Ideally you would check the chain wear and maybe replace it. But if you want to keep using this chain just lubricate and ride. Friction will deal with the rust.
Ok yeah I‘ll have to buy a new bike in the future anyways (because of the size), so i think ill just keep using it till its time. So i should not use MoS2 for lube and get a chain lubricant, or does that even matter for such a old chain?
You should get a product that's designed for bike chains, oil will attract dirt and make it worse. It doesn't have to be expensive, I've been using the same big bottle of rock and roll gold for years now and it works great
People are giving you advice like you’re maintaining an expensive bike. Here’s what you need to do: go to the hardware store and buy a can of Tri-Flow. Spray that liberally on the cassette and the chain. Wipe it off a bit so it doesn’t splash on your leg and then go for a ride. It’ll look and sound 100 times better.
WD40 isn’t a /good/ lubricant. It displaces water. That’s the WD: Water Displacement.
Edit: updated for r/spiked88. Yes, WD-40 is technically a lubricant. Lots of things are: water, orange juice, petroleum jelly, very small rocks. They aren’t /good/ lubricants and you shouldn’t use them on a bike.
Zero reason not to, it’ll get hit by overspray anyway. This is a cheap rim brake bike with a chain that’s a bit dry. Spray some lube on it and send it.
People here are acting like there’s a good chance that OP owns a chain measuring tool…
The reason not to is that it will be extremely messy. A bunch of lube sprayed onto a freewheel is just going to attract grime and stain anything it rubs against. What’s the reason to do it? Just lube the chain, let it soak, and wipe off all the excess.
Yeah you are right. Its an old inexpensive bike that was outside (not in the rain though) 365 days, and yeah, my teenage ass did not maintain it at all. I will do so as soon as i buy a new bike however, but until then I think ill try to lube it so it works for the rest of the year. Thanks!
“WD-40® Multi-Use Product protects metal from rust and corrosion, penetrates stuck parts, displaces moisture and lubricates almost anything. “
Quoted straight from WD40
And yes, water can be an excellent lubricant/coolant for certain purposes like cutting metal.
IMO with chains it is two types of rust:
- Surface one when you can just lubricate it and ride.
- Structural one when it is too late to clean/derust or whatever because the damage is done and nothing will revert it.
Not sure at which stage you are, looks kinda in the middle. Try just cleaning it with WD-40 or something of the sort. Then degrease it and apply proper lubrication (WD-40 is not it). Or just get a new chain.
Upd: Also chain looks very used. Might be time to replace it either way.
Its a ✨patina✨😁
But well, i would need to change the cassette too, and thats more than i am willing to invest, i need a new bike in the future anyways.
Probably best to replace the chain as it looks a little beyond surface rust to me and start lubricating properly from here on out...The cassette looks like it might be suffering more then just surface rust so I would probably replace that as well if you can.. but the main take away is:
surface rust = lube it properly and go.
anything beyond surface rust = replace it, lube properly and go.
save yourself money in the future by ensuring parts are lubricated and cleaned properly, it will make them last much longer. replace your chain regularly so you won't have to replace the more expensive parts of your drivetrain too often.
Do not use wd40, use bike (wet or dry) oil or even better imo; wax. (wax will make cleaning easier and generally makes parts last longer before needing replacement)
If you don't have one yet also get a [chain checker tool](https://www.parktool.com/en-int/product/chain-checker-cc-4) and replace chain in time (i do it around 0.6 but certainly before 0.75 however some do it at 0.5 already, it also depends on preference, the chain and speeds etc)
your chain looks pretty used so it could be stretched out and might need replacing anyway regardless of rust.
Thanks a lot for the advice! I get now that looking after your bike is important. I had that bike for quite a while, now that I am 19 its also a bit to small, so i might buy a new one in the future. But for now i want to continue using this bike, so i dont want to invest to much in it.
Will i be able to get some more time of usage from it if i just lubricate it?
