The cranks rotate backwards, but the chain doesn’t move ...

OldGoatMTB

OldGoatMTB

E*POWAH Master
Joined
Mar 24, 2020
Messages
423
Reaction score
253
Location
27284
...which makes it a little more difficult to oil the chain. I ended up using my bike workstand, which was only possible because I had a second person handy to tighten the lock. These 50 pound bikes are great to ride, but real monsters to move around. If you don’t use a work standing how do you boil your chain? I could’ve turned it upside down but didn’t want to drip oil on the just-washed frame.
 
⚡ EMTB Pro Go Pro — Living Intelligence Reports, exclusive discounts & ad-free Up to 25% off Peaty's, PEMBREE, Magicshine & more · Ad-free browsing · Pro badge See the deals →
Tried that with an Allan key once on my Levo. TCU lit up, not doing that again.
 
Keep 'em coming, there has to be a better solution! The zip-tie between the crank and chainring...will have to investigate this.
 
If it’s just to oil the chain, can’t you just flip the bike and run the cranks forward? Sound much easier than Allen keys and cable ties.
 
I'm not a fan of forcing the motor backwards. I bought a cheap stand from halfords for a fiver. Ideal for cleaning/lubing chain

Screenshot_20200328-124338_Gallery.jpg
 
^^^^^Brilliant.

I just lean my bike up against with the drive side out and do a bottom section of chain at a time then lift the rear end slightly and give it the proper stroke but that little unit right there would be just the dick for dolly! Thanks for the tip
 
Christian said:
If it’s just to oil the chain, can’t you just flip the bike and run the cranks forward? Sound much easier than Allen keys
Click to expand...
what's difficult about putting an allen key in a chainring bolt and then removing it less than a minute later?
gotta be easier than flipping the bike upside down. Especially if you have displays/garmin/lights/levers/switches etc. on your bars to have to think about when you lay it on it's bars.
Allen key method I prepared earlier.

Takes a matter of seconds

2wheeledwalbert said:
I'm not a fan of forcing the motor backwards.
Click to expand...
Why? it does no harm
 
Gary said:
what's difficult about putting an allen key in a chainring bolt and then removing it less than a minute later?
gotta be easier than flipping the bike upside down. Especially if you have displays/garmin/lights/levers/switches etc. on your bars to have to think about when you lay it on it's bars.
Click to expand...
Well I suppose if you have all the fancy gear then yes the Allen key is your best solution. Personally flipping the bike is easier for me as I don’t need to have an Allen key handy all the time. I randomly lube my chain so a quick flip seems logical for me.
 
Fair enough. i'm rarely ever more than a few feet from an allen key
 
Gary said:
what's difficult about putting an allen key in a chainring bolt and then removing it less than a minute later?
gotta be easier than flipping the bike upside down. Especially if you have displays/garmin/lights/levers/switches etc. on your bars to have to think about when you lay it on it's bars.
Allen key method I prepared earlier.

Takes a matter of seconds


Why? it does no harm
Click to expand...

FEEling a bit dense, but after watching the video I still don’t understand exactly what you did?
 
While rotating the chain backwards I lubed every chain roller of and then wiped off any excess lube from the outer plates with a rag.
same as I do after every time the bike is washed.

I'd simply placed an allen key into one chainring bolt allowing the crank arm to spin the chainring while turning the cranks backwards. (and obvs remove it afterwards).
pause the video and you'll see the (blue) allen key resting against the crank arm as I start turning the crank arm.
 
I stand on the non-drive side, leaning on the seat with my chest (use the dropper to adjust height) and walk the bike backwards side step like,while lubing the chain and use the chain stay as a guide. I normaly use the second/third largest sproket. Kind of sounds awkward but once you have done it a few times is pretty easy,takes maybe 6-8 seconds to lube.
 
