How do you lube chain on ebike?

Jul 30, 2022
46
12
Levo2022
Hi I am curious on how others lube there chains on these ebikes.
I’ve been lubing a section as a time, lift the rear wheel up spin the cranks a little and do another section until I have lubed all the chain…
Tbh it’s a bloody ball ache so I am wondering what others do
 

RebornRider

Well-known member
May 31, 2019
571
557
NorCal USA
I follow this sequence:
  1. Clean chain with Park CM-25 (my Cyclone broke)
  2. Rinse well
  3. Blow dry with compressed air
  4. Put bike on stand in garage
  5. Unplug battery connector
  6. Stick allen key in chainring bolt
  7. Stick capillary tube from TriFlow bottle into Muc-Off Dry Lube bottle (fits!)
  8. Run pedals backward very slowly, put 1 drop of lube on each chain roller (at the cassette)
  9. I start with quick link to make it easy to tell when I've hit every link.
  10. Let lube dry overnight
Edit to say that step 8 sounds a bit OCD, and maybe it is, but it only takes about 2 minutes. And it minimized the mess.

2nd edit to say you could skip step 6 by running pedals forward, but I have some hand disabilities. Backwards is easier for me.
 
Last edited:
Jul 30, 2022
46
12
Levo2022
good replies 🤙
Inserting a Allan key in the chainring bolt allows me to use pedals and move the chainring backwards?
I feel I need some sort of compressor esp after a wash it’s always good to dry the bike down esp in winter.
 

2WheelsNot4

E*POWAH Master
Oct 17, 2021
889
686
Scotland
Or not, because compressed air will force water and particulates into seals, bearings, and bushings.
Will it though ?. Or is this a guess.
I would think it would take a lot of pressure to do that. We use air pressure in cleaning off engineering machinery, and i've never heard of it pushing water or oil/grease for that matter in or out of sealed bearing.

As to bushings, sooon as it rains or you ride through water that will put water into them, so i wouldnt think its a particular issue.
 

RebornRider

Well-known member
May 31, 2019
571
557
NorCal USA
Or not, because compressed air will force water and particulates into seals, bearings, and bushings.
Don't you wash your chain before drying it? I do.

Do you assume that no water gets under the rollers when you wash your chain? I don't.

Do you try to inject compressed air into seals, bearings, and bushings by blasting them at point blank range? I don't.
 

SteveTTT

Member
Mar 15, 2022
46
35
Hampshire, UK
Allen key to the chainring works, but a reusable cable tie is just as good, and kinder to the finish on your cranks.

413BBF26-1E5D-4D43-AB3C-AEE901B51285.jpeg
 

Mike C

Member
Jan 23, 2020
46
48
Ramona, CA
Mark the master link (or whatever you call it) with a spot of bright colored paint which indicates a starting point for lube. Turn the bike upside down. Start lubing at the master link and turn the cranks whichever way they will go until the master link appears again. I lube through the cycle twice then run the chain a few more times around and wipe excess off the chain. Easy. No work stand required. No cable tie required.
 

Clean

Active member
Subscriber
Jul 1, 2022
86
88
West Yorkshire
Go old school BMX-stylee and turn the bike upside down so it sits on its saddle and the grips. You can then turn the cranks until your heart’s content, lubing as you go.

Works. A. Treat. :cool:

Those with bike preservation OCD can pop something under the saddle and grips to prevent gravel rash.

Simples.👌
 

Downhillr

Member
Jul 2, 2021
201
98
SF Bay, California
Hi I am curious on how others lube there chains on these ebikes.
I’ve been lubing a section as a time, lift the rear wheel up spin the cranks a little and do another section until I have lubed all the chain…
Tbh it’s a bloody ball ache so I am wondering what others do
As other members said use Allen key in chainring bolt to turn car ants backward… or here’s tool I use since it doesn’t mark up cranks, has choice of key size as well:
Little spendy but hey it’s cool tool/toy
 

Downhillr

Member
Jul 2, 2021
201
98
SF Bay, California
As other members said use Allen key in chainring bolt to turn car ants backward… or here’s tool I use since it doesn’t mark up cranks, has choice of key size as well:
Little spendy but hey it’s cool tool/toy
Sorry, “car ants” is apparently Apple-Spell for “cranks”!
 

Kilham5

E*POWAH Elite World Champion
Mar 12, 2020
137
1,087
North Yorkshire
On the mobility ebike, I just turn the chainring backwards with my fingers and lube a section at a time, don't really understand why regular lubing on eMTB's gets so complicated.

I rotate and hot wax my road, cross and gravel bike chains.
Make my own wax recipe with a dash of of PTFE and Molybdenum Disulphide rather than pay for Silka or Molten for the same thing.

I may adopt hot waxing to my MTB and mobility eMTB's when they are ready for fresh chains.
It's not complicated at all :ROFLMAO:, once you get into the routine.

Use gold quick links on silver chains (and silver links on gold chains), so you can see them easily.

It has been suggested that I am a bike nerd 🤔
 

mak

🦷
Dec 27, 2019
445
493
uk
Isn't it just easier to turn the crank backwards with your hand, a lot of overthinking goes off with this topic. A bike stand is the only way to look after a bike properly .
 

LeeS69

Member
Aug 27, 2022
92
104
Yorkshire
Lidl still have some bike stands in store at £29 (my local one did a couple of days ago anyway) - they aren't fancy but it works for my orbea and other bikes - if worried about the strength of them you could just use it to raise the back wheel.
 

nepper

Active member
Oct 5, 2019
53
29
Finland
This topic was so good for me. Ultimately I copied the Muc-Off ebike drivetrain tool. I drilled a hole to a round wood block and glued hex bit to it. Thanks to the Rex Racing waxes (Domestique and Black Diamond) I have to relube rarely. Now those moments are much nicer thing to do. I'm too lazy to rise the Rise to service stand 😂
 

Dave_B

E*POWAH Elite World Champion
Subscriber
Aug 29, 2020
1,420
1,536
Newquay
Just put it in a bike stand and pedal forwards. simples.
I put my bike in a stand to clean it, rear wheel off the ground. Don’t really understand why people don’t thing of just pedalling forwards rather than backwards ?
 

EMTB Forums

Since 2018

The World's largest electric mountain bike community.

518K
Messages
25,442
Members
Join Our Community

Latest articles


Top