Best chain lubricant?
01-15-17, 09:44 AM
#53
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Without Nixon there would not be all those Chinese CF bikes, there would not be Chinarellos and there would not be Chinese carbon wheels. Oh Lordy Lord!
So you may all wish considering Nixon as the Father of the modern CF bike industry.
01-15-17, 09:45 AM
#54
Junior Member
Thread Starter
and shortly after
What part of the country do you live, desert ?? Coast ?? Maybe some of the forums members that live in your climate can offer suggestions to remedy that situation. I would diffidently go with a dry lube, but lube is cheap, so experiment. Don't bring up "chain cleaning methods", you'll crash the site. Just use the search function. I learned that from the photography and audio forums I belong.
Way back when my daughter was in high school, she want to help me with weddings. Getting older , I could use some "free" help , so I brought her along.
When she finished HS, I retired my wedding business. Now that she has assisted several weddings, she is on her own, with me assisting, carrying the heavy stuff .
In 20001, I bought a Oly E-1 , sold all my film cameras and equipment. But I hung onto the medium and large format, for old time sake. She loves the medium format, for B&W, but would never, never photograph a wedding with that stuff. Wonders how I did it, but that's all we had, I tell her. She wants to try the 4x5, but I'm not buying her and enlarger and tanks for that format. My bikes are more important, I tell her. Man, I could buy a Campy groupo with electronic shifting for the cost of a large format enlarger , used.
What part of the country do you live, desert ?? Coast ?? Maybe some of the forums members that live in your climate can offer suggestions to remedy that situation. I would diffidently go with a dry lube, but lube is cheap, so experiment. Don't bring up "chain cleaning methods", you'll crash the site. Just use the search function. I learned that from the photography and audio forums I belong.
Way back when my daughter was in high school, she want to help me with weddings. Getting older , I could use some "free" help , so I brought her along.
When she finished HS, I retired my wedding business. Now that she has assisted several weddings, she is on her own, with me assisting, carrying the heavy stuff .
In 20001, I bought a Oly E-1 , sold all my film cameras and equipment. But I hung onto the medium and large format, for old time sake. She loves the medium format, for B&W, but would never, never photograph a wedding with that stuff. Wonders how I did it, but that's all we had, I tell her. She wants to try the 4x5, but I'm not buying her and enlarger and tanks for that format. My bikes are more important, I tell her. Man, I could buy a Campy groupo with electronic shifting for the cost of a large format enlarger , used.
I live in SW Florida. Weird climate down here. It can be dry one day, soupy humid the next. Only constant here is the sand everywhere. You don't notice it until you return home from riding. When the wind picks up you can see the sand better (at least until you get some in your eyes). Also requires me to use protective filters on my lenses (that's an even more contentious debate I learned to stay away from).
There are only three bike shops in my city. Both are pretty far rides from my house, so any work I need done on my bikes requires me to put them in my car and drop them off there. Of the 3 shops I only trust one of them, but they are always busy. That leaves me to try and do whatever I can on my own regarding bike maintenance.
On a totally unrelated side note, I was hoping to trigger some nostalgic effect in my kids when I shot some images of them with Kodachrome and sent it for developing some years ago before Dwayne's Photo stopped developing it; told my kids they would be in a small way part of history. My kids couldn't care less. Even offered to get them absolutely any camera outfit they choose from any brand, even Leica, still no interest. So I now focus my energy on bike riding. By the way, they dislike bike riding ss well... 😑
01-15-17, 09:57 AM
#55
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Hey, Nixon brought us better relations with China.
Without Nixon there would not be all those Chinese CF bikes, there would not be Chinarellos and there would not be Chinese carbon wheels. Oh Lordy Lord!
So you may all wish considering Nixon as the Father of the modern CF bike industry.
Without Nixon there would not be all those Chinese CF bikes, there would not be Chinarellos and there would not be Chinese carbon wheels. Oh Lordy Lord!
So you may all wish considering Nixon as the Father of the modern CF bike industry.
