AJW2W11E

I have two White freewheel’s now.
I am always worried about getting them shark toothed, so I oil every time I ride. I use that wet lube that comes in a black bottle with a green label. Forget it’s name but you see it everywhere. Finish line, that’s it.
After a while, my bike started to look like one of those old cars with bad gaskets. The whole bottom frame was greasy.
I do my healthy 20 miles a day, not fast , but lots of hills. How much should I be oiling? What amount of drops and how often?

Colorado Kid

Drop or two is all you need. I only put it on when it seems "dry".

Phil_gretz

Both your chain and your freewheel should appear clean and dry. So, after you lubricate each link and work the lube in a bit, you must wipe down the chain thoroughly. That means no visible lubricant on the outer plates, on the rollers, on your chainring or on your freewheel teeth. Spend 5% of your time applying the drop-by-drop lube to the roller/pin/plate joint and 95% of your time wiping clean afterwards.

And you don't need to lubricate every time that you ride. Think about what you are doing. Want to prevent wear? Then don't create a slurry of oil and grit through which you run your chain and cogs. What do you think that is accomplishing? Accelerating wear? Most likely.

Keep it clean and keep it quiet. The rest is irrational.

drlogik 

I agree with Phil Gretz. Generally less is best. Precision application versus slobber it all over the chain is better.

ofajen

Well said. I also have had great luck using Boeshield, a wax-based lube. It helps keep the chain clean and dry, and that helps it attract less dust.

Otto

JohnDThompson 

An over-oiled drivetrain collects grit and can actually accelerate wear. As others mentioned, less can be better. A precision oiler, with a small drop on each chain roller (but not the side plates) followed by a wipe-down to get rid of excess works for me. Don't clean/reoil until the chain/sprockets are noticeably dirty, or when the chain gets noisy.

Broctoon

T-9 Boeshield is my favorite. I didn't want to dive into the millionth chain lube discussion/argument, but here's what I like: there are oily lubes that work best for wet riding conditions, to keep corrosion at bay, and there are very dry lubes designed for dusty conditions, to avoid trapping grit in the chain. Boeshield seems like a good compromise for mixed conditions. I apply it about every 2-3 weeks, which works out to 5-10 rides or somewhere between 100 and 200 miles. I don't keep close track, but just lube when I feel like it. This is excessive, and I could probably go five times as long between applications without any trouble. As suggested above, lubing too often is not a problem. Applying it too heavily and not wiping off the excess is what results in a mess.

I like to clean my chainrings and cogs fairly often too. I don't use any special brushes or machines for this, usually just an old cotton t-shirt. Friends often comment on my sparkling drivetrain. I tell them "It's like a sickness, I can't help it."

Rolla

Clean the chain regularly and well, and you can use less lube. +1 on the Boeshield.

Phil_gretz

Close up of FD-4703 Cage Wear (pencil point)

This was today's customer who frequently oils his chain, but rides on trail and in dirt. The oily sludge helped his chain to cut through his FD cage in only 3 years. I had warned him last year (and the year prior ) to keep the chain drier and wiped clean. Oh well.

Philasteve

Don't treat your drive chain like the Tin Man. It just gets dirtier a lot faster.

Lazyass

When my chain needs lubed I can hear it.