How To Lube A Bike Chain

In this video, former MTB World Cup Mechanic Owen Coutts shows you how to do a simple job, excellently, sharing with you the best way he's learned to lubricate a chain. He goes through how to pick the correct lube for riding conditions, how and where to apply the lube and what to do after the lube is applied. If you follow all the instructions from this video you'll find that your chain lasts a lot longer and hopefully stays cleaner, this will work for almost all chains out there.

⏱️ Timestamps ⏱️
0:00 - Intro
0:39 - Let's begin!
1:36 - Where to apply chain lube
2:46 - Which chain lube to use
6:01 - How to lube your chain

Useful Links:

How do you look after your chain? Do you clean and lube it after every ride? Let us know in the comments!

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[mj-cdlk]

Also a good little tip. I start with the main master chain link so I know once that comes around again it’s job done.

[mj-cdlk]

Absolutely important to keep the chain in good condition 👌 I never did growing up ( I didn’t know better) and chains snapped, squeaked, rusted etc in numerous times.
I look after them in adult years and they last me for ever before I have to replace them. Great video guys. To us that know it’s an obvious thing to do but there are many that still don’t know how to care for their bikes. These videos are priceless for those people. Keep up the good work 👌

[andrewsonleitner]

I've found if you run the lube over the front chain ring while running the chain in reverse the pins and rollers are in the open position running over the chain ring the lube works in the best doing it this way then when done wipe off with a rag

[Trancefreakeh]

I have a gravel bike that I use for commuting ( Cube Nuroad FE ); and in this weather, it's a bit of a hassle to keep up with lubing.
I commute to work by train ( 5km to the station ) and back on bike ( 30km ). Both are on mixed asphalt, park/forest paths and all kinds of gravel going from grit to REALLY bad condition earthen agricultural 'roads'? Any tips there ?
Btw, my bike is stored in the dry warmth; so whilst it has time to dry, it sees a LOT of temperature changes. I try and just rinse it off every time I get home with a garden hose ( no high pressure !)
I don't always have the time, since I also bring a toddler to the kindergarden ( Gravel bike with a kid trailer behinds it looks... weird? ) and I've already had a shameful rusty chain.

I feel like I should change over to a wax for winter, but this is my first 'serious' bike and I'm essentially clueless ^^.
Info on performance products are widely available, but commuting seems a bit overlooked.

[dmagix]

Would've been nice to see how you clean the chain before lubing.

[DirtTrailGuy]

Hot immersion waxing is by far the best.

[ShadLife]

This is good info, but a bit meticulous and I find that most people don't even know to lube their chain at all. I have been mountain biking for decades and unless I am doing a full clean and/or overhaul of my bike, I simply just apply chain lube on the inside of my chain, like you did, but a little faster and I spin the cranks a little faster to get the lube to go up into the chain more.

The thing is, simply lubing your chain makes a world a difference and just because a chain is dirty it doesn't mean it's not well lubed. If your chain makes noise or isn't shifting well, then you have waited too long to lube it.

[neilelliston]

#askgmbn my shimano bike gets so gritty and grindy after an hour. My eagle nx bikes don't. Does a shimano chain just attract grit? Same lube used on

[madtownangler]

I use single speed MTB's so I change my chain now once a year

[madtownangler]

I have used gun lube on my chain when I ran out of chain lube. We can go deer hunting around here for like $25.

[Jens]

Should i also wipe away an oil based wax lube?

[michibellas]

When you done lubing your chain, ride the bike for 100 meters or so. That way the lube gets worked out into the chain better. Then wipe the exces lube so your chain will stay clean for longer time.

[HelplmAlive]

I have a friend who I was riding with and his chain was soo squeaky. I asked him when the last time he lubed it. He didn’t know he had to lube the chain. He just kept degreasing it...

[magg]

Is it a good idea to also change gears during the process, so that it also lubes each cassette?

[grahamsmith]

does back-pedalling have a different effect to forward pedalling (aside from the fact that forward pedalling makes the rear wheel turn, back pedalling doesn't)? Obvs with an EMTB you can pedal forwards if the bike is in a stand but if you pedal backwards, the chain stays stationary, unless you've strapped the drive-side crank arm to the front chainring.

[ricardobentes]

How many times are you going to rehash the same lube / wash your bike video?!

[dystopiaisutopia]

I just buy a new chain every time it gets dirty.

[enduromtb]

Nah, I prefer to use molted wax. I degrease the chain, melt some candles in a metal cup and dip in the chain and let it until there is no bubles coming out from the molted wax, take out the chain with a bent spoke and clean the exces wax with 2 rags carefully without burning my hands. The hole transmission remains clean

[tommyboy]

Everytime I clean my bike take the chain off, put in a tub of degreaser, leave for a while scrub it put it back on, then lube it

[saxon]

I just throw a new chain on don’t bother with the degreaser splash on some lube and your good to go 🤷🤷🤷🤷🤷