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When do I need to clean and lubricate my chain?
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Keeping your chain clean is essential, especially if you ride in the rain or other adverse weather conditions. Regular chain maintenance prevents rust and chain stiffness.
There are two camps in the debate over chain lubrication: proponents of lubrication and its opponents. The opponents’ argument is based on the idea that chain lubricants attract grime. When this grime becomes stuck to the chain, the opponents of lubrication believe it causes increased chain wear.
The camp promoting chain lubrication believes lubricants allow for longer chain life and reduced friction. There is little evidence to settle this debate. For more information about lubricating your chain, read on.
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- Chain Breaker
- Proper Chain Lubricant
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WD-40 is almost as wonderful an invention as duct tape, but it is not a good bike chain lubricant. Although WD-40 is good for preventing rust in many applications, it leads to faster chain wear by breaking down the grease inside the bushings of the chain and causing excessive friction. Spending a few bucks on lubricant intended for bicycle chains is a worthwhile investment.
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Just flip the bike upside-down or place it in a bike stand, or even lean it up against something soft.
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Start rotating the cranks.
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While rotating the cranks, drip lubricant on the inside of the chain.
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Assuming you don’t a cleaning machine that hooks onto your chain, the best way to thoroughly clean a chain is to remove it first. The following method is borrowed shamelessly from the late, great bike guru Sheldon Brown, who always knew best.
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- Chain Breaker
- 2 liter bottle or other lidded plastic container
- Degreaser
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Place the link you wish to open into the cradle of your chain breaker.
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Rotate the handle of the chain breaker clockwise so it makes contact with the aligned pin.
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Make sure the chain remains stationary.
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Slowly rotate the handle of the chain breaker, making sure the chain does move.
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Push the pin through the chain breaker until it protrudes from the opposite side of the chain.
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Continue rotating the handle of the chain breaker until just a fraction of the pin holds the chain together. Do not push the pin the whole way out of the chain if you intend to reuse it.
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Remove the chain from the chain breaker and wiggle it laterally to separate the plates of the chain.
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If the chain will not separate, repeat the process of using the chain breaker to push the pin and then flexing the chain laterally until the inner plates of the chain are free of the pin.
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Place a few ounces of degreaser into the 2 liter bottle.
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Thread the entire chain into the bottle.
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Shake contents vigorously.
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Rinse, cut the bottle open and enjoy, neat or over rocks.
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If you have a single-speed bicycle, take the new chain and thread it over the chainring and rear cog, keeping in mind the chain must run through the rear triangle and behind the drive-side seat stay. Measure the excess chain and remove unnecessary links using steps 1-7 above.
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If your bicycle has a derailleur, thread the new chain over the chainring, behind the lower pulley of the derailleur, in front of the upper pulley, and over the rear cogs. Remember the chain must go through the rear triangle before meeting again under the chain stay.
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Work the inner plates at one end of the chain onto the pin inside the open outer plates at the other end of the chain. This process may require some lateral flexing, but be careful not to bend any chain plates.
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Place the chain into the cradle of the chain breaker so that the protruding pin is aligned with the pin of the chain breaker.
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Slowly rotate the handle clockwise, again being careful not to bend the chain plates. If rotating the handle seems difficult, the pin is probably not properly aligned.
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Often after closing a chain, the newly closed link may be stiff. The best way to rectify this problem is to push the pin back and forth with the chain breaker in quarter-turn increments, alternating from one side to the other. With a little patience, the pin tends to find a resting place that allows the chain to flex smoothly.
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