anatomy, show you how to find your perfect position on the bike to maximise comfort and performance and how to maintain your bike to keep it running smoothly and efficiently. applied the WD-40 again and wiped off the excess oil. Finish by scrubbing the chainstays, chain rings, cranks and cogs. The first thing that you will need to do, for the purpose of cleaning your bike chain, is degrease it so that it is free from gunk and grease. You can use hot water with dish soap, a solvent or a degreaser. With the right supplies and know-how, your bike chain could be clean in a half hour or less. Dirt and rust will quickly cover the chain leading to severe wear and tear damages. Add lube to your chain : Choose a bike lubricant that’s right for the conditions. I use the Park Chain Cleaner with ZEP Heavy Duty Citrus Degreaser, diluted 50% with water. Every bike that comes into my shop for repair gets the chain cleaned and lubed whether they pay for it or not. A 15min soak in 50/50 hot water, then a scrub with a golf club brush to get the remaining crud off. If you ride regularly then you should decrease and lube your bike’s chain at least once every month to maintain optimal performance. The stuff lasts just about forever. You can also dilute it to use as a general bike cleaner. Most bicycle mechanics don’t use WD-40 as a degreaser, Dawn dish soap, or Simple Green is often used, since they are less harsh. There are many cyclists who primarily use WD-40 and have had no issues. To ensure you have an easy, enjoyable ride, you should make sure that your bike chain is kept in good condition. 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