How do I clean/grease my chain?

I just did a Google search on "clean oil bike chain" and got dozens of good hits.

But to answer your question, if you follow your friends advice, the only thing you will get is some ruined clothes and very messy bike.

Go to your local LBS and they will sell you the products you need and show you how to use them.

drew4455 said:

How should I go about cleaning and greasing my chain? My one friend suggested spraying WD-40 on the chain while pedalling it backwards, wiping that off, then greasing it up. Will this work?

You need some degreaser and brush (for cleaning), lube (for well, lubrication) and a rag (of course). There are many kinds of degreasers (Pedros, et al) and most of them work just fine. I am a fan of Pedro's Citrus degreaser. There are some great products made specifically to clean chains (Park, Pedro's, etc) and they do a great job, but can require you to take the chain off the bike (depends on make/model). Most times I leave my chain on the bike and use a park chain cleaner or just an old toothbrush dipped (liberally) in the degreaser. There are spray cleaners out there, but you have to be careful they don't get into/onto anything that you want to remain greased-up (hubs, pivots, etc).

Wipe everything down with your rag and allow the chain to dry. Lube it up with whatever lube matches your riding conditions. They have many, many, many...different kinds of lubes. We are wet *a lot* here (Oregon) and I use (mostly) T-9 Boeshield or Pedro's Synlube for really [censored] conditions. When it's dry here or I visit somewhere dry I "typically" use White Lightning or the T-9 (it's a great lube, IMNHO). Take the 5 or 6 minutes to drip one drop on each link connection while *slowly* pedaling the bike (forwards; back works if you don't have a stand). Once you are sure each link has lube you wipe the chain down with a rag (without the degreaser on it). Your chain is now clean and ready to ride.

Now on to the rest of your bike...

Good luck.

K. 🙂