10 Common MTB Chain Maintenance Mistakes & How to Avoid Them

[@666vraptor]

About dirty chains, i had an incident when i was working in a shop. This guy came in with a problem that his chain was jumping but only on the lowest gear. I started diagnosing the problem and found out that his dìrty chain was in fact so dirty that the gap between the 1st and 2nd sprocket was completely full of dirt, it was compacted because of the chain's pressure. The chain was sitting only half the depth of the teeth in the sprocket. As soon as i cleaned the space between the sprockets everything worked like a charm.

[@h82fail]

That happened to me 2 weeks ago from leaves. 11T was slipping out just as you say mid ride, ended up just using a small stick to remove the leaves between the 11T and 13T and back to normal. Before I had a look I was scared but just no place for stuff to go between those smallest gears.

[@Logan-tf6nk]

I have had this happen in a single ride in the snow

[@cameronmaguire1356]

I was doing some work on my partners kids bikes after they said ‘I can only use 5 of the 6 gears’.... the first sprocket was not only cover in mud, I couldn’t find it. I took the mud off and could see the outline of the sprocket!

[@davee1884]

Hope you charged him for the bike cleaning service as well as the maintenance... or at least gave him some friendly advice.

[@adambrickley1119]

Who would take a bike for repair without cleaning it? I hope you have a cleannng fee b4 any work.

[@wazzawalker6536]

Please do not forget that some chains are directional eg. some Shimano products. Thing to remember is the lettering goes to the outside.

[@jhibes9103]

When I get a new chain, I keep the quick link from the old chain on my bike with a tube, tire levers, etc. Even though they are "single use", I figure it will get me (or a riding buddy) home.

[@TheWebstaff]

Good idea!

[@bobbyhempel1513]

Tgey aren't single use they just say that so you will buy more.

[@lsdrifts4544]

why are they single use?

[@s.sradon9782]

Never understood why you'd use tire levers.

[@phantomflame0658]

@@s.sradon9782 Maybe he's a roadie, you almost always need tire levers when you have like 23c tires

[@pinus_nigra]

Single use quick links is a hoax! I've been using them for years, joining and splitting them dozens of times, and they never ever failed.

[@billydasher5518]

Me too!

[@caramba10]

Yep same here.

[@TheStryder400]

As well

[@jumperdriver1]

Totally agree

[@cameronrobertson9518]

We literally re-use them in the shop I work in

[@toddoskin]

Quick emergency tip -- if you need to remove quick link and dont bave removal pliers , you can use a shoe lace... loop it through both sides and then twist both sides together until it pops open. As you twist the loop gets shorter and shorter

[@NonLegitNation2]

I actually messed up a few days ago when I installed a new chain and I wasn't paying attention while passing the chain through the rear derailleur and like you showed I ended up passing it over one of those tabs. I then noticed that for some reason I couldn't shift into my highest gear. I was just adjusting my derailleur earlier today because of this and kept hearing a clicking noise no matter how much I adjusted it, finally after about 15 minutes I noticed what i had done. I am installing a whole new groupset on Monday so I'm definitely going to pay attention this time.

[@VideoPresence2020]

This guy is so good. Two year old video. If he's still on the payroll, then give him a raise. You want to keep him. Thanks.

[@hodgo1981]

I know everyone's situation is different and everyone values their time and finances differently. But I do a lot of miles as an endurance XC rider, So I see value in owning 2 chains (per bike) and cooking my chains in Wax, cooking in wax is by far the BEST way to get lubricant into the rollers, and no dust or grit is attracted to the outside of your chain or rollers. Usually I can get 200km of wet riding or up to 500km of dry riding, before changing a chain then every month or so I thoroughly wash both chains in petrol. Then cook them in candle wax for about 20mins. As for longevity, my last chain using regular lube lasted 1300km, the 2 chains I am currently running have combined 3500km, and are at about 0.3 wear. Also on the reusing connectors, I reuse them, never had one fail, but after about 5 times I might replace them because the "click" close does not seem as strong, and twice I've had the pin fall out of eagle joining links.

[@TCK71]

I always reuse quick links, never had a failure. It’s marketing designed to fleece!

[@snicklefritzal]

Every time I clean my bike I take the chain off via quick link and shake it around in a tupperware pot with some degreaser... Never been able to get it proper clean any other way. I guess I'm committing two sins.

[@quinntitchkosky5396]

Yeah I've taken mine apart dozens of times no problem ever. Always have a spare on a ride so if it ever brakes it's no biggie

[@ManuelMartinez09]

same here with 10 and 11 speed chains

[@bewimotos]

i take it apart wash with soap then with gasoline, dry it, then lub it and back to the bike. no problem either with the quick link

[@simonpowell2559]

Works just fine for a while, but when it's worn out.... I find if the roller falls out of the middle of the chain it won't hold. It's probably time for a new chain anyway.

[@ianlloyd1182]

Hi Doddy, thanks again for your informative videos, much appreciated. I live in Australia and ride where the terrain in mainly sandstone. I’ve found the factory grease attracts sand and grit like bees to a honey pot and results in a very gritty drivetrain in no time. Personally I’ve found the best solution is to completely degrease the chain to remove all grease and then use a good quality dry or wet lube depending on the weather.

