You should take care of your chain and drivetrain parts, no matter what kind of rider you are or what type of riding you do. If performance and efficiency are your thing, a well-maintained drivetrain will improve both. If getting the most miles out of your parts and saving money is your thing, a well-cared-for drivetrain can save you thousands of dollars over a neglected one.

The kind of chain lube you use will certainly play a significant factor in getting the most out of a drivetrain. But there is more to getting the most out of your drivetrain and chain than just picking a chain lube. Here are three common mistakes that riders make that end up causing more drivetrain and chain wear that you should avoid.

Don’t just keep adding lube to your chain

If your chain is constantly a black, gunky mess and leaves a trail of grease on anything it touches, you are probably using too much lube. Regardless of which lube you decide to use, it has specific application instructions that you should carefully follow for the best results. Some lubricants only need one drop of lube per roller.

What you’re looking for is a chain that is smooth and quiet but not visibly wet. The lube should primarily be inside the chain rollers. The lube you see on the outside of the chain is only going to attract dirt and grime, which will eventually get pulled inside the chain and cause wear.

If your chain is running loudly or is covered in grime, adding lube to it is only a temporary solution. This action minimally and temporarily improves the ratio of lubricant to contamination in your chain. However, the issue will continue to worsen if you don’t remove the contamination by cleaning your chain.

Don’t lube your chain right before a ride

Adding lube to your chain right before heading out the door for a ride is the best way to end up with a chain that’s black with grime. This is because most chain lubes have a setting time, meaning you should give the lube time to sit and penetrate the chain’s inner workings before wiping away the excess. This is to make sure that the lube penetrates inside your chain’s links and lubricates the rollers that articulate around the gears.

For best results, do as much cleaning and re-lubing as possible immediately after a ride, especially if the ride was particularly messy. It’s always best to avoid having any grime, mud, or salt on your bike from continuing to sit and harden, making it even harder to clean off later.

Remove the factory grease on your chain before you use it

The grease your brand-new chain comes coated in is not your friend and is not a good chain lube. Leaving the factory grease in place will dramatically reduce the lifespan of your new chain compared to a chain that is first cleaned. By definition, it’s grease, and chain manufacturers coat their chains in it to prevent rusting during the time a chain might sit after being manufactured while it is shipped, warehoused, shipped again, and finally sold to a customer.

If you leave it on your chain, you’ll probably enjoy a few rides before realizing that your brand-new chain is covered in road grime. This is because the factory grease on your chain is incredibly sticky. This leads to rapid contamination as absolutely every piece of dust, dirt, pollen, or sand will instantly stick to your chain and quickly turn that factory grease into a very efficient grinding paste that is wearing away at your components.

What’s worse is that leaving the factory grease on your chain will prevent the best chain lubes from properly adhering to and lubricating your chain. As annoying as it might be to strip a brand-new chain before you’ve even installed it on a bike, consider that if you go and ride that chain first, the effort needed to get it clean will be exponentially more.

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