01-15-17, 10:16 AM
#56
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Thanks for the warning; I was actually thinking of asking about the best method for cleaning chains! 😊 For the sake of sanity I"ll do a search and promise not to ask any more questions. ☺
I live in SW Florida. Weird climate down here. It can be dry one day, soupy humid the next. Only constant here is the sand everywhere. You don't notice it until you return home from riding. When the wind picks up you can see the sand better (at least until you get some in your eyes). Also requires me to use protective filters on my lenses (that's an even more contentious debate I learned to stay away from).
There are only three bike shops in my city. Both are pretty far rides from my house, so any work I need done on my bikes requires me to put them in my car and drop them off there. Of the 3 shops I only trust one of them, but they are always busy. That leaves me to try and do whatever I can on my own regarding bike maintenance.
On a totally unrelated side note, I was hoping to trigger some nostalgic effect in my kids when I shot some images of them with Kodachrome and sent it for developing some years ago before Dwayne's Photo stopped developing it; told my kids they would be in a small way part of history. My kids couldn't care less. Even offered to get them absolutely any camera outfit they choose from any brand, even Leica, still no interest. So I now focus my energy on bike riding. By the way, they dislike bike riding ss well... 😑
I live in SW Florida. Weird climate down here. It can be dry one day, soupy humid the next. Only constant here is the sand everywhere. You don't notice it until you return home from riding. When the wind picks up you can see the sand better (at least until you get some in your eyes). Also requires me to use protective filters on my lenses (that's an even more contentious debate I learned to stay away from).
There are only three bike shops in my city. Both are pretty far rides from my house, so any work I need done on my bikes requires me to put them in my car and drop them off there. Of the 3 shops I only trust one of them, but they are always busy. That leaves me to try and do whatever I can on my own regarding bike maintenance.
On a totally unrelated side note, I was hoping to trigger some nostalgic effect in my kids when I shot some images of them with Kodachrome and sent it for developing some years ago before Dwayne's Photo stopped developing it; told my kids they would be in a small way part of history. My kids couldn't care less. Even offered to get them absolutely any camera outfit they choose from any brand, even Leica, still no interest. So I now focus my energy on bike riding. By the way, they dislike bike riding ss well... 😑
01-15-17, 04:46 PM
#57
Senior Member
The best stuff is surely transmission fluid for a Nissan GT-R. Made with ultimate low friction materials, unicorn blood, with harpy tears added as corrosion preventative.
01-15-17, 05:00 PM
#58
Bicycle Repair Man !!!
I prefer baby seal fat.
01-15-17, 05:01 PM
#59
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Hey, Nixon brought us better relations with China.
Without Nixon there would not be all those Chinese CF bikes, there would not be Chinarellos and there would not be Chinese carbon wheels. Oh Lordy Lord!
So you may all wish considering Nixon as the Father of the modern CF bike industry.
Without Nixon there would not be all those Chinese CF bikes, there would not be Chinarellos and there would not be Chinese carbon wheels. Oh Lordy Lord!
So you may all wish considering Nixon as the Father of the modern CF bike industry.
...weirdly, this makes perfect sense to me.
01-15-17, 05:03 PM
#60
Senior Member
It's more important to remove and clean the chain than what you lube it with. I clean mine in an ultrasonic cleaner every 800 miles and lube it with chain saw bar oil diluted with unscented mineral spirits.
The original lube is the best. you can find it here. gleitmo 582 SPRAY - FUCHS LUBRITECH GmbH
The original lube is the best. you can find it here. gleitmo 582 SPRAY - FUCHS LUBRITECH GmbH
01-15-17, 05:12 PM
#61
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I live in SW Florida. Weird climate down here. It can be dry one day, soupy humid the next. Only constant here is the sand everywhere. You don't notice it until you return home from riding. When the wind picks up you can see the sand better (at least until you get some in your eyes). Also requires me to use protective filters on my lenses (that's an even more contentious debate I learned to stay away from).
