General Maintenance Question

[slwbutnofred]

I'm curious as to what general maintenance (lubrication in particular) readers perform on their bikes. I've got about 12 K miles on my current road bike, and apart from keeping the drivetrain clean and lubed--and keeping the bike clean--I don't really do anything (brakes get adjusted periodically). Are there parts such as the RD or FD or Ergo Levers that require periodic lubrication? If so, which parts and what type of lube would be recommended? Thanks in advance for any info.

[SoCalSteve]

Of course there have been many threads about what lube to use and everyone has an opinion on this (or a few).

You can use the search feature and probably spend a couple hours learning about lubrication.

Try ATB in the search, that will get you many postings.

ATB (Absolutely the Best) is a lube made by a very small company. Works very well.

As for what you are doing, keeping the chain clean-drivetrain clean and your bike clean...You are on the right track.

Dont really think you need to do much more than what you are doing.

Good luck and tailwinds,

Steve

[Steelhead]

I will periodically put a couple of drops of light lube like Pedros road rage or Tri Flow, Finish Line etc... on the jockey wheels (pulley wheels) bearing on my rear der. just cause I think I should. And also a tiny drop of lube around the ends of the housing where the cables enter/exit just cause I think I should. Other than that I keep the chain and cassette clean and lubed up - I like it shiny, I hate to drop in behind someone that has a black gritty chain and cassette.

[slwbutnofred]

Steve,

Thanks for the reply. After reading your answer, I realize I didn't really pose the question correctly. I wasn't looking for the brand recommendation for the lube (I happen to use Rock n' Roll--recommended by Sundance), but rather was questioning if there are other areas of the bike that require periodic lubrication as part of normal maintenance?

Thanks,

Slow

[victoryfactory]

Basically, just the chain. A couple of drops before every other ride.
Then wipe off the chain with a rag. The biggest reason that drivetrains
get mucky is, IMO, excess lube left on the surfaces that don't need it.
When I clean the bike every 1-2 weeks I also put a couple drops of Pro Link
on the Jocky wheels, Front der. and rear der. at the pivot points, then
wipe off the excess.

VF

[Dave]

There are some holes in the top of the ergo lever that can be used to apply a few drop of a plastics-friendly lube like Slick 50 1-lube into the the mechanism. A once a year lubing can't hurt, but don't overdo it or you'll have lube flowing onto the bar tape. You may have to completely remove the brake hood to adequately expose these holes. I have one RH ergo without this hole for some reason.

I frequently lube all the derailleur pivots (front and rear) with WD-40 or 1-lube. I also use 1-lube on the derailleur pulley bushings every week.

Lubing the cables a couple of times a years is also a good idea. I lube the cables by hanging the bike from the rear wheel and dribling a small amount of lube into the housing at the cable stop on the downtube. Allow plenty of time for the lube to work it's way into the housing. If you've got 12K on the cables, it's probably time for new cables and housing. A surprise broken cable is never fun. Campy's hidden cable routing creates more friction and sometimes creates shifting problems if the cables are not well maintained.

Brake pivots can usually benefit from regular lubing.

[Marcusaurelius]

I repack the hubs with grease every 6 months. I also put oil on the derailleurs every time I clean the chain (weekly).

[Don]

Here in Southeast Florida, we make it a practice to add a drop of lube to the nipples on a monthly basis as a means of fighting the corrosive effect caused by the salt. Riding along the ocean does call for attention to the need to lube all points where friction exists.