Winter-proofing your commuter in one afternoon
Fenders, sealant, and the one cheap part that saves your drivetrain from road salt.
Home / Blog / Maintenance
Most chains do not wear out. They grind out. Grit sticks to chain lube, the paste works into every roller, and each pedal stroke files a little metal away. The fix is not expensive lube or a fancy chain. It is ten minutes with a brush, done regularly.
Backpedal the cranks and hold the brush against the chain at the rear derailleur, top and bottom, then both sides. Twenty revolutions total. Spray degreaser on the brush, not the bike, and repeat. Wipe the chain with the first rag until it comes away mostly clean, then run the jockey wheels and chainrings across the rag’s edge.
A clean chain with cheap lube outlasts a dirty chain with the expensive stuff. Every time.
Finish with one drop of lube per roller on the inside of the chain, backpedal ten revolutions, then wipe the outside almost dry with the second rag. Lube belongs inside the rollers. On the outside it is just a grit magnet.
After every wet ride, and every two weeks in dry weather. Check wear monthly with a chain checker, and replace at 0.5 percent for 11 and 12 speed. Do that, and cassettes and chainrings live two to three times longer, which is where the real money is.
