How to clean and lubricate the chain

How to clean and lubricate the chain

Why should I do it?

It is a good idea to clean and re-lubricate your bike regularly. This will:
  1. Keep you pedalling smoothly and efficiently.
  2. Help your chain to last longer.
  3. Prevent squeaking.

How often should I do it?

We recommend either:
  1. Once per week if you ride every day.
  2. Once per month if you ride a couple of times per week.
  3. Once every six months at a minimum if you ride less frequently.

How do I do it?

First remove the old lubricant with degreaser (the best option) or soap and water (often the easiest option), by:
  1. Turning the pedals backwards and carefully spraying at the upper surface of the return (lower) run of the chain with degreaser or by cleaning it with a soapy sponge.
  2. Rinsing the chain with water to remove any residual degreaser or soap.
  3. Reapply either wet or dry chain lubricant to the chain (wet lube for mostly wet conditions and dry lube for mostly dry conditions), following manufacturer's instructions (generally these are to make sure that you get the lubricant into the moving parts of the chain an don't apply too much).
  4. Removing excess lubricant with a rag.

FLIT-16 lubricating chain

What if I don't do it?

All chains wear (this is sometimes called chain stretch). Dirty chains wear faster, particularly in gritty conditions. Once your chain reaches a certain level of wear, it will start to wear down the cogs on the motor and by the pedals (the sprocket and chainring). Eventually, they will wear enough that the chain will begin to 'skip' or the chain will simply snap from wear.

When the cogs wear down because of a very worn chain, you will need to replace both cogs and the chain. This is much more expensive than simply replacing the chain. Keeping the chain reasonably clean and replacing it before it becomes too worn will help to save a bigger maintenance job in the future.

You can check for chain wear using a standard bicycle chain checker tool.