Cycling UK Forum

Does the factory grease on a new chain provide suitable lubrication for use on the bike, or is it just a preservative to protect the chain whilst in storage?

Many discussions about this subject on here.
My method is to clean it all off and lube with a propriety chain lubricant.

I understand that the lube they come with can be fine, but personally I don't trust it as it seems to me to be sticky.
Sticky = grit sticks to it.

I use wax, so I degrease. It's amazing how fast the chain starts to rust after degreasing.

Hi
My experience is that the OEM grease isn't sufficient for cycling for any length of time and it needs your normal lube adding. I clean it off externally, e.g. cloth and a bit of WD40, and re-lube using your normal regime. I leave the OEM grease on internally
Regards
tim-b

Wipe the excess off the outer plates - it's not needed there anyhow. This reduces the stuff sticking to the new chain which is of course not a good thing.

Depending on time of year/weather the OEM treatment should see you through a few rides before needing to start your normal regime

Scunnered wrote:Does the factory grease on a new chain provide suitable lubrication for use on the bike, or is it just a preservative to protect the chain whilst in storage?

depends on the chain. Believe it or not, not all chains are made in exactly the same way.

cheers

Hi,

foxyrider wrote:Wipe the excess off the outer plates - it's not needed there anyhow. Depending on time of year/weather the OEM treatment should see you through a few rides before needing to start your normal regime

+1

I did jogle on a brand new chain last year. I assumed, without really looking in to it, that the wax would provide a longer protection and so I did not degrease or take any lube with me, It was a mistake, the drivechain got really noisy on day 3 , fixed by some proper lube.

Add lube and wipe clean. I wouldn't degrease unless you must (switching to wax or similar) as I don't think many people can get all the degreaser out from inside the rollers. I add lube before first ride because there's a small possibility of it reacting badly with the factory lube and sticking and I'd prefer to discover that on the shake down ride.

I take (took) a certain someone's previous advice that a new chain is probably the best lubricated it will ever be.

After its fitted, I reckon I get about 300 kms before it needs lubricating. Usually in dry and clean conditions.

Then again, I'm not into much maintenance.

Hi,

althebike wrote:I did jogle on a brand new chain last year. I assumed, without really looking in to it, that the wax would provide a longer protection and so I did not degrease or take any lube with me, It was a mistake, the drivechain got really noisy on day 3 , fixed by some proper lube.

Yeh, three days riding

I leave the original grease in place, and add a little oil as I hear that it is required.

There was a set of posts on a thread somewhere (here, yacf, or cyclechat) from someone who'd experimented.
The measure was the mileage at which he'd had to adjust the chain tension on his fixed, and he found that he got about double the mileage to first adjustment if he didn't degrease a new chain, compared to the mileage if he did.

Hi,
Was the best thing since sliced bread when they developed sticky chain lube for motorcycles
If you used a fluid lube the mess would plaster you & your pillion with chain muck
The sticky stuff would eventually come off on the pillion's clothes but not till after your second date

Single gears on bicycle fair better with any old gunk as there is no jockey wheels to grab the sprung chain.

So we are stuck with gear oil or wet'n dry

MarcusT wrote:................It's amazing how fast the chain starts to rust after degreasing.

Yup - that's wisdom, that is. I ride a new chain for a couple of rides (in the dry!), and then fully lube up with my flavour-of-the-month lubes. Keep them well lubed. I've never had bad reactions between factory applied chain lube and the stuff I've applied my self. I've ridden through Renolds chains, Sun-Tour, Sedis and Sedisport and now KMC, among others, down the years, and never really had any trouble with lube.

Today's edit - I'd written "any", and should have written "had" - sorry about that.

I've never had any issue leaving it on and re greasing as needed. I really doubt that you will ever notice a difference. You'll clean it after a bit anyways and add more grease, over and over again.