A bike chain is the heart of your bicycle. To keep it in good condition, it's important to lubricate your bike chain regularly. How often you should lubricate depends on the type of lubricant, how frequently you ride, the terrain, and the weather conditions. When your chain is well-lubricated, it should be quiet. If your chain squeaks or creaks, it's time to lubricate. If your chain makes a grinding noise, it's time to give it a thorough cleaning.
WHEN IS THE BEST TIME TO LUBRICATE YOUR CHAIN?
Have you done several long bike rides or ridden in the rain during your cycling vacation? Or has your bike been exposed to rain? In such cases, it's also a good idea to lubricate the chain. Even in sunny weather, a chain can become dry, especially if you ride on unpaved roads.
A SPECIALIZED CHAIN OIL OR CHAIN WAX WORKS BEST.
The seemingly simple bike chain is actually a remarkably complex product to lubricate. Universal lubricants are often unsuitable for bike chains due to the various conditions a bike chain is exposed to. Therefore, never use household, garden, or kitchen oil, or sewing machine oil on your bike chain.
Chain oils must withstand high surface pressure, up to 1000 newtons per 3mm pin. This requires a lubricant that adheres well to the metal, isn't washed away by water, and doesn't attract too much dirt. Chain Oil
and Chain Wax
have been specially developed to meet all these requirements and keep your chain smooth. Adjust the dosage based on your biking needs, depending on specific weather conditions or rides.
HOW TO LUBRICATE THE BIKE CHAIN?
Drop chain oil or chain wax onto each link of the bike chain. Do this on the top side of your chain, between the rear derailleur and the front chainring. This part of the chain is in constant contact with the gears. After doing this, you can lightly lubricate the other side of the chain as well. Ensure you leave a drop on each link's top side, between the chainring and the cassette. The best result is achieved by allowing the oil or wax time to penetrate deeply into the links. For chain oil, this is around 15 minutes, while chain wax is best left overnight.
To prevent the chain oil from attracting excess dirt, wipe the top and bottom of the chain, as well as the sides, with a dry cotton cloth. This way, you remove excess oil, preventing dirt from adhering too quickly, while keeping the chain well-lubricated from the inside. Re-lubricate the bike chain after every few hundred kilometers.
WHAT ABOUT PTFE FOR BIKE CHAINS?
Teflon® (PTFE) is a microplastic and a popular ingredient in many traditional lubricants, often packaged in aerosol cans or present in traditional chain oils. While the benefit of this product is its extremely low friction coefficient that hardly adheres to anything, it has significant drawbacks. Teflon® (PTFE) is environmentally hazardous; it easily detaches from surfaces, ending up in surface or ground water and accumulating in humans and animals. In 2023, it's considered one of the more serious environmental and health threats. Therefore, the use of this substance requires extreme caution and is better avoided.
WHAT ARE BAD LUBRICANTS FOR BIKE CHAINS?
Silicones, often microplastics, are never suitable as lubricants for bike chains. Do not confuse chain oil with silicone oil. These substances lack adequate lubrication for a bike chain and are poorly resistant to water splashing from the wheels. Teflon oil shares the same weakness and can thus enter the environment. Motor oil and cardanol oil can be used moderately, but excessive use may result in your entire bike, including your legs, being covered in oil due to weak adhesion. This problem is even worse than with Teflon oil.
WHAT ABOUT WAX?
Opinions on using wax as a lubricant are divided. This is mainly due to the term 'lubricant'. Wax ensures the chain remains smooth by preventing dirt from adhering to it. This keeps the chain running smoothly and also offers rust protection.
The approach is different from traditional chain oil because wax inherently has a chain and rust-protecting effect rather than a lubricating one. Our newUltimate Chain Wax uses a unique blend of chain oil and wax, giving this wax a lubricating effect and working even faster than regular oil or wax.