[@jramirezar]

I had the same problem, no matter what the weather or terrain is, with KMC chains, the factory lubricant can converts to a glue and impregnates everything in such anoying way, that it is very difficult to wipe off, I had to clean mi cassette and chainrings with a microfiber cloth and alcohol; and for the chain, hot water and hard degreasing soap for a long time... Never again leave the factory lubricant on any chain...

[@BigRed-MWA]

I make my own wax base lube been doing it for decades with great success from mud to the Desert racers, here in Australia. 🇦🇺👍 People need to learn how to clean a chain and drive line properly. Noooooo... You need to Degrees and Clean any new chain!!! Remove all oil base lube!!! Then Wax a new chain from the start in a wax bath slow cooker. Learn to clean and lube with a wax base lube after big rides. Problem solved. 👍👍👍 Of course the Chain company told you that as they want to sell more chains down the track.

[@Icantfindtheanykey]

Should have made this tutorial years back. I had to learn this by trial and error and watching more than a dozen other vids. Well done Doddy!

[@easyrider7694]

KMC 9 speeder chains and power links absolutely brilliant!! Used these for many years and show they are robust. Tryed other chains seem to break. Stick to what you know and don't go back to the other.. 😊 🚲

[@ogmr.c3714]

For new riders confused on what the right length for the chain is. If your original chain is being replaced because its gotten "stretched out" just put the new one side by side the old one and make sure the lengths match up. Like he said the actual chain doesn't "stretch out"/ become "longer" its the little bearings that wear out. Sometimes you'll get a new chain thats longer because it has extra links in case your bike has a longer chainstay.

[@jamesnizzy9774]

11:15 found this out the hard way, spent 2 days trying to figure out why my gears where shifting so badly after replacing the chain... saw it jump on the second day and was beyond relieved but also fuming at my stupidity. DON'T DO A ME!!! haha

[@TheWebstaff]

Them colour chains are mesmorising running through the derailer.

[@banditsharp]

Coloured, mesmerizing and derailleur.

[@woduk]

Yeah and expensive those DLC KMC chains

[@TheWebstaff]

@banditsharp I couldn't type properly. I was mesmerized, you could even say entranced totally consumed. What ever it was it's was soon over when I saw the price of the chains..

[@oskarmeester3062]

Isn’t there an cheaper alternative then? One that still has one of these nice colours but doesn’t cost a dumb amount of money?

[@phantombigballs8165]

@@oskarmeester3062 nope

[@Coolcmsc]

Great vid. Wax lubes were dismissed too superficially - an unusual error mate. They have their place, pros and cons. In the correct situation, they are better than wet or dry. I’ll leave it to you for right of reply as to when wax has value.

[@hodgo1981]

100% percent! and cooking chains in wax is still very good in bad conditions- so not true that wax lubes are only good for dry and dusty.

[@Coolcmsc]

@@hodgo1981 Thanks. As a result of your advice Ive researched this - I’m a science based professional who’s been a reviewer for a major scientific journal, so I know how to do this. And guess what, you’re correct haha! This vid is directly addressed - trashed? - in the post I’ve linked to below. And the full independent data on how to care for a chain is to be found on the website. Of course, being good engineering science, there’s masses of information. Hopefully, it won’t be dismissed by those who quite reasonably don’t have time to read it all. If you have 10 minutes, enjoy this and consider posting to Doddy as the author requests. zerofrictioncycling.com.au/latest-zero-friction-cycling-news-factory-grease/

[@bartus9891]

If you plan to use a wax based lube like squirt you DO have to degrease!

[@johns9974]

AGREED

[@666mcc]

Moreover most of the chains are covered with such a sticky grease that it's going to form grind paste during 1st ride. My colleague following chain producer recommendations didn't clean the chain and after a couple of of MTB racing wore the chain to .5 on new xtr cassette. I've been always cleaning up the chain before waxing it and my chains have barely .2 of wear after riding 100s of hours in various conditions including winter, mostly XC, where you have 1000s gear shifts per race/ride! Using xx1 and ybn chains in various colors (to distinguish which chain is for what bike and what chainring) and 1295 cassettes. I am a bit tempted to buy one of these fancy KMC chains and follow their advice to not to clean the chain before 1st use. Of course i won't be able to use wax. I am wondering if they will reimburse me the cost of premature wear of the drivetrain if it will happen (and it will for sure - check test from zfc!).

[@wematanye533]

A bad chain break happened to me just the other day. I shortened my chain prior to riding and I thought that having it too short may have caused this - but after watching this video I'm now thinking it's because I re-used one of the pins when rejoining the chain! In any case, when the chain snapped, it somehow threw the derailleur into the spokes. You can guess how that ended.

[@zugdsbtngizudsgbnudsdsoiu]

Thank you very much. One of the few videos actually mentioning degreasing a new chain and what to do. Ive seen so many guides/tutorials where they just put on the new chain and maybe show how to measure the correct length but noone every states what to do with the factory grease.

[@stephendavies6947]

Recently bought a bike with kmc X10 and black inner links. After several years in storage the paint turned into chewing gum and stuck the side plates together. Even the missing link was glued to the sade plates. Not knowing what the problem was I soaked the chain in muck off then worked each link free before rinsing, drying then lubing. I would say avoid painted chains.

[@drumrooster]

Thanks I just got a new Cannondale Treadwell 2 and was trying to decide on a stand..I think I'll go with the center one.

