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Lubricate new chain?

Old 06-02-20, 11:18 AM
  #26  
rower2cyclist
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Originally Posted by noodle soup
I always spray Clean Streak on a shop rag, and remove the goo from the outer surfaces. That stuff attracts dirt.
I just put a brand new DA chain on and I will try this next time for sure. That goo attracts so much dirt I spent more time than I should clean the drivetrain after two rides.
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Old 06-02-20, 05:13 PM
  #27  
jnesss
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I liked the factory grease on my chain. it was smooth and quiet.

i just cleaned my chain yesterday and applied squirt dry. haven't gone for a ride yet, but I hope it'll be smooth, quiet, and somewhat clean.
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Old 06-02-20, 05:45 PM
  #28  
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Originally Posted by shelbyfv
Here's an interview with a Shimano guy. He explains it pretty well. https://bikerumor.com/2011/06/28/cha...-with-shimano/
Thank you!

Well, that friction is reduced if there is lube on the chain. If there is dirt mixed in, the lube makes a bigger difference in reducing friction. If there is water mixed in, the lube helps displace the water. The grease that comes on a Shimano chain is applied at the factory to the individual pieces before the chain is assembled. The grease does a better job of reducing friction than aftermarket chain lubes and it lasts longer. The main reason we use liquid chain lube, whether it is one that stays liquid or a dry lube that has a solid lubricant in a liquid carrier (like a PTFE lube) is because we need to get the lube on a part that is not accessible without disassembling the chain. So the best thing to do when installing a new chain is to leave the factory grease on, not apply any other lube, ride until it wears out and then start applying liquid chain lube. In dusty conditions you can wipe off the outside of the new chain with a rag that is wet with a gentle degreaser to keep dirt from sticking to the grease. The factory grease also keeps the chain nice and quiet. After soaking a chain in degreaser and then lubing the chain with liquid lubricant the chain gets noticeably louder.

Shimano does not have an official recommended chain lube. They all seem to work pretty good. Different people have different preferences and different conditions require different lubes
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Old 06-03-20, 03:18 AM
  #29  
Ross520
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Originally Posted by WhyFi
BF: waxing chains is too much work
Also BF: strip that awesome factory lube off of your brand new chain for no good reason
It's grease. One article from 2011 doesn't change that.
​​​​
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Old 06-03-20, 05:32 AM
  #30  
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Originally Posted by Ross520
It's grease. One article from 2011 doesn't change that.
​​​​
Maybe you should run your notion past the engineers at Shimano and KMC. They could probably save some time and money, maybe give you a lifetime supply of chains as a thank you
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Old 06-03-20, 07:24 AM
  #31  
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Originally Posted by Ross520
It's grease. One article from 2011 doesn't change that.
​​​​
Grease in the right place is awesome, but that wasn't really the crux of my post.
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Old 06-03-20, 09:37 AM
  #32  
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Originally Posted by shelbyfv
Maybe you should run your notion past the engineers at Shimano and KMC. They could probably save some time and money, maybe give you a lifetime supply of chains as a thank you
And where is the testing data where they compared their lubricant to everything else out there?

Taken from the article....
​​​​​​
"Shimano does not have an official recommended chain lube. They all seem to work pretty good. Different people have different preferences and different conditions require different lubes."

Quite obvious by that statement that they've never actually done any serious testing of aftermarket lubricants. They all do not work "good" and friction facts proved that awhile ago.

The last sentence is also problematic...

​​​They're saying that lubricant type is dependent on environment and riding style, yet some how their factory grease is supposed to be the best no matter what?
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Old 06-03-20, 11:50 AM
  #33  
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Ross- I'm sorry, you seem to have misunderstood my point. You have a theory that the factory lube should be immediately removed. Shimano (and KMC IIRC) advise leaving it until the chain needs to be re-lubed. Now when made aware of their position you doubled down on your opposing view. You seem confident enough in your credentials and research to say on a public forum that Shimano is wrong. Most of us don't have your depth of knowledge or testing resources. For the sake of the cycling community, share your info with Shimano. Don't forget your friends if they give you a bunch of free chains in appreciation.
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Old 06-03-20, 01:06 PM
  #34  
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haha! ... the myth lives on ... "if its not cosmoline, then its cosmoline like or almost cosmoline!" :-)
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Old 06-03-20, 02:07 PM
  #35  
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Originally Posted by Ross520
"Shimano does not have an official recommended chain lube. They all seem to work pretty good. Different people have different preferences and different conditions require different lubes."

Quite obvious by that statement that they've never actually done any serious testing of aftermarket lubricants. They all do not work "good" and friction facts proved that awhile ago.
I'd say the Friction Facts test show that aftermarket lubricants are, in fact, all pretty similar:

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Old 06-03-20, 02:26 PM
  #36  
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Originally Posted by tomato coupe
I'd say the Friction Facts test show that aftermarket lubricants are, in fact, all pretty similar:

That is efficiency in watts, and it doesn't take contamination into account. And there's still a clear "best" for that matter.

Moving on though, this is the test you should be looking at, and it proves unequivocally that there IS, in fact, a big difference between lubricants.