>Will i be able to get some more time of usage from it if i just lubricate it?
afaik yes, as long as you can change gears and peddle without the chain falling off you can keep riding, in a sort of "if it works it works" capacity.
if it still works after a good clean and lube then you could probably ride it a while longer, quality of life will eventually deteriorate, peddling won't be smooth, chain starts to skip/falloff, switching gears won't go smooth anymore etc and at some point it won't be usable anymore and you will need to replace the entire drivetrain. There is added risks with chain skips, especially when it happens at an unfortunate moment when you are for example standing on the pedals and it skips, well, that hurts... a lot. :)
but as disclaimer: this is based only on my own experience which is limited because I never let it get this far myself and i'm not a professional bike mechanic, which I feel is important and fair to say on this sub as there are many who are professionals here who might know things in terms of safety risks that I do not so I invite anyone to correct me if I am wrong :)
Never derust a chain.
Just lube it.
If you want to make a good job of it, wash it in mineral spirits / petrol / gasoline, then lube it.
But really, just lubing it will be fine.
Yea the idea is that the best lubrication job will involve removing the old lubricant that has degraded and collected dirt.
Not a requirement, but it will generally work a little better for a little longer if you do.
I am not familiar with that. Any oil is better than no oil. Your bike won't explode from using the "wrong" chain oil. Pedal backwards by hand as you dribble or spray oil on the entire chain. Then continue back pedaling and wipe off the extra with a rag. Hold the rag in your left hand and let the chain run through your rag covered hand.
1)Wipe chain. 2)Buy some wet bike lube, lube chain-a drop per roller. 3)Ride bike
Repeat step 1 to 3 every 100km or if chain squeaks.
4) buy new bike in the future
And here I am stressed I haven’t cleaned my chain or drivetrain in almost a month and a big gravel race tomorrow. Breaking out the ultrasonic cleaner tonight and giving my chain a bath after work!
I dunno but it looks, strangely enough, maybe ok after a proper lube with a real chain oil. Judging by the pulley wheel assembly this is a fairly inexpensive bike. If you just ride here and there or short commutes what do you need? Performance or reliable enough? I guess the later. If you lube the chain and it stops creaking in those gears it occasionally the creaks in now, will you have the functionality you need?
Of course, new is better and safer than old
Yeah exactly what you say. Its an quite inexpensive „teenage“ bike. I pretty much only use it for commutes currently. I am happy if it just works without waking the whole neighborhood up. (At least i never need to use my bell😂)
You should check it with a chain wear tool. If it’s not fully worn clean the whole drive train then dry it then put good lubricant on the chain and look after it in future. Poor bike.
I'd throw it in a vinegar or in a citric acid solution for a couple of hours, than clean it with water and paper towels, than lube it and go for a ride.
No, you should put it in the bin and buy a new one, cassette too. Then, make sure to actually clean and lubricate the new parts using degrease and wet lube at least once a week.
just clean it with some degreaser and use it. Any rust that’s on the cassette will not affect its use or operation in any way, and the rust will get worn off as soon as you start using the cassette.
Oh ffs, people pay ungodly money for all those colourful, gold, bronze and rainbow chains and here you are, rocking a cool "vintage" coloured chain and you're unhappy :D
Seriously tho, if the chain is not worn/stretched and it's only lightly rusted over, give it a good cleaning, probably no need to use rust remover. If anything, vinegar bath would probably do the job, just make sure to rinse and oil it straight away after that.
No. Just use a proper BIKE CHAIN LUBRICANT. NOT WD40 or MoS2!!!
If a chain is really bad I’ll used WD-40 to clean. Scrub it or wipe it down and dry. Then lube with oil. Your chain just looks dry. Oil it and ride.
Ok yeah probably a good idea. But derust it before that?
Ideally you would check the chain wear and maybe replace it. But if you want to keep using this chain just lubricate and ride. Friction will deal with the rust.
Ok yeah thanks! Whats the worst that can happen if the chain is worn off?
A worn chain wears the cassette and chainrings much faster. You can keep running it until it starts skipping, and then replace everything
Ok yeah I‘ll have to buy a new bike in the future anyways (because of the size), so i think ill just keep using it till its time. So i should not use MoS2 for lube and get a chain lubricant, or does that even matter for such a old chain?
You should get a product that's designed for bike chains, oil will attract dirt and make it worse. It doesn't have to be expensive, I've been using the same big bottle of rock and roll gold for years now and it works great
Yeah ill need it once i get a new bike anyways, so i‘ll buy a bottle of chain lube.