[@liberalforfreedom]

watching someone talk about how cool a "chain checker" is at 2 am .....Think I have a problem ?

[@daztastic147]

Amazingly I watched this video last night in advance of fitting a new chain today which I haven’t done for quite some time. Incredibly even after watching the video I ran the bloody chain underneath the little plate on the derailleur and as described here it worked but was horrible and noisy, it was only when I looked carefully I realised what I’d done and remembered this video!

[@oldnotwise71]

Great video, I've shared this to lots of riders who don't understand the importance of the chain and its maintenance.

[@QoraxAudio]

9:55 instead of that additional tool, you can use the back of your chain checker - that's what the two hooks are for.

[@IvanPrskalo]

I just love those KMC DLC chains. I have one in orange/black and one in yellow/black... They are good lookin and even better performing.

[@brianbassett4379]

I tried for the first couple of years with my latest bike (I have only owned and ridden a single bike at a time)... to keep it clean and shiny all the time, immaculate. I obsessed over the chain to the point of cleaning it during rides. This is all while averaging over 7K miles a year, 20 to 120 mile rides year around. That means for me, living in the Pacific Northwest, 4 to 6 months of riding in the rain and on muddy wet surfaces. I have a Rohloff Speedhub mounted on a full-suspension touring bike coupled to a BBSHD mid-drive and it's amazing. It's broken me to ever owning another bike without a Rohloff. The mid-drive and the Speedhub are made for each other, they go together like lamb and tuna fish. @ The 1st year I rode I changed the chain 8 times... whenever it got to 0.5% wear as tested with a Park tool. After another 25K miles and 4 years riding I now wipe the chain clean daily and swap my chains every 6 months. Drop the chain, flip or replace the Rohloff gear, mount a new chain, and ride. Always having a straight chain line makes it amazingly easy to maintain. 11 Jul 19 - 71 miles w/front panniers & trailer on less than 15Ah... 1/2 the packs capacity. www.relive.cc/view/g37290970278 photos.app.goo.gl/RD1NrDPCZQuHpWja9

[@patmcmaster1010]

Don't forget the easy way to check chain length without a specific chain tool; with a steel rule measure the links up to 12" (brand new chain), if the chain measures 12 1/8" then it's knackered. Replace before it reaches that point and you may get away with not changing the cassette at the same time. EDIT: I've just found this other alternative method on a forum I visit and have copied it: I'm happy to use a 12" ruler but I know some folk are not happy with this method and would prefer some kind of unequivocal measurement. Below I have written up a method which might fit the bill. All you need is a set of 6" digital Vernier calipers (typical cost £12-20 for a basic version) which many cyclists will have already or find very useful for other purposes. Step 1. Zero the caliper. Whilst taking a between rollers measurement (BRM), set the caliper to zero in the 'inches' range. Step 2. Take the measurement. Slide the caliper out to an indicated ~4.9" and then take a measurement between the LH roller as before and the appropriate RH roller. Step 3. Do the calculation. An unworn chain should measure almost exactly 5.000" on this test, (but +/- 0.005" isn't unusual even on new chain) Any excess over that represents pin wear in the chain. Thus a 1% worn chain will measure 5.050", and a 0.5% worn chain will measure 5.025", and so on. The chain below is (with the caliper re-zeroed for that chains BRM value) +0.043" so is almost 0.9% worn. Checks and balances: There are additional checks that you can do if you want; 1) Check uniformity of roller wear. With the calipers zeroed as step 1, you can check other roller gaps. With 1/8" chain using most verniers you can check any chain gap, but with derailleur chain you can only check between outer side plate links (as per the photos) unless you modify your verniers by grinding the internal jaws to make them slimmer than normal. Most worn chains I have checked thus show remarkably uniform roller spacing, but if a (singlespeed) chain is used on even tooth count rings/sprockets, every other link may wear differently. 2) Check uniformity of chain wear. You can repeat steps 1-3 as many times as you can be bothered to do along the chain length. If the chain you are measuring shows uniform BRM then you can take measurements without having to re-zero the caliper each time. 3) check roller wear. In the image below you can see the difference in BRM as measured using a short length of unused chain of the same type (KMC 'inox'). You can see that the roller wear is ~0.024" different between new and used chains. Had this been included in the main wear measurement, this arguably would have constituted a >50% error. Even new chains show a variation of +/- 0.25mm (~0.010") in this measurement, due to small variations in roller OD and bushing clearances. So there you have it; I think this method may be a both simple and effective one for keeping track of chain wear. Having said that, I don't think it adds much to the results you can get by simply using a ruler, but not everyone is happy to do that. The vernier method arguably has a flaw (which it shares with all commercial chain checkers, pretty much) in that it relies on the rollers being free to move in the normal way that occurs when the chain is in use. For various reasons this might not always happen. NB I have taken these measurements on short lengths of loose chain, but there it is probably best if the measurements are taken whilst the chain is still on the bike. For example if the chain is very dirty, whilst the chain is still in its usual position, (just used) the rollers will be able to assume their usual positions without difficulty, but once the chain is removed or otherwise disturbed, dirt in the rollers may affect the measurement. For this reason, some folk advocate cleaning the chain before you measure it. If you are going to remove it and clean it anyway, why not.... but if you are not, it means that you will regularly waste your time cleaning a chain that is actually headed for the bin.... cheers

[@AA-vj3si]

Thank you

[@dennishermey5873]

Or put your chain on the smallest sprockets front and rear and measure 5mm from the last roller to the chain and most cases this is right on

[@dennishermey5873]

Oops my bad should of read a lil further lol

[@larrydaniels6532]

You must have all day to think of ways to waste your time, spend $8 ( for a chain tool) and be done with all the nonsense, always measure chain wear with chain under slight tension, easily done with any chain checker, nearly impossible with your method, unless you want to make it a group project. This would be considered a measurement that is not hyper-critical such as derailleur cable tension or front derailleur height and attitude. A slight wear is that, just slight wear, the bike still performs as it should and it's simply telling you to stay aware of this issue and get a new chain when and if the tool indicates you should.

