Purple Extreme is our favourite mountain bike chain lube, so much so that we've chosen to distribute it in the UK! To get the best out of it and prolong your drivetrain, follow the steps below. The same steps apply for EP Ultra, which we see as the road bike equivalent to Purple Extreme.
Clean your drivetrain
For best results, apply Purple Extreme to a clean and dry chain. Depending on how much buildup of old lube you have, this may require degreaser, or you may find a general purpose bike cleaner is sufficient. This chain had only ever been lubricated with Purple Extreme and cleaned up pretty quickly with Peaty’s Loam Foam.
For chains that aren't too dirty, you may find an application of Purple Extreme is enough to allow you to clean things up - the carrier solvent acts to dissolve old lube, just be sure to give it a wipe as in the following steps!
Allow the chain to dry thoroughly.
Apply Purple Extreme
Bike Medicine suggest streaming the lube over the chain as you backpedal, then removing excess with a rag. We find that this approach can be harder to control and can end up wasting excess lube - but is a quick and easy way to get the lube onto the chain.
If you’re willing to take a little longer over the process, we’d suggest taking the time to apply a drop of Purple Extreme to each chain roller one at a time, backpedalling the cranks as you do so. Work from the quick link and you’ll know when you’ve done a full rotation. Although the link at a time approach feels long winded, it’s really not that much faff in our eyes!
Remove excess
Use a rag or paper towel to remove any excess and to wipe a small amount of lube onto the side plates of the chain. It’s the chain rollers that need the lubrication, but a small amount on the rest of the chain to prevent corrosion is a big help!
A little lube across the cassette is handy too, so run the bike through the full range of gears to distribute a little excess from the rollers.
Allow to dry
You can head straight out on a ride, Purple Extreme will protect the chain immediately - but for the best results, allow the carrier solvent to evaporate, overnight if you can. With only the lubricant left behind, the chain will run drier and attract less mud and crud from the trail.
Reapply as required
If the chain’s not got too dirty, you get away with reapplying Purple Extreme without needing to clean the chain. It’s unlikely that you’ll need to reapply each ride, but that does depend on ride conditions, weather and how long each ride is!
Wherever possible, lube your chain after your ride or bike cleaning, ready for the next ride - rather than waiting until just before you head out.