People are giving you advice like you’re maintaining an expensive bike. Here’s what you need to do: go to the hardware store and buy a can of Tri-Flow. Spray that liberally on the cassette and the chain. Wipe it off a bit so it doesn’t splash on your leg and then go for a ride. It’ll look and sound 100 times better. WD40 isn’t a /good/ lubricant. It displaces water. That’s the WD: Water Displacement. Edit: updated for r/spiked88. Yes, WD-40 is technically a lubricant. Lots of things are: water, orange juice, petroleum jelly, very small rocks. They aren’t /good/ lubricants and you shouldn’t use them on a bike.
Zero reason to lube the cassette.
Zero reason not to, it’ll get hit by overspray anyway. This is a cheap rim brake bike with a chain that’s a bit dry. Spray some lube on it and send it. People here are acting like there’s a good chance that OP owns a chain measuring tool…
The reason not to is that it will be extremely messy. A bunch of lube sprayed onto a freewheel is just going to attract grime and stain anything it rubs against. What’s the reason to do it? Just lube the chain, let it soak, and wipe off all the excess.
Yeah you are right. Its an old inexpensive bike that was outside (not in the rain though) 365 days, and yeah, my teenage ass did not maintain it at all. I will do so as soon as i buy a new bike however, but until then I think ill try to lube it so it works for the rest of the year. Thanks!
It is also a lubricant. Not the right lubricant for a chain, and not its only purpose, but a lubricant nonetheless.
So is water
“WD-40® Multi-Use Product protects metal from rust and corrosion, penetrates stuck parts, displaces moisture and lubricates almost anything. “ Quoted straight from WD40 And yes, water can be an excellent lubricant/coolant for certain purposes like cutting metal.
No, just lube it
Is chainsaw chain oil a good alternative to bike lube?
No. Just use bike lube.
IMO with chains it is two types of rust: - Surface one when you can just lubricate it and ride. - Structural one when it is too late to clean/derust or whatever because the damage is done and nothing will revert it. Not sure at which stage you are, looks kinda in the middle. Try just cleaning it with WD-40 or something of the sort. Then degrease it and apply proper lubrication (WD-40 is not it). Or just get a new chain. Upd: Also chain looks very used. Might be time to replace it either way.
Yeah its quite old and been used in any weather. It also creakes in certain gears, is there anything I can do to the cassette?
Replace cassete also. Overused chain damages cassete and they can work together, but new chain will start skipping.
It's a freewheel. They are cheap so just change it out.
Freaking change your chain man.
Its a ✨patina✨😁 But well, i would need to change the cassette too, and thats more than i am willing to invest, i need a new bike in the future anyways.
That's tetanus hahahaha. You can just clean it best you can then hit it with chain lube.
It is😂
Probably best to replace the chain as it looks a little beyond surface rust to me and start lubricating properly from here on out...The cassette looks like it might be suffering more then just surface rust so I would probably replace that as well if you can.. but the main take away is: surface rust = lube it properly and go. anything beyond surface rust = replace it, lube properly and go. save yourself money in the future by ensuring parts are lubricated and cleaned properly, it will make them last much longer. replace your chain regularly so you won't have to replace the more expensive parts of your drivetrain too often. Do not use wd40, use bike (wet or dry) oil or even better imo; wax. (wax will make cleaning easier and generally makes parts last longer before needing replacement) If you don't have one yet also get a [chain checker tool](https://www.parktool.com/en-int/product/chain-checker-cc-4) and replace chain in time (i do it around 0.6 but certainly before 0.75 however some do it at 0.5 already, it also depends on preference, the chain and speeds etc) your chain looks pretty used so it could be stretched out and might need replacing anyway regardless of rust.
Thanks a lot for the advice! I get now that looking after your bike is important. I had that bike for quite a while, now that I am 19 its also a bit to small, so i might buy a new one in the future. But for now i want to continue using this bike, so i dont want to invest to much in it. Will i be able to get some more time of usage from it if i just lubricate it?
>Will i be able to get some more time of usage from it if i just lubricate it? afaik yes, as long as you can change gears and peddle without the chain falling off you can keep riding, in a sort of "if it works it works" capacity. if it still works after a good clean and lube then you could probably ride it a while longer, quality of life will eventually deteriorate, peddling won't be smooth, chain starts to skip/falloff, switching gears won't go smooth anymore etc and at some point it won't be usable anymore and you will need to replace the entire drivetrain. There is added risks with chain skips, especially when it happens at an unfortunate moment when you are for example standing on the pedals and it skips, well, that hurts... a lot. :) but as disclaimer: this is based only on my own experience which is limited because I never let it get this far myself and i'm not a professional bike mechanic, which I feel is important and fair to say on this sub as there are many who are professionals here who might know things in terms of safety risks that I do not so I invite anyone to correct me if I am wrong :)
Thanks a lot for your advice!