[@lawlerskeetz]

Don't re-use quick links? Bugger off, I'm not buying a new quick link every time I want to take the chain off the bike.

[@woduk]

Only sram power links that I thought was once use only kmc links supplied with chains I use many times without issue

[@theterrifictrio5514]

I have found that (though it was 11 years old) my master link literally slipped apart, and on one occasion came apart (easy fix obviously). Moral of the story? Replace them occasionally.

[@newttella1043]

I re-use quick links so often that my only rule is if I can undo them with my fingers then it's time for a new link, and that's only been once since 2010.

[@newttella1043]

@John Smith You have stronger fingers than me. Never could undo the 10 speed link without pliers.

[@newttella1043]

@John Smith Don't think doing weights will add any height :)

[@tbull1545]

KMC came to us asking us to make this video. aka an infomercial for kmc chains.

[@ettrickdoo7287]

I have motocross and it is o-ring chain ... I never soak that chain ... but for chains with no o-ring or x-ring I have soaked and agitated to get clean with no issues ( I also always reuse quick link ... never had issue in over 30 years of mtbn).

[@DaeganJones]

Snapped my chain on the first accent of a grand opening of a bike park. Coasted back down and went into the shop, not only did they have the chain I needed I had exactly enough money in my wallet to pay for it. That was a fun day.

[@tjacksondolph4026]

I bought a custom made mountain bike with no experience previously, and the guy that built it I found oddly enough had no grease on the chain it was just a light oil, it rides so much smoother with no grease.

[@samhedges4443]

Perfect timing... hanger snapped, had to remove chain. Now I know everything I need to do/check before replacing chain on bike 😁

[@jimbo80982]

Ugh I don't envy you!

[@andrewince8824]

Hold up. KMC make chains. How do we know this isn't a carefully plotted means of making us ruin chains so KMC can sell us more chains? 😉 Excellent video and actually pretty informative.

[@jimbo80982]

The pretty colours and all of the KMC products showcased make me want to buy metal 🤘

[@andrewince8824]

@@jimbo80982 honestly dude, it's 4am, hot as balls and instead of sleep I'm rewatching GMBN and debating if I should drop £115 on a colourful KMC chain. In fairness, they coat their chains better than SRAM and Shimano, they'll last.

[@zerofrictioncycling992]

It is hard to believe content espousing keeping factory grease on chain is still being put out by high profile tech content creators who frankly should know a lot better by now. A lot of independent testing has been done, starting with friction facts, and continued on by zero friction cycling - with regard to factory grease vs top lubricant choices, as well as the difference between meh / poor lubricants & top lubricants. Watts savings aside, the wear rate & cost to run difference is quite frankly huge. Leave factory grease on vs cleaning and using a top lubricant choice such as mspeedwax, Silca SS, Tru-Tension Tungsten All weather, smoove etc - and be assured within short order you will be wearing through your chain, cassette and chain ring at a rate many times greater. Considering the cost of higher tier cassettes, chains, chain rings, this will really hurt the hip pocket, not to mention, ripping through components at triple the rate or more vs top lubricant choices is plain wasteful. All the top lubricant choices require factory grease (which is there for anti corrosion for packing) to be removed so that the lubricant can bond to clean, clear chain metal and form a very low friction, low wear chain coating that is extremely clean and resistant to contamination / becoming a grinding paste. Such lubricants also need VASTLY lower (some basically nil) periodic cleaning maintenance to remain exceptionally clean day in day out, so you save on time and periodic maintenance costs as well. It is hard to fathom that gmbn would not have done some basic fact checking with the likes of Jason Smith or ZFC to get input from both sides of the equation and then make a decision on balanced content vs going with pure marketing content from a manufacturer. Im guessing this was sponsored by kmc.

[@TGMvideo]

This needs more thumbs up. Should not be buried since its important to know the truth and not marketing fluff from KMC. As said the manufacturing grease/oil is basically designed for shelf life (anti rust etc) and not to give you an efficiently running drivetrain. I would suggest maybe do a run in for like 30 minutes then strip the chain clean with white spirits or similar, get all the tiny metal bits that have been worn off the rough edges out and then apply your favourite lube/wax. Nothing - absolutely nothing beats hot melt waxing your chain but you can get away with drip waxes now as well. Do not do a "how to avoid mistakes" then outright tell silly things like this GMBN.

[@andrecook4268]

They did state it was sponsored...you didn't have to guess. But I am about to become a wax convert. Been watching your vids, biggest lure for me is not getting black grease on me every time I touch the chain.

[@MLFranklin]

Very worthwhile! Thanks for producing this video.

