Hi Doddy, for a late beginner rider with a new Marin Wildcat 5 hardtail whose slightly anxious about learning how to maintain my bike appropriately, I really appreciate your detailed videos. I've learnt so much from watching them. Keep up the excellent work! Thank you!
Used to use dry lube all year, and just clean and relube as necessary / after every ride Now using wax lube, reapply every other ride after cleaning No need for wet lubes unless you are doing mega long rides in the wet, which I avoid....
with regards to putting the lube in the right place I go at GCN for this all the time... there's this effect called "gravity" which affects bike lube just as much as it affects every other liquid on the planet. There's another effect called "capillary action" which is also at play with regards to lubricating the rollers. when you put these two effects together suddenly it becomes obvious that it doesn't matter what side you butter your chain on. that single drop of lube is going to flow around to the other side of the roller whether you put it on the top or the bottom. if you apply it to the top run of chain, the droplet flows around to the underside of the roller. And as the chain goes around the chain rings and cassette so does that droplet stay on the bottom side of the roller even as the roller turns while in contact with the actual gearing. as soon as the droplet hits the gear, the excess lubricant will transfer to the gear. The important part is making sure that the droplet spans from one plate to the opposite plate across the roller this way you're ensuring that the capillary action takes place to carry that lubricant between the roller and the pin, and between the the inner and outer plates where they meet.
Yea I've just lubed my chain with this video in mind - the rollers roll as soon as you start moving the chain so makes no difference. Also he seems to spray bucket loads onto his chain, I did a drop per roller which was enough to completely cover it, any more and I'd just be filling the link spaces with lube which would go all over chainring/casette.
There’s also this thing called viscosity that affect how well gravity and capillary action move the lube around the chain. What you said is technically correct, but it ignores several very critical variables in the real world of people lubing their bike chains. They don’t always do a perfect job. Some do it quick and some take their time. Some crank the chain around fast and some dawdle it around slowly. Some put plenty of lube on and some put barely enough to not enough. When you’re talking about an impefect application of lubricant in the first place, you will always get a better application and better performance by applying the lube to the inner side of the chain, preciesely because of the factors you mentioned. It maximizes the efficacy of an imperfect application, which is what you’re going to get in the real world with real people doing the job. This is the difference between pure science/math, and engineering and things like actuarial math for warranties and legal liability exposures, etc. Your comment completely ignores the human element, which is odd because that element exists in 100% of all chain lube jobs that occur after the factory. You ignore it at your peril if you’re a manufacturer, OEM, or lubricant company, and that’s why they don’t ignore it. You as a cyclist are free to ignore it because you as a cyclist may have other compensating controls to negate its importance, but that doesn’t mean every other cyclist is doing the same. Good advice is good advice because it doesn’t take that factor for granted.
@@babybirdhome Interesting comments. Are there any controlled studies verifying that there is any significant difference between the results of using the the two methods?
This was such a fantastic video mate. I’m learning how to maintain my bike and I’ve bought all the stuff but wanted to know how to clean and lube the chain. You told this in such an understandable way and I feel confident in doing my chain for the first time. Cheers buddy, you’re a star.
Very straight forward simplistic but detailed approach to chain maintenance and lubing your chain. Really like the part about measuring your chain to save your cassette. Thank you 😊
The best and cheapest way I found to lube a chain is by dipping it in a coffee can with melted paraffin which covers the entire chain in a water-repellent anti-dirt sticking waxy layer. Dirt doesn't stick and it works in wet or dry conditions and best of all, paraffin is inexpensive. Sponsors use this type of RUclips channel to promote their uber-expensive products which only work in limited circumstances (in this case only in dry or wet conditions) which forces the consumer to spend twice as much money having to buy two expensive products instead of one that works in all situations. RUclipsrs, like politicians, get kickbacks for sponsoring expensive products and keep us from this type of valuable information. Many RUclips channels promote expensive alternatives at the expense of their viewers and avoid sharing information that benefit "The People". RUclips channels like this offer great information but viewers must discriminate between the commercial aspects embedded within.
@@Alex-xt9hn You don't need to be a rocket scientist to realize you need to remove the chain to put it in a coffee can...sheeze. A chain removal tool costs a few dollars, less than a bottle of solvent used to clean a chain and only takes a few minutes to remove. If you're mechanicaly challenged or just want convience and a simple off the shelf solution that won't be as effective as parafin then this method is not for you.
Problem with flushing with a corrosion inhibitor is that it may prevent the lube itself sticking properly if the inhibitor has an oil and you are using a dry , wax based lube on top . Best to dry it properly beforehand imhe.
I used a work stand today for the first time .. damn fine piece of kit to have in the garage .. I almost turned the bike upside down & then remembered it was delivered yesterday . Great video , appreciate the information .
This is a important for people getting familiar with maintaining their own mountain bikes. Especially getting used to checking your chain wear regularly. I want to chase someone down the street with a bottle of chain lube when I hear a a dry squeaky drivetrain!
Im not sold on bike lube beyond rust prevention. Oil attracts grit which accelerates wear. Dry lube can't stick to an oily chain. I just change my chain before it gets worn to protect the much more expensive cassette.