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Old 06-03-20, 02:44 PM
  #37  
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Originally Posted by Ross520
Moving on though, this is the test you should be looking at, and it proves unequivocally that there IS, in fact, a big difference between lubricants.
If you don't like the Friction Facts test results, why did you cite it to support your position?
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Old 06-03-20, 02:54 PM
  #38  
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Originally Posted by tomato coupe
If you don't like the Friction Facts test results, why did you cite it to support your position?
*Double post
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Old 06-03-20, 02:56 PM
  #39  
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Originally Posted by tomato coupe
If you don't like the Friction Facts test results, why did you cite it to support your position?
I frequently get the names those chain-testing sites mixed up.
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Old 06-03-20, 03:34 PM
  #40  
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There's way too much concern about cleaning a chain.. It's obviously quite easy and really doesn't deserve our time even thinking about it:

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Old 06-03-20, 11:03 PM
  #41  
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I don’t usually think about it. In the grand scheme of the chain’s life, you’re going to be cleaning and re-lubing. What you do right out of the package probably doesn’t matter much one way or the other.
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Old 06-05-20, 01:23 AM
  #42  
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Originally Posted by Sy Reene
There's way too much concern about cleaning a chain.. It's obviously quite easy and really doesn't deserve our time even thinking about it:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yM4c7MwEmMs
OMG! Epic levels of faffage, and he tries to tell us it no chore at all .. :-)

You can achieve the same thing in one go with a pickle jar and some white gas. And it dries in minutes too.

Last edited by Racing Dan; 06-05-20 at 01:27 AM.
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Old 06-05-20, 02:20 AM
  #43  
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Originally Posted by Ross520
That is efficiency in watts, and it doesn't take contamination into account. And there's still a clear "best" for that matter.

Moving on though, this is the test you should be looking at, and it proves unequivocally that there IS, in fact, a big difference between lubricants.


I think when you get in to longevity, you should factor in the price of lubricants and cleaning agents (and machines). Some of this stuff, Im sure, is great, but the silly prices makes you wonder if you are not better of simply shaking the chain in a jar of petrol every 500 mi and lube it with something a bit more pedestrian and possibly replace the chain a bit earlier. - Was just looking for the new Silca lube, Its 25$ per 4 oz. It sure needs to be good to pay for itself.
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Old 06-05-20, 05:40 AM
  #44  
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Originally Posted by Racing Dan
OMG! Epic levels of faffage, and he tries to tell us it no chore at all .. :-)

You can achieve the same thing in one go with a pickle jar and some white gas. And it dries in minutes too.
Here's another version. Related to this thread, I'd point out the 1st paragraph on page 3, quoted below:

"Factory grease is meant for packing, it IS NOT a good lubricant. Never ever put a new chain on and then race / do a big event. You are adding a stack of extra friction.Some factory grease is up to 5w higher friction vs just a decent drip lube. It is also horrendous for grabbing and holding contamination. So no matter if waxing or using a good drip lube, clean off factory grease –it is meant for packing and if stock may sit on a or warehouse for a decade or so –it is not for riding"
Attached Files
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Old 06-05-20, 06:07 AM
  #45  
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Not bothering to read everything but here's a link where a Shimano engineer says to leave the sticky stuff on:

https://bikerumor.com/2011/06/28/cha...-with-shimano/
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Keep the chain tight!







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Old 06-05-20, 07:08 AM
  #46  
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Originally Posted by Racing Dan
OMG! Epic levels of faffage, and he tries to tell us it no chore at all
+1 It must take him an hour to clean a chain.

Silca should delete that video, because it reflects poorly on their company.
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Old 06-05-20, 07:38 AM
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Originally Posted by Trsnrtr
Not bothering to read everything but here's a link where a Shimano engineer says to leave the sticky stuff on:

https://bikerumor.com/2011/06/28/cha...-with-shimano/
I think Shimano is relying on the fact that a factory greased chain is quieter than a cleaned and after-market lubed chain, and making the claim that if it's quieter then it must be faster. I don't think one thing leads to the other.. eg. isn't it true you can pack a wheel hub with grease to quiet it down a bit if you find a bit noisy but depending on how much or the viscosity, this doesn't necessarily make the hub more frictionless and more easily spinning. OTOH, Shimano is likely correct that their factory grease is more penetrated throughout the chain and longer lasting and protective than a drip lube, just not maybe the fastest. If Shimano provided any data to support their commentary, that would be another matter.
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Old 06-13-20, 09:47 AM
  #48  
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So, I installed the new DA chain and Ultegra cassette. Left on the factory lubricant on the chain. How many miles before I need to clean and relube?

Also, is there a cheaper, high quality substitute for quickinks? Shimano's brand costs $10 for a package of two.
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Old 06-13-20, 12:25 PM
  #49  
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That video up there has the guy take the chain off the bike to immerse it to clean it. How often do you guys do something like that?

When lubing, do you always degrease/clean before? Or do you degrease/clean less often and just put more lube on more often? He mentions like every 100 miles topping off the lube. I assume you don't clean it every time?

If you do the immersion thing, is drip lubing on the bike sufficient? Or do you immerse it in lube?

Or do most people just clean it on the bike and call it a day?
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Old 06-13-20, 01:51 PM
  #50  
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Originally Posted by Robert A
So, I installed the new DA chain and Ultegra cassette. Left on the factory lubricant on the chain. How many miles before I need to clean and relube?

Also, is there a cheaper, high quality substitute for quickinks? Shimano's brand costs $10 for a package of two.


These days chains come with a quick link, & most folks use it for the life of the chain, and even after that it's probably OK

to put in the bag for emergency use, so little need to buy more.
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