[@mikemal48]

The best video I have ever seen on Chain maintenance and so much information..A+++

[@mtbboy1993]

I used to rotate 3 chains, until it could not be done anymore. My old bike really wore down the drivetrain faster than my new one, way too flexy. So this helped alot. This also makes it easier to swap wheels with cassette already no skipping chain. I've not done it on my new bike yet, cus I rode way too little do wear it down, hope to ride more this year. Another thing to remember is lube can get too old, stiff, sticky and collect dust, grime, so if you let bike stand too long chain might struggle to move properly, it will reduce shifting performance. So don't let it stand for a week without cleaning and relubing. Never leave over lubed chain.

[@Stussy787]

I ALWAYS use KMC and they did (I hasten to add "did") an amazing ceramic lube and a double sided brush to scrub out the grit and on the other side of the brush massage the lube into the chain. Seems they discontinued it for some reason?

[@ikhurus5878]

Yeah, profit

[@eXTreemator]

Nearly every clueless cyclist uses them

[@user-cx2bk6pm2f]

This is sort of a Masterclass for beginners. Well done 😀👍

[@Captivateitmedia]

Love your vids. Always so detailed and helpful. Thanks for your explanations!

[@FIGHTTHECABLE]

Yep pretty much knew most of the tips. Some refreshers, but yeah mostly I follow the same ways.

[@Velo1010]

Been using the same chain for 8 years. And before you say I don’t ride my bike think again. When I purchased my Specialized full suspension MTB new many years years ago I was riding every weekend. It all comes down to chain maintenance. This translates to cleaning/washing, drying, and re-lubricating it frequently.

[@technodrone313]

i used to work for a bike part wholesaler. getting a shipment of chains was always interesting. a tiny 2-3foot high pallet weighing 500lbs. boxes were tiny but 50lbs.

[@bugboy152000]

#GMBNTech Seeing those very dirty chains literally sent chills down my spine!!!!!

[@misternobody4716]

I love your videos. I'm a self-taught bike guy/mechanic, been at it for about 27 years. There are still things I don't know, and I use your videos to supplement that and learn more. I'm getting into e-bikes, but I still have my little Haro Roscoe that has served me well, I'm probably going to be investing some of this new knowledge into it. Thanks again, and keep spreading that wealth of knowledge and experience!

[@Mylity66]

You CAN reuse Quicklinks (not pins) but you have to be careful. If you re-use your quick-links a lot like I do (I wax my chain so it's a weekly thing) you run into the risk of your chain falling apart when going down a trail or snapping open as you pedal or worse case scenario, snapping as you put power on the pedals standing up, that can lead to very serious injury. Still, you can re-use them safely if you follow some minimal precautions: 1)Do not re-use an old chainlink with a new chain. Even if it looks fine, don't. This is more a matter of wear and tear, the old link will have the same wear as the pins on the old chain and you will have a wonky new chain with that one slightly longer link that will cause unnecessary wear on your drivetrain, even noise. New chain? new link. If the old one feels good don't discard it, keep it in your emergency kit, give it away to a mate in need. 2)New links are a bitch to break open, a tool like in the video is nice but you can open them using a piece of brake cable, after 8 or so times they can be broken using just your fingers, this is fine, you can continue to use them dozens of times more. 3)You should inspect your links every single time carefully after they become easy to break by hand. When they loose their bite that means they are old and you should have a replacement on you at all times. You want to look at the pins, any sign of pitting or trenching and the link should be discarded, this can take a very long time to show up, several months usually (remember, I break my links 4 times per month minimum), your tolerance with this should be next to zero. 4)Before undoing your chain for whatever reason, give it "the dance" at the link area, that is, to bend the chain sideways 5-10 times in an attempt to make the pin slip sideways at the quick-link, apply some force, not much. It should not do that, it should behave the same as the rest of the pins and stay in place, if the pin is gonna come loose it will do it under not much force at all. If it does, replace it. (I've seen this happen once in 5 years, pitting happens first). You can successfully wear out a chain using 3-4 links, and again, that's coming from someone that soaks his chain in a wax pot every Saturday

[@velvetpaws999]

A naive question: is that a good idea, to soak the chain in a wax pot?

[@Mylity66]

@@velvetpaws999 in my experience yeah. But waxing is not for everyone. It's time consuming and can be a little bit messy. There's nothing wrong with oil, it's dependable, cheap and easy to source and very easy to apply. So long you keep a clean chain there's no issue with it. My problem with oil is that it catches dirt, lots of it, and the paths I ride on tend to be quite dusty. Oil+dirt=black grinding paste, and it makes working on your bike very messy. Wax hardly catches any dirt at all, I can rub my fingers on my chain all I want and I get zero stains on it, it's like rubbing a soft candle. I also have no issues with rain, puddles or water in general. Wax repels water. But again, like I said, it's a very finicky thing, and frankly I wouldn't recommend it unless you really like tinkering with your bike (which I love, it's half the fun for me). Also, I've found it really extends the life of my drivetrain. I wrote that comment over a year ago, back then that chain was a few months old maybe 3-4K kilometers. I'm still using the same chain, and it's now well over 16K kilometers and it is still not stretched. I have also not changed the cassette (it's perfect) and I did change the chainring (1X to 2X... got tired of the lack of versatility, I wanted more speed... and I wanted my granny gear back 😢) So do some research and find out if you want to try it out. All I really want out of wax as a lubricant is the lack of black oil stains in my hands and the extended longevity of my drivetrain.

