How To Properly Care For Your Bicycle’s Drivetrain | A Simple Guide

by | Jul 24, 2023 | Sports, Bike, Bike Maintenance, Featured, Skills & Setup

The poor bicycle drivetrain often suffers from far more neglect than it should. Left to gather grit and old grease and ending up looking like it would be more at home on a farm tractor than a high-end bicycle.

Why do they get neglected? Most likely because we aren’t actually sure how to take proper care of them so we occasionally spray it down after a muddy ride and every now and then pile on the lube before we head out. Well, this is your short and sweet guide to keeping your drivetrain in good nick; whether it is a road bike, mountain bike or E-bike!

Benefits of a cared-for drivetrain:

  • Reduced wear and tear 
  • Thus it saves you cash down the line
  • More efficient transfer of power.

The LEAST you can do to care for your bicycle’s drivetrain

Is essentially just to wash it when it gets gritty with some degreaser or soap and water and then lube it lightly afterwards. Violà!

Grit is the enemy, this is what makes your drivetrain wear out faster than it should.

After each ride, even if the chain doesn’t look particularly dirty, it is best to give the drivetrain a quick wash with some soap and water or degreaser. Use a bristled brush (reserved for this duty to prevent other parts from getting greasy) to loosen the grit if need be and get it extra squeaky clean.

Take Care Of Your Bicycle'S Drivetrain For Sani2C
Greasy chains gather grit. Say that fast five times?

Not-so-pro tip: I personally use diluted sunlight dishwashing liquid and it does a great job on the drivetrain. #FollowMeForMoreRecipes

If your chain really is in a state, removing it from the bike and soaking it in a stronger degreaser for a few minutes and giving it a deeper scrub can get it back to good working condition.

Be sure to dry your chain with a cloth / rag after washing it to prevent rusting from taking place and lube it sooner rather than later.

How to lube your chain properly after cleaning

Once your chain is dry after cleaning, get some lubrication on that bad boy ASAP. It is best to use a drip application lube (squeezy bottle) in order to avoid over lubing the chain and making it a big greasy dirt trap.

Products like the Ryder Luberetta are a game changer for ensuring that you don’t overdo the chainlube! We would definitely recommend adding one to your toolkit.

Cycle the chain backwards applying lubrication to the inside of the chain (one drop per link is all you need) and then let that sit for a couple of hours or overnight before you ride to avoid it all just spraying off as you pedal. This is why you may have heard it recommended to lubricate your chain the night before your ride.

Ryder Luberetta Used To Lubricate Bicycle Drivetrains
One drop of chain lube per link is all you need.

E-bike tip: Jamming a stick or allen key between the crank and chainring will allow you to  rotate the chain backwards with the cranks. Or else, a bike stand that lifts the rear wheel off the ground will allow you to spin the chain forwards while lubing it.

Simple as that guys and girls. A quick clean and a light lube will keep your drivetrain spinning fast and quiet with minimal wear for many happy kilometres to come!

Train in these good habits and after a few rides you won’t even think of it as a hassle!

For more bike setup tips, this is where you want to be!

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