BROWSE HOW TOs

How to Buy a Bike Lube

By eHow Sports & Fitness Editor

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Choosing the proper bike lube can seem daunting at first because most bike shops have quite a selection. Narrow down your choices by assessing how much you ride, where you ride,and how diligently you maintain your bike.

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Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

Bike Chain Tool
Bike Chaing Cleaning Brushes
Bike Chains
Bike Lube
Bike Repair Stands
Bike Tools

Step1

Buy a lighter lube for a road bike. Some of the new "dry" lubes are quite durable and won't pick up much road grime.

Step2

Purchase a heavier lube if you ride a mountain bike or cycle in bad weather conditions, such as rain or snow.

Step3

Be honest with yourself: How often will you really clean and relube your chain? If you're likely to let this slide, get a heavier, more traditional lube.

Step4

Experiment with a lighter lube if you're consistent with your bike maintenance.

Step5

Buy a light, penetrating lube for derailleur pivots, brake pivots and spoke nipples.

Step6

Purchase quality grease for all threads, bearing surfaces and your seatpost.

Tips & Warnings

Ask the employees at your local bike shop what they recommend. A lube that's very effective in one part of the country might be a poor choice in another.
Don't use WD40 on your chain. WD40 is essentially a solvent, not a lubricant.
Don't use grease on your chain, or it will become a sticky mess.

Comments

Rudyrider said

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on 10/21/2007 Thanks to eHow friend. This is nice advice. I see that this was posted 2 yrs ago, so I don't know if you're still out there, but I definitely want to try this. I have a Fischer 21-spd mountain, on which it sounds like this would be great. I was just wondering if I'll be able to find 5W30 in Italy where I live. Would it be available in an automotive shop, or where? Thanks if someone can answer. Rudy

Anonymous said

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on 11/22/2005 Forget an expensive lube. I mix mineral spirits with 5w30 oil, about 4:1. When your chain starts to squeak, or after you clean and dry it, shake up the bottle, apply sparingly, wipe to remove the excess and let dry. The oil penetrates and the mineral spirits evaporate, leaving a thin film to protect your chain. I use this for mountain biking and road biking in all conditions and I find my chains last a long time. And I'm not spending 20 bucks on lube every two weeks.