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The transparent, exposed technology of the road bike is part of the fascination for many cyclists, but it has disadvantages: Cables, chains and springs, as well as bearings and screws, are usually exposed to external influences without protection - in addition to rain and road dirt, this also includes your own sweat dripping onto the handlebars, stem and frame. The protection provided by oil and grease therefore has two objectives: to keep the racer running smoothly and to protect the bike from corrosion. It remains to be seen whether this requires all the expensive care substances that manufacturers often promise will work wonders. It is much more important to apply the right product to the right place - because not every lubricant should be applied to every part. In the following, we present the five most important lubricants and care products for the assembly and care of road bikes and show you where to apply them. Oil, grease and wax on the road bike and where not.
Penetrating oil for road bike care
Penetrating oil is not necessary when building a new road bike or carrying out typical bike repairs - it is usually only needed during operation. It can provide valuable services in inaccessible places and in the event of cracking noises, for example on the saddle frame, on the springs and joints of shift brake levers, rear derailleur, front derailleur, brakes and quick release. Spoke nipples creaking in the rims can also be soothed with it, as can cable housings in the stop sockets.
Penetrating oil can also come to the rescue when screws are stuck. Before you use brute force to turn the tool holder round or even tear off the screw, it is better to spray on penetrating oil and practise a little patience. The oil penetrates through the capillary effect, loosening and lubricating at the same time. In difficult cases, repeat the procedure - several times if necessary. It is important to spray the oil on precisely and, if necessary, to catch the spray mist with a cloth so that no oil gets onto braking surfaces or carbon parts that are to be clamped.
Chain lubricant for road bike care
Nowhere else on the bike is the lubricant used up as quickly as on the chain. Water, dust and dirt continuously gnaw away at the free-running chain link. The lubricating effect is quickly lost and the lubricant is thrown away from the fast-moving chain. Regular cleaning and lubrication is therefore the key to the longest possible chain life - far more than an exquisite formulation of active ingredients. There are basically two classes: oils and lubricants with additives. The advantage of oils is their honesty, as an existing oil film is visible. If the chain becomes dry and runs noisier, you can see and hear this - and know it's time to relubricate.
This is not the case with so-called dry lubricants (which come out of the bottle in liquid form, but consist of dry, waxy substances after the solvents have evaporated): They should be relubricated according to the manufacturer's recommendation, but at least every 200 kilometres or so. You can't tell the difference between lubricated and non-lubricated by the appearance and running noise.
Clean road bike chains with the right care
Aids for bike washing and care:
The desire for a clean road bike chain is probably as old as the drive type. Silicone lubricants in particular fulfil this requirement, but they only lubricate moderately. Chain cleaning baths are unnecessary. They do remove the used lubricant - but they do this both on the outside and inside; and once the internal lubrication between the pins, rollers and plates has been washed out, it can no longer be renewed from the outside. It is better to use an absorbent cloth to rub the chain thoroughly before lubricating and wipe off excess oil once the lubricant has been absorbed.
Grease: These parts on the road bike are greased
Grease is more viscous than oil. As a result, it stays in place and does not leak out of bearings, for example. Of course, compared to oiled components, greased components feel much more sluggish. However, this slightly higher resistance is negligible when cycling. This is why high-quality grease is the first choice for steering bearings, bottom brackets, hub bearings and chain tensioning and guide rollers.
Its viscosity also makes grease ideal for reducing noise and friction and inhibiting corrosion. Grease can therefore work wonders between chainrings and cranks, replaceable derailleur hanger and frame, bearing shells and frame. Also clear: screw connections on the bike should be greased if the manufacturer has not applied a screw locking compound. Grease creates constant friction conditions and prevents seizing of the bolts and corrosion, especially under the bolt head where the surface pressure is highest.
Using carbon assembly paste for road bike parts
No grease fits or belongs on frames, forks and other carbon fibre parts. However, the frequently expressed assumption that grease could attack the composite material made of epoxy resin and carbon fibre fabric is wrong - hardened chemical compounds are stable. The problem is that grease can accumulate on the surface, making it very smooth. In the case of clamp connections, e.g. on the seat post, handlebars or stem, the coefficient of friction is then reduced to such an extent that extremely high forces are required for firm clamping. High clamping forces, in turn, exert a high level of pressure - something that carbon parts are typically not designed for: The part is literally crushed and, damaged in this way, can break. The remedy is a special Carbon assembly paste, which greatly increases the coefficient of friction due to solid plastic particles in the emulsion. This means that the specified torques on the screws can be safely adhered to, and often even significantly undercut.
Extra tip: Hard wax
No coat of paint is one hundred per cent impermeable, no bike is free of metal. Liquid hard wax applied to painted or anodised surfaces penetrates into pores or slits and builds up a protective layer as it dries. Once polished over - and the attacks of moisture, dirt and road salt are parried as brilliantly as successfully!
