Looking after your chain and drivetrain

There are more moving parts in the chain than any other part of your bike. Looking after your chain and the drive train will prolong their life, as well as making your cycling easier!

How often should it be cleaned?

This depends on how often you ride, how long you ride for, the weather you ride in and the season

In dry summer weather, you should be able to leave your chain alone for at least a few rides and then only wipe with a rag and lightly re-lube.

In bad winter weather, it is essential to fully clean your chain and drive train every ride, especially if the roads have been recently salted. (In fact, cleaning the whole bike is a good idea.)

Never put your bike away wet. As a minimum, remove water and dirt from the chain and drive train first, even if all you have the energy to do is a thorough wipe down with lube sprayed into a rag.

In between dry summer and bad winter weather, there is a middle ground comprising a full clean and re-lube every few rides and a wipe down with a rag, and maybe a light lube, after other rides.

How to clean your chain and drive train

(This describes a deep clean. You can miss some of stages if the chain is not that dirty, but always with the aim of getting the chain, chainrings and cassette clean of all old lube, dirt and water before applying new lube. When finished, the chain, as well as the cassette and chain rings can be shiny, almost as new.)

Stage 1

Brush clean the derailleur pulleys. It may be a good idea to scrape between the cogs with a screwdriver if dirt has built up between the cage and pulley wheels.

Stage 2

Scrape clean the rear cassette with a brush, or again using a small screwdriver. Also between the chain rings where dirt builds up around the chain ring bolts.

Stage 3

De-grease the chain with a chain cleaning tool if you have one. If not, use a rag and brushes with degreaser / soapy water.

Stage 4

Wash the bike now with soapy water, and rinse. Do this to rinse off the degreaser otherwise it may break down the new lube. Also, the bike will get very dirty when degreasing a dirty chain.

Stage 5

Bounce the bike on the ground to shake off water and then dry the chain with a rag.  Use WD40 or GT85 to disperse any remaining water from the links by spraying into a rag and running the chain through. (Doing it this way also protects the rim braking surface from the spray.) Dry the chain again to remove excess WD40.

Stage 6

Clean and dry the chainrings and the cassette with a rag. A spray with WD40 or GT85 can help. Use a brush, pipe cleaners or rag to get between the cogs.

Stage 6

Take care not to over-lube as an excess of oil will only attract dirt, as well as flicking oil over the bike frame and your legs. Aim for a drop on each individual roller and do this in turn until each link has been lubricated. A bottle with a dropper rather than a spray is best.  Note that it is only the chain that needs lubing, not the cassette or chain rings. See below for a summary of different types of lubes.

Stage 7

Wait somewhere between 30 minutes and an hour for the lube to sink into the chain, and then wipe off the excess by running the chain again through a rag while slowly spinning the pedals.

Lubes, cleaning products and other equipment

There are different types of lube and cleaning products:

1. Water disperser (such as WD40) – not very useful as a bike lube as they are too thin and get easily washed off the drive train. Use to disperse water from the chain and drive train (protecting braking surfaces with a rag).
2. Spray Teflon based lubes (such as GT85) – useful for getting into difficult to access spaces and pivots. Probably too light for regular chain use, but can be used to disperse water.
3. Dry lubes – These lubes shed themselves as they attract dirt.  Need to be applied more frequently as a consequence. My personal preference all year round.
4. Wet lubes – thicker and longer lasting, and will resist being washed off. However, not so good in sandy or dusty conditions, as they are thicker and attract dirt. Not the best in dry conditions.
5. Standard or all condition lubes – Not as heavy as a wet lube, nor needing to be applied as often as a dry lube.
6. Degreaser – biodegradable solvent to break up old oil and grease allowing it be brushed / washed off the chain and drive train.

Other useful equipment:

1. Brushes – special brushes can be used to get between the cogs of the cassette.  Washing up brushes and toothbrush will also do the job.
2. Pipe cleaners - special pipes cleaners to get between the cogs and around the chainrings.
3. Chain cleaner – a plastic box, filled with degreaser, and containing rolling brushes that clean the chain as it is passed through the cleaner.

Other hints and tips:

A “Master-link” in the chain allows the chain to be more easily removed if a particularly deep clean is needed.

Every so often, removing a cassette from the wheel is a good idea as these can be difficult to fully clean otherwise.

How often should the drive train be replaced?

Replacing worn chains will prolong the life of the cassette and chainrings. Depending on the type of riding you do, this could be as low as every 1500km or so, but perhaps two or three times as long if well maintained. A simple tool can be used to detect chain wear and show when it needs to be changed. Changing the chain before it is worn means a new cassette is needed less frequently (perhaps every third new chain), and new chainrings less so again.