Better lubing – extend the life of your chain

Cleanit

» Most of us remember to lube the chain fairly regularly, but cleaning it can have just as big an impact on chain life because it gets rid of abrasive grime. Use a specialist chain degreaser or paraffin and a paintbrush. You’ll need several passes if your chain has been without a scrub for a while.

Lube it at the right time

» Ideally lube the chain when you get back from a dry ride. That way the chain is warm and the lube will penetrate more effectively. If you forget to do this don’t try to make amends by lubing just before a ride – unless you leave it for 15 minutes lots of lube will fling off because the solvents haven’t evaporated.

Fit a Scottoiler

» These used to be an utter pain in the arse to fit because you had to plumb them into a vacuum tube on the throttle bodies or carbs. Not any more – Scottoiler’s latest xsystem wires to your battery and chugs out lube when the engine runs. At £200 it’s definitely not cheap, but it is effective.

Use gear oil

» The downside of aerosol chainlube is it can create a sticky abrasive paste which will increase chain wear. Instead, you can regularly apply a small amount of gear oil with a paintbrush, mimicking the little-and-often technique of a Scottoiler. It’s more hassle, but works well.