Five minutes of care at the end of each riding day keeps your bike shifting smoothly for the whole trip. Mat Leblanc of Trip Longer filmed his nightly routine at camp, and it's the best short demo of trail-side drivetrain care we've seen:
View this reel by @trip.longer on Instagram
The routine#
As Mat runs it:
- Prop the bike so the pedals can spin freely.
- Wipe down the chain with a rag. He keeps his in a ziplock bag so it doesn't dirty everything else.
- Get the derailleur's jockey wheels and the front chainring while you're in there.
- Shake the chain lube well, find the master link so you know where you started, and give every link a dab.
- Backspin the pedals about a dozen times to work the lube in.
- One last wipe of the chain, then let it sit overnight. Ready to ride in the morning.
Why bother? Dust and chain lube mix into a fine grinding paste that wears out cassettes and chainrings surprisingly fast. A nightly wipe-and-lube costs you five minutes and saves your gear, especially on BC's gravel and rail trails.
About Mat and Ali#
Mat Leblanc and Ali Becker are the West Kootenay couple behind Trip Longer. They created several of the routes BC bikepackers ride, including the Great Granby Loop and the Lakes and Hot Springs Loop, and in 2024 they became two of the first three people to ride the 15,000 km Great Northern Bikepacking Route across Canada. Follow them at @trip.longer for honest, useful content from the road.
What's your end-of-day routine? Mat and Ali asked the same question under their reel, so tell them there, or tell us.
— Heather