stephr1

UPDATE: Just wanted to add here that I did find a review (albeit ~4 years old) on-line that compared White Lightning Clean Lube (or something similar with a slightly different name), Finish Line Dry and a few others. It seemed both were rated pretty good at longevity/durability and cleanliness, with Finish Line Dry lasting somewhat longer.

I'd still be interested in individual experiences and opinions. Thx.

Did find some threads that were more esoteric about chain lube but didn't find a specific topic related to this (I will admit I may not have looked as hard as I could have so just have a simple inquiry....(BTW - if there is such a fairly recent thread I'm happy to follow a link to it...thx).

I've been using White Lightning Dry lube (think it's called "Clean Ride" these days) which claims to have a wax-based lubricant (a few of the threads I found here did tout the benefits of wax lubring). I usually found it on sale at Performance Bike. When I needed to get more chain lube recently, White Lightning wasn't on sale but Finish Line Dry (which uses teflon as its lube component) was.

So, question is: which is better? Do you have experience with one or the other (or both is better) and what is your opinion about either?

Thx in advance and cheers......

TimothyH

I have experience with White Lightning Clean Ride.

It washed off very easily at the first hint of water.

It was gone after riding one mile in wet grass.


-Tim-

rumrunn6

I'm using finish line this year after a cpl years with white lighting. so far the only difference I see is in application. (but I don't ride a lot) one is a drop bottle the other is an aerosol can. advantages & drawbacks for both types of application

cyccommute 

wphamilton

I'm with you on this one. Maybe not just a hint of water, but after any good rain or riding through water over the chain line, it has to be re-applied. Which, here, could be 2 or 3 times a week in some seasons. With oil based lubes I can let it ride for two or three rains.

stephr1

I appreciate the feedback. It seems White Lightning feedback goes both ways. An old Chinese (supposedly) proverb: "A man with no watch never knows the time. A man with 2 is never sure."

Personally, I've been using White Lightning for a number of years (10+). I agree with the cleanliness of it (tho, there is some build up after a week or 2 of riding) and quietness (I can always tell when it's time to relube because the chain and shifting noise takes on more of a "clunk" instead of a lighter "click" noise). As for the water soluble issue...I can't remember if it was a puddle I went thru or if I happened to get caught out riding in the rain but I was surprised that the chain sounded like it needed to be relubed even tho I had just done so the day before (rain, in California...preposterous

I look forward to hearing more experiences and opinions.

Thx and cheers.....

Papa Tom

I switched from White Lightning Clean (used to be Dry, I believe) to Finish Line Dry (don't know if it was teflon) a couple of years ago after finding the Finish Line product on sale for a crazy low price. Some of you might remember a thread I started right after that in which I was frustrated for more than a year by a crunching sound coming from my drive train. I don't know why, but as soon as I changed back to White Lightning, the crunching went away and never returned. Take that for what it's worth.

AndreyT

"Washed off" and "gone" from where exactly? Are you talking about the exterior of your chain? Or did you determine that it was gone from the interior as well?

stephr1

It's been a few months but I wanted to circle back on this topic....

I've been using Finish Line Dry for 1+ months and I'm finding it pretty good. I lube the chain about every 2 weeks (given my shorter distances) and it does just fine. It goes on fairly easy (maybe that's only becuz I'm not shaking it well enuf...but prob'ly am). It flows onto the chain a bit better than White Lightning, seems to provide good coverage with less liquid. The only down side is I noticed it's a bit greasier than White Lightning. While doing some minor bike maintenance this weekend I noticed more of a kind of of greasy build up on the inner edges of the rear der pulleys...easily scraped off, tho.

Looks like I'll stay with Finish Line Dry for a while (given the fact that I bought a couple of 3-packs right before Performance Bike disappeared).

Again, appreciate all the feedback. Thx!!

Troul 

Cool follow up.
the other day a guy described the concoction they use. Olive oil & gelatin mix. I sure hope it helps them wiggle down the path easily.

stephr1

Hadn't thought about the viscosity, but olive oil seems about right.

One of the other things I noticed is that White Lightning, once "dry", leaves that white, waxy residue on the chain (never seemed to cause any buildup problems except for the white residue). Finish Line Dry leaves no white residue and looks more like a light oil (prob'ly as in olive). Interestingly, the buildup I saw was only on the pulleys. Wasn't much of anything on the chain.

Also I found the following on Finish Line's website:

...."sets up with a dry 'wax-like' synthetic film..." ...... "...Thanks to the added Teflon™ fluoropolymer..."

