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Good Chain Lube??? Mines WD40. :P

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Good Chain Lube??? Mines WD40. :P

Old 04-22-19, 11:47 AM
  #101  
Wooderson
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We all know WD-40 makes products other than the old classic, including a bike-specific line, but when someone refers to just "WD-40" with no further classification, I think it's pretty safe to assume they are referring to the classic.

Also, molten speedwax on the road bike, rock n roll gold on the mtb and gravel bike
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Old 04-22-19, 12:07 PM
  #102  
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I prefer dry lube. Squirt works well for me.
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Old 04-22-19, 12:53 PM
  #103  
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WD-40 is a moisture-displacer (drying agent), not a lubricant. Same thing a locksmith told me.
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Old 04-22-19, 12:55 PM
  #104  
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Originally Posted by GARY HANNAN
WD-40 is a moisture-displacer (drying agent), not a lubricant. Same thing a locksmith told me.
I read this all the time. Problem is, WD-40 is slippery...make a great lubricant for many things. I don't personally use it on bike chains, but I sure use it for lots of other things.

-Matt
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Old 04-22-19, 01:04 PM
  #105  
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WD 40 destroyed two freewheels

I always used WD40 on my chain, instead of spraying it on the chain with nothing behind the chain to stop the excess spray, I would spray the chain as it ran on the freewheel. I had two freewheels self destruct before I figured out that WD40 while a lube is also a solvent, and by spraying the chain on the freewheel it had worked its way into the freewheel lubrication and washed the ballbearing grease away. I now use 3in1 oil on my chain.
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Old 04-22-19, 01:05 PM
  #106  
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Originally Posted by GARY HANNAN
WD-40 is a moisture-displacer (drying agent), not a lubricant. Same thing a locksmith told me.
Says lubricant right on the can.

Might not be the ideal lubricant for bike chains. But it IS a lubricant.

Otherwise I've tricked the door hinge in my bathroom with a placebo effect.
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Old 04-22-19, 01:17 PM
  #107  
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I used a dry graphite lube spray on my mountain bike once and it seemed to work, but I have no idea if it was good for it or not, I just had it lying around and thought it would be better than WD-40.
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Old 04-22-19, 01:23 PM
  #108  
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Have you tried paraffin wax?
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Old 04-22-19, 01:48 PM
  #109  
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I ran out of chain lube a while back and needed to take care of the chain. I had just changed the oil in my car and had some used Mobil 1 10w-30 in the garage. I put it on the bicycle chain with a tooth brush and wiped off the excess. Worked great, lasted a long time. Actually lasted longer than the bicycle specific lube. I'm not going back to traditional chain lube.

WD 40 is definitely a lubricant, but too thin for bicycle chain life. There's a longer discussion with Langmuir's theory of lubrication and boundary layers, but just use what makes you happy.
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Old 04-22-19, 02:01 PM
  #110  
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Originally Posted by eja_ bottecchia


On an unrelated note, I am watching the 2019 Paris-Roubaix race.

Phill Ligget, without Paul Sherwen sounds sad. Those two were the Dynamic Duo of cycling broadcasting.
Indeed. Not the same. :-(
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Old 04-22-19, 02:32 PM
  #111  
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Very entertaining video in post #95 ! Perhaps it's time to switch to hypoid gear oil and forego those expensive lubes (been using ProLink ProGold for years). Come to think of it, I could have likely saved money by leaving off the lube and replacing the chain more often.
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Old 04-22-19, 06:18 PM
  #112  
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Originally Posted by rydabent
Again WD-40 is NOT a lube. Besides that is it making a mess for you. Just use plain motor oil, Mobil 1 is probably the best.
WD makes a mess when it's wet and seems to break down oil and leave a rusty chain if your not careful. I use it on rusty chains too loosen crud and help remove rust then dry it completely and spray silicone, a dry lubricant. It makes a chain clean to handle and doesn't attract dirt and get gritty..
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Old 04-22-19, 06:26 PM
  #113  
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Originally Posted by speedlever
Very entertaining video in post #95 ! Perhaps it's time to switch to hypoid gear oil and forego those expensive lubes (been using ProLink ProGold for years). Come to think of it, I could have likely saved money by leaving off the lube and replacing the chain more often.
I actually tried 75W-90 gear lube on a bike chain once.
I had it sitting on the shelf for the Jeep, so I decided to give it a shot;
Pro: Chain was immediately dead silent.
Con: It attracted and held chunks of dirt like fly paper.

After watching that FortNine video, I checked my (motor)bikes manual, and as he stated, it does recommend gear lube for the chain rollers, and also recommends applying some kind of oil to the rubber rings to keep them wetted. I've been using Triflow for both, but may try gear lube on the rollers.
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Old 04-22-19, 06:27 PM
  #114  
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By the way, this brand new Bontrager lube smells Deee-lish!
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Old 04-22-19, 06:31 PM
  #115  
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Originally Posted by eja_ bottecchia

On an unrelated note, I am watching the 2019 Paris-Roubaix race.

Phill Ligget, without Paul Sherwen sounds sad. Those two were the Dynamic Duo of cycling broadcasting.
Man, I missed that news. NBC seems to mix and match their crews during the spring races so I didn't think anything of it when Phil and Bob did Roubaix. I will surely miss him and his great insights during the Tour. And at only 62 yo.
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Old 04-22-19, 07:14 PM
  #116  
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I have used many bike chain lubes, tri-flow, 3in1. I have many quarts of synthetic hypoid 80-90 weight gear oil. Using an old tri-flow bottle, one little drop per link on a clean and dry chain. Clean with Park tool chain cleaner and repeat. Nothing like the smell of synthetic hypoid gear oil in the morning!!
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Old 04-22-19, 08:05 PM
  #117  
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Originally Posted by FiftySix
I've been using my old supply of Motul motorcycle chain lube. It's super tacky and doesn't sling off.

