The day I figured out I was lubing my chain backwards

I've been riding for about 8 years now, and for most of that time I always put lube on the top of the chain while spinning the pedals backward. Last month at a group ride, a shop mechanic named Dave pointed out that its actually better to apply it to the bottom run of the chain while pedaling forward. He said the rollers pick it up more evenly that way, and after trying it on my next 200 mile week, I honestly noticed way less grit sticking to everything. Has anyone else been doing it wrong for years like me?

2 comments

2 Comments

scott.drew11d ago

... actually the bottom run thing makes sense but you gotta be careful about one thing. When you pedal forward and apply to the bottom, the lube gets thrown off by the chainring before it really works into the rollers. That's why most mechanics I know say to do it on the top run while pedaling forward instead. The chain carries it up and around the cassette and it has time to soak in before it hits the road grit. I tried it both ways and the top run forward method kept my drivetrain way cleaner. Just a thought since you mentioned less grit... maybe try both and see what works for your setup.

cameronf8811d ago

Read a piece from Hambini a while back that backed this up. He tested different application spots and the top run definitely had better penetration into the pins, especially with thicker lubes. @scott.drew I've been doing the top run thing for a few months now and my chain stays clean way longer between degreasings. The cassette doesn't get that black gunk buildup either which is nice.