[@troyesch6203]

I immersive wax as well but why would you do it weekly? I soak my chain about every 200 miles and I don’t think I even need to do it that often. The only time I do it more often is if I get caught in rain and muddy conditions. Love it though. I’ll never go back to lube

[@Mylity66]

@@troyesch6203 because I live in the tropics, it's always muddy, rainy or at least humid here. I'm a mountain biker as well, so I purposely seek muddy trails 🤪 and my wax mix is basically candle wax with kerosene, it's hard to come by additives so I can't have PTFE for example, it's too expensive and difficult to import.

[@user-cx2bk6pm2f]

I like that tire lever slash chain tool. Clever!

[@cindyb4984]

Fantastic description and now I am versed in chain care and repair! Love you guys! Thank YOU!

[@petebarnesTaiChi]

Would it not help to show how to use the chain checker, many will say it's obvious but I found it can be quite subtle. You demonstrated everything else except the really subtle one.

[@GaryvanderMerwe]

5:20 Warn rollers don't change the pitch, and are not a problem. It's the wear on the links and pins where the link rotates around the pin that results in the increase in pitch.

[@johnjohannemann1220]

Excellent information as always. Good job!

[@richardarden7291]

Nice informative video, I used white spirit on a cloth just to surface clean my chain after every ride (road bike). Then give a full wet clean and chain degreaser bath) every few hundred miles or so. Seems to work for me and prolong my chain health.

[@banacek60chord43]

Lubricating; saying that the 'bottom links' are the ones that do the work infers that nothing is rotating. It's just the best way to apply the lube to the inside 'at that point' . . what with gravity and all. 😎 Fine video, thanks.

[@Jordan-W]

I use my Digital Chain Checker at least 5 times a day, I love it. I work at a bike shop though... probably not practical for the average rider.

[@tonywoodford9164]

I used to remove my chain and clean and wax it. Reused the SRAM quick link many many times without issue. Always carry a spare though. I thought I had chain maintenance nailed. Wax works well. I had so many disagreements with people using gt85 saying it's bad idea. Eventually just to prove my point that gt85 doesn't work I decided to try using gt85. Now I'm getting more than 2000 miles from a chain. Some times the dumbest ideas work.

[@jagoss45]

Dumonde Tech lube needs a nice clean chain to start so I de-greased my new one before lubing it. So far it’s super quiet!

[@troyesch6203]

If you want your chain and entire drivetrain to last longer, do immersive waxing. I’ve never replaced a drivetrain. And chains last me thousands of miles. And it’s fine if it gets wet. Ya just gotta rewax more often if riding in wet conditions. It also keeps your drivetrain very clean and fast

[@jasonrhodes2391]

A informative video, you Managed to pack a lot into a few short minutes Respekt Regards Jason

[@brucehamilton6019]

Hey, thx for the effort mate. But I'm of the mind these days that with metal coating that comes on many chains, for more $$, is a better way to go, than constant oiling. The inside surfaces of the wheel/axles that you showed is where the wear occurs. So an NiB coated chain, with some occasional lube for corrosion and some lube assist, should be about all that's needed today. I'm in dry dessert, mostly, so not much rust aside from condensation from darkness temps anyway... It's a bit of snake oil these days. O-ring chains are used on dirt motorcycles, and that's more friction than wanted on a bicycle, but we can make a better chain with today's tech. And then there's belt drive!

[@niranfernando65]

Fantastic chain maintenance video Gear help Keep up the good work 👍

[@Kievlar]

I bike along the shore and didn't wash my bike upon going home. The next day, my chain, sprocket, etc had rust on them!!! I used a rust converter on them (Turko). The rust were gone but I don't know if what I did harmed my transmission.

[@aaronanthonymoat]

I've rerouted the chain wrong before. Easy enough to do. Lucky realized before cycling.

[@ka81alex]

Nice to see how you clean external part of chain with a rack on a fully clean bike with fully clean chain..

[@michaelb9664]

He was demonstrating how to remove the packaging grease externally from a new chain at that point.

[@ka81alex]

@@michaelb9664 without "removing" it "internally"?.. Even nicer! ))

[@ka81alex]

@@tonysadler5290 Have YOU ever tried to remove that "packaging grease" from NEW chain? Especialy with some spray and towel?!.. Try it yourself - more tea - ...

[@xx-----------xx873]

@@ka81alex some IPA and a fresh paper towel would do it.

[@jonnyscott8910]

Wasn't really aware of people taken the grease off a new chain as , well it's a pointless exercise and I've seen some friends bikes and they complain about noises and I !lol at them and think'hows about cleaning the bike after each time it's getting use, great video and especially for this time of the year.

[@linooosan]

I use my bike 30 minutes every day to go to work and i have never changed my chain, i have now been doing this for 10 years thats pretty damn good imo

[@robhealey7183]

Is the recommended chain wear you stated on vid manufacture specific ?? 0.8% Being a loler thorough examination engineer we use FB gauges and the maximum allowance is 3.0% (2.5% we recommend replacement) top vid doddy .

[@aperson5994]

On normal chain checkers (not digital ones) 0.75 of wear is need to replace soon and 1% of wear is need to replace immediately

[@Larpy1933]

I believe the chain checkers Doddy showed are built around 0.8mm increase in length of SEVERAL links of chain as a “worn out” measurement. I don’t think those devices are built around a 0.8% specification.

