Bike Chain Lube: Your Guide to Lubricating Bike Parts

Oct 23, 2023

Gear-obsessed editors choose every product we review. We may earn commission if you buy from a link. How we test gear.

Simple tips for a big payoff.

Bike chain lube can often transcend its utilitarian function and become the bike maintenance equivalent of a fine wine, where quality is king. Or it can simply serve as an unglamorous necessity to keep your bike moving. Either way, it's a product—and applying it is a skill—all bike owners should get to know.

No matter what bike chain lube you grab, the fact remains that without a good lube applied to the right places, your ride will come to a screeching halt. So, to keep riding smoothing, follow this guide to using bike chain lube—the right way.

→ Without bike chain lube: A dry chain will let out an ear-piercing squeal and won't shift smoothly. Eventually, it will rust, and it could snap midride.

→ Lube it: Soak a clean rag with degreaser, such as Pedro's Oranj Peelz Citrus Degreaser. With your bike in a work stand, grasp the chain with the rag as you backpedal to remove grime from the rollers and side plates. Repeat until the chain is clean.

Then, dry the chain using a clean rag and the same technique you used to clean it.

To apply bike chain lube, deposit a drop on the top of each link as you slowly backpedal for a few revolutions, so the lube has a chance to work its way in. Wipe off excess lube—if you don't, it can attract more dirt to your chain. Use a light, waterproof lube such as Boeshield T-9 Waterproof Lubricant. For wet-weather conditions, try Pedro's Chainj.

→ Never use: Motor oil. It contains acids and particles of metal that can compromise a chain's strength and cause it to wear more quickly.

→ Without bike chain lube: Engagement and disengagement won't be as smooth as it should be, and pedals may become impossible to remove from your bike.

→ Lube them: If your clipless pedal system has a visible spring (the area where your cleats engage into the pedal), apply a drop of T-9 every few rides to keep it rust-free and working well. Spread a coat of grease, such as Phil Wood Waterproof Grease, on pedal threads every time you install pedals so they’ll actually budge the next time you go to remove them.

→ Never use: Grease on the pedal springs. You’ll gum up the mechanism.

→ Without bike chain lube: Cables won't glide through housings as smoothly, which negatively affects shifting performance, and they’ll be more prone to rusting in wet conditions.

→ Lube them: Shift the rear derailleur to the easiest gear/largest cog (front derailleur to the hardest gear/big chainring). Then, without pedaling, click your shifter to upshift to the hardest gear/smallest cog (or the small chainring in front). This will result in a nice amount of cable slack, and on some bikes, allow you to slip the housing out of the slotted cable stops and coat the cables thoroughly.

Apply a few drops of T-9 to your fingertips and slide them along the length of the cable until it's covered in a thin film. Wipe dirt from your cables, paying special attention to where they run through the cable guide underneath the bottom bracket. Use the same lube and method of application on your brake cables.

→ Never use: WD-40—a solvent, not a lubricant. If your cables and housings are so gummed up that you need a solvent, you’re better off replacing them than performing makeshift maintenance on them.

→ Without bike chain lube: The points on which the individual parts of your brakes and derailleurs pivot will not move as smoothly and this will invite rust.

→ Lube them: Drip T-9 onto each pivot point (rear derailleur, front derailleur, rear brake, front brake) every few months (more if you ride in wet conditions) to keep them protected and working well. Wipe off excess bike chain lube so it doesn't attract dirt.

→ Never use: Lubricant on brake pads, rotors, or rims. If you do, you’ll have a hard time slowing or stopping. If you accidentally get lube on disc brake rotors or pads, you’ll need to get new pads to be safe.

→ Without bike chain lube: Not only will you go crazy trying to track down the cause of that annoying squeak (commonly caused by neglected derailleur pulleys), but the pulleys also won't rotate freely.

→ Lube them: Wipe off any built-up grime on your derailleur pulleys with a clean rag and degreaser. Then apply a small drop of bike chain lube, such as the Boeshield T-9 Bicycle Chain Waterproof Lubricant, to the bearings at the center of the pulley. Backpedal a few revolutions, then use a clean rag to wipe off any lube that didn't work its way into the bearings. It can get messy, so use it sparingly.

→ Never use: Grease—it's way too heavy for this application, and it will gunk up pulley bearings and attract crud.

→ Without bike chain lube: Your seatpost isn't technically a moving part per se, at least until you go to remove or adjust it. It's important to keep your seatpost greased, and check it every so often, though, so that it doesn't seize up and get stuck in place.

→ Lube it: Fully remove the seatpost. Wipe off any grit and old grease, including inside the frame. Apply a thin layer of grease directly to the seatpost on the area that will sit inside the frame. Standard bike grease such as Phil Wood Waterproof Grease will work here, though you might want to use either an anti-slip or anti-seize compound depending on your seatpost's material.

→ Never use: Automotive grease. It's always best to stick (no pun intended) with products designed specifically to work with bike parts.

Natascha Grief got her first bike shop job before she was old enough to drink. After a six-year stint as a mechanic, earning a couple pro-mechanic certifications and her USA Cycling Race Mechanics license, she became obsessed with framebuilding and decided she wanted to do that next. After Albert Eistentraut literally shooed her off his doorstep, admonishing that if she pursued framebuilding she will be poor forever, she landed an apprenticeship with framebuilder Brent Steelman in her hometown of Redwood City, CA. After that, she spent several years working for both large and not-so-large cycling brands. Somewhere in there she also became a certified bike fitter. Natascha then became a certified personal trainer and spent nine years honing her skills as a trainer and coach, while also teaching Spin. During the dumpster fire that was the year 2020, she opened a fitness studio and began contributing regularly to Runner's World and Bicycling as a freelance writer. In 2022, she joined the staff of Bicycling as News Editor.

How to Take Off on a Bike With Any Kind of Pedals

6 Tips for Your First Gravel Ride

The Best Ways to Store Your Bike

How to Set Up Your Bike Cleats

How to Clean Your Hydration Pack Bladder

7 Tips for Controlling Allergies When You Exercise

How to Find the Perfect Bike Tire Pressure

The Great Northern Bikepacking Route

7 Tips for Cycling With Your Dog

How to Buy and Size a Kid's Bike

Tips for Conquering Your Longest Race Ever

Take Your Mountain Biking to the Next Level