The part of your bike that gets the most wear is, undoubtedly, your chain. It’s also the most complex, with more moving, interacting parts than the rest of your bike combined. However, with a little care and attention, your chain should last thousands of miles.

The only tools and supplies you need for this regular bit of maintenance are chain lubricant and a rag. Many manufacturers offer special chain cleaning tools or contraptions, and many mechanics will tell you that they have special techniques for de-gunking a chain. But the truth is that a well maintained chain doesn’t need any of those fancy methods.

To begin, hold the rag firmly in your left hand and grab the bottom length of chain with it. Using your right hand, rotate the pedals backwards, letting the chain slide through the rag. BE CAREFUL! If your fingers or hand get pulled into the gears, you could be seriously injured. If your bike is a fixed gear or single speed, you could even lose a finger! (If you don’t believe me, Google search for pictures.) If you use common sense and keep all body parts and bits of rag away from the gears, you should be okay, but use caution.

As you run the chain through the rag, you want to clean the top, bottom, and both sides of the chain. Every few seconds, adjust the rag so that the chain is running over a clean section. You should continue until new dirt and grease marks are very faint or non-existent on the rag.

If you’ve taken good care of your chain, this should only take a few minutes. However, if your chain is covered in old oil and dirt, it may take much longer. If you can’t get the old lubricant and grease off, you might need to use a degreaser or take it to a bike shop for a good, first cleaning.

After you’ve cleaned the chain, apply a single drop of lubricant to each chain roller. You don’t need to spray the entire chain with lube or worry about covering the outer parts of the chain. The only part of the chain that needs to be lubricated is the contact area inside each roller. That’s the only part that experiences any friction or movement. Being precise when you apply the chain lubricant will help extend the life of your chain and make maintaining it much easier.

Now, spin the cranks and shift through the entire range of gears to work the lube into the chain rollers. You only need to do this for 15 or 20 seconds.

The final step is to clean any excess lubricant off of the chain. Remember that the outside of the chain doesn’t need to be lubricated – only the inside of the rollers does – so you should remove as much lube as possible. Any excess will only attract dirt and leave marks on your hands and legs! To remove the excess, use a clean portion of the rag, just like you did in step one. Don’t worry if the rag shows new dirt. The new lubricant has forced the old lube – and the dirt mixed in with it – out of the rollers, and this is what you’re wiping off the chain.

Once the rag stops picking up dirt and excess lube, you’re done! You’re chain should look clean and almost dry on the outside, but you can be assured that the rollers are lubricated and will happily give you many, many thousands of miles of service. You should repeat these steps often. On a bike that’s ridden daily, especially in harsh conditions like dirt, water, or salty winter roads, clean and lube the chain at least once a month, preferably more often. If you’re a recreational, fair-weather rider, once or twice a season should be sufficient.