Used to do the whole shebang but decided not spent my time with cleaning, drying and lubing my chains any more (only after "wet rides" though). Got two additional chains and rotate them at 30% and 60% wear. Obviously, the ones stored away get properly cleaned and oiled, ready for the next rebirth. Saved me money for expensive special lubes and changing cassettes and sprockets for quite some Kms.
@@rocketassistedgoat1079 I guess there are 1001 reasons not to do it "my way" but after 20+ years mountain biking mostly in dry conditions (had been living in southern Spain for two decades, now Alps) I just got fed up with lubricating and cleaning over and over again ... and the trick about rotating the chains is an old but gold one.
I use motor oil.After i lube the chain i whipe it off with a cloth.If the chain is dirty clean it with a cloth then lube it.I do this once a month, it looks clean every time and it's cheap.
Motor oils have detergents in them to keep the inside of the engine clean. In my experience they are an excellent wet lube. They are very good in dry conditions too...if you like wiping your chain every 20k :)
All I do is soaking a rag with motor oil (any engine oil will do) and pulling the chain through it. That's it. Repeat every week on rainy conditions and every month on dry conditions. No special expensive chain oil needed and no degreaser or anything else. Motor oil has everything needed, it works not only as a lubricant but also as a detergent and rust inhibitor, it has anti wear components, too. In winter it's thin enough and in summer thick enough due to it's viscostiy improvers it comes with when it is a multigrade oil which every motor oil nowadays is. Like I said, everything ever needed is already in motor oil included. There is no cheaper and more effective way to take care of your bicycle chain. And if you wipe off excess oil your chain stays clean. Oil has a very high ability to crawl everywhere, wiping off the surface causes no problem to the lubrication as the oil finds its way to the places where it is needed. So even a dry wiped chain is still lubricated inside and the oil stays there as long as it is not washed out. A dirty chain is a chain not wiped off properly and therefore was still too oily.
Agreed. I stopped cycling in the 1990s, back then if you wanted a slight performance edge & didn't care about chain life or everyday use you boiled your chain in paraffin wax. Everybody else just used whatever mineral oil was available, 3-in-one was popular as it came in a handy tin & could be used for lots other stuff. Now I'm cycling again there appears to be an entire industry devoted to misinforming people about the simplest bike maintenance job there is & selling them expensive cr@p 😂
@@c.s.4273 surprised there isn't a bike oil literally called "snake oil", sure it'd sell if they paid enough useless waster RUclips influencers to promote it.
wow, the thing of putting the lube in the inner part of the chain was so obvious, yet I have never thought of that! thanks a lot, I will follow that way from now on
Hello I have few doubts about chain cleaning post every ride. The chain get murky after every ride. Does using a detergent on the chain surface removes the lubricant ? I also have a chain degreser. Do you recommend to decrease the chain after every ride since it's Monson season and the chain get murky after every ride ? Which is better using a lube spray or the liquid lube ? Your videos gives me a lot of knowledge and helps me understand my bike better and hence makes my rides more enjoyable. Kudos 🤘🤘
Yo Doddy, you didn’t mention anything about the Teflon All Weather Lube ( eg: Wilkinson’s) that I often use when the weather is well “mixed”. What say you?
Does corrosion inhibitor mean something like like WD-40? For example: Clean with chain degreaser/solvent, flush with water, spray with WD-40, wipe dry/let dry, lube.
What is the best solution for a bike that is ridden every day in wet and dry conditions? Where it is not practical to change lubricants every time the weather changes?
thanks alot. i still watch this "boring subject" with much interest. We ride in dry / wet condition - depending if it rains (there is really no season these days), after washing and drying, I use dry lube. just before going out if it is wet, i add on wet lube on the chain.
try out immersion waxing and you never ever go back to any liquid oily lube. A good paraffin wax formulation (with WS2 or PTFE or both) allows for minimal friction and stiction, does not trap dirt whatsoever and therefore makes the chain last many times longer and the cassette too. Same holds true for the chainring, especially aluminium chainrings are subjected to abrasion from the dirty oil film on the surface of the rollers. Abrasion leads to hook formation which eventually wraps the chain around the chainring. The best part of waxed chains is that you don't need to do anything until the next waxing after roughly 200km. And the process of rewaxing is a piece of cake: remove the chain (that's where Connex chains shine), drop it in boiling water, take it out (or drain the water), let it dry a while, put it in the liquid wax bath, take it out and put it back on the bike. no smudge, no dirty hands, negligible wear on your components. And no chance of contaminating your brakes.
I have trouble seeing the lubricant on my chain so the lubricant ends up overlapping on some of the links that I had just oiled a few seconds prior . I end up waisting expensive chain lubricant. Oh and yes I do have my glasses on when oiling the chain .
Immersive waxing is the only way to go. Light years above everything else. It keeps my chain spotless clean and I only have to rewax once a month or less.
