The bike chain is one of the most underrated parts of a child's bike. Only when it squeaks, is rusty or suddenly falls off, do you realize how important it actually is. Fortunately, lubricating or tightening a chain is something you can easily do yourself, without having to be technically skilled.
Why should you maintain the chain?
A dry chain makes noise, wears out faster and gives unnecessary resistance while cycling. A chain that is too loose can come off and that often happens at the moment that your child just wants to accelerate or has to go up a hill. Of course, you would rather prevent that.
The good news: lubricating and tightening a chain is not a complicated job. It will take you no more than fifteen minutes and you don't need much.
What do you need?
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Chain oil (not WD-40 — that's not a lubricant, but a degreaser)
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Old cloth or kitchen paper
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Possibly a wrench (usually size 15) to loosen the wheel
Lubricating the chain
Start lubricating when the chain squeaks, looks dry, feels rough or has orange-brown spots (beginning rust). Turn the bike upside down or use a stand so that the rear wheel can turn freely.
Turn the pedals slowly with one hand, and with the other hand, drip chain oil onto the chain as it moves. You don't need to put on an excessive amount, a thin layer is enough. Once you've gone all the way around, turn the pedals a few more times so that the oil is evenly distributed.
Then take an old cloth or paper towel and gently wipe off the excess grease from the chain. The oil should be in the links, not dripping around them.
Tensioning the chain
Many children's bikes (especially the smaller models without gears) do not have a derailleur or spring system to keep the chain under tension. You then have to manually ensure that the chain is not too slack or too tight.
How do you know if the chain needs tensioning? Simple: grab the middle part of the chain (somewhere between the pedals and the rear wheel) and push it up and down. Does it move more than about 2 centimeters? Then it is probably too slack.
To tighten the chain, you need to pull the rear wheel back a little. Turn the bike upside down and use the wrench to loosen the two nuts that hold the rear wheel in place. Then gently pull the wheel back a little bit. It only needs to be a few millimeters. You will automatically feel the chain tighten.
Check again with your hand whether the chain now moves 1 to 2 centimeters up and down. That is the correct tension. Too tight is also not good, then everything wears faster and it pedals heavily.
If it feels good, hold the wheel straight and re-tighten the nuts securely.
Just testing
Turn the rear wheel and see if the chain turns smoothly. Does the bike pedal lightly? Do you get any strange noises? Then you are good. Ask your child to ride a lap and listen if everything runs smoothly.
Or let us do it
Would you rather have an expert fix it for you? No problem. You can easily submit a request via the BikeFlip portal , and one of our Flippers will come by to fix it for you.
Are you not yet using the children's bike subscription ? Then this might be the time to see if it is something for you. Always a suitable bike and no more hassle with maintenance, we will arrange it all for you!