Shane(NZ) said:
I stand on the non-drive side, leaning on the seat with my chest (use the dropper to adjust height) and walk the bike backwards side step like,while lubing the chain and use the chain stay as a guide. I normaly use the second/third largest sproket. Kind of sounds awkward but once you have done it a few times is pretty easy,takes maybe 6-8 seconds to lube.
Click to expand...

hiw many times did you cop a pedal to shin whilst learning?
 
  • Like
Reactions: CjP
Gary said:
While rotating the chain backwards I lubed every chain roller of and then wiped off any excess lube from the outer plates with a rag.
same as I do after every time the bike is washed.

I'd simply placed an allen key into one chainring bolt allowing the crank arm to spin the chainring while turning the cranks backwards. (and obvs remove it afterwards).
pause the video and you'll see the (blue) allen key resting against the crank arm as I start turning the crank arm.
Click to expand...

Thanks, I guess I just couldn't see the allen key while watching it on the phone, with my old-man eyes!
 
Shane(NZ) said:
I stand on the non-drive side, leaning on the seat with my chest (use the dropper to adjust height) and walk the bike backwards side step like,while lubing the chain and use the chain stay as a guide. I normaly use the second/third largest sproket. Kind of sounds awkward but once you have done it a few times is pretty easy,takes maybe 6-8 seconds to lube.
Click to expand...
Ha! You are more coordinated ah I, sir!
 
My method has been drive side out, lube the lower part of chain, grab the top part of chain and slide it right to left til you have the next lower section to lube. Repeat 3 or 4 times and your chain is lubed....

Note, cranks will spin so the non-drive side has to be clear
 
I do it in the stand after i wash the bike and give the chain a quick clean. I can add a little bit at a time, run it through the cassette a few times, that way the cassette has a little lube on every tooth and i've checking it is shifting crisp. My cassette has 1000km+ on it and looks like new.

If you're struggling to get it in the stand, remove the battery if you can on your bike, maybe try set the stand to a low setting and just lift the rear wheel off the ground, leaving weight on the front.
 
Cassettes don't need lubed. chain lube is for your chain.
1000km is only 600miles. Any decent cassette should still "look" new after that sort of mileage,
 
Gary said:
Cassettes don't need lubed. chain lube is for your chain.
1000km is only 600miles. Any decent cassette should still "look" new after that sort of mileage,
Click to expand...
Should, you're right. If it's maintained. That said i've seen plenty of posts from people claiming smashing through chains and cassettes in very short periods.

Agree to disagree on that one about the lube. Any metal/metal surface contact needs lubrication, or will result in increased wear. After all, the wear on the teeth of a chain ring or a cassette is caused by friction, so it shouldn't need explanation that reduction in friction = reduction in wear.
 
lubing your cassette will just attract more dirt to the cassette.
so long as the chain is looked after (cleaned) and lubricated properly (which doesn't actually mean tons of lube) the lubed chain will run on the sprockets and chainring without incresasing wear.
This shouldn't really need explaining. But... well... y'know ;)
 
Since I've always been a 'precisely lube each roller individually' kinda guy, my method of lubing my chains has always been the same whether its an eMTB or not.

With the bike on any stand that lifts the rear wheel off the ground a couple of inches, shift the chain to the smallest cog, start with the quick link and apply lube to the roller, rotate the wheel (not the crank) backwards with my left hand and hit the next roller, etc. Once you are back to the quick link, slowly spin the crank forward to clean the excess lube with a cloth. There is no real force needed to rotate the wheel backwards with your hand while it's in the air, it doesn't power the TCU on, and I don't have to jam it with a hex against the crank arm on my eMTB.
 
Last edited:
mikelafrance said:
i found the allan wrench gets wedged againg crank & difficult to take out afterwards. I used a 1/2" PVC instead of stick
Click to expand...

This can happen. Yeah. it's dependent on the angle you put the allen key in.
Ideally you want it 90deg from the crank arm. (not how it is in my video, but trust me it's not still stuck in that chainring bolt)
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Keep reading
    Browse all

    Similar Threads

    Community Stats

    Since 2018
    674K
    Messages
    41,748
    Members
    Join 30,000+ Riders, it's free!
    Back
    Top