Don’t want to use so many chemicals, like degreaser or water repellants or Teflon, don’t want to leave that in the forest mud. I use Rohloff Bio oel. I used muc off wet lub for some time but this gets very sticky. I even put the oil after bike wash on a not perfectly dry chain. I feel that the oil is displacing the water well. Never got corrosion issues on the chain. Here one week is dry the next is wet, so how would you change from dry to wet lubes. And even when it’s dry there is still mud in the forests. Therefore I only wet lubes.
Great and usefulI video as usual 👍🏻 but I keep wondering why GMBN is so sceptic about wax lube? Is it because Muc-Off hasn't got any? I switched to wax and it handles wet conditions perfectly, not just dry. As long as you apply it after every ride to maintain the wax build up. Also there is no need for applying it to an immaculate chain. Just clean off the little amount of dirt that sticks to the chain with a rag and apply the wax. Because it doesn't stick you can also run your chain over the entire cassette after applying it so the wax builds up on the cogs as well. Result: an even smoother and quieter drivetrain. Never had a more lasting, clean and smooth drivetrain before with ceramic lubes as I do now with wax.
I'm with you. I use hot wax, the diy-version 500g paraffin and 50g PTFE powder. It works perfect.Never picks up dust. 500km before i pour boiling water over it, and a fast re-dip. Can not measure any wear on a one year old chain.
I'm testing with a polymer spray meant for vehicle paint. My thoughts are it will work like waxing your chain.. only on an even thinner level. I've ceramic coated my matt black frame and fork and dirt just brushes off or gets knocked off while riding with ease. It's great. My hopes are that my chain will react similarly.
try spray some wd-40 into them and click through a bit, good to do this with your regular clean as it'll keep them shifting smoothly and displace any water inside them. Gmbn will tell you to buy the whole park tools catalogue to dismantle them and everything muc off sell to clean them.
#askGMBNtech in the episode of how to correctly lube a chain. Which is the better way of cleaning a chain, if it is on the drivetrain using a chain cleaner or off the drivetrain using an ultrasonic cleaner and other off the drivetrain methods?
Is there any benefit to brushing a light coating or whatever lube over a clean cassette? My thinking is that it would help a chain ride over the teeth while shifting, and the chain is going to deposit a small amount of lube over the teeth while it’s being used anyways, your just decreasing the amount of lube that leaves your chain
things like this is why i now understand why my chain locked up back around 2013 and i ended up with two fractured elbows, chain stretch, tho had no clue that was even a thing back then
I've quit wax lube. Now I use 'severely hydrotreated naphionic mineral oil.' I wipe the chain after lubing and after each ride. It wicks into the rollers instantly. My chain stays cleaner than it did with wax+ lubes. I have to relube each 30 miles or less. Expecting less chain wear with a healing lube film.
Go to the store and get a bottle of gear oil it will last the rest of your life and , makes you chain super quiet and smooth, doesn’t fling, lasts a long time, greatly protects from wear & rust , cheap and more effective than expensive chain lubes, also it’s what’s recommended by chain manufacturers for bikes and motorcycle chains for decades
So you don't apply any directly to the chain rings or derailleur? What about rotating through the gears before it dries Or do you just apply to chain and then leave it to dry?
@2:40 gave me an idea. If chain-stretch is caused by the rollers being worn and that in turn would cause the sprockets to wear on the wrong side... Wouldn't it save chains, cassettes and chainrings even more if two or three chains are regularly swapped? Less / slower chain stretch and the sprockets are regularly "exposed" to a "fresh", less worn chain so not wearing on the "wrong side".
The only thing stopping me, other than price, from buying a X01/XX1 cassette is that I would want to clean my drivetrain too much. I'm on my 3rd or 4th chain on an NX cassette that's still good and I don't do much but add lube and wipe down when needed. I like any process that increases how much I can ride ....like just slapping lube on quick and having a backup chain ready when it's too stretched. And I thought I watched another video where the guys do just that ....slap on lube real quick before a ride and head out, every time. It makes sense in the wet UK, though.
@@erichbachman7363 Make sure to let your teeth fully dry before you apply the toothpaste. Then let the toothpaste sit in your teeth for 10 minutes, have a cup of tea, then rinse them and drink orange juice.
I always clean my chain by using degreaser if needed and wipe with a rag og old t-shirt until it's show room clean, then I let it try, and come back to it and lubricate it.
I just had a new chain installed. The chain was coated with a sticky black lube and appeared dirty and was gritty feeling plus it left my fingers black.. The shop guy said it was a factory lube ... your thought?
What kind of spray was applied there when he was talking about the three steps and protecting the chain? At about 07:15. Maybe you could also help me with the german term for whatever that stuff is. I never did that up to now.. usually i would just wait a bit and maybe let it go through a towel to "dry" it
I would like to know what to do after applying degreaser to chain. I use Muc Off dry lube. Should I just wait until it supposedly evaporates, or rinse with water and dry chain with WD40, then apply lube. Also, is it ok to use ceramic the next time I lube chain after having used regular dry lube. And, how important is it to have a completely clean chain down to the metal to use dry lube after cleaning off wet lube with degreaser.. Hope I haven't driven you crazy with questions. I love your channel. Thanks
Explanation of "chain stretch" seems wrong. Rollers alone cannot explain why you have to tension chain from time to time on a single speed. I've actually disassembled few links on a heavily worn chain and found that inner plates "machined" grooves on the pins. These grooves allow chain to actually elongate.
