Safe Speed Forums

When I bought my bike, the salesman said there's no need to oil the chain. But the owner's manual recommends keeping the chain lightly oiled. Looking round the bike park at the Oracle Centre in Reading today, I saw quite a few bikes with chains which were starting to rust, and which were bone dry.

So I'll keep going with the occasional squirt of 3-in-1 oil.

What do you guys do?

GT85 general purpose lubricant with PTFE. That said, I haven't had my current bike long enough to know whether it makes a real difference.

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Will

No need to oil the chain?

Your chain needs regular cleaning and lubing, otherwise it will get covered in road-crap which will erode the chain, cassette and derailleur. This becomes an expensive habit.

I use Park Tools Citrus Chain Brite cleaner and then give it a squirt of White Lightning. Seems to work ok.

hmmmm well i have 3 main lubes i use....

GT85 or light spray lube type stuff
2 x finish line.... heavy x-country and a lighter road one

i use a fenwicks general purpose degreaser, neat for cleaning the chain or diluted for general cleaning.

chain, & mechs get a fairly regular blast, especially before packing the bikes away after a wet ride.
the finish line lube goes on after a proper clean.

I check the chain before every rid to check it's clean and lubricated.

Each fortnight or so - I will look for wear and tight links by turning the pedals slightly backwards and looking at each link for dirt and tight links


Each month I give a quick cleans. - lots of newspaper. Like the Mad Doc - read lots of papers ( He is addicted to local press though )

I use a good chain cleaner and all bike shops sell them and I uses a toothbrush and a solvent with a cloth to wipe the chainings of excess water after cleaning

I then use a lubricant from my local bike shop which is designed for bike chains - GT85 like my mate ed-m and wipe off excess lube..

I also checkl for loose cranks and cahinaings for damage or for loose bolts.


Every two months of=r so - I fully remove the chain and give it a darned thourough clean with a toothbrush. - solad it overnigh in "fewnwicks" and dry with a clean cloth. Then I lubricate and refit to bike. I do check for chai stetch as well.

After all - no chain - no cadence- no speed - no thill and well maintained chain means smooth and decent ride

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Take with a chuckle or a grain of salt
Drive without COAST and it's all your own fault!

A SMILE is a curve that sets everything straight (P Diller).

A Smiley Per post
FINES USfor our COAST!

Approach love and cooking with reckless abandon - but driving with a smile and a COAST calm mind.

CW recommends Chris Sidwells'' "Bicycle Repair Manual" (DK (Dorlling Kindersley publications - about £9)

Covers all bicycling repair basics from shoppers to roady/mountain/hybrid/cyclo-cross/BMX/trike and each section kicks off with a section explaining how they all work. Everything covered from degreasing a hub to changing the fluid in hydraulic brakes - to building your own bespoke bike and getting ready for winter


- and for our C+ folk in particular -

it explains the long technical words for you in bite size lines

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Take with a chuckle or a grain of salt
Drive without COAST and it's all your own fault!

A SMILE is a curve that sets everything straight (P Diller).

A Smiley Per post
FINES USfor our COAST!

Approach love and cooking with reckless abandon - but driving with a smile and a COAST calm mind.

That's rich, coming from a police officer.

I prefer Sheldon Brown's website - dead easy to use, and if you stick a clear plastic bag over the keyboard you can look things up as you fettle.

Is that why we see no Haynes manuals for bikes ????

^ Way too much maintenance than I'd be prepared to do. Many of these modern bikes are advertised as "low maintenance". I apply my own interpretation to that!

Bit olde fashioned, but i was taught that oil etc on chain attracted dust /grit - better to oil it and wipe it and keep it clean. Once so often wash chain in diesel etc to get rid of dirt etc. Got tip from motorbiker - coil chain in old biscuit tin - cover in low melting point grease, heat till grease melted into chain, then when still warm remove excess graese with rag soaked in diesel etc.That way lub got into links etc and excess removed -so risk f dirt reduced.