So, maybe it only looks like a slightly oily cover on the chain, but it may be more like "black ice"...looks wet but is really frozen.

One other item I should mention is that the drive system seems to run quieter (have not measured it to know for sure) between lube periods. White Lightning starts out smoother sounding but by the end of 2 weeks of riding, shifting takes on more of a chunky noise...not really loud but very noticeable from when White Lightning is first applied.

Skipjacks

I know this thread hasn't been used in a month but it's the exact topic I needed.

I am looking for a new lube and I was wavering between the Finish Line and White Lightning dry versions.

I had been using T-9 but I just don't like it. I know people swear by it but I can't get it to ever be 'dry' and it collect dirt like crazy and I wore out an entire drive train too quickly (chain, rings, and cassette) all coated with T-9.

Anyway...

Between White Lightning and Finish Line it sounds like I cant' go wrong with either one, and the 'right' one is going to be a matter of personal preference after trying both. Does that sound about right?

Do you all lube the chain with something different than the gears? Or do you use the same lube for both?

rumrunn6

I use the same for everything including the moving joints on the derailleurs. I like the Finish Line DRY Teflon aerosol can cuz that straw can force the product into those joints. currently using a dropper bottle of Muc-off Bio Dry Lube which smells like apples. LBS near my office was pushing it hard so thought I would try it out. seems fine but I miss the sprat can for those tight spots

stephr1

To add to my comments above.....

I've been using Finish Line for a couple of months now and can modify my previous comment concerning "buildup" around the rear der pulleys.

I found that if I wipe down the chain both before (to get rid of any previous buildup) and after I've applied Finish Line (which helps to loosen up the rest), the buildup is much less at my bi-weekly chain lube sessions (and I do get into loose dirt along my route).

TBH - I switched to Finish Line becuz it was on sale and I was interested in trying something different. I could easily switch back to White Lightning and be just as happy (except for the things I've noted...which are more nuisance than a serious problem).

My suggestion would be to get a 4 oz. bottle of Finish Line, try it out for a month or so, and see how you like it. Nothing like road testing to help you with your choices

Comment about lubing chain vs. gears....not sure exactly what you mean by that. I don't lube the gears at all. After applying the lube to the chain, I turn the crank and shift thru all the gears once or twice to xfer some of the lube to the cogs. I lube the shift cables about once a month using Tri-Flo (I think that's the brand...comes in a black plastic bottle and used to be able to get it at Performance Bike).



Hope that helps.

Cheers.....

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ride smart. Ride safe. Hope for the best but assume the worst of other drivers and always have a Plan B ready.

Skipjacks

Yeah I think I'm going to go with Finish Line just because it has the Teflon and that's different than the wax coating in White Lightning. I have the wax coating in the T-9 stuff I've been using and I don't love it. Maybe the wax is the issue. Maybe the T-9 is the issue. Either way I'll try something totally different and see if I'm happier.

Getting the Finish Line this afternoon.

davidad

You can't beat chainsaw bar oil diluted with 3 or 4 parts unscented mineral spirits for longevity and price.

stephr1

Don't know how many may see this (or even care , given the age of the thread....and since it's been abt a year since I switched to Finish Line Dry exclusively I thought it might be time for another update.

I had developed, what seemed like, chain skip. Figured out it wasn't skip but rather stick between chain and chain ring (and while I believe it was related, it's kind of a whole other story). At the same time I figured out the stick issue, I could tell it was time to redo the drive train (chain stretch, worn teeth on both cassette and chain rings).

One of the things I discovered as I removed the rear wheel to replace the cassette was there was a very serious build up of gunk sitting packed in between the outer end of the cassette and the frame dropout. I never had that problem when using White Lightning Dry (build up on the chain but nowhere else). I had gotten use to the mixture of dirt and gunk on the chain itself, and maybe a bit on the cogs, but had never seen this. And it was kind of "ooey gooey", I-don't-really-want-to-touch-that kind of stuff.

So, I am switching back to White Lightning Dry, in case anyone is even remotely interested I don't ride in wet conditions, so the issue of White Lightning and water isn't really an issue for me.

So, fwiw...cheers....

Troul 

That gooey crud usually happens when using ots general purpose grease & oils. Waying the chain & using the dry lube might be a decent concoction?

stephr1

Interesting suggestion, and something I may experiment sometime down the road (picked up a bunch of Finish Line Dry on sale as Performance Bike liquidated For now, tho, I'll stick with just WL Dry.

jadocs

I suggest completely degreasing your drivetrain and hot waxing your chain if you are looking to maintain shifting performance and keep your drivetrain free of gunk.

canklecat

I had a similar experience with White Lightning Easy Lube, which appears to be mostly paraffin in naptha. I hoped it might serve as a touch-up for my hot-wax-dipped chains between crock pot sessions.