Yep. Grooves in the pins from friction of the inner plates -- as well as the holes in those inner plates wearing/wallowing out (from the same friction that create the grooves in the pins), making the holes larger -- is what creates chain "stretch", i.e. chain pitch elongation
I just got here from another video of a really different drivetrain. I wonder how they feel like. It's called string bike, from what I see it's designed for commuter bike, but i wonder if they can be used for mountain biking purposes. Shifting even if you're not pedaling, now that would be nice! Doddy, what do you think about the string bike drivetrain?
Very good info; lots of useful stuff, here; typical Brit accent on this dude (I'm an American, although my ancestors come from a little place, ten miles north of the old center of London, a thousand years ago...ha ha ha...); and, seriously, is anyone crazy enough to ride a bike that fast, downhill, on those dirt trails, over roots and rocks, in the mud, in the rain?!? (Certainly not even ME, who was once TRULY certified...ha ha ha ha ha!) I flew downhill in the dark, a few nights ago, and wound up hugging a partially obscured STEEL GUARDRAIL, covered with weeds and vines--upside down, with a few extra cuts & bruises; I can only imagine what it'd be like losing control on one of those downhill mud-slalom runs, in the rain--not any more fun than that, I'm sure!
You do though, because if theres any dust or sand on it then it will compromise the wax coating, also getting your transmission completely oil free isn't that easy
@@eriksmuiznieks7403 not exactly, wiping the chain with a somewhat clean rag before waxing is enough in most cases ! No it's pretty easy juste do it when you change the chain
It's important for people that are actually looking this up because they genuinely know nothing about the mechanics of the chain NOT to skip the other parts leading up to this. many people who don't know how a chain works think that they're supposed to lubricate the surface of the roller and the surface of the sprocket. I remember being really surprised to find out that those were rollers on pins. similarly it wouldn't surprise me if most people don't know about narrow wide spacing, or cross-chaining, which unfortunately he did not mention.
Better & Better Trust me when I tell you, most people don’t geek out on bike tech like you and I. It’s better that people find the quick and easy answer and do it properly
Love the simple, logical, no-nonsense approach, covering all the important details like applying lube to the inside of the rollers.
Makes no difference which side you lube - when you rotate the chain they will roll and the lube will get in where it's needed
Awesome great advice 👍 thanks
Is it just me but every time he says lube “ I’m not thinking chains 🙈
Important additional tip particularly for dry ceramic lubes like the Mucoff C3 : SHAKE the bottle correctly before applying :)
Hi Doddy, for a late beginner rider with a new Marin Wildcat 5 hardtail whose slightly anxious about learning how to maintain my bike appropriately, I really appreciate your detailed videos. I've learnt so much from watching them. Keep up the excellent work! Thank you!
Used to use dry lube all year, and just clean and relube as necessary / after every ride
Now using wax lube, reapply every other ride after cleaning
No need for wet lubes unless you are doing mega long rides in the wet, which I avoid....
with regards to putting the lube in the right place I go at GCN for this all the time... there's this effect called "gravity" which affects bike lube just as much as it affects every other liquid on the planet.
There's another effect called "capillary action" which is also at play with regards to lubricating the rollers.
when you put these two effects together suddenly it becomes obvious that it doesn't matter what side you butter your chain on.
that single drop of lube is going to flow around to the other side of the roller whether you put it on the top or the bottom. if you apply it to the top run of chain, the droplet flows around to the underside of the roller. And as the chain goes around the chain rings and cassette so does that droplet stay on the bottom side of the roller even as the roller turns while in contact with the actual gearing. as soon as the droplet hits the gear, the excess lubricant will transfer to the gear. The important part is making sure that the droplet spans from one plate to the opposite plate across the roller this way you're ensuring that the capillary action takes place to carry that lubricant between the roller and the pin, and between the the inner and outer plates where they meet.
Yea I've just lubed my chain with this video in mind - the rollers roll as soon as you start moving the chain so makes no difference. Also he seems to spray bucket loads onto his chain, I did a drop per roller which was enough to completely cover it, any more and I'd just be filling the link spaces with lube which would go all over chainring/casette.
There’s also this thing called viscosity that affect how well gravity and capillary action move the lube around the chain. What you said is technically correct, but it ignores several very critical variables in the real world of people lubing their bike chains. They don’t always do a perfect job. Some do it quick and some take their time. Some crank the chain around fast and some dawdle it around slowly. Some put plenty of lube on and some put barely enough to not enough. When you’re talking about an impefect application of lubricant in the first place, you will always get a better application and better performance by applying the lube to the inner side of the chain, preciesely because of the factors you mentioned. It maximizes the efficacy of an imperfect application, which is what you’re going to get in the real world with real people doing the job. This is the difference between pure science/math, and engineering and things like actuarial math for warranties and legal liability exposures, etc.
