How much oil on a new cassette & chain...?

[Maz]

In anticipation of the cassette/chain replacement I will be doing...

Any tips on how much oil I should put on a brand new cassette and chain?

I am all too familiar with over-oiling, as it gunged up my last chain as well as gathering grit to help wear away the chain and cassette.

Thanks

 

[Stick on a Giant]

None! The key to an oiled chain is getting it on the inside of the bits - which you can't really do effectively from the outside, unless you take the chain all to bits, which is why they do it when they put it together. There's been other posts on this, and Sheldon Brown always has something on this.

 

[Maz]

Interesting. I see what you mean about the oiling done at manufacture. Don't you need at least some oil at the chain/cassette interface?
Do you never oil your chain??

 

[Jacomus-rides-Gen]

I use a drip of Finish Line Pro Road on each ball of the chain, give it 2mins to penetrate and wipe off the excess. Job done.

Don't degrease, just re-oil, and wipe off the excess regularly.

Also buy a chain measuring tool thingy, and you will never suffer damage from a stretched chain again.

 

[jashburnham]

The lube used during the manufacturing of the chain is far more effective than anything you'll be able to buy and apply. Just clean your chain with a rag once a week or whenever and lube it (I use Finish Line Pro road). Don't use degreaser on your chain and make sure you clean off the excess lube. KMC have some good tips here:
http://www.kmcchain.com.tw/index.php?ln=en&fn=service#3

 

[Smokin Joe]

Very interesting comment on the KMC advice, "Never use a chain cleaning machine", which I presume to be a chain bath.

That ties in with the advice I have often given that removing a chain and soaking it in degreaser is a waste of time and does more harm than good.

 

[Maz]

Gawd. That means I went way overboard with oiling my old chain. Lesson learnt.
Thanks for the advice and v.useful link.

 

[squeaker]

Wait until it gets noisy / starts squeaking before you oil it: i.e. just too late
But, if you don't go far with it squeaking, you probably won't do too much damage.

 

[bonj2]

None! The key to an oiled chain is getting it on the inside of the bits - which you can't really do effectively from the outside, unless you take the chain all to bits, which is why they do it when they put it together. There's been other posts on this, and Sheldon Brown always has something on this.

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/chainclean.html
You should always do this once a week.

 

[Blue]

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/chainclean.html
You should always do this once a week.

 

[Maz]

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/chainclean.html
You should always do this once a week.

Quote: This page created April 1, 2007

 

[jashburnham]

I was chatting to a friend last night about bike cleaning (couple of boring sods that we are) we used about half a can of degreaser on his bike the other day, now his chain squeaks and no amount of lube will stop it - proves KMC's advice I reckon, he's basically messed up his chain. We're due for a 60miler on sun, I hope the squeak doesn't drive me nuts!

 

[Unkraut]

Quote: This page created April 1, 2007

If only I had realised this before taking the chain apart ....

Current topic for me, having just had the chain and cassette replaced. I use oil much more sparingly now than when I first started to commute. I find WD40 quite good in winter when the ground and air is damp, as this does not accumulate and I cannot imagine much dust and muck sticks to the chain as would be the case with oil. The newer bike also has a cheap and nasty plastic chainguard, which prevents a lot of muck reaching the chain.

 

[Chris James]

I find WD40 quite good in winter when the ground and air is damp, as this does not accumulate and I cannot imagine much dust and muck sticks to the chain as would be the case with oil..

You've gone and done it now. Mickle'll be along any minute to inform you that it isn't a lubricant (yes, I know it says on the can that it lubricates).

I use TF2 which seems okay, although someone will also tell me that it is rubbish and I should be using something else.

 

[derosa]

You've gone and done it now. Mickle'll be along any minute to inform you that it isn't a lubricant (yes, I know it says on the can that it lubricates).

I use TF2 which seems okay, although someone will also tell me that it is rubbish and I should be using something else.

Two of the best degreasers ever made