Specialized S Works Carbon Cranks and New Chain Questions

Question: Hi Sam,
I sent you a question a while back asking if you knew anything about Specialized Sworks carbon Cranks. Have you found any information about them? I now have another question, is it necessary to lube a new chain? Should I degrease it prior to the first lube or is it preoiled from the factory?
Thanks as always,
Adam

Hi Adam,

First your new chain, yes you should remove all the sticky stuff off the chain and then re-oil it, normally the chain manufacturer coats the chain in a packing grease to keep it like new, but it tends not to run very well when cycling. You can degrease it or just spray some lube onto a cloth and give the chain a good wipe down with the oily rag; this usually helps the chain work more smoothly. If you leave the old grease on the chain it will still work, but you will find that it sounds a bit rough and the change a little sluggish, the grease that the manufacturer uses is quite heavy and as most people re-oil their chain quite regularly you don't need grease that is thick, so wipe the grease away with a thinner oil and it will be much better.

Sorry about the delay on you Specialized S Works carbon cranks. They are very light, in fact Specialized claim that these cranks are the best strength to weight cranks on the market. The spindle system is similar to the Campagnolo method of connection with an internal tooth coupling, if it's good enough for Campagnolo then that should do for anyone.