[@robhealey7183]

Thanks guys I understand that totally but what i asked was why are bicycle chains are at a much lower tolerances in allowable wear compared to actual load chains on a fork lift for example . Im not disputing the fact the info is correct but wondered y it's so low ? Maybe the quality of the parts or the physical size and dimensions ?

[@borisflamingo594]

@@robhealey7183 mainly coz bike chain shifts laterally, where excessive wear impedes the chains ability to jump cogs effectively (sloppy/delayed shifting), where the fork lift rotates on the same plane where the wear doesn’t matter as quickly.

[@kensimon]

You can also use the outside lugs on the linear caliper already in the toolobox instead of the unnecessary dedicated digital chain wear tool. SIGNED the motorcycle mechanic.

[@RobertDStark]

I live in SoCal and do wax year round. Sure would be nice for you to give the wax some love on the channel. Seems as though you avoid it like the plague. It’s an excellent method of lube for certain locations or times of year. Let’s see you do a little piece on it so that everyone has full knowledge of what available.

[@TheWebstaff]

Does anyone sell a really expensive one?.. If so they might well cover it..

[@ollieb9875]

I agree. Been using a paraffin wax and added Teflon and molybdenum disulfide in there as well. Important I think to make sure the chain is totally degreased before dipping in the wax, I found it just doesn't penetrate and stick if there's any lube or factory grease in there. Then it seems to last for ages. Did 100km through mud, grit, sand, water etc during some particularly bad weather in the new forest, chain was even clean after that, hardly any residue of the day's activity coming off in the hand.

[@ADSRM]

John Cannings did a good video on GCN about waxing a year or so ago I think...

[@ollieb9875]

@@ADSRM can't sell their sponsors lube then eh 🤔🙃

[@alexanderson7101]

Thanks for the 24 minute kmc ad!

[@vdel7418]

i mean, they make pretty good chains. both of my bikes use kmc chains.

[@eXTreemator]

@@vdel7418 they make shit chains but many don't notice that

[@StopaskingformynameYouTube]

My missing link is on it's 5th chain now, still tight. I'm sure it wears out over time, but so far i've yet to have a failure.

[@michaelb9664]

On average I get about 5 chains to a drivetrain. I replace my chains at 0.5mm. Running 1x 10 & 11 speed in all sorts of UK conditions, I tend to wear chains pretty rapidly. I personally feel that running a chain to 0.75mm wear on a 1x system is too far gone and chainrings usually die way too early. 0.5mm wear allows me to get lots of use from my chainrings and cassettes. My cleaning and lubing regime is spot on as I pretty much do everything Doddy says here to the letter. I use dry lube all year round. I prefer to clean and lubricate after a mucky ride, than have a thick black grinding paste all over it from wet lube.

[@pistolpete6321]

Great video, very helpful tips!

[@NoName-iz6bs]

No chain needed for a hub motor!! Love my mid drive, but I’m NEVER worried about getting stranded on my hub motor bike 💯

[@bawbag3715]

iv changed a chain once after about 6 weeks of use when my chain tool said its almost time to change chains, put a new chain on and my chain was slipping, i ended up changing everything to stop the slipping, since then i dont even bother testing the chain, once my parts wear out i will change them, iv had the same chain on one bike for 4 years and 5 years on my other, still no sing of any issues

[@hollyhustlaah5937]

Tx u doddy! Ultra useful presentation. 👍🏻

[@curtisf.r6233]

I would never have thought about a chain or tech, the way Doddy does! But that's my biggest mistake right there. Thanks Doddy! 🍻👍😎

[@mascow7915]

Love to see that Totem and Marzocchi (what fork it is) on wall 😍

[@bobble1476]

doddy spot on video dud boring topic made interesting nice one and I have learned something

[@machine7767]

Never thought about which side of the chain to lube you reccomend lubing the bottom side because that is the side that does the work. Seems like when I lube the top side it always runs down to the bottom side I would think you would get more lube that way to the side of the chain that contacts the gears

[@GNX157]

It doesn’t really matter. When chain meets the cogs and CR, the roller turns slightly with each engagement. The outside of the roller isn’t what needs the lube most. Just be sure to back pedal 30-40 times after applying lube and wipe off the jockey wheels. The roller is stationary in its contact with the CR and cogs. The lube needs to reach under the rollers and between the inner and outer side plates, to where the pin and bushing are on the inner link. He didn’t really talk about it much and actually I don’t think Doddy understands it’s the pin and bushing that are most crucial, not the roller.

[@mtbboy1993]

17:38 I use this brush for cleaning grips. 👌 But I use a Grunge brush for the drivetrain it has 3 brushes surrounding the chain, and I switch positions, it works really well, much faster and easier than the ones that are a box you poour degreaser into to.

[@jasonbrown467]

i have been riding the same old 24 speed full suspension mountain bike since about 2002. i put a hub motor on the rear and i had to change the gear set for the rear. wow, my old stuff was worn out, but it all wore out evenly so i didnt notice until i put one new part in, now crap isnt right, and i have to change the front chain ring and chain now. i have no idea how many miles i put on that drive train, but it must be close to at least 7k miles. i only oiled it once every few years with 3 in 1 oil. back in the day i used expensive bike chain oil, but wasnt convinced it was doing anything, so i switched over the the cheap common stuff

[@IanJesting]

I de grease mine then soak it in hot periffin wax. It takes a bit more time but it keeps it spotless and I haven't had any issues with lubrication. I hear you can add ptf powder too

[@pernyberg2816]

Well. You really shouldn't use ptfe though. It is quite harmfull stuff.