Your comment completely ignores the human element, which is odd because that element exists in 100% of all chain lube jobs that occur after the factory. You ignore it at your peril if you’re a manufacturer, OEM, or lubricant company, and that’s why they don’t ignore it. You as a cyclist are free to ignore it because you as a cyclist may have other compensating controls to negate its importance, but that doesn’t mean every other cyclist is doing the same. Good advice is good advice because it doesn’t take that factor for granted.
And all this time I been using lard and sand!
@@babybirdhome This is the most detailed and informative comment so far. Great job.
@@babybirdhome Interesting comments. Are there any controlled studies verifying that there is any significant difference between the results of using the the two methods?
Simple things that people often get wrong. Thank you for clearing it up once and for all!
This was such a fantastic video mate. I’m learning how to maintain my bike and I’ve bought all the stuff but wanted to know how to clean and lube the chain. You told this in such an understandable way and I feel confident in doing my chain for the first time. Cheers buddy, you’re a star.
Very straight forward simplistic but detailed approach to chain maintenance and lubing your chain. Really like the part about measuring your chain to save your cassette. Thank you 😊
25+ years mountain biking and just learned ive been doing it wrong. Thank you😀
You’re honestly is awesome! You should run for president 🤔🏆🏆🏆
The best and cheapest way I found to lube a chain is by dipping it in a coffee can with melted paraffin which covers the entire chain in a water-repellent anti-dirt sticking waxy layer. Dirt doesn't stick and it works in wet or dry conditions and best of all, paraffin is inexpensive. Sponsors use this type of RUclips channel to promote their uber-expensive products which only work in limited circumstances (in this case only in dry or wet conditions) which forces the consumer to spend twice as much money having to buy two expensive products instead of one that works in all situations. RUclipsrs, like politicians, get kickbacks for sponsoring expensive products and keep us from this type of valuable information. Many RUclips channels promote expensive alternatives at the expense of their viewers and avoid sharing information that benefit "The People". RUclips channels like this offer great information but viewers must discriminate between the commercial aspects embedded within.
need to take chain off. most people don't have tools
You should have mentioned that you need to take the chain off. Complete waste of time when there are alternatives.
@@Alex-xt9hn You don't need to be a rocket scientist to realize you need to remove the chain to put it in a coffee can...sheeze. A chain removal tool costs a few dollars, less than a bottle of solvent used to clean a chain and only takes a few minutes to remove. If you're mechanicaly challenged or just want convience and a simple off the shelf solution that won't be as effective as parafin then this method is not for you.
Ain't nobody got time for that
Yeah man, I keep my coffee can and petroleum right behind my sky hooks and cans of compression.
Problem with flushing with a corrosion inhibitor is that it may prevent the lube itself sticking properly if the inhibitor has an oil and you are using a dry , wax based lube on top . Best to dry it properly beforehand imhe.
I used a work stand today for the first time .. damn fine piece of kit to have in the garage .. I almost turned the bike upside down & then remembered it was delivered yesterday . Great video , appreciate the information .
Very informative, no chit-chat, and gave me a good overview of lubricants a an added bonus.
I may give it a go, the dry stuff looks interesting and appropriate, I am still using GT 85 on my chain which is very generic nowadays
GT85, still the best.
Great video Doddy, as always. Keep em coming.
This is a important for people getting familiar with maintaining their own mountain bikes. Especially getting used to checking your chain wear regularly. I want to chase someone down the street with a bottle of chain lube when I hear a a dry squeaky drivetrain!
Im not sold on bike lube beyond rust prevention. Oil attracts grit which accelerates wear. Dry lube can't stick to an oily chain. I just change my chain before it gets worn to protect the much more expensive cassette.
He says this at 7:40
I rode for many years. Every day is a school day. Many thanks great straightforward video.
Heads up: Some dry lubes recommend 3-4 hours dry time, Silca has a wax biased dry lube that recommends 24 hours of dry time.
Thanks
Used to do the whole shebang but decided not spent my time with cleaning, drying and lubing my chains any more (only after "wet rides" though). Got two additional chains and rotate them at 30% and 60% wear. Obviously, the ones stored away get properly cleaned and oiled, ready for the next rebirth. Saved me money for expensive special lubes and changing cassettes and sprockets for quite some Kms.
That's thinking outside the box!
@@rocketassistedgoat1079 I guess there are 1001 reasons not to do it "my way" but after 20+ years mountain biking mostly in dry conditions (had been living in southern Spain for two decades, now Alps) I just got fed up with lubricating and cleaning over and over again ... and the trick about rotating the chains is an old but gold one.
Gr8 idea.
I use motor oil.After i lube the chain i whipe it off with a cloth.If the chain is dirty clean it with a cloth then lube it.I do this once a month, it looks clean every time and it's cheap.
I think I have made everyone of those mistakes. Thanks for sharing this with us.
Thanks for a straight forward NO nonsense video. LOVE IT !
Doddy is a beast. Wealth of knowledge 👏
Motor oils have detergents in them to keep the inside of the engine clean. In my experience they are an excellent wet lube. They are very good in dry conditions too...if you like wiping your chain every 20k :)
Motor oils are expensive and for this purpose over engineered.
