What Lifetime Lube actually means.

When we tell people about Lifetime Lube they usually look at us the way people look at a sign that says “free” — like there must be something hidden. There isn’t. You pay $20 once, you get a special little bottle of Rock ‘N’ Roll chain lube, and when you run out just bring it in for a free refill! Offer is good for as long as you have your intact bottle!

Why chain lube matters more than people think

Besides a flat tire, a dry chain is the most common reason a bike develops problems it didn’t used to have. The chain wears faster. The cassette teeth catch and wear faster. The chainring wears faster. What starts as a $5 problem — a dry chain — becomes a $60–$150 problem if you let it go. Tucson is also a dusty, dry desert city, which means chains here accumulate grit in a way they don’t in wetter climates. That grit acts like a grinding compound between your chain and your cassette. Lubing regularly isn’t optional maintenance here — it’s the difference between a drivetrain that lasts two years and one that lasts six.

“The lube costs us almost nothing. The goodwill is worth a lot more.”
— Dan

The actual math + rulez

We use a quality lube on desert bikes — around $12 a bottle, and a bottle does maybe 30 chain applications. In order to receive your free refill you MUST:

!! Only use the chain lube on actual bike chains (yours or your friends’)

!! Don’t spill the lube! Accidental spills are not eligible for free refills, only bottles emptied by properly applying lube to chains

The part that makes it make sense for us:

• You come in regularly, which means we catch other problems early
• You feel good about the shop, which means you come back for bigger purchases
• Your bike runs well, which means you keep riding it, which means you stay a cyclist
• A well-maintained bike doesn’t need expensive emergency repairs

Why we keep offering it when we could drop it

We’ve been asked this. The answer is that Lifetime Lube was one of the first things we offered when we opened, and it’s part of the promise the shop makes to the neighborhood. Our whole model is built on the idea that bikes should be accessible and maintainable without a finance plan. Dropping Lifetime Lube because it’s not a profit center would be exactly the kind of corporate logic we’re trying not to do. It’s not for sale to us. It stays.

You can add Lifetime Lube to any bike you buy from us or any bike you bring in for service. Come by or text 520-365-0754 and we’ll sort it out. It’s 30 bucks. Just do it.

How to lube it

• Prop your bike so that you can access the chain and spin the pedals backwards
• Put down a rag under the lower part of the chain. You might want a rubber glove on your left hand.
• Spin the pedals backwards with your right hand while squirting plenty o’ lube to the lower part of the chain. Hopefully that rag is catching the excess.
• Pick up that rag and wipe, wipe, wipe: the chain, the chainrings, the derailleur pulleys, any excess that got on the bike. You’re cleaning your drivetrain every time you lube your chain!! This is also done with the rag in the left hand, spinning pedals backwards with right hand. Rag will want to get caught in the chainring and pulley teeth as you spin ‘n’ wipe, but with a little practice you’ll get the hang of cleaning pretty well and very fast!