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Old 06-21-20, 04:33 PM
  #11  
canklecat
Me duelen las nalgas
 
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Location: Texas
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Bikes: Centurion Ironman, Trek 5900, Univega Via Carisma, Globe Carmel

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I've used only Rock 'n' Roll Absolute Dry and Gold this year. I used to wax my chains but decided to try some low friction wet application lubes for awhile.

Absolute Dry seems to be PTFE ("Teflon") powder in naphtha. The chain runs quietly for only the first ride, maybe 20-30 miles. It gets a little noisier after that. But it seems to remain effective for a long time in dry conditions. I reapplied it every 3 rides or so, or maybe every 60-100 miles. But when I wiped the chain it felt persistently slick from the PTFE, but didn't pick up nearly as much abrasive grit as oil lubes. I suspect it could run much longer, maybe a few hundred miles in dry conditions, but would be noisy.

R'n'R Gold appears to add a little oil to the PTFE and naphtha. It runs longer per application. I'm going on, I think, 4-5 rides, around 100-150 miles, and the chain is still relatively quiet. However it doesn't run as clean and the oil will pick up just a bit of abrasive grit -- although not nearly as much as oil based lubes.

If you prefer a dead quiet chain, thicker oil lubes are better for that. I use Park CL-1 on my hybrid/errand bike for that reason. Lasts a year from a single application, resists washing out in rain. But the chain gets really gunky. It has some PTFE but is a thicker oil, more persistent than Rock 'n' Roll.

Dry wax/paraffin, melted in a crock pot for dunking the chain, is the cleanest. It lasts around 100 miles or so per application in dry conditions. It's quiet only for the first 20-30 miles, then the chain sounds a bit jangly and clinky. Not squeaky from lack of lube, unless I ride through a downpour. Wax is easy once the equipment and materials are set up. But I packed all that stuff away in February when my flooring was being replaced, and just never got around to digging it out of the closet. So I'm using Rock 'n' Roll lubes for now.
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