All I do is soaking a rag with motor oil (any engine oil will do) and pulling the chain through it.
That's it.
Repeat every week on rainy conditions and every month on dry conditions.
No special expensive chain oil needed and no degreaser or anything else.
Motor oil has everything needed, it works not only as a lubricant but also as a detergent and rust inhibitor, it has anti wear components, too. In winter it's thin enough and in summer thick enough due to it's viscostiy improvers it comes with when it is a multigrade oil which every motor oil nowadays is.
Like I said, everything ever needed is already in motor oil included.
There is no cheaper and more effective way to take care of your bicycle chain.
And if you wipe off excess oil your chain stays clean. Oil has a very high ability to crawl everywhere, wiping off the surface causes no problem to the lubrication as the oil finds its way to the places where it is needed. So even a dry wiped chain is still lubricated inside and the oil stays there as long as it is not washed out.
A dirty chain is a chain not wiped off properly and therefore was still too oily.
Agreed. I stopped cycling in the 1990s, back then if you wanted a slight performance edge & didn't care about chain life or everyday use you boiled your chain in paraffin wax. Everybody else just used whatever mineral oil was available, 3-in-one was popular as it came in a handy tin & could be used for lots other stuff. Now I'm cycling again there appears to be an entire industry devoted to misinforming people about the simplest bike maintenance job there is & selling them expensive cr@p 😂
@@papalegba6796 So true. People still believe in snake oil as long as it is expensive enough.
@@c.s.4273 surprised there isn't a bike oil literally called "snake oil", sure it'd sell if they paid enough useless waster RUclips influencers to promote it.
I use synthetic automatic transmission fluid… works like a champ
Me too ! Very hard to beat
Very informative. Wish I knew these things years ago.
wow, the thing of putting the lube in the inner part of the chain was so obvious, yet I have never thought of that! thanks a lot, I will follow that way from now on
Thanks Doddy, really good video well explained 👍 understand much more better keep up the good work.
Hello I have few doubts about chain cleaning post every ride. The chain get murky after every ride.
Does using a detergent on the chain surface removes the lubricant ?
I also have a chain degreser.
Do you recommend to decrease the chain after every ride since it's Monson season and the chain get murky after every ride ?
Which is better using a lube spray or the liquid lube ?
Your videos gives me a lot of knowledge and helps me understand my bike better and hence makes my rides more enjoyable. Kudos 🤘🤘
Great tips doddy
Yo Doddy, you didn’t mention anything about the Teflon All Weather Lube ( eg: Wilkinson’s) that I often use when the weather is well “mixed”. What say you?
Does corrosion inhibitor mean something like like WD-40? For example: Clean with chain degreaser/solvent, flush with water, spray with WD-40, wipe dry/let dry, lube.
What is the best solution for a bike that is ridden every day in wet and dry conditions? Where it is not practical to change lubricants every time the weather changes?
thanks alot. i still watch this "boring subject" with much interest. We ride in dry / wet condition - depending if it rains (there is really no season these days), after washing and drying, I use dry lube. just before going out if it is wet, i add on wet lube on the chain.
try out immersion waxing and you never ever go back to any liquid oily lube. A good paraffin wax formulation (with WS2 or PTFE or both) allows for minimal friction and stiction, does not trap dirt whatsoever and therefore makes the chain last many times longer and the cassette too. Same holds true for the chainring, especially aluminium chainrings are subjected to abrasion from the dirty oil film on the surface of the rollers. Abrasion leads to hook formation which eventually wraps the chain around the chainring.
The best part of waxed chains is that you don't need to do anything until the next waxing after roughly 200km. And the process of rewaxing is a piece of cake: remove the chain (that's where Connex chains shine), drop it in boiling water, take it out (or drain the water), let it dry a while, put it in the liquid wax bath, take it out and put it back on the bike. no smudge, no dirty hands, negligible wear on your components. And no chance of contaminating your brakes.
Agree, the only correct way as proven.
I don't ride much but I found this very informative. Thanks.
I have trouble seeing the lubricant on my chain so the lubricant ends up overlapping on some of the links that I had just oiled a few seconds prior . I end up waisting expensive chain lubricant. Oh and yes I do have my glasses on when oiling the chain .
Easy cleanup , came as described fast. Great product
Thank you for the very well put together how to and straight to the point video. I see you like Muc-off products, So do I 😊
Would using a chain cleaning device (eg. Park tool) with liquid WD-40 in the bath bit be a good way of cleaning the chain ? Oiling after it has dried.
wait...so you don't wipe off excess dry lube right after application?
Cheers Doddy, you’re the man! Appreciated.
Very good video, simple and easy to follow guidance and covered all aspects. 👍
Nice video I've been waiting for this
Before watching, I thought why this video needs to be 12 mins? Didn't think there was much to it, but boy it does. Thank you
Immersive waxing is the only way to go. Light years above everything else. It keeps my chain spotless clean and I only have to rewax once a month or less.
