Chain lubrication

[Newbie60]

Hi everyone and I know what you are thinking.... chain lubrication.... not again. However, I'm a Newb to eMTBs and cycling generally so please humour me.

After just 300km in pretty wet and muddy riding on my base 2019 Levo the Park Tool CC 3.2 wear checker has dropped in at 0.5% wear, suggesting new chain time. Seems pretty early. So, I have googled and forumed it to death and my head is spinning.

I have been cleaning my bike after rides but cautiously because of the motor water ingress anxiety of others ?misplaced. Chain gets a wipe and wet lube but no more. So, all the surfaces of the drive chain components still have a lot of lube and whatever crap coating them. Looks lubed I guess.... but is it just grinding paste?

I am a research engineer by background and worked in the tribology (study of surfaces in contact) department at Imperial College.... so should, theoretically, know a thing or two about lubrication, but that is not helping my now pickled brain after reading articles like this interesting forum thread... How to wax a chain and the benefits thereof - EMTB Forums .... and then this.... Seeking the holy grail: A fast chain lube that saves you money | CyclingTips.... as examples.

So, what to do. Rough clean (or none at all) and quick wet lube or whatever after rides and change the chain regularly at ~£20. Or, the whole take off, ultrasound clean, molten wax carry on followed by thorough clean after rides to keep the drive chain components looking really clean like @khorn encourages and trusting the wax mix to do its stuff with minimal, if any, extra lube every 300km or so.

Ok, I know I am overthinking this but what are you all doing?

 

[ggx]

i just ride having fun and avoiding (to much) anxiety over wering or scratchs , making some ( i)regular lub and changing chain (or other items) wen needed. But maybe I´m .

 

[ryturn]

just swapped a chain out at 400km in 3 weeks rideing , bit of climbing and some pretty poor gear selections , dust no mud, new to the way ee's change ,so had the odd cluncky change gone from kmc to sram see how it goes ...but if the checker says change change, if it skips do the lot .

 

[paquo]

if it's not too wet wax lubes are a good option as they can be reapplied without degreasing the chain. I clean the chain after 3 or 4 rides as i really like smooth shifting

 

[KennyB]

if it's not too wet wax lubes are a good option as they can be reapplied without degreasing the chain. I clean the chain after 3 or 4 rides as i really like smooth shifting

Quantocks in SW England bit of a mud fest so I'm cleaning after every ride with Fenwick's foaming chain cleaner and Fenwick's sponge (a coarse foam with a slot cut in it. I rinse off dry chain witha tag then GT85 to dispel water. Lube with Juice Lubes - wet lube at the moment but Viking or dry lubes in better conditions. My KMC also stretched after 7 weeks and 900 km so I'm changing to a cheaper SRAM X1 to look after the cassette and chainring.

 

[steve_sordy]

When I wash the bike, I use a brake friendly degreaser like Hope's Sh1tshifter on the chain, gears and derailleur. Give the gears and derailleur a good scrubbing. Then rinse off with water.

Once the whole bike is done I run the chain through an old towel until the towel comes up dry. Then I apply a wet lube to the chain and a light Teflon lube to the pivot points of the derailleur and jockey wheels. Then I cycle the chain through all the gears and then leave it until the next ride. Just before the ride, I run the chain through the towel again to remove any surplus lube. By now the lube should be where it needs to be, inside the rollers. I don't want it outside!

One of the best ways to make your chain last longer is "don't shift under power!". If this absolutely cannot be avoided, climbing uphill for ex, then increase your "e"power mode briefly to allow you to back off the leg power and allow a lower load gear shift.

 

[Trail-Niels]

Generally I just wash the chain with running water from the garden hose, no degreaser whatsoever. After washing I run it through a dry rag to wipe off the water. After the wipe off I apply Squirt Lube (Squirt Lube Long Lasting Dry Chain Lube - 120ml) dry lube to the chain, and run it through all gears - done.
I usually ride in all sorts of conditions from dusty (a few days in the summer) to grinding through mud most of the year. The chains (currently SRAM Eagle) last ages when it gets this treatment after each ride.
When applying the dry lube after washing it settles in the chain and when you go riding the next day it’s dry and no dirt will stick to the chain.

 

[Mcharza]

Doing same like @Trail-Niels but using dry teflon lube like Finish line. Never wash you chains with solvent, it just removes the rest of the lubricants.
Finished this summer 1500 km and rotating two chains and one cassette. And still going strong

 

[118]

I've used squirt, but recently switched to Tru-tension bananaslip tungsten all weather lube. Previously I've used muc-off, dry & wet oils, however never use motorcycle lubes