The electric bicycle chain is a very important part of the transmission system. Whether it is in good condition has a direct impact on our riding experience. A properly maintained chain can bring us a smooth pedaling experience, but a chain that lacks maintenance It will cause poor shifting and excessive wear, which will greatly reduce our riding experience. How to properly maintain the chain? Let’s share this article with you today!
When should the chain be maintained?
Electric bicycles or electric mountain bikes are usually recommended to be maintained every two weeks or every 200 kilometers under normal operating conditions. If you are an off-road rider, you need to maintain and clean at least once every 100 kilometers or even in a harsher environment. It needs cleaning and maintenance every time you ride. In some special environments, such as riding on a rainy day, without using the vehicle for a long time, it may also cause the chain to rust and jam. These times also need timely maintenance. In addition, some very obvious conditions, such as increased chain noise, large chain, variable speed change and chain blockage, also indicate that the chain is in a bad condition.
Tools needed for maintenance
Chain ruler, brush, dry rag, special cleaning agent for chain, chain oil
How to maintain
Inspection: Before the maintenance of the chain, we can use a special chain caliper to check the amount of stretch. If the chain caliper can be inserted into the gap of the chain, it means that the amount of stretch of the chain has been excessive, and it is likely to be dangerous if you continue to use it. , It is recommended to replace it with a new one to achieve better riding effect.
Cleaning: Dip a brush or a rag with clean water, carefully scrub the mud and dirt on the chain and gaps, and then spray a special chain cleaner on the chain, use a dry cloth for further cleaning, and then air dry. If the chain is rusty, you can use WD40 to remove the rust before cleaning it.
Oiling: After drying the moisture on the chain, turn the pedal in the opposite direction and apply chain oil evenly on each chain. Be careful not to add too much oil to the chain to avoid absorbing dust, then turn the pedal forward and change the speed. After that, wipe off the excess chain oil slightly.
Precautions for chain maintenance
Many bikers tend to remove the chain for a separate cleaning when maintaining the chain in order to make it cleaner. I don’t recommend this method. At present, most of the chains use the “magic buckle” design to make it easier to disassemble and assemble, but the disassembly and assembly of the magic buckle is actually limited. The buckle that is disassembled more than 5 times will produce a certain amount of deformation, resulting in a decrease in strength , It is not recommended to use it again. This problem is ignored by many riders, so avoid disassembling the chain frequently.
Secondly, if you find that the chain stretches too much and you need to replace the chain, you must replace the flywheel together. If you only change the chain without changing the flywheel, it will cause the wear of the two to be inconsistent, resulting in tooth skipping and inaccurate gear shifting. . Finally, when cleaning the chain, do not use strong acid or strong alkaline cleaners, so as to avoid damage or break the chain. Clean water and warm soapy water are the best choices. When using chain oil, you must use special Chain oil, any special oil (such as engine oil) is not recommended to be applied to the chain.
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