How to clean a bike chain and lube it the right way

Step by step: how to clean a bike chain and lube it the right way

Safety first. Keep degreaser and lube off disc brake rotors and pads; contaminated pads lose stopping power and often have to be replaced. Wear gloves, work in a ventilated space, and never use gasoline as a degreaser. On an e-bike, switch off and remove the battery first and keep water away from the motor and connectors.

1. 1

   Set up the bike and protect the floor

   Put the bike in a repair stand or flip it onto its saddle and bars, and lay cardboard under the drivetrain. Shift to the smallest rear cog so the chain runs straight. If you have disc brakes, cover the rear rotor with a rag or plastic bag.

2. 2

   Check the chain for wear

   Before you spend time cleaning, measure wear with a chain checker. If it shows 0.5% wear on an 11- or 12-speed chain, or 0.75% on 10-speed or fewer, replace the chain instead of cleaning it.

3. 3

   Apply degreaser and scrub

   Fill a chain scrubber with bike degreaser and clip it onto the lower run of chain, or drip degreaser onto the chain and hold a stiff brush against it. Pedal backward at least 30 full turns, as Park Tool suggests. The degreaser will turn black as it lifts old lube and grit.

4. 4

   Clean the cassette and chainrings

   Scrub the rear cogs and front chainrings with a brush and a little degreaser. A clean chain running on dirty cogs picks the grime right back up, and the derailleur pulleys collect a lot of it too.

5. 5

   Rinse with soapy water, then clean water

   Scrub the chain and cogs with a sponge and warm soapy water while you backpedal, then rinse with a gentle stream of clean water. Do not blast the hubs or bottom bracket with a hose or pressure washer, which can push water into bearings.

6. 6

   Dry the chain completely

   Run the chain through a clean, dry rag held in your hand while you backpedal, then let it air-dry for 15 to 30 minutes in a warm spot. Lube applied to a wet chain does not bond and traps water.

7. 7

   Lube each roller

   Backpedal slowly and put one small drop of chain lube on each roller, on the inside of the chain where it meets the cogs. Start at the quick link so you know when you have gone all the way around. Pedal backward for about 30 seconds to work it in.

8. 8

   Wipe off the excess

   Let the lube soak in for a few minutes (or as long as the bottle says), then wipe the outside of the chain with a clean rag. The lube needs to be inside the rollers, not on the surface, where it collects dirt. Shift through the gears to check it runs quietly.

Quick wipe or full clean: which does your chain need?

Most rides only call for a wipe and re-lube; a full degrease is for a chain that is black, gritty or noisy. Here is how to tell which one you need.

Park Tool’s chain cleaning guide recommends a bicycle-specific degreaser, drying the chain with a rag or air, and wiping off excess lube so it does not attract dirt.

When to replace a chain instead of cleaning it

Replace it when a chain checker shows it has reached its wear limit, because a worn chain wears out your cogs and chainrings too. Chains do not really stretch; the pins and rollers wear, so the chain gets slightly longer and stops meshing cleanly with the teeth.

• Park Tool’s wear limits: 0.5% for 11-speed and up, 0.75% for 10-speed and fewer, 1.0% for single-speed.
• Signs of wear: skipping under hard pedaling, poor shifting that adjustment does not fix, or a chain that lifts well off the front chainring teeth.
• Replacing a chain on time costs far less than replacing a worn cassette and chainrings along with it.

Which chain lube should you use?

Use a dry lube for dry, dusty riding and a wet lube for rain and mud. Household oils and penetrating sprays are not made for chains.

• Dry lube: goes on wet and dries to a light film that sheds dust. It washes off in rain, so re-apply more often.
• Wet lube: stays on in wet conditions but attracts grime, so wipe the chain well after applying and clean it more often.
• Wax-based lube: very clean running, but works best on a chain that has been fully degreased first.
• Water-displacing sprays such as WD-40 Multi-Use are cleaners, not long-lasting chain lubes.

For a whole-bike wash, Park Tool’s bike washing guide covers the frame, wheels and brakes. Degreased rags can go in the trash once dry; solvent spills on the garage floor are covered in our guide to removing oil stains from concrete.

Mistakes to avoid

• Spraying degreaser or lube near disc brake rotors and pads.
• Lubing a chain that is still wet or dirty, which traps grit and water.
• Leaving lube on the outside of the chain instead of wiping off the excess.
• Hosing the hubs and bottom bracket at high pressure, forcing water into the bearings.
• Reusing a quick link marked single-use after removing the chain to soak it.
• Cleaning a chain that is already past its wear limit instead of replacing it.