Nope. Easy Lube wasn't remotely the same thing. It left snot-wads of a gummy, waxy substance between the cogs of my freewheels and cassettes. The chain and chainring didn't seem any cleaner than with regular wet lubes like the Park CL-1 I'd been using a few years ago (and still use on an errand bike for wet weather). It was a PITA to clean up.

I was still determined to find a dribble-on lube that suited me as well as hot waxed chains. After reading a bunch of user comments I tried Rock N' Roll Absolute Dry. It appears to be PTFE in red-tinted naptha. Totally different experience from Easy Lube. Absolute Dry runs fairly clean for a lube that goes on wet -- not as clean as hot waxed chains, but not bad and wipes off pretty well. No buildup between cogs. The lubrication feels much smoother.

As with some paraffin lubes, Absolute Dry doesn't last long and needs to be reapplied every ride or two, depending on distance and conditions, and your tolerance for drivetrain noise. I reapply it after any wet ride, even if it's just riding through a few wet patches in the road, barely puddles. But despite the increased drivetrain noise, the chain outer plates still feel slick.

Absolute Dry doesn't seem picky about needing a perfectly clean chain. As they describe, it pretty much "cleans" while you ride as the naptha gradually displaces the original factory lube or user's replacement. When I use my fingers to wipe the chain and chainrings I don't feel any accumulation of grit. That was a problem with Easy Lube.

The main challenge with paraffin/wax, dry/hot or liquefied in solvent, is that the chain needs to be stripped of any existing lube. Otherwise the wax will just flake off quickly. It's likely any residual lubricant is the original factory lube in the friction bearing surfaces. And it will wash off and lead to a squeaky chain after a good rain or enough rides through puddle splashes.

After trying a couple of paraffin type lubes liquefied in solvent -- White Lightning Easy Lube and Boeshield T9 -- I'm not seeing any real advantage to those over ordinary lubes. They aren't a substitute for hot waxing. However Boeshield is still useful for some purposes because it's much cleaner than Easy Lube and seems more persistent. I've used Boeshield T9 to prolong the life of old cables and housings until I had time to replace them -- the T9 quickly wicks down the entire length of the cable. And I've used it on a pocket knife (Spyderco Dodo, stainless steel) that used to rust from being clipped into my sweaty waistband on bike rides. There's no palpable residue, but the Boeshield T9 does prevent rust.

But from what I've tried so far, if I want waxed chains I'll need to resume using the crock pot and melted bars of Gulf Wax or comparable stuff. And that means more effectively stripping out original or old lube.

jadocs

Have you done it yet? Once you do the work to completely degrease the drivetrain, it's easy as pie maintaining and doing a re-wax. I just did my first re-wax two days ago. Poured boiling water over the chain, dried it, and put it in the crock pot while I was cleaning my bike, pausing to do an occasional stir - using PTFE powder (granted I didn't have much to clean because there was no grease, mainly road residue from the frame). After wiping down the bike, I pulled the chain out, wiped the sides, broke the links and mounted it.

canklecat

Yup, I used hot wax in a crock pot for a couple of years. The tricky part now is finding an effective degreaser. Most local stores have switched to that weird odorless mineral spirits stuff that looks like white goo. Useless for degreasing bike chains.

stephr1

Appreciate your feedback abt chain lube. As I mentioned before, I never had the build-up with White Lightning Dry. Only when I started using Finish Line Dry ("dry", supposedly

Not sure I have the level of motivation to do a full-on paraffin chain lube as often as it would be required While WL Dry may not be optimal, it does serve my need fairly well. I ride ~50-70 mi./week and lubing the chain every other week (100-150 mi.) works well for me.

The other thing I plan to do is have 3 chains I can rotate thru to minimize stretch issues and, hopefully, make my cogs and chain rings last even longer.

Out of curiosity...what kind of wax do you use? I have some left over from when I used to rewax my downhill skis. Any similarities?

Cheers....

jadocs

You can do it, it's easy. It's one of those things that looks a lot harder and involved than it really is.

Cheap crockpot at Walmart $9
2lbs of Paraffin Wax via eBay $11

I re-waxed my chain at 200 miles. I could have gone longer, but I wanted to do it.