Are bicycle specific chain lubes tacky as well?
I think that may be the stuff that I bought when over in Germany on a business trip in 1991 and had brought my road bike. Just asked for chain lube, can't recall if it was a bicycle or motorcycle shop. Sticky, like contact cement? If that's the stuff, what a mess.

When young, my dad used motor oil. As I got older and more sophisticated and bought my first expensive road bike, I followed the LBS when they said that was too thick, so I went thinner; Thin probably resulted in less friction, more sporty (but possibly less durable). Then I wanted cleaner, so for a long time in the 90s I used a homemade melted wax mixture, very clean and dry, relubing the chain was a big tadoo (about monthly, I rode 55k each day). Now I ride a townie and it rains a lot where I live so the wax thing not so much. For a while I used synthetic automatic trans fluid, worked ok. Recently been using 3-in-1 oil, tried it when out of other stuff and by gosh it seems to work great, been on 4 months and hasn't dried out. But now, thinking about it, even though the chain is not severe use like an engine timing chain, the loading on those small pivots is probably pretty high, so I want best durability. I actually have some 80-90W gear lube, may try that. Although as I recall, it smells really bad.

Last edited by Duragrouch; 04-22-19 at 08:17 PM.
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Old 04-23-19, 12:42 AM
  #118  
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Best chain lube NLA

Originally Posted by DowneasTTer
I have used many brands over my 50 years of cycling. Currently I find DuPont Telfon Chain-Saver to meet my needs. I purchased from Amazon here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00D3G6FD4/ref=oh_aui_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1#customerReviews



Back in the 80's I got turned on by a bike shop to a lube named BG's ASK. It dried to a glass like finish and would last a couple of hundred miles. Ran the (Sedisport) chain thru a cotton cloth to clean and re-applied. Have not found anything close to this stuff since. ASK was discontinued due to the nature of it's propellant.

Last edited by sewupnut; 04-23-19 at 12:50 AM. Reason: Incomplete sentence
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Old 04-23-19, 11:07 AM
  #119  
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Originally Posted by Shimagnolo
I actually tried 75W-90 gear lube on a bike chain once.
I had it sitting on the shelf for the Jeep, so I decided to give it a shot;
Pro: Chain was immediately dead silent.
Con: It attracted and held chunks of dirt like fly paper.

After watching that FortNine video, I checked my (motor)bikes manual, and as he stated, it does recommend gear lube for the chain rollers, and also recommends applying some kind of oil to the rubber rings to keep them wetted. I've been using Triflow for both, but may try gear lube on the rollers.
That con is significant to me.

Originally Posted by WMBIGS
I have used many bike chain lubes, tri-flow, 3in1. I have many quarts of synthetic hypoid 80-90 weight gear oil. Using an old tri-flow bottle, one little drop per link on a clean and dry chain. Clean with Park tool chain cleaner and repeat. Nothing like the smell of synthetic hypoid gear oil in the morning!!
And I forgot about the odor of hypoid gear oil. I think I'll stay with my good ol' ProLink.

Although in another chart ProLink showed worse for wear... if I read it right. Oh well. I get excellent mileage out of chains (around 4000 miles, +/-)
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Old 04-23-19, 08:22 PM
  #120  
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Originally Posted by August West
Man, I missed that news. NBC seems to mix and match their crews during the spring races so I didn't think anything of it when Phil and Bob did Roubaix. I will surely miss him and his great insights during the Tour. And at only 62 yo.
Sherwen was the serious anchor to Uncle Phil’s occasional flights of verbal whimsy.
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Old 04-23-19, 08:23 PM
  #121  
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Originally Posted by Trooper
Indeed. Not the same. :-(
Agreed 100%.
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Old 04-23-19, 08:39 PM
  #122  
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Originally Posted by sewupnut

Back in the 80's I got turned on by a bike shop to a lube named BG's ASK. It dried to a glass like finish and would last a couple of hundred miles. Ran the (Sedisport) chain thru a cotton cloth to clean and re-applied. Have not found anything close to this stuff since. ASK was discontinued due to the nature of it's propellant.
We used the BG ASK at the motorcycle shop I worked at. That was good stuff. The tacky chain lube was soooooo hard to get off the wheel and other bike parts.
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Old 04-23-19, 09:39 PM
  #123  
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Originally Posted by Koyote
You can spray WD-40 all over your bike, if you want to. But it's not a lubricant.
This is a myth, go to the WD40 site and they plainly state that it's a lube; but besides that the WD40 lube the OP was talking about is there new bike lube, and it's a lube for chains.

Anyways I use Rock N Roll Dry
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Old 04-24-19, 04:48 AM
  #124  
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WD = Water Displacement
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Old 04-24-19, 07:03 AM
  #125  
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Concerning the WD40 debate here, there seems to be some confusion about the term "lubricant". Obviously, the stuff can lubricate things, but that doesn't mean it's a legitimate lubricant, in the context used here.
The stuff lubricates, but only in the short term, but it is not an acceptable lubricant for mechanical devices.
Water is also a "lubricant", that's why vehicles stop less efficiently on wet roads, but that doesn't mean water is something you would classify as a "lubricant", and therefore use on mechanical devices, which is basically the 'logic' that keeps popping up here.

Last edited by Brocephus; 04-24-19 at 07:07 AM.
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