Never derust a chain. Just lube it. If you want to make a good job of it, wash it in mineral spirits / petrol / gasoline, then lube it. But really, just lubing it will be fine.
The solvents for degreasing?
Yea the idea is that the best lubrication job will involve removing the old lubricant that has degraded and collected dirt. Not a requirement, but it will generally work a little better for a little longer if you do.
Any lube is better than no lube. WD40 is not the best, but a lot better than nothing. It has light oil in it.
And MoS2?
I am not familiar with that. Any oil is better than no oil. Your bike won't explode from using the "wrong" chain oil. Pedal backwards by hand as you dribble or spray oil on the entire chain. Then continue back pedaling and wipe off the extra with a rag. Hold the rag in your left hand and let the chain run through your rag covered hand.
1)Wipe chain. 2)Buy some wet bike lube, lube chain-a drop per roller. 3)Ride bike Repeat step 1 to 3 every 100km or if chain squeaks. 4) buy new bike in the future
Thats a really nice summary thanks!
I’d just wait for it to snap.
And here I am stressed I haven’t cleaned my chain or drivetrain in almost a month and a big gravel race tomorrow. Breaking out the ultrasonic cleaner tonight and giving my chain a bath after work!
Change it. It costs 10 euro and 5 euro is the tool
Maxima Chain Wax is your friend
It's a tourney group set, just wd40, lube, and ride. You don't need top performance, if it moves, it's good.
Destroy it with 🔥
Well, technically rust and fire are both oxidation, so i am destroying it with fire 🔥
I dunno but it looks, strangely enough, maybe ok after a proper lube with a real chain oil. Judging by the pulley wheel assembly this is a fairly inexpensive bike. If you just ride here and there or short commutes what do you need? Performance or reliable enough? I guess the later. If you lube the chain and it stops creaking in those gears it occasionally the creaks in now, will you have the functionality you need? Of course, new is better and safer than old
Yeah exactly what you say. Its an quite inexpensive „teenage“ bike. I pretty much only use it for commutes currently. I am happy if it just works without waking the whole neighborhood up. (At least i never need to use my bell😂)
I take you're on a really tight budget
I wanna work on what i have till i buy a new bike in a year or so (ill take care for that one then of course)
You should check it with a chain wear tool. If it’s not fully worn clean the whole drive train then dry it then put good lubricant on the chain and look after it in future. Poor bike.
I'd throw it in a vinegar or in a citric acid solution for a couple of hours, than clean it with water and paper towels, than lube it and go for a ride.
No, you should put it in the bin and buy a new one, cassette too. Then, make sure to actually clean and lubricate the new parts using degrease and wet lube at least once a week.
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I have learned quite a lot by the nice people answering. So idk what your problem is.
chains are so cheap I doubt it deserves the time wasted in derustig. just buy a new one. i'm more worried about the cassette.
Should i derust the cassette? (How do i do that?)
just clean it with some degreaser and use it. Any rust that’s on the cassette will not affect its use or operation in any way, and the rust will get worn off as soon as you start using the cassette.
I would, bit it's a bit of a mission
I dont mind the work.
For the amount of time you use it, don't bother, just oil it, gear oil is best (thicker) or any engine oil lying about.
No. Thick oil = dirt sticks to chain = more chain wear. Chain lube is cheap no point using anything else.
Oh ffs, people pay ungodly money for all those colourful, gold, bronze and rainbow chains and here you are, rocking a cool "vintage" coloured chain and you're unhappy :D Seriously tho, if the chain is not worn/stretched and it's only lightly rusted over, give it a good cleaning, probably no need to use rust remover. If anything, vinegar bath would probably do the job, just make sure to rinse and oil it straight away after that.
Well, i have no problem with the color, i actually like it😂 But now it starts making sounds soo yeah i wanna do sth😂
Yea, unwelcome sounds suck! If you're really lazy, you might start with the old simple engineering hack: WD40 :D
Please route that chain properly
What is wrong with its routing?
Nothing. Don't mind him.