Clean and lube your chain

Time 15 min Easy

A clean, lubed chain makes pedalling smoother and shifting crisper. It also makes the chain, cassette and chainrings last much longer. It is the most useful job you can do, and the easiest.

What you need

Chain lube (dry or wet, see below)
Two clean rags
Degreaser and an old toothbrush, if the chain is very dirty
Disposable gloves (optional)

Why

With every turn of the pedals, the chain's rollers pivot on their pins and rub against the teeth. Without oil, that friction wears the metal: the chain "stretches", skips on the sprockets, then wears out the cassette and chainrings, which cost far more than a chain. With too much oil, dust sticks and turns into an abrasive paste that wears everything just as fast.

So the goal is simple: oil inside the rollers, nothing on the outside.

When to do it

About every 200 km, or at least once a month. In fine weather on the road, a look every three rides is enough; in winter or on muddy mountain bike rides, clean it after every ride.
After a ride in the rain or mud, once the chain is dry.
As soon as the chain squeaks, or looks dry or orange.
More often on an e-bike: the motor's force wears the chain faster.

How a chain works

1 outer plate · 2 inner plate · 3 roller · 4 pin · 5 the drop goes on the roller, between the plates

A chain is a series of links: outer plates (1) and inner plates (2) joined by pins (4), around which the rollers (3) turn. The oil needs to get between the roller and the plates (5). On the plates it does nothing but collect dirt.

Choosing a lube

Type	Weather	Pros	Cons
Dry (wax, PTFE)	dry, dusty, road	stays clean, picks up little dirt	needs reapplying more often, washes off in rain
Wet	rain, winter, mud	lasts a long time, resists water	attracts dust, must be wiped well

Don't use cooking oil (it gets sticky as it dries), or a multi-purpose spray like classic "WD-40": it is a cleaner, not a lubricant.

Steps

1. Set up the bike

Lean the bike against a wall or put it in a work stand, drive side (the right-hand side) facing you. Shift to a gear in the middle of the cassette so the chain runs straight. No need to spin the wheel: when you pedal backwards, the chain moves while the bike stays put.

2. Wipe the chain

Grip the chain in a rag on the lower run and turn the pedals backwards about twenty times. Move the rag now and then to use a clean part.

If the rag comes out barely grey, skip straight to step 4.

3. Degrease it if it's very dirty

If the chain is black and sticky, or you can feel grit between your fingers, oil on top won't help. Apply degreaser to the chain, scrub with the brush while pedalling backwards, then rinse with plain water and wipe. Let it dry completely: water left in the rollers keeps the oil out.

4. One drop on each roller

1 lube bottle · 2 one drop on each roller, from the inside · 3 pedal backwards, slowly · 4 lower run

Hold the bottle above the lower run (1), inside the loop. Pedal slowly backwards (3) and put one drop on each roller (2). To know when you've gone all the way round, start at the quick link (the link with a different colour or shape), or mark a plate with a felt-tip pen.

5. Let it soak in

Keep pedalling backwards for about thirty seconds, shifting through a few gears to spread the oil, then leave it for 5 minutes (for a wax, follow the time on the bottle: often several hours).

6. Wipe off the excess

This is the step people forget, and the most important one. Grip the chain in a clean rag again and pedal backwards about twenty times. The useful oil is already inside the rollers: anything left outside only attracts dust.

Check it's done right

Pedalling backwards is quiet and smooth.
The outside of the chain feels dry to the touch, with no wet look or drips.
The rag from the last wipe comes out barely marked.

Common mistakes

Too much oil: one drop per roller is enough, the rest ends up as black paste.
Lubing a dirty chain: the oil carries the grit deep into the rollers.
Forgetting to wipe: the chain looks well oiled, and it's filthy after one ride.

What next

Oil slows wear down but doesn't stop it: a chain wears out and gets replaced, often between 2,000 and 5,000 km depending on care and terrain. Measure its stretch about every 1,000 km with a chain checker, and replace it at 0.5% on an 11- or 12-speed drivetrain, 0.75% on 10 speeds or fewer. Replaced in time, a new chain spares the cassette and chainrings; too late, they skip with the new chain and everything has to go. Log the job in your logbook so you know when it's due again.

Sources

This guide was checked against the following documents:

Values vary between models: your part's manual always takes precedence.