If you begin to notice exterior rust from your humid salt air environment, you might then want to consider some sort of dry exterior protection in the future. But arguably if sand and fine windblown particulates are your problem and you don't ride in the rain (like most sane people), it does more harm than good to wash that crap down into your link interiors where all the wear takes place.
There are only three bike shops in my city. Both are pretty far rides from my house, so any work I need done on my bikes requires me to put them in my car and drop them off there. Of the 3 shops I only trust one of them, but they are always busy. That leaves me to try and do whatever I can on my own regarding bike maintenance.
01-15-17, 05:13 PM
#62
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Hey ho 69er.
01-15-17, 08:40 PM
#65
Junior Member
Thread Starter
...analyze your problem. If sand is your primary issue, I think yoiu'll discover that by wiping your chain with a waste rag and mineral spirits, you can get it reasonably clean and dry on the exterior. If you simply leave it that way, with whatever magical stuff the chain manufacturer pressure injected inside the pin/roller interface ( which is where most of the wear takes place under pressure) will probably work pretty well. If you have a chain you've regularly been squirting crap on it has doubtless washed sand and grit down in there already, you might want to replace with new and start from scratch...a not terribly difficult job to learn to do yourself.
If you begin to notice exterior rust from your humid salt air environment, you might then want to consider some sort of dry exterior protection in the future. But arguably if sand and fine windblown particulates are your problem and you don't ride in the rain (like most sane people), it does more harm than good to wash that crap down into your link interiors where all the wear takes place.
...if your bicycle is to be of any long term practical use to you, this is an excellent plan.
If you begin to notice exterior rust from your humid salt air environment, you might then want to consider some sort of dry exterior protection in the future. But arguably if sand and fine windblown particulates are your problem and you don't ride in the rain (like most sane people), it does more harm than good to wash that crap down into your link interiors where all the wear takes place.
...if your bicycle is to be of any long term practical use to you, this is an excellent plan.
Thanks! I haven't done any chain cleaning or lubrication on my Trek yet; I got by the past few months by just shaking the excess sand off after every ride. This past week I started to notice a very slight grinding noise, so I began thinking of having to lubricate the chain.
I plan on cleaning the chain before applying any lube on it for now (lube I ordered should arrive in a couple of days). Of course, the nagging question I have in the back of my head at this time is that if there is sand on my chain there might be sand in other critical areas of my bike as well. Of course that's a topic for a whole other post... 😐
01-16-17, 05:52 AM
#66
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All the answers you seek can be found at https://moltenspeedwax.com/ Buy a second chain and rotate them through the cleaning cycle. A little Clean Ride can extend the service time (~600 miles for me). Having a clean chain you can handle without getting covered in black grime is priceless to me. And for you, the sand may be a compelling reason to use wax.
01-16-17, 06:52 AM
#67
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01-16-17, 07:20 AM
#68
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Available at hardware stores, and gets to the tough places like the back of your freewheel and under-bottom bracket cable guide:
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01-16-17, 07:48 AM
#69
Jedi Master
All the answers you seek can be found at https://moltenspeedwax.com/ Buy a second chain and rotate them through the cleaning cycle. A little Clean Ride can extend the service time (~600 miles for me). Having a clean chain you can handle without getting covered in black grime is priceless to me. And for you, the sand may be a compelling reason to use wax.
01-16-17, 07:55 AM
#72
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I mostly use ProGold ProLink but would suggest that what's most important is to use something consistently.
I just recently started scanning our cache of slides from the 70's - 90's. This one from the Hilly Hundred tour in 1980 demonstrates that in 1980 in the Midwest it was common for cyclists to wear Bell Biker helmets or no helmets. Oh, wait, I forget this was a chain lube thread and not a helmet thread..............................................
I just recently started scanning our cache of slides from the 70's - 90's. This one from the Hilly Hundred tour in 1980 demonstrates that in 1980 in the Midwest it was common for cyclists to wear Bell Biker helmets or no helmets. Oh, wait, I forget this was a chain lube thread and not a helmet thread..............................................
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My greatest fear is all of my kids standing around my coffin and talking about "how sensible" dad was.
01-16-17, 08:30 AM
#73
Sapient
The best chain lube is....