Don’t want to use so many chemicals, like degreaser or water repellants or Teflon, don’t want to leave that in the forest mud. I use Rohloff Bio oel. I used muc off wet lub for some time but this gets very sticky. I even put the oil after bike wash on a not perfectly dry chain. I feel that the oil is displacing the water well. Never got corrosion issues on the chain. Here one week is dry the next is wet, so how would you change from dry to wet lubes. And even when it’s dry there is still mud in the forests. Therefore I only wet lubes.
Great and usefulI video as usual 👍🏻 but I keep wondering why GMBN is so sceptic about wax lube? Is it because Muc-Off hasn't got any?
I switched to wax and it handles wet conditions perfectly, not just dry. As long as you apply it after every ride to maintain the wax build up.
Also there is no need for applying it to an immaculate chain. Just clean off the little amount of dirt that sticks to the chain with a rag and apply the wax.
Because it doesn't stick you can also run your chain over the entire cassette after applying it so the wax builds up on the cogs as well. Result: an even smoother and quieter drivetrain.
Never had a more lasting, clean and smooth drivetrain before with ceramic lubes as I do now with wax.
I'm with you. I use hot wax, the diy-version 500g paraffin and 50g PTFE powder. It works perfect.Never picks up dust. 500km before i pour boiling water over it, and a fast re-dip. Can not measure any wear on a one year old chain.
I'm testing with a polymer spray meant for vehicle paint. My thoughts are it will work like waxing your chain.. only on an even thinner level.
I've ceramic coated my matt black frame and fork and dirt just brushes off or gets knocked off while riding with ease. It's great. My hopes are that my chain will react similarly.
Hey Doddy, could you possible go through the process of cleaning and relubing Shimano shifters (11-speed, and or 12-speed)?
try spray some wd-40 into them and click through a bit, good to do this with your regular clean as it'll keep them shifting smoothly and displace any water inside them. Gmbn will tell you to buy the whole park tools catalogue to dismantle them and everything muc off sell to clean them.
#askGMBNtech in the episode of how to correctly lube a chain. Which is the better way of cleaning a chain, if it is on the drivetrain using a chain cleaner or off the drivetrain using an ultrasonic cleaner and other off the drivetrain methods?
Is there any benefit to brushing a light coating or whatever lube over a clean cassette? My thinking is that it would help a chain ride over the teeth while shifting, and the chain is going to deposit a small amount of lube over the teeth while it’s being used anyways, your just decreasing the amount of lube that leaves your chain
Of course
things like this is why i now understand why my chain locked up back around 2013 and i ended up with two fractured elbows, chain stretch, tho had no clue that was even a thing back then
I've quit wax lube. Now I use 'severely hydrotreated naphionic mineral oil.' I wipe the chain after lubing and after each ride. It wicks into the rollers instantly. My chain stays cleaner than it did with wax+ lubes. I have to relube each 30 miles or less. Expecting less chain wear with a healing lube film.
Go to the store and get a bottle of gear oil it will last the rest of your life and , makes you chain super quiet and smooth, doesn’t fling, lasts a long time, greatly protects from wear & rust , cheap and more effective than expensive chain lubes, also it’s what’s recommended by chain manufacturers for bikes and motorcycle chains for decades
Great video with fantastic explanations.
So you don't apply any directly to the chain rings or derailleur? What about rotating through the gears before it dries Or do you just apply to chain and then leave it to dry?
@2:40 gave me an idea. If chain-stretch is caused by the rollers being worn and that in turn would cause the sprockets to wear on the wrong side... Wouldn't it save chains, cassettes and chainrings even more if two or three chains are regularly swapped? Less / slower chain stretch and the sprockets are regularly "exposed" to a "fresh", less worn chain so not wearing on the "wrong side".
Yes ..many do that
Great video. Thanks for the tons of information.
Love the information what is up with the video quality?
What were ya talking about between cleaning and lube to get the water out, what’s that product called?
I've been putting a drop on each roller rather than just holding it and running the chain. I thought over doing it meant more gunk could get stuck.
Is using wax good for mtb
The only thing stopping me, other than price, from buying a X01/XX1 cassette is that I would want to clean my drivetrain too much. I'm on my 3rd or 4th chain on an NX cassette that's still good and I don't do much but add lube and wipe down when needed. I like any process that increases how much I can ride ....like just slapping lube on quick and having a backup chain ready when it's too stretched. And I thought I watched another video where the guys do just that ....slap on lube real quick before a ride and head out, every time. It makes sense in the wet UK, though.
Great video Doddy, easy task that many people does it wrong, cheers
Way too overrated. I lube very rarely and apparently the "wrong" way, and yet never have I had a problem with a bike chain.
I'm new to mtb, why do you need to lube your chain, and what happens if you don't?
Great video! Is GT-85 still available. We used to call it tune-up in a can and use it for cleaning and lubing everything
This video reminded me that I need to clean my chain.
It reminded me to remember to brush my teeth, take a shower and change my sheets.
@@erichbachman7363 Make sure to let your teeth fully dry before you apply the toothpaste. Then let the toothpaste sit in your teeth for 10 minutes, have a cup of tea, then rinse them and drink orange juice.
@@TheJofrica Thx, will consider it!
