well?

Thanks

Degrease and then lube. Most new chains have a heavy grease on that will hold grit and other detritus.

Thanks carl.

I remember being told that that sticky grease that comes on them is great lube and so not to degrease.

Sheldon Brown always said to never degrease a new chain.

My experience is that you end up with a black chain covered in grinding paste.

Most new chains have a heavy grease

Fitted a KMC this week – turns out not as sticky-sticky as a SRAM.

Wax it up?

I don’t degrease new chains. Just lube ’em up with new stuff, ride, and clean and relube after that ride.

Just wipe the excess off the outside with WD40 on a rag

Never delube a new chain – first of all the lube is in all the correct places.

2nd of all, everyone knows factory lube is THE best lube ever to be invented, ever,

But no seriously there is no reason to delube, just add your own lube over the top.

EDIT: And leave the can of WD40 alone, why is everyone so preoccupied with trying to get as many different things onto/into their bike/workshop routine? If people left things alone more you wouldn’t have half the workshop issues.

+1 for don’t degrease, the factory lube is in places you can’t get to. Clean after use.

Don’t degrease, it’s awesome stuff.

If you intend to use a dry wax lube like Squirt then you’ll want to degrease first and add your wax lube. Otherwise don’t bother.

I always degrease them because that factory grease picks up all sorts of crap. I then relube with what I usually use…my chains seem to last a fair while.

Sheldon is right in that the factory apply a grease inside before the chain is assembled that is baked on and is the best lube the chain will have, if at least comparing to oil lubes. The sticky surface is more of a packing grease and you can just wash and wipe off, or ignore it and ride without an initial oil.

Remember, the lube that counts is inside the rollers, not what’s on the surface.

All said, buy Squirt and enjoy clean chains and excellent wax lube. Squirt will need you to fully degrease first before applying. After that it doesn’t need degreasing every time you reapply, just wash the bike, wipe down chain and apply more Squirt again when dry, though you don’t need to apply it every ride.

Thanks for the replies.

I won’t degrease.

I had to ask as I bought 5 chains a good while (years) ago. They’ve been rotated and kept in oil when off the bike. It’s been so long since I’d bought a new one, I couldn’t remember.

Don’t degrease them, just wipe off the excess sticky stuff from the outside. If you degrease them all the good stuff deep inside will be lost and then you just spend the rest of the chain’s life trying to keep it lubed.

The sticky stuff on the outside can be removed though.