Hello,
I recently bought a second hand bike. This is my first ever road bike (first bike ever really). I did some reading via ChatGPT about maintaining the bike. A big point was checking in on the chain.
I’ve done a total of 100 kms on the bike. My chain appears to be very dirty. I’ve wiped most of the black gunk off but it still appears dirty. The seller said the chain had just been replaced. Is this normal. Should I bring it into a shop to clean/maintain?
Thanks in advance for your time.
by Effective-Employ913
5 Comments
Hi its normal for this to happen, make sure you’ve also been using the right type of lube for your riding environment, is it dry? Or wet? Most lubes are made for different conditions. What i do is individually adding a drop of oil on each join then shitf it in every gear configuration then wipe off the excess oil on the chain with a clean towel. And if your wonder if itl damage your chain, no aslong as you dont leave it dirty for a while. Hope this helps
If you are made of money, and want to have local bike shop clean your chains every couple weeks, then sure, go ahead.
On the other hand, you can do this maintenance yourself. Degrease, wash, dry, lube:
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=degrease+and+lube+bike+chain
I work at a shop, when I see something like this I get the drive train spinning and take my isopropyl spray bottle and hose the shit out of everything. Then I take a rag and run the chain through it and wipe everything I can. Then you lube it. Or Dawn dish soap, a bike wash, and a good brush works pretty good too just don’t get soap on your brakes.
When you have cleaned that chain, check the wear using a chain checker like Park Tool’s CC 4.2. Eventually, the chain will need to be replaced. When that time comes for the best chain life and cleanliness, don’t use an oil based chain lube. Try a wax based, line Silca Super Secret or Ceramicspeed. They’re more expensive than, say, Finish Line, but the reduced chain wear will save you money and keep your whole gear system so much cleaner. The only hassle is that you must remove 100% of the grease that your new chain comes coated with (it’s to prevent rust while on the shop shelf; it’s not a lubricant) using white spirits.
Don’t use Chat GTP for most anything bikes. Use this place.