[Closed] new chains

If you want to

IMO no way, just lube it when it needs it.

Really, what is the point? The lube is not going to damage the chain. Something else may last longer, it's not going to make much difference though.

This sort of thing is for obsessives with too much time on their hands.

A decent chain needs pretty much NO lube at all.
Just keep it clean (wipe after each ride) and occasionally oil each link - but wipe after each oiling.

Too much oil/lube attracts drivetrain munching mud/grit and makes everything much worse.

bit of a hijack, but my road bike chain gets much dirtier than my MTB chain, and is much harder to clean, its like a thick black grease. I use the same oil on both, and oil them the same way, why is this???

warton - it's road grime - use a lot less oil ont he road bike - I use a wax lube most of the year on my road bike.

re: degreasiogn a new chain - I tend to as they arrive covered in horrible stuff designed to stop them rusting in transit but's its really sticky and attracts all sorts of crud.

yes you should - then use squirt lube

Warton - same here. And the road chain is harder to clean. The bike itself seems to avoid the grime though.

Or as Sheldon Brown recommends;

Factory Lube
New chains come pre-lubricated with a grease-type lubricant which has been installed at the factory. This is an excellent lubricant, and has been made to permeate all of the internal interstices in the chain.
This factory lube is superior to any lube that you can apply after the fact.

Some people make the bad mistake of deliberately removing this superior lubricant. Don't do this!

The factory lubricant all by itself is usually good for several hundred miles of service if the bike is not ridden in wet or dusty conditions. It is best not to apply any sort of lube to a new chain until it is clearly needed, because any wet lube you can apply will dilute the factory lube.

I had a Gusset half link chain that would have stuck to the ceiling if I'd thrown it up when I got it out of the tin. I've got to disagree with Sheldon on this one...

I tend to wipe a new chain with a rag soaked in WD40 or similar, takes the sticky stuff off the surface, while leaving the insides of the chain unmolested.

what bigyin said.

richmtb, thats dangerous agreeing with me.

some chains come with stuff top prevent corrosion in packaging/ transit etc. If it feels like lube i leave it on - if it feels like grease i take it off.

Crikey, some folk think about this stuff waaay too much

I degrease in degreaser, dry then apply 2 coats of squirt. You generally HAVE to degrease when using a dry lube 🙂