That super sticky gunk that new chains come covered in – I’ve always degreased but a friend said you shouldn’t. What’s the forums opinion?

degrease thoroughly and apply lube (as it is covered in a storage compound)

I don’t bother, but whatever you feel like TBH

The sticky stuff one them new is just to stop them rusting on the outside whilst there on a shelf etc. – it doesnt penetrate the rollers and lubricate them.

So strip it off and lube chain properly.

no, doesn’t Sheldon say it’s the best lube they’ll ever have ?

It’s not a lube though….

New chains – to degrease or not?

Don’t bother.

From the biking God Sheldon Brown, I’d leave it – as simon says it’s the best lube you’ll ever see…

I leave mine on. Doesn’t seem to do any harm.

leave it on until it comes home covered in gravel and twigs.

for a geared bike – degrease and relube. I’ve never had such fast component wear and chainsuck as when i left that stuff on.

For a ss, leave it on, it’s just going round after all.

I leave it on.

I wipe the stuff off the surface, as it is quite sticky, but you’ll never be able to apply lube as thoroughly as that stuff will have penetrated. Make the most of it!

In winter leave in it on because it will be washed off soon enough. In “summer” clean and apply dry lube.

I strip and lube.

I strip and lube.

… and who cares about chains??

given that its condition directly eeffects the £40 cassette and the £200 chainset, I care about the £20 chain.

If chain manufacturers thought it was a good idea wouldn’t they say so on the packaging to save warranty claims?

Leave it on and spend the time you’ve saved riding, or worrying about something more important.

strip off grease from any shimano lower than xt, keep sram lube, don’t know about other brands…….

I never degrease my chain for any reason.

I think Hilldodger has the correct answer – some chains this is merely a protective grease to prevent rusting, some it is a lube.

DO NOT REMOVE IT! it’s factory perfect. leave it be.

I strip and lube.
… and who cares about chains??

I care about the £20 chain.

Uh, I was pretending you were stripping and lubing yourself :o)

£200 chainset ?? Mine cost £25.50 new inc BB 🙂

SRAM use something called gleitmo (82 or someother number). Its a bonafide chain grease. Don’t know about shimano.

Gleitmo doesn’t come into the UK other than re-branded as a spray grease for silkolene – I’ve never been able to find anyone that stocks it though. You can get ‘distribution packs’ with something like 50 cans of the stuff if you’ve got several hundered quid to spare.