Maintenance ScheduleBike
How often should you lube a bike chain?
A dry or gritty chain wears itself and the cassette out. Rain washes lube off; dust turns it into grinding paste. A two-week rhythm catches both, and a wet ride overrides it.
The answer
Clean and lube a bike chain every 2 weeks in normal use, and after a wet ride.
Range: 2 weeks · checked 6 November 2026
Typical interval
What changes it
- Rain, puddles and washing the bike: re-lube once the chain is dry.
- Dusty or muddy trails: clean more often, and use the right lube for the conditions.
- Winter road salt: rinse and re-lube after the ride.
- A squeak or a stiff link means lube now, not at the next scheduled date.
Do it
- Wipe the chain with a rag and, if it is gritty, clean it with a bike degreaser.
- Apply a drop to each rivet, turning the pedals.
- Wipe off the excess so dirt does not stick.
- Check the chain for wear with a chain checker every few months.
Put it in your schedule
The maker opens with Chain Clean and Lube at every 2 weeks.
No account. The maker keeps the job in your browser and in the link.
Why this interval
The sources below give the full picture. The factors above are the ones that move the interval for most situations.
The range is a starting point, not a rule for every situation. The factors above are the ones the sources name; if your situation is different, use the range and ask a professional where the job needs one.
If you want the job in a schedule with reminders, open the schedule maker with this job already loaded. The how often index has the other jobs.
Chain Clean and Lube questions
What changes the interval?
Rain, puddles and washing the bike: re-lube once the chain is dry. Dusty or muddy trails: clean more often, and use the right lube for the conditions. Winter road salt: rinse and re-lube after the ride. A squeak or a stiff link means lube now, not at the next scheduled date.
Does the app use this interval?
The app’s ready-made schedule uses every 2 weeks. The sources do not name a single interval; they say to re-lube after rain and whenever the chain is dry or gritty, so treat 2 weeks as a starting rhythm.
Where does this come from?
The answer is checked against one primary source, linked under Sources with the date each was read.
Sources
Park Tool covers the after-rain advice and the regular cleaning; the 2-week rhythm is the app’s default, not a figure from the source.
- The Park Tool guide to bicycle lubricants and compounds. Park Tool.Regular cleaning and lubing, and re-lubing after wet rides. Checked 6 November 2026.