Planemaker

I have been using White Lightning to lubricate my chain. This past week I decided it was time to spread some of my bike funds around to another LBS so, I bought some Finish Line lubricant based on their recommendation. The difference is like night and day, I really like the Finish Line product.

stapfam

Chain lubes are as Varied as types of Pie. Some are good and some not so but it is down to personal choice. I have never used White Lightning and my favourite is Pedro's. Mainly because it is the one that is readily available in the UK at most good bike shops.

h2oxtc

I've used White Lightning for a few years. It seems to work so I haven't tried anything else. How is it night and day different? Have seen it on the product shelf, but never thought to try it when what I have works. Or so I thought.

StanSeven

The night and day difference with Finish Line is when you have to keep cleaning the chain and wiping off the dirt with a cleaner, degreaser, or new lube with a rag. The lube quickly turns black and filed with dirt and chain wear. White Lightning is clean and easy to use. The chief downside is you have to apply it frequently (every 100-200 miles). But you can leave the bike alone for a long time.

Bill Kapaun

Poster FBinNY, in the Mechanics forum sells Chain-L.
Really quieted things down on my bike.

https://www.chain-l.com/

Zinger

Starrett micrometer lube has worked for me since about 1980 or so. It's thinner than silicones and I figure it gets where it needs to in bicycle chains and it doesn't attract dirt like WD40. If I run out then I'll use some generic silicone.

NOS88

Interesting thought, you actually lubricate your chain.

tcs

Chain lube is the 'religion' of bicycling: fanatical impassioned faith backed up by well reasoned arguments and mysticism. Polite, thoughtful folks generally steer clear of internet chain lube threads.

Fun fact: One of the oldest continually produced things you can buy is 3-in-One Multipurpose oil. It debuted as a bicycle chain cleaner/lubricant/rust preventer (three uses in one product, hence the name) in 1894 - just a few years after bikes first got chains.

Zinger

But we're both here

Here's something from the thread on Parrafin Chain Lubing (which I've never tried myself yet), that is more appropriate for this thread, concerning WD40 that I found in a clock collectors forum

excerpted from the bottom of the page:

"The problem with WD-40 is that once the solvent evaporates it leaves behind a residual coating of grease"

(end of excerpt)

That is going to collect grit and grime I might add. Using WD40 on micrometers is also a no-no.

Generic silicone is readily available at any auto parts store and seems to me to do just fine on bicycle chains.(I don't use it on micrometers) They have a more expensive version for chainsaws that someone in the other thread uses.

mapeiboy

I have been using this lube for the last few years . It is by far the best chain lube out there .

rekmeyata

Which Finish Line did you bet?

Wax base lubes don't last as long as petro based lubes but wax stays cleaner to the touch, so it depends if you want long lasting protection or just one or two rides protection.

Finish Line changed their ingredients in the Teflon Plus Dry and I will no longer buy it, it use to last about 250 miles and now it lasts only about 75 to 100 miles, not sure what they did to it but I won't be buying it.

I like Chain L but it's expensive, I'm now trying ProGold Extreme, not sure what to think of it yet.

CrankyFranky

My only complaint with White Lightning Dry is that I feel most of it doesn't penetrate my close tolerance chain, no matter how much I try to keep the slurry suspended... but then, I'm not getting any chain stretching lately so it must be working. I don't want to go back to a lubricant that picks up grit now that I am a fair-weather cyclist. Used to use DrySlide moly lubricant - very slick and good in weather, but what a mess.

Cougrrcj

Hmmmmm.... that got me to thinking - could one use an ultrasonic cleaner to lube a chain to ensure that the lube gets everywhere it needs to in the rollers/bushings? Any reason not to? I'm thinking I might try it with the new chains I just got for my road bikes. Clean the new chains in the ultrasonic cleaner using a degreasing solution. Change ultrasonic reservoir solution to something like Break Free CLP or Clenzoil to lube chain. Wipe excess lube off chain. Install new chain.

GFish

Was using White Lightning Wet lube, only it didn't last long. A couple of rides and chain noise started increasing.

I've switched back to tri-flow in a squeeze bottle. Seems to last longer with less chain noise.

As a kid, I used to use 3 in 1 oil for anything that squeaked, including bicycle chains. Anyone know how this oil compares to current chain lubes?

For such a small bottle, chain lube is another product that seems overly expensive. There must be a less expensive option.

rekmeyata

TriFlow is a lot less expensive. I use that stuff a lot and actually liked it, once I finish this bottle of ProGold Extreme I may give TriFlow a second chance and see how it does. I know I don't wax because if I do a ride over 70 miles I have to carry a bottle of the wax lube and reapply the stuff or put up with a noisy chain, and noise is a wear warning signal.

Daspydyr 

I've used all of the above and also Dumont Tech Light. Work well for me. But the recent thread about waxing the chain has caught my curiosity.

Planemaker

Boy was I wrong. Today I needed to change the battery in cadence sensor on the bike and my hands were black from rubbing against the chain. Needless to say I am not pleased with the recommendation by the LBS (as some have also mentioned here).

I put the bike on my car rack, ran the chain through a rag for several minutes and saturated the chain with my remaining White Lightening. My driveway looks like my car had an oil leak.

rekmeyata

ProGold Extreme, Rock-N-Roll Gold and dry, Chain L, and Squirt, all run clean to the touch for about the first 120 miles then gets dirty, so you have to wipe it down after every ride to maintain some degree of clean and then do a complete cleaning about every 200 miles and reapply the lube.

sreten

Hi,

E-pray Wolf's chain lube. Cheap and works very well IMO.

rgds, sreten.

I slap on a load of WD40 from the inside and wipe
off most of it along with the black stuff it frees up.
Then sparingly oil inside with the Wolf's, about 1CC.

I've found a small 5ml plastic dropper bottle very useful.
Half fill it with WD40 and then dump in all on the chain.
Wipe the chain down, fill with 1cc of lube, lube the chain.

ModeratedUser150120149

Chain? Hmmm...how about something made for chains under high speed and high stress. It is cheap and readily available. Chain Saw oil from the local hardware store. Last gallon I bought was something like five bucks.

sreten

Hi, Was that before the 1973 oil crisis ? , rgds, sreten.

rekmeyata

That's great except you need to let the WD40 dry before applying the Wolf or any other lube by wiping with a rag then let it set for about 12 hours, otherwise whatever lube you use won't work as well.

Biker395 

Cripes. At one point or another, I've used:

White Lightning
Finish Line Dry
Finish Line Wet
Pedros
Tri-Flo

Kinda reminds me of my days as a lad, when I'd go ga-ga over one breakfast cereal over another, and like the fickle snot I was, decide, overnight that I didn't like it anymore. Used to drive my mother flippin nuts.

I'm currently ga-ga over White Lightning. It doesn't last as long as the other lubes (200 miles or so ... although I used it on a recent triple century with no problems), but the chain stays a heck of a lot cleaner. Not that that really matters all that much ... but it looks nice.

Thinking of doing the waxing thing too. Maybe I'll wax my legs while I'm at it.

rekmeyata

Crap, I've been spraying my legs with TriFlow and waxing my chain, I knew something wasn't right.

toad350

I've been using rock n roll. I try to clean and lube every 100 miles or so, so I guess maybe I'm lubing more often than required? What say you about rock n roll and 100 miles? Thanks