Wattsup

I just switched from White Lightening Clean Ride to Squirt. Thought I'd try it, as I just installed a new chain ring and cassette. I prepped a brand new chain just as instructed, and then went out and rode 30 mi of fairly wet, sandy gravel. I get home, and as recommended, I wipe down the chain, with the intent of lubing it for the next time. By now it's dry as a bone. Turning the crank I hear an awful grinding sound. I've never heard that before. The thought that it was my bottom bracket even crossed my mind. I went ahead and lubed the chain with Squirt, and the grinding went away.

I've ridden longish wettish sandy rides like this before, but this one was a little worse than usual. As recommended, I applied Squirt liberally the night before, and did not wipe off, as is recommended for mountain bikes.

Apparently this type of ride is too much for Squirt to handle. Their e-bike product, according to their literature, is supposed to be a little more water resistant, although the MDS shows nothing but wax.

Has anyone tried Squirt for e-bikes?

Koyote

If it can't handle 30 miles of gravel riding, I wouldn't even bother trying it a second time.

70sSanO

Was it regular or diet Squirt?

John

Wattsup

It was gluten-free.

benetga

Why did you switch from White Lighting? Great lube and available at Walmart.

Wattsup

I just wanted to try something different. I don't think the Clean Ride would have performed any better. Thinking back over the last 5,000 miles using Clean Ride, I don't think I've ridden in this much wet sand that I did today, and for so long. I've ridden through water, and by the end of the ride, I'll occasionally get some squeaking, but today was grinding. Dry grinding. My old route is closed for repair, so this is a new one, and it's sandy, and often wet.

I might move to paraffin wax...the crockpot method. I started doing that 45 years ago, long before it became a thing. I wish I knew where I learned about that. No internet back then. Probably a cycling magazine.

pdlamb

Did you let the lube dry before you tackled the wet sand?

Wattsup

Yup. Overnight. I treated a new chain as instructed, let it dry overnight. Then went out to that trail for an hour on Sunday. No issues. Came home, did hit the chain for a few seconds with a hose to get the sand off. Let dry, then relubed generously again and let dry overnight. Following day, 2+ hour ride. Too much for Squirt to handle.

scottfsmith

If you read the Zero Friction long description, both Squirt and Smoove (somewhat similar wax lubes) have problems getting the chain fully loaded with lube. It needs several iterations of lube/dry over several days. Heating both chain and lube can also help get the lube in.

I initially didn't do this with Smoove and had the exact same grinding after the first mildly wet ride. Since reading the zero friction stuff and loading up the chain my Smoove has been super Smooth! My personal method is to lube 3x one after the other, until it seems like I can't get any more lube in the joints. Then let dry. Then do it again a day or two later. Once the chain is loaded initially, it requires less lube on re-lubes.. just 2x in a row on one day. I run it a bunch and wipe down all the cogs so there is not a mess of lube lying around.

PS Zero Friction's Squirt report: https://zerofrictioncycling.com.au/w.../12/Squirt.pdf. and Smoove report: https://zerofrictioncycling.com.au/w...ve-Updated.pdf

PeteHski

This^
Silca SS largely solves this issue with drip-on wax. But I used Squirt for several years pretty successfully.

Wattsup

Thanks, but I already ordered my $15 crock pot from Amazon. I still have a box and a half of Gulf wax left too. I actually think I'll prefer waxing up a few chains occasionally.

Anyone want a giant bottle of Squirt? Make me an offer! I read some people "top off" their waxed chains with Squirt. How and when and why?

ClydeClydeson

My experience is that the 'cleaner' and 'drier' the lube, the poorer it is in wet conditions.

Nice clean chain with White Lightening applied = squeaks like a mouse caught in the chain after a wet ride.

If you are willing to wipe the chain after a ride then wet lubes ("oil") is a good solution.

scottfsmith

The newer wax lubes are nothing like 'ol White Lightning.

I might try Silca SS next time, it seems to be like Squirt and Smoove but without the problems with getting the lube all the way into the chain links.

Wattsup

So I waxed my chain today....a couple of bricks of Gulf Wax in a crock pot. I cleaned that chain down to the bare metal. It wasn't that dirty to begin with, with only 40 Squirt-miles on it since it was new. But I followed directions on the MoltenSpeedWax site. Three or four baths in mineral spirits, plus a couple of dunks in methylated spirits to remove the film left by the mineral spirits. They made the point on the website that the wax will stick best to a squeaky clean chain. I ad-libbed a bit though by starting off with a dunk in Simple Green, 4:1.

I haven't ridden it yet, but on the bike stand, chain is definitely not as quiet as it was with Squirt. It's not squeaking, but it is making significantly more noise than it did with Squirt. Seems to shift fine though.

Wattsup

Went out and did the same 30 mi gravel ride today on the new waxed chain. The course wasn't quite as wet as the other day, but still pretty wet. Bottom line, waxed chain worked well. No squeaking, no grinding like with Squirt. And on top of that, drive train was as clean after as before.

I mentioned earlier that when on the bike stand, the waxed chain is significantly louder than the Squirt chain was. While riding though, I didn't hear the waxed chain making excessive noise. I think the waxed chain is shifting well too.

Tonight I'll pop the connex link and drop it in the wax again. One more good waxing and then I'll ride until it starts squeaking, just to see how long I can get out of a wax.

jrg1244

my exact experience with squirt wax lube. I still have a 98% full bottle if anyone’s interested…. Stuff is worthless.