A clean chain is very critical component to ride on an electric bicycle smoothly. The total transmission system using the e-bike is solely dependent on a properly clean and lubricated electric bike chain.
While a clean chain enhances the chance of effective e-bike riding, the dirt chain damage the chain lifespan also can demotivate the rider in the middle of a ride.
However, we are here today to say how to clean the e-bike chain. Also, we will cover an, in brief, discussion on chain lube in our today’s article.
Let’s jump in-
Why Do We Need A Clean Ebike Chain?
A bike chain is everything to pass the electric power (Apply by the rider) from the pedal to the wheel. Therefore, if the chain is not properly clean, it can’t pass this power powerfully.
The rider of an electric bike with the dirt chain feels so much difficulty passing the power to the bike wheel, and cannot achieve the expected power and speed to move forward.
A clean and good chain directly impacts each riding experience. It can make a long riding very smooth and enjoyable providing easier and less affordable pedaling.
A dirt chain not only makes the riding tough, moreover it gives all poor shifting and too much wear of itself at any time. So a clean properly gives-
- Enhanced durability of the chain
- Easier pedaling
- Quite Gear Transition
- Less chain friction
- Less chain wearing
- Smoother riding experience
- Corrosion-free bike moving
So one more question should have come at first, how did the electric bike chain become dirty? It’s a silly question but means a lot. When you run this bicycle, the chain got the exposure with the rain, dust, mud from the road or outer environment.
Besides this, you use the lubricants to lubricate this chain, which on exposure with the outsider dust becomes dirt grease. So all this dirt altogether causes the elongation (corrosion) of the chain and forces to face difficulties to pass the electric power from the pedaling to the wheel through the chain.
So, ultimately all e-bike chains need to be clean and lubricated on time.
When Do You Need To Clean Your E-Bike Chain?
Knowing cleaning the electric bike chain at first demands to know when it should clean. Usually, the expert recommendation is to clean the chain after every two weeks.
Or if you are prone to a continuous long ride, we recommend cleaning your electric bike once you have run 200 kilometers (a normal terrain, normal weather) riding on your electric or traditional cycle.
Though cleaning the chain of both a regular push bicycle or the electric bicycle depends on your riding style and riding weather, still it’s a general recommendation to clean on frequently, minimum after one or two weeks’ intervals.
But for the off-road rider, the cleaning should be accomplished more frequently, that is after a 100-kilometer ride. We are writing about the minimum requirement to clean the electric or conventional cycle, but depending on the road pattern, terrain type, weather condition, your riding style, the cleaning could be done more or less frequently.
Some exceptional environments, like riding in a rainy and muddy environment, or keeping the cycle at rest for long time-demands more and deep cleaning of the cycle. Moreover, when the chain starts to face changes like, chain noise, chain expansion, Chain Blockage, Different Speed changes, etc. also demands a more and deep chain cleaning.
Tools Or Things Need To Clean The Electric Bike Chain:
When we were too young, we only used a piece of heavy cloths and a toothbrush to clean our conventional bicycle! However, as technology changed a lot, and we are now talking about the electric bike which runs on an electric motor, so it needs much more things to clean the chain added with it.
- Chain Ruler
- Chain Brush
- Dry Rag
- Chain Cleaning Agent
- Chain lube/Chain Oil (To lubricate the chain)
How To Clean The Ebike Chain?
The answer is pretty easy! Collect all the tools we wrote above. Now take your electric bike on a flat and work-friendly surface. Your garage or your backyard is the perfect place to perform all the cleaning tasks of your electric bike or conventional bike.
Pull the chain towards you and start cleaning. If your cycle already has ridden over a stubborn muddy terrain, use a hosepipe to clean thoroughly the chain by tap water. Take the brush, soak it with clean water. And scrub the chain carefully to clean all mud, grease, and all other dirt.
Do not miss the chain gap to scrub well. Once you have cleaned all visible dirt from the chain and chain gap, now apply the chain cleaning agent (spray carefully). Before applying the chain cleaning agent if you feel you can use soapy water to clean the entire bike.
Cleaning in the dry condition is much more difficult rather than soaking the entire bike or only the chain and wheel using soapy water. You can use normal soap or detergent to clean both the regular bikes and the traditional bikes.
However, hot water is more efficient to clean the mud from bicycles including the chain. To clean the chain you also need to clean the cassette and the wheel. For better efficiency, you can take a small squeeze bottle filled with a degreaser. So it would be very helpful to drip over each chain gap to apply the degreaser.
At the time of applying the degreaser, don’t forget to slowly move the pedal. So that you could access every chain gap easily. Once the chain and chain gap is covered, keep the chain in place using the rag and wipe the pedal deeply using a clean cloth soaked with clean water.
Remove all de-greaser added in the chain and chain gap. If you do not rinse off the remaining degreaser properly, it will cerates additional problems. So rinse off any degreaser residue properly with clean water. Also, clean the bearing. You can use a hosepipe to clean the bearing.
For further precise cleaning, wipe the chain and chain gap with a dry heavy cloth. Keep the chain in the open air, allowing air drying.
For rusty chains, we recommend WD40 to remove the rust and to clean by the chain cleaning agent.
Once the chain cleaners are cleaned properly, now it’s time to lubricate it. There are a few chain lubricants available today to lube the chain. For example, Dry Chain Lubricants, Wet Chain Lubricants, Grease, All-Purpose Lubricants, etc.
To apply the chain oil, spin your electric cycle backward. Carefully apply the chain oil directly to the perfect place (Over the rear derailleur’s portion, at the star-shaped Jockey Wheel Location). Hold the lubricating oil’s bottle tip carefully and drop only one drop on each connection.
Try not to miss any connection to pour the chain lubricating oil. To ensure you did not miss any link, complete four cycles of pedaling. Also do not miss turning the crank minimum of 4/5 times.
Lubrication in this way can result in the formation of excessive oil on the chain and chain gap. To remove the excess lube again spin the pedal 4/5 times. And at the time of turning the pedal, hold the chain with a clean dry cloth. So this cloth will wipe all excessive oil from the chain.
One last question may arise from you; why do I need to clean the excess oil from my electric bike chain? Because excessive chain oil or chain lubricating oil will attract more dirt, ultimately will again make dirty your whole chain.
Now, It’s time to Know: How To Clean Your ebike?
Finally
Several conditions demand to clean all type’s bicycles instantly. Riding on a cycle in any wet condition (Rainy area, muddy area, near the muddy beach) increases to clean the chain more.
However, how your electric bike becomes dirty- it is not mandatory to know basically. The fact is, you should focus on an on-time proper cleaning of your bicycle.
That’s all on How to clean the ebike chain. If you have any query please let us be informed in our comment box.
Thank you.
