How do you lube chain on ebike?

[Ou812]

Rex representative told me that the difference between Black Diamond and the E-version of it is in amount of anti wear additives. E-version is not as watt optimized as regular Black Diamond (not far from it but when in seek of ultimate efficiency regular is better). There is no solvents in Rex chain lubes so do not over use it! Everything you add to chain will stay there! I was willing to go the extra mile and did the ultrasonic cleaning to chain prior to first application.

It's crazy how long Rex Domestique and Black Diamond lasts when it's dry weather. You can go hundreds of kilometers easy. I did 150 km continuous training with "cheapest" Domestique and no chain noise at all for that day!

I wanted the E-Bike version but apparently there’s only one shop in the UK that sells Rex , they only had the regular Black Diamond and the Domestique. I plan on picking up an ultrasonic cleaner too, looking for a compact one that I can still fit the cassette in.

 

[nepper]

I wanted the E-Bike version but apparently there’s only one shop in the UK that sells Rex , they only had the regular Black Diamond and the Domestique. I plan on picking up an ultrasonic cleaner too, looking for a compact one that I can still fit the cassette in.

The Rex e-bike version is brand new product so it might be rare to get outside of Finland yet. Rex reprentative said that they will improve marketing and availabilty of biking products constantly. It's still very small part of the business as they are ski wax and accessory company.

 

[Chris ledger]

I made a couple of cheap wooden stands for the job. 1 for the front wheel and a block of wood to sit under the motor to lift the back wheel off the ground to sllow the pedals to turn cost less than a fiver.

 

[Mikerb]

I have started cleaning and lubing my chain differently. Chain baths just rotate brushes through a bath of degreaser that is filthy after one revolution! Lubing the chain in the normal way deposits wet lube on the jockey wheels, chainwheel and whatever gear it is in.
I put it in a the highest gear, lock the mech forward and take the chain off the chainwheel so it hangs in a loop.........and put a container under the bottom of the chain. I wipe the chain then using a spray bottle spray degreaser onto a toothbrush and scrub the chain working from top to bottom of both sides of the loop.....pulling the rest of the chain through to ensure every link is done. Leave for 5 minutes to let the degreaser do its work....meanwhile treat the cassette and chainwheel .Repeat the process this time with warm water in a spray bottle ( Iuse the Muc Off ones...but not their degreaser). Wipe everything dry. Leave for a while, then lube. Then wipe off any excess lube. The only other thing that will be covered in lube is the bottom jockey wheel...wipe that clean. Put the chain back on the chainwheel and release the mech. What is in the container is a good indication of how much muck has been removed from the chain.
this time of year I usually do the a bove every other ride..........between times I wipe the chain thoroughly and re lube........I use Muc Off Lubes...wet in the winter and in the summer wet first then dry.

 

[Spin]

I made a couple of cheap wooden stands for the job. 1 for the front wheel and a block of wood to sit under the motor to lift the back wheel off the ground to sllow the pedals to turn cost less than a fiver.

Same. I can wipe down and lube the chain , tune shifting , even check the rear wheel for true thanks to $10 worth of timber offcuts and a couple of hours work
High density foam between the base and the motor cover and the top "arm" swings up and down to balance the bike.
When I see 25kgs of ebike hanging from the upper section of a dropper post in an expensive stand , I have a little chuckle to myself.

 

[jonmat]

Sounds like a pass from me then, I’ll stick to what I’ve been using. I don’t like to use wet lube for the same reason, always sounds like I’m grinding shit up after I use wet lubes.

Thank you for replying, I'm not certain if I'm wrong or right, just my observation.

 

[jonmat]

You could not be more wrong. Wax does NOT attract dirt. Wet lube of any kind does. Waxing your chain leaves the chain completely dry to the touch. Have you ever waxed a chain? As in put it in a pot of melted wax for 5 minutes or so, pull it out, let it dry and then put it back on the bike and ride it? I’ve been waxing my chains for several years and the whole drivetrain lasts much longer than any other wet lube.

I have never waxed a chain in a melting pot, but have read about It, I based my opinion on the commercial products available. You may well be correct, but maintaining your e-bike is time consuming enough as it is and you didn't mention the time taken to clean the chain in isopropanol. Or maybe you don't?

 

[Onetime]

I have never waxed a chain in a melting pot, but have read about It, I based my opinion on the commercial products available. You may well be correct, but maintaining your e-bike is time consuming enough as it is and you didn't mention the time taken to clean the chain in isopropanol. Or maybe you don't?

The way I clean my chains isn’t time consuming or hard. I’ve been doing it for along time so I have my routine down. As I previously mentioned, I have a couple chains that I rotate every couple hundred miles. When I take off the chain that’s been on the bike for about 200 miles or so and is due to be cleaned and rotated, I put it into a 32 oz plastic bottle with some liquid dish washing soap and super hot water, (half full) out of my bath tub. Put the lid on and shake vigorously for a minute or so and empty the bottle. I refill the bottle half way with straight hot water and repeat. I do this until the soap is all gone and the water comes out clear and clean. This removes about 90% of the old wax. I then remove the chain from the bottle and wipe down with a clean old towel that I use as a rag. I wipe the chain down until any residual wax remaining comes off on the towel. I’ll wait for the chain to completely dry then re-wax the chain and put it away in a ziplock baggie until It the other chain is ready to be cleaned, re-waxed and rotated. This process of cleaning, waxing and rotating 2 chains will at least triple the lifespan of the whole drivetrain. The whole drivetrain remains clean and dry to the touch and there is no need to do anything to the chain during the time it’s on the bike for a couple hundred miles like you would need to do with any wet lube. It does not attract any dirt and there is no dirty oily residue on any of the drivetrain like there is with a wet lube. The wax I use is molten speed wax, (MSPEEDWAX | Molten Speed Wax - Hot Melt Bicycle Chain Wax Lube By MSPEEDWAX) which is paraffin wax with additives like PTFE (Teflon) and molybdenum disulfide and is specifically made for cycling. My current ebike has over 600 miles on the current drivetrain and neither of the 2 chains has ANY measurable stretching or wear on them, NONE! The process of rotating the chains takes all of about 30 seconds and I can clean and re-wax the other chain at my leisure and that only takes a few minutes to clean, re-wax and put away until it’s ready to be used again.

 

[JW427]

With the Trek and Bosch motor's using the allen key trick doesn't work. So I put my Trek in a bike stand rear wheel just off the floor, then apply my chosen lube which is Squirt, great stuff been using it ages, and doesn't attract all the grime some others do.

I have this stand, its light, folds down really well and supports the E-bike well:

LifeLine Home Mechanic Workstand inc. Mat | Chain Reaction

LifeLine Home Mechanic Workstand inc. Mat - Lowest Prices and FREE shipping available from The World's largest online bike store - Chain Reaction Cycles

www.chainreactioncycles.com

 

[Choppersquad]

Same. I can wipe down and lube the chain , tune shifting , even check the rear wheel for true thanks to $10 worth of timber offcuts and a couple of hours work
High density foam between the base and the motor cover and the top "arm" swings up and down to balance the bike.
When I see 25kgs of ebike hanging from the upper section of a dropper post in an expensive stand , I have a little chuckle to myself.
View attachment 101029 View attachment 101030

Love the look of this. Going to try making one myself now.

 

[irie]

I have one of these. Makes drivetrain cleaning really easy.