@@erichbachman7363 👍👍
I always clean my chain by using degreaser if needed and wipe with a rag og old t-shirt until it's show room clean, then I let it try, and come back to it and lubricate it.
What do you recommend as a corrosion inhibitor to flush out the water after cleaning the chain? I've heard some people recommend WD40.
10:03 speed 0,25 and you can see how is lubed every second roller 😀 please rotate slower 😉
Everybody needs to see this. I've never even heard about this in any chainlubing video. Here they are showing it, sill no mention. Brilliant :)
I just had a new chain installed. The chain was coated with a sticky black lube and appeared dirty and was gritty feeling plus it left my fingers black.. The shop guy said it was a factory lube ... your thought?
What kind of spray was applied there when he was talking about the three steps and protecting the chain? At about 07:15. Maybe you could also help me with the german term for whatever that stuff is. I never did that up to now.. usually i would just wait a bit and maybe let it go through a towel to "dry" it
What about when using a brand new chain? Lube, not to lube, degrease then lube, ... ? Cheers for clarifying once and for all :)
Internal width does varry. Shimano use a more narrow link compared to SRAM
I would like to know what to do after applying degreaser to chain. I use Muc Off dry lube. Should I just wait until it supposedly evaporates, or rinse with water and dry chain with WD40, then apply lube. Also, is it ok to use ceramic the next time I lube chain after having used regular dry lube. And, how important is it to have a completely clean chain down to the metal to use dry lube after cleaning off wet lube with degreaser.. Hope I haven't driven you crazy with questions. I love your channel. Thanks
Any tips for lubing ebike chain, as the chain doesn't move when rotating pedals in reverse?
Great explanation. Thanks!
Hey Doddy, great video. What sort of corrosion are you talking about? Aren't all good chains stainless?
Well, what are you supposed to use if it rains one day and is sunny next. Are you supposed to clean your drive train everyday?
Handy to know as always.👍
What a well explained video.
Thanks for that. Does all that advice apply to hybrid bikes too?
Explanation of "chain stretch" seems wrong. Rollers alone cannot explain why you have to tension chain from time to time on a single speed. I've actually disassembled few links on a heavily worn chain and found that inner plates "machined" grooves on the pins. These grooves allow chain to actually elongate.
Yep. Grooves in the pins from friction of the inner plates -- as well as the holes in those inner plates wearing/wallowing out (from the same friction that create the grooves in the pins), making the holes larger -- is what creates chain "stretch", i.e. chain pitch elongation
Another contributor is the teeth themselves on the sprockets actually wear creating more space between each. This makes the chain fit less well.
Is it not necessary to apply lube at the junction of the inner and outer plates? Thank you.
Whats your opinion on mixture of motor oil and oil thinner for lube?
Great information, much appreciated, thank you.
Can you explain why you must rotate the chain backwards. I have never understood this.eBike question really.
Thanks for this video! Very helpful indeed :)
I just got here from another video of a really different drivetrain. I wonder how they feel like. It's called string bike, from what I see it's designed for commuter bike, but i wonder if they can be used for mountain biking purposes. Shifting even if you're not pedaling, now that would be nice! Doddy, what do you think about the string bike drivetrain?
Very good info; lots of useful stuff, here; typical Brit accent on this dude (I'm an American, although my ancestors come from a little place, ten miles north of the old center of London, a thousand years ago...ha ha ha...); and, seriously, is anyone crazy enough to ride a bike that fast, downhill, on those dirt trails, over roots and rocks, in the mud, in the rain?!? (Certainly not even ME, who was once TRULY certified...ha ha ha ha ha!) I flew downhill in the dark, a few nights ago, and wound up hugging a partially obscured STEEL GUARDRAIL, covered with weeds and vines--upside down, with a few extra cuts & bruises; I can only imagine what it'd be like losing control on one of those downhill mud-slalom runs, in the rain--not any more fun than that, I'm sure!
To apply wax you don't need an immaculate chain you juste need too have an oil free transmission
You do though, because if theres any dust or sand on it then it will compromise the wax coating, also getting your transmission completely oil free isn't that easy
@@eriksmuiznieks7403 not exactly, wiping the chain with a somewhat clean rag before waxing is enough in most cases ! No it's pretty easy juste do it when you change the chain
Thx. Your a helpful Lad. Much appreciated.
Wax wax wax .. boeshield t9 for the wet or dry. Squirtlube for dry conditions. It's the only thing that I put in my chain.
What about Gear Oil GL5? Its designed to stick, lube and prevent rust? On Motorbikes you use gear oil too. Its cheap too.
Amazing video👍
Yes
9:57 The correct way to lubricate your chain
Your welcome
It's important for people that are actually looking this up because they genuinely know nothing about the mechanics of the chain NOT to skip the other parts leading up to this. many people who don't know how a chain works think that they're supposed to lubricate the surface of the roller and the surface of the sprocket. I remember being really surprised to find out that those were rollers on pins. similarly it wouldn't surprise me if most people don't know about narrow wide spacing, or cross-chaining, which unfortunately he did not mention.
Better & Better Trust me when I tell you, most people don’t geek out on bike tech like you and I. It’s better that people find the quick and easy answer and do it properly