Criteria for the best chain lube: suitable for your riding style/situation, available, and perhaps most importantly- follow the manufacturers directions for application.
If sand is a problem then clean/wash your chain as often as you feel is necessary. Using a rag to periodically wipe off grit and road debris is a good start. I'm OC about my drive train, it must be clean and silent, so I wash all my chains as needed, especially on my cyclocross and mountain bike. Soak with Simple Green (or similar product), let sit a while if possible, rinse off with a strong stream of water (avoiding hubs and bb, if you have a master link on your chain you can remove it, but I don't usually bother), let chain dry (I blow it off with a compressor), when chain is dry, re-lube with preferred brand of lube following brand specific directions.
As you might have noticed, chain lubes, and chain maintenance methods are basically opinions (based on some experience hopefully), and you know what they say about opinions.
FWIW, I have tried or experimented with many/most available brands over the last thirty + years, my only strong opinion is that I do not like the wax based lubes, but they obviously are liked by many cyclist because they are still around.
Welcome to the forums, I spent my formative years growing up in central Florida where a small group of young people invented off-road cycling (we didn't have mountains) in the mid sixties.
I don't know squat about cameras, firearms yes, FYI- conversations about firearms are verboten on the forums.
If sand is a problem then clean/wash your chain as often as you feel is necessary. Using a rag to periodically wipe off grit and road debris is a good start. I'm OC about my drive train, it must be clean and silent, so I wash all my chains as needed, especially on my cyclocross and mountain bike. Soak with Simple Green (or similar product), let sit a while if possible, rinse off with a strong stream of water (avoiding hubs and bb, if you have a master link on your chain you can remove it, but I don't usually bother), let chain dry (I blow it off with a compressor), when chain is dry, re-lube with preferred brand of lube following brand specific directions.
As you might have noticed, chain lubes, and chain maintenance methods are basically opinions (based on some experience hopefully), and you know what they say about opinions.
FWIW, I have tried or experimented with many/most available brands over the last thirty + years, my only strong opinion is that I do not like the wax based lubes, but they obviously are liked by many cyclist because they are still around.
Welcome to the forums, I spent my formative years growing up in central Florida where a small group of young people invented off-road cycling (we didn't have mountains) in the mid sixties.
I don't know squat about cameras, firearms yes, FYI- conversations about firearms are verboten on the forums.
01-16-17, 04:38 PM
#74
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You were the guy wearing the Bell Biker, right?
I've missed very few Hilly Hundreds since '76, and those were all when we lived in Atlanta from '79-'86. Scanning all our old slides should help me remember which were the missed Hillys. Is that important? Dunno..............
Back on point: Yes, clean and lube your chains regularly.
I've missed very few Hilly Hundreds since '76, and those were all when we lived in Atlanta from '79-'86. Scanning all our old slides should help me remember which were the missed Hillys. Is that important? Dunno..............
Back on point: Yes, clean and lube your chains regularly.
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Bacchetta Giro A20, RANS V-Rex, RANS Screamer
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01-16-17, 04:53 PM
#75
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The purpose of oil is to separate moving parts; if they don’t touch, they don’t wear.
The rougher the parts, the thicker the oil needs to be to make sure those parts do not touch, weld and wear.
Bicycle chain wearing surfaces are rough; they need thick oil.
FbinNY said it most succinctly a while back when he replied to the “what is the best chain lube” with and I quote: “Thick oil.” This was true last year and it will be true next year.
The problem is getting thick oil where it needs to be, keeping it there and keeping the working portion clean.
All the rest is detail ;o)
Joe
The rougher the parts, the thicker the oil needs to be to make sure those parts do not touch, weld and wear.
Bicycle chain wearing surfaces are rough; they need thick oil.
FbinNY said it most succinctly a while back when he replied to the “what is the best chain lube” with and I quote: “Thick oil.” This was true last year and it will be true next year.
The problem is getting thick oil where it needs to be, keeping it there and keeping the working portion clean.
All the rest is detail ;o)
Joe