How to Clean Your Bike Chain
Follow these 6 easy steps to clean and lube your bike chain:
Step 1: Prep Your Bike
Secure your bike in the bike stand, or lean it in in a secure fashion. If you don’t have a bike stand, you can turn your bike upside down on the saddle and handlebars.
Step 2: Clean the Chain
Holding a rag on the chain, move the pedals backward to wipe off the chain off. Keep your hand with the rag stationary as you use the pedals to move the chain through the rag, cleaning off dirt and debris.
While it's not always necessary before reapplying lube, feel free to jump to our section on
cleaning & degreasing your chain, cassette and derailleur if needed.
How to Lube Your Bike Chain
Step 1: Apply Chain Lube
Drip chain lube onto the chain as you continue to spin the pedals backward. We recomend drip-on lube over spray-on lube since it ensures you dont overspray and get lubricant on other parts of the bike like your brakes. It's good practice to shift through your gears as you apply to simultaneously lube the cassette too.
Pro Tip: Start at the master link so you know you are getting full coverage on each link. If lube is dripping off the chain, you are applying too much.Note: It's important to use bike-specific chain lubes (not WD-40 or other oils/lubricants) to ensure proper lubrication and prevent wear. WD-40 is designed to displace water/prevent rust (rather than lubricate) and can actually dissolve any existing chain lubricants.Step 2: Let It Soak In
After you've lubed up the chain, wait for a minute or two. This allows the lube time to seep into all the little nooks and crannies of your chain and in between the links.
Step 3: Wipe Off Any Excess
Use a clean portion of the rag to grasp the chain and cycle the pedals several times to remove any excess chain lube. Excess lube will attract dirt and grime, so be thorough here.
Step 4: Test Ride
Boom! You've successfully lubed your bike chain. As with all bike maintenance and tune up tasks, it's wise to take your bike out for a quick pedal around the block to ensure things are running smooth and stealthy quiet again.