Chain Lube Basics:

Selecting and Applying Lube to Your Bike Chain

Keeping air in your tires and lubing your bike chain are the two easiest and important things you can do to maintain your bike. We've gone over the different characteristics of wet and dry chain lubes in this infographic before, but are regularly asked what lube is best and how to apply it to your bicycle chain. So, we put together a couple of videos to cover the questions we get most often and a walk through of applying the lube.

Charles walks through the different types of lube and talks about the different characteristics of the ones we sell at Excite Bikes.

Now that you know about the different types of chain lube available and for what conditions it's time to learn how to apply. In this video Charles walks you through the process from start to finish.

Lube Recap:

Wet Lubes:

Water Resistant, Best in Wet Conditions, Durable up to ~100 miles

Examples: Park Tool CL-1, Finish Line Wet, DumondeTech Classic & Lite Formula

Characteristics:

heavier, stays wet to touch
greater water resistance, better in autumn & winter
won't wash off in rain or riding through puddles
good at reducing drivetrain noise
can be used in all conditions
will attract dirt more quickly in dry and dusty conditions

Dry Lubes:

Best in Dry & Dusty Conditions, Less Durable ~80 miles

Examples: Rock 'n Roll Gold, Finish Line Dry, White Lightning Clean Ride

Characteristics:

wax-like texture that goes on wet and dries leaving lube on chain
attracts less dirt buildup
lighter lube better for dry spring/summer, road bikes
less durable and can be washed away in wet conditions