# Chain Maintenance on a Cross Bike



## Damaged Hero (4 Oct 2013)

As my bike usually needs a good clean after a weekends race, Should I be applying Lube after every wash.
Or as it is raced for an hour and then cleaned the same or next day,could i just apply a good squrit of GT85 to the chain and leave it at that ?

With my Hybrid and Road bikes I always lube the chain but the conditions are not as extreme and many more miles are ridden between each application.


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## VamP (4 Oct 2013)

Depends on conditions, but there is no harm in lubing after every race. Use dry lube, it doesn't attract grime in the same way that wet lube does, and this will extend the lifespan of your drivetrain.

After a muddy race I wash the bike off with spray washer, and dry the chain with a dry rag, and then dry lube it straight away.


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## Damaged Hero (4 Oct 2013)

Thanks for the heads up on Dry over Wet,will pick some up tomorrow


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## Howard (5 Oct 2013)

Bottom line is you can't overlube a chain - as long as you make sure to wipe off the excess before riding.


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## oldroadman (6 Oct 2013)

A lot of team mechanics (from my old days) usually wash the whole bike down with a detergent in water, then use that to clean the chain with a rag and brush, really scrubbing to get the grit awy after wet races. Followed by a clear water rinse. The cains usually get lubed with a bit of diesel on a paintbrush, which gets into every joint as it's nice and thin. More or less the same job as the modern spray stuff but about a zillionth of the price.


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## RolandsuperX (6 Oct 2013)

oldroadman said:


> More or less the same job as the modern spray stuff but about a zillionth of the price.


 
But you have to deal with the stench of diesel ..........


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## oldroadman (7 Oct 2013)

RolandsuperX said:


> But you have to deal with the stench of diesel ..........


 Not if you are racing fast enough! Any smell (very little in fact) quickly fades away and is behind you anyway. The trick is in the last bit - cleaning the chain off after lubing so that virtually nothing is on the outer surface, but is in the rollers and links, and inside the plates. Then once through the pressure washers and it can all start again after the race.


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