The bicycle chain is completely exposed in the process of riding, which is directly affected by the riding environment. Therefore, the chain is the most easily worn parts in the process of cycling. If the chain is not well maintained or used improperly, it will not only affect the life of the chain, but also the life of the tooth disc and transmission.
Therefore, in daily bicycle maintenance, bike chain maintenance is a very important part.
When do you need to maintain the chain?
1. The chain is stuck into the front gear plate;
2. Transmission performance begins to decrease;
3. The transmission system produces noise during operation;
4. The chain can be heard gurgling in the tunnel or passing through an object (this is because the chain is too dry);
Under normal circumstances, ordinary chains need to be maintained at least once a month or every 250 km when driving on ordinary roads; at least once every 100 km when driving on cross-country roads; and every 500 km when riding on dry asphalt roads.
When do you need to clean the chain?
1. Clean the bicycle chain after every ride, especially on rainy days and humid environment;
2. Wipe the chain and its accessories with a dry cloth;
3. If necessary, use an old toothbrush to clean the gap between the chain segments;
4. At the same time, don’t forget to clean the front transmission and rear transmission guide wheel;
5. Use a brush to remove the sediment and dirt accumulated between the chains. If necessary, use warm soapy water to assist;
6. Do not use strong acid or strong alkaline detergent (such as rust remover), as these chemicals will cause damage or even fracture of the chain;
7. Do not use the chain washer with added solvent to clean the chain, which will definitely damage the chain;
8.Avoid using organic solvents such as degreasing oil, because the solvent will not only remove the oil from the bearing but also damage the environment.
When do you need to lubricate the chain?
1. Add lubricating oil after cleaning, wiping, or cleaning the chain with solvent every time;
2. Before lubricating, make sure the chain is dry;
3. Infiltrate the lubricating oil into the chain bearing and then wait for it to thicken or dry, so as to ensure the lubrication to the parts where the chain is easy to wear;
4. Confirm whether to use the proper lubricating oil, you can pour some into the hand to test. A good lubricant will feel like water at first, but it will thicken or dry over time (lasting lubrication);
5. In order to avoid excessive lubricating oil accumulation and blockage, only oil the key part of the chain. After oiling, the wear and abnormal sound of the chain can be reduced;
6. In other positions of the chain, only a little lubricating oil is needed to prevent rust;
7. Wipe off the excessive lubricating oil on the chain surface;
8. For variable speed vehicles, we should also pay attention to the rear variable speed pulley, gear, and flywheel. Use the same principles to maintain and lubricate these parts;
9. After lubricating oil, wipe the excess oil on the chain with a dry cloth to avoid dirt and dust adhesion;
10. Before refitting the chain, remember to clean the chain joints to ensure that there is no dirt residue;
11. After the chain is cleaned, some lubricating oil must be applied inside and outside the connecting shaft before assembling the joint.
How to clean the chain correctly?
Method 1:Chain cleaning tool
Buyback tools from the store that need cleaning, not only can be cleaned at home but also do not need to remove the chain. The disadvantage is that the sediment inside the chain is not easy to clean, and the heavy Oily sludges are not easy to clean up.
Method 2: High-pressure water gun
This method is very convenient and fast. The disadvantage is easy to lead to internal water rust.
Method 3: Ultrasonic cleaning
Ultrasonic cleaning generally needs to go to the professional bike shop, the advantage is that the cleaning is very clean.
How to lubricate the chain?
The cleaned chain needs to be greased as soon as possible, which can reduce the damage of the dry chain by air oxidation.
Lubrication steps:
1. Dry the washed chain and install it on the bicycle, and place the bicycle upside down or hang it on the maintenance rack;
2. Rotate the tooth chainrings to drive the chain and apply the chain oil on the chain, and the lubrication of the chain can be restored in about one minute;
3. Wipe off the excess chain oil after about 5 minutes.
