How To Clean And Lube Your Drivetrain | GMBN Tech How To

To get your bike running smoothly, giving your drivetrain some TLC is essential. Doddy goes through the basics of maintaining your drivetrain to get it feeling new again.

You don’t need to take apart your entire drivetrain to get it feeling great again. Consistent maintenance makes all the difference, and a little work after every ride or two pays off. A good clean and lube is all your bike ever wants.

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[fiddlebozo]

As a novice rider who tends to go with the geek side of things, your videos have been invaluable. If i'm uninformed about a subject (i.e. bike maintenance) i research and study and these videos have been invaluable. Can't thank you enough.

[latonbuzzard]

I bought a mountain bike 34 years ago and have been cleaning it with the method I've listed below. The bike has never had any major component replacements over thousands of miles of mountain biking. I've just changed brakes and tyres to date.
Below is what method I use,

1 lightly spray off debris from entire bike with garden hose.
2 Hand wash bike with mild detergent and warm water.
3 Hose down to remove solution.
4 Clean cassette, chain, and chain set with mild detergent using a 3 inch nylon paint brush.
5 Hose down to remove solution.
6 Bounce bike on back wheel to remove surplus water.
7 Wipe entire bike down with kitchen towel.
8 Apply lube to a sash tool ( this is a pointed brush that's used by painters and decorators) this brush will evenly apply lube to exactly the areas that need lubrication.

This entire process takes approximately 30 minutes after every bike ride.
I will continue to use this method on my Cube Stereo 160 action team, as there have been no issues I've encountered with my old mountain bike using this method.
I hope this helps guys,
Happy riding.

[juliandlamb]

You are my authority on bike maintenance, appreciate the simple but detailed explanation and instructions.

[davej]

Tip of the day...I ride both bicycles and chain-drive motorcycles. Works great on both although the lube requirements are different, so use specific lube. Oh ya..the tip...Dawn Ultra Platinum PowerWash. Best degreaser out there, and won't eat paint or ruin your bearings. Spray, scrub with an aforementioned stiff brush...I use old toothbrushes and bike-specific brushes...rinse...repeat if necessary. One time and a good rinse with the hose does the trick :-)
Stay safe and thanks for the video!

[brycemyerss]

Hey Doddy,
Bit of a hack for you, Get a plastic bag and put it around your disk rotor, It will not abosrb the degreaser.

[rbid]

I'm lucky that here we have dry weather, so after a ride, cleaning the dust using a simple brush before adding dry lube is enough, lube the chain, and wipe the residuals... and you are ready for the next ride. (Exactly as you explained)
I use a deep cleaning only when requited.
Thanks for the video.
Greetings from the Galilee.

[katscraft]

Brilliant info, lots of little important tips, some I didn't know. This will help me to degrease, clean and lube my bike. Thank you for sharing.

[owenkhonsel]

I wished i watched this video before spraying wd-40 all over the place

[MG-euhs]

Thank you for always being so courteous and thorough!!! It is so easy to pay attention you what you say and learn from you. You are truly good at what you do. Thank you very much!

[willmccurrach]

I use lemon floor cleaner bought in a supermarket to clean my chain with my park tool chain cleaner.
Way more cost effective and means I can clean my chain every time I ride. So always super smooth shifting 😁😁

[keks-]

Have only cleaned my bike once this year, and that was 1.700km ago lol. Time to buy some supplies because it looks fairly easy with the tools/brushes used in the video

[brianbassett]

I tried for the first couple of years with my latest bike (I have only owned and ridden a single bike at a time)... to keep it clean and shiny all the time, immaculate. I obsessed over the chain to the point of cleaning it during rides. This is all while averaging over 7K miles a year, 20 to 120 mile rides year around. That means for me, living in the Pacific Northwest, 4 to 6 months of riding in the rain and on muddy wet surfaces. I have a Rohloff Speedhub mounted on a full-suspension touring bike coupled to a BBSHD mid-drive and it's amazing. It's broken me to ever owning another bike without a Rohloff. The mid-drive and the Speedhub are made for each other, they go together like lamb and tuna fish. @ The 1st year I rode I changed the chain 8 times... whenever it got to 0.5% wear as tested with a Park tool. After another 25K miles and 4 years riding I now wipe the chain clean daily and swap my chains every 6 months. Drop the chain, flip or replace the Rohloff gear, mount a new chain, and ride. Always having a straight chain line makes it amazingly easy to maintain.

11 Jul 19 - 71 miles w/front panniers & trailer on less than 15Ah... 1/2 the packs capacity. 

For anyone that thinks they can really clean the chain on the bike, follow this guy's instructions then pull the chain and drop it in some type of solvent and see how filthy it still is.

[fbrench]

I like this guy and his contribution to the community. What is suspect is the apparent amount of wd-40 products being used, not to mention Park Tools. I realize they don't have to pay for all the cool free stuff so I guess I will ignore product recommendations and try to get the take home info on cleaning the drivetrain.

[ndrdst]

I just did this last weekend and it feels good to have a clean drivetrain, man! However I feel that unlinking the chain and soaking it in a yoghurt cup with degreaser, while removing the guide wheels and giving them a proper clean, doesn't take that much longer and really removes the grime that accumulates in the small spaces.

[markrobinson]

Great tips. My ride is a trike. So fun but a pain to spin pedals while working on the chain. It’s long. Need two people. Some good news, disks are on front wheels only.

[phabletfortyfour]

I'd never go back to oil based lubricants. I've been waxing for nearly 2 years, chains are in much better condition, don't get gritty or so dirty in wet or dry conditions, no chain tan left on my legs either. I also love the sound of a newly waxed chain 👍

[nawshow]

Pop the quick link off and shake the chain in an old jam jar full of white spirits / thinners / petrol. Dry and repeat until it washes clean. Finish with brake clean or an alcohol to ensure no residue. Best clean and super cheap.

[bigarnd]

Use shower caps and foot covers you get at swimming pools to help cover the break discs! Great for storing spare wheels as well!

Edit: auto correct mistake on swimming

[bigspear]

On the park tool channel they said you could reuse degreaser fluid if you left it too settle and let the gunk go to the bottom and use the fluid on the top if that makes sense.

[alexmalone]

I use wet lube Dura Lube 40 are the Best for lube chain 👍