How often to lube chain

needhelp said:

Hi, just wondering how often to lube my chain I have done about 800km without lubing it so far, is this too much?
Thanks in advance.

Weekly is usually the answer, but it varies according to your riding conditions, wet/dry, clean/dusty, that kind of thing. Just do around once a week and wipe off any excess oil.

shannons dad said:

Weekly is usually the answer, but it varies according to your riding conditions, wet/dry, clean/dusty, that kind of thing. Just do around once a week and wipe off any excess oil.

Weekly is way too much if it's a garage ornament that might get ridden once a month. Most would suggest 200-250 miles possibly more often, again depending on conditions and lube

boudreaux said:

Weekly is way too much if it's a garage ornament that might get ridden once a month. Most would suggest 200-250 miles possibly more often, again depending on conditions and lube

Yip! Forgot about the mileage thing. Ooops.

shannons dad said:

Yip! Forgot about the mileage thing. Ooops.

After I got into the lube routine, and determined how & with what, I got accustomed to the sound (or lack thereof) of a well-lubed chain. I'm now averaging 25mi per ride, and probably can go 6-8 rides before relubing, which may also coincide with bike washing - let dry - relube routine

coming up on 1k on the Trek 820 mtb

needhelp said:

Hi, just wondering how often to lube my chain I have done about 800km without lubing it so far, is this too much?
Thanks in advance.

It depends entirely on the use that your bike is getting. Most commuters don't oil their chain (or pump their tyres up) nearly enough. Another point is that some chain lubes are more tenacious than others, and will require applying less often than the thin stuff in spray cans, for instance.
After 800k, yours needs it, anyway.

800 k's is definitely too long to go under any riding conditions. eyeball it and keep your ears open. if it's dry looking it need lubing. if it's oily but getting gunked up, it needs cleaning and lubing. heavier lubes last longer, but also hold more dirt and grit, which wears your chain, which wears your cogs. a light lube more often is better at keeping your chain and cogs ridable for longer.

I lube it once a week by using light oil. I use a 1" paint brush to lube the gears. Just wet the brush, and apply on chain, cogs and chainrings.

gudel said:

I use a 1" paint brush to lube the gears. Just wet the brush, and apply on chain, cogs and chainrings.

That's about the worst advice I've read. 1 drop per bushing is PLENTY. No need to dip your bike into a vat of lube or paint it with lube. All of those excess drippings will just attract more dirt and grit which is exactly what you DON'T want.

Hey thanks guys, I got some PEDROS all purpose extra dry lube from my LBS today, they said it was light so it would not attract as much dirt as some others but that I would need to do it more often so going to give this a try.

I just wanted to interject on the lube rather than the frequency - I alternate between a wax lube and something like Boeshield which reminds me of a light sewing machine oil I used years ago - wax lube is OK but the Boeshield seems to penetrate into the rivets better.

What have others experienced ??????????

litespeedguy said:

I just wanted to interject on the lube rather than the frequency - I alternate between a wax lube and something like Boeshield which reminds me of a light sewing machine oil I used years ago - wax lube is OK but the Boeshield seems to penetrate into the rivets better.

What have others experienced ??????????

Old school 3-in-1 oil; grannie used it on the sewing machine, granddad used it on his 3 speed Raleigh. Course it doesn't have the bling factor of designer lubes, but it meets the criteria of a light penetrating lube.

Capwater , I'm a Rhody guy but I never heard of Quahog, RI just our native delicacy The Quahog ????

litespeedguy said:

Capwater , I'm a Rhody guy but I never heard of Quahog, RI just our native delicacy The Quahog ????

Hey, Litespeed email me at [email hidden]. Grew up in EG.

FYI, Quahog is the fictional locale of the cartoon show "Family Guy".

Doctor Morbius said:

That's about the worst advice I've read. 1 drop per bushing is PLENTY. No need to dip your bike into a vat of lube or paint it with lube. All of those excess drippings will just attract more dirt and grit which is exactly what you DON'T want.

It works for me, so how can it be worst advice for something that works? 🙄 gears are coated with this thin film of oil, what else do you want buddy?

i also use 3-in-1 oil, i also use breakfree clp. it works for the army, it works for my guns, works for my bikes.

needhelp said:

Hi, just wondering how often to lube my chain I have done about 800km without lubing it so far, is this too much?
Thanks in advance.

I usually wipe the chain down after each ride (2-3 hours) then add 1 drop of tri flow per link - leave overnight, wipe off excess in the morning.

needhelp said:

Hi, just wondering how often to lube my chain I have done about 800km without lubing it so far, is this too much?
Thanks in advance.

I use Pedros Ice Wax. I use it every 3-4 rides. It's a wax which doesn't attract grit, but it doesn't last as long as an oil based lube either.

Seems strange to me that theres so much oiling going on, I have only sprayed some good quality oil on one or twice this summer (it has been dry here) and made about 3000k's on it. and no Im not getting through chains and cassettes and no I dont ride like and old lady with constant tailwinds, my advice is that if it aint dry and noisy it dont need oil simple, oil holds dust which grinds things down.

SteveJC said:

Seems strange to me that theres so much oiling going on, I have only sprayed some good quality oil on one or twice this summer (it has been dry here) and made about 3000k's on it. and no Im not getting through chains and cassettes and no I dont ride like and old lady with constant tailwinds, my advice is that if it aint dry and noisy it dont need oil simple, oil holds dust which grinds things down.

Steve? Let me get this right, please? You've ridden about 3,000K (2,000mi) this summer - and spray-oiled your chain twice - and it and your drivetrain aren't shot? I'm coming up on 1,000 miles on my new bike - oil the chain a drop at-a-time every 120-200 miles with a good drylube - and dealer says its time to replace chain. No thanks, I'll measure / check it before assuming its worn - last measurement was right at 55 inches. I'd guess from all i"ve read it'll go another 1,000 miles.

Peter

pm7771 said:

Steve? Let me get this right, please? You've ridden about 3,000K (2,000mi) this summer - and spray-oiled your chain twice - and it and your drivetrain aren't shot? I'm coming up on 1,000 miles on my new bike - oil the chain a drop at-a-time every 120-200 miles with a good drylube - and dealer says its time to replace chain. No thanks, I'll measure / check it before assuming its worn - last measurement was right at 55 inches. I'd guess from all i"ve read it'll go another 1,000 miles.

Peter

sounds like your dealer's got a second mortgage to meet. if you keep it clean, you can get a lot more than another 1,000 miles. i've used 1 chain on a tour from r.i. down to near mexico city, then back up to n. carolina without developing any shifting or chain skip problems. used it for a long time after that too. have never used a cycling computer, so can't quote the exact milage though.