[@IanJesting]

@@pernyberg2816 Thanks for the heads up! I looked into it a bit. Didn't realize it was so toxic.. I'll just stick to wax

[@dodger1x]

This is why I want a kindernay Vii and gates carbon belt drive on my next emtb. Hopefully the Pole Voima (wich looks perfect for a belt drive because of the swing arm doesn’t have to be opened to use a belt)

[@gripitripit6193]

I’m currently watching this video only hours after an hour long walk back home from a chain failure half way down the trail.

[@dennishermey5873]

Major bummer

[@gripitripit6193]

@@dennishermey5873 haha ya I’d say live and learn but I’m still living life on the edge.I haven’t bought myself a kit to strap on my bike yet to keep a few parts and tools with me. The kids at the bike shop I went too for the spare chain and chain link were a little too much for me to handle and I had to grab what I needed and get out lol.

[@boowiebear]

Use wax. Best decision I made. MSpeedwax brand is greaf. I go hundreds of miles between re-wax. Drive train is perfectly clean all the time. I do all my friends now at once when I heat the crock pot. Takes a few minutes per chain.

[@stevek8829]

Thanks for the site. How often do you repeat? If you have pin links do you use chain breaker every time you need to lube?

[@boowiebear]

@@stevek8829 Get a Quick Link for your chain and I recommend a quick link removal and install tool. With the pot, wax, tools you are maybe in $50. It is so worth it. Follow instructions on stripping the chain of oil....don't skimp on that. Has to be bare metal. Then it is easy streets.

[@lozetchells9164]

Very helpful for a noob like me, thank you!

[@BawlzOfuzz]

After this I've decided to support my local bike shop 🤣👍

[@cyclingSausage]

I fitted a new shimano chain to my road bike recently and misplaced the joining pin so I reused the sram quick link from my old chain. I reckon it'll be good to go until I next renew my chain. I'll then keep it as an emergency spare.

[@johndef5075]

Even Shimano sells with quick links now. I prefer that to pressing pins.

[@johnschuff983]

You told us to avoid misplacing the chain on the wrong side of the metal tab on the derailleur, but I didn't see an explanation of how to determine that you're on the right side. Thank you.

[@velvetpaws999]

Thank you! That was a great presentation! I am not so good with all the details of maintaining a bike with lots of gears.... and a few days ago, my chain jumped off the gears! It was just hanging there.... and my dilemma was: which sprocket wheel (front and back) is the correct one to place it back on? So far, I have not figured it out. I just picked one... but it won't give me all gear changes since... so I am just riding without using the different gears. I've been looking to find a video where I can learn how to install it on the right set of sprockets... on my Schwinn Crossroads Specialized, a hybrid bike from 1992, there are multiple gears on both the pedal and the rear wheel side.... makes it even harder to pick the right combination! If there is someone out there who has pity on me and my dilemma... lots of gratitude will be flowing your way from me! Over the years, I have not ridden much lately, and in the earlier years, I would just drop it off at the local bike shop and let them take care of it. Now that I want to do it myself, I am stuck with this stressful situation! Please, help!

[@nenobike]

If you look after your bike and drive train, you can get 4 or 5 chains on same cassete and front sprocket. No need to change them unless the chain starts skipping by applying the force while pedaling. The secret is to check the wear of chain and change the chain on .75 stretch.

[@TheWebstaff]

Video editors: Please use an audio filter that high pitched hiss is really annoying. It wouldn't affect the vocals to remove it.

[@Ghostina1]

Thanks i wanted to write them same !!!

[@newttella1043]

The camera work could be better too. Focusing on Doddy's face isn't helpful when he's demonstrating that tool.

[@irvsstella]

Sticks and stones may break my bike but frame whips and chains excite me!!!

[@JoLe1991]

I wax the chain with a paraffin/WS2 mixture, my chain catches virtually no dirt, and, if rewaxed every 200km or so (depending on riding conditions), chain and transmission wear is a thing of the past. I have several thousand km of ebike use on it, the cassette has no wear, the chain has no detectable wear yet. Never going back to oil, the only possible scenario where oil would be better is in very cold weather on hard packed clean snow, when your chain has no chance to catch any dirt. Serious chain waxing is only possible with a connex link which is easy to open and reusable as long as the chain lasts. The waxing involves a quick wash of the chain in boiling water and soaking it in the molten wax blend thereafter. Worst part about chain waxing is to strip off the nasty factory oil with gasoline, soap and alcohol. After that, it's the dream.

[@Happy_Shopper]

You can split a quick link with a dropper cable if you put it through the rollers on either side and pull each side in the opposite direction

[@larrydaniels6532]

Or you can get the real tool for $10. Very much more efficient.

[@robincurwood]

Hi Doddy. I noticed that you you mentioned about the third hand to hold the chain! You didn't see or mention about the other side of the chain checker which also used for that.

[@OjStudios]

That KMC chain tool is brilliant. Had it for years, the first pin is still going strong and it has another, just flip it.

[@TheWebstaff]

I always though Blake was the missing link.. Who knew it was part of your chain.