Chain lubrication

[Manonabike]

A few years ago I was looking for recommendations on oil to lubricate my chain and lots of people recommended Finish Line products. I have tried the Finish Line dry and Wet which was supposed to be the best but I find that it attracts too much dirt and my chain is always looking black and dirty. It probably does a good job at lubricating but that's not all I need from it.

I'm planning to give Rock N Roll Extreme a try and see how I get on with it.

I use KMC chains and as new the come with some kind of wax that I find really good.... does anybody know what it is and whether it is available in the stores?

 

[gbb]

This one's likely to open a minefield of personal preferences
I tried Finish Line and didn't find chain life any better, and suffered from the same blackness on the chain.
The waxes (IMO) can't do the job properly, too thick to get into the very place they're needed...in the rollers. thats just untried opinion mind, ive never tried them.
The wax you get on a new chain will be good because its applied (probably) hot in manufacturing where it can get into the rollers...not something you can easily reproduce at home.

A bath of engine oil gives me the same chain life as finish line did...at a fraction of the cost.

But, thats just MY experience and opinions.

 

[fossyant]

You oil the rollers only. Drop a bit on each roller, run through a few times, then wipe. Simple.

You aren't wiping it enough !

 

[al78]

Try the Finish Line dry lubricant (the red bottle). It is much thinner than the wet version so gets inside the chain easily but it dries and doesn't attract the dirt to anywhere near the same extent as the wet lubricant. Just remember to wipe the chain down and re-apply after riding in the rain.

 

[david1701]

Try the Finish Line dry lubricant (the red bottle). It is much thinner than the wet version so gets inside the chain easily but it dries and doesn't attract the dirt to anywhere near the same extent as the wet lubricant. Just remember to wipe the chain down and re-apply after riding in the rain.

would this mean that for say an all day wet ride you would be running without oil for half of it?

 

[Manonabike]

Try the Finish Line dry lubricant (the red bottle). It is much thinner than the wet version so gets inside the chain easily but it dries and doesn't attract the dirt to anywhere near the same extent as the wet lubricant. Just remember to wipe the chain down and re-apply after riding in the rain.

I had a bottle of this once but it went walk abouts from my shed :-) I only used it a couple of times

I can't remember how happy I was with it but I guess I could always try again.

Reading some reviews on that Rock N Roll stuff and it seems that one has to use a quite a bit and after every ride so it can get pretty expensive.

I'm mostly concerned about my SS at the moment and I want the chain to be super clean. It's quite easy to clean, it only takes a few minutes but I don't fancy the idea of cleaning it after every ride so I will use a different lub.

Does anybody use another lub that meets these requirements:

self cleaning (as much as possible)
water resistant ( as much as possible)
that's it no need to make the chain last longer, I'll just get another chain when needed.

 

[Red Light]

I used to use Finish Line and White Lightning many years ago but always got black waxy build ups that were a pain if they got on clothes. My favourite now which I used to have to bring back from the US but is now available in the UK is Prolink Pro-Gold which is clean, dry and reasonably durable. Just reapply after a wet ride.

 

[e-rider]

these chainlube threads do my head in

 

[al78]

would this mean that for say an all day wet ride you would be running without oil for half of it?

If it is that wet the water will act as a lubricant so you should be ok until you get home.

 

[Cubist]

would this mean that for say an all day wet ride you would be running without oil for half of it?

No, the water itself will lubricate the chain as it moves. Water on a chain is only of concern if it is left on long enough to corrode the metal, ie overnight with the chain static.

The OP has made the mistake of applying the lub then not removing the excess. The outside plates of the chain don't need lubricating as they don't move against anything. It's the excess lub that is attracting the dirt. This won't cause chain wear anyway, because, again, the dry lub won't carry the grit into the rollers where it can cause the damage. Thin, oily lub is more likely to carry grit into the rollers.

The dry lub's are wet when you apply them because they are carrying wax or teflon style compounds in a solvent-like carrier. This carrier evaporates on contact with your chain, leaving the wax etc behind. This needs to be wiped off the plates as Mickle describes.

 

[Manonabike]

The OP has made the mistake of applying the lub then not removing the excess.

Where or when did I say I did not remove the excess?

The problem with this Finish Line lube is even after removing the excess the chain looks dirty very quickly. My chain is silver but looks black. I think I did say I remove the chain and clean it in solvent but I don't wish to do that after every ride, I rather change the oil I'm using.

I was reading a review and I saw this comment "For the past year, I've been using just a silicone spray on my chain, which repels water very well, and seems to keep the chain as clean and quiet as any of the 'miracle lubes'. I cycle about 250 miles a week in all weathers over the mucky country roads and steep hills of Dartmoor where I live and have had no problems with sqeaks, rust or wear with the silicone application. I clean the chain once a week with a cleaning machine and then re-spray and leave it unless there's a particularly heavy downpour, when the chain gets dried and then re-sprayed. I'm sure the 'experts' will throw up their hands in horror at this review, but give it a try and see what you think - might cause a revolution!!"

Has anyone tried this? I have some silicone spray so I will give it a try

 

[david1701]

cheers Cubist and Al, sorry for the noobish question

 

[snailracer]

Fit a mudflap long enough to block the spray being thrown off at a tangent from the bottom of the front tyre onto your bottom bracket area. That is where most of the water that gets onto the chain comes from, and it's got road dirt mixed in with it which is what really wears out your chain. The rain that falls directly from the sky onto your chain is fairly clean, hits the chain at lower pressure, and there's much less of it, it is not actually a significant source of wear.

Not a glamorous solution, but the best. And there is no such thing as waterproof oil.

 

[Cubist]

Where or when did I say I did not remove the excess?

The problem with this Finish Line lube is even after removing the excess the chain looks dirty very quickly. My chain is silver but looks black. I think I did say I remove the chain and clean it in solvent but I don't wish to do that after every ride, I rather change the oil I'm using.

I was reading a review and I saw this comment "For the past year, I've been using just a silicone spray on my chain, which repels water very well, and seems to keep the chain as clean and quiet as any of the 'miracle lubes'. I cycle about 250 miles a week in all weathers over the mucky country roads and steep hills of Dartmoor where I live and have had no problems with sqeaks, rust or wear with the silicone application. I clean the chain once a week with a cleaning machine and then re-spray and leave it unless there's a particularly heavy downpour, when the chain gets dried and then re-sprayed. I'm sure the 'experts' will throw up their hands in horror at this review, but give it a try and see what you think - might cause a revolution!!"

Has anyone tried this? I have some silicone spray so I will give it a try

Why would you use wet lube on a chain or bike that you want to keep in pristine condition? I use it where I'm going on a ride in wet/muddy condition. It, and the mud get cleaned off after the ride anyway.

Your post implied that you were unhappy with the dry lube as well as the wet. . Make your mind up, but most importantly be prepared for other people to have an opinion. If you don't want answers, don't post questions. You seem to have drawn all the conclusions you want from the review you quote. If that's the case then get on with it. It's your kit!!

 

[Manonabike]

Why would you use wet lube on a chain or bike that you want to keep in pristine condition? I use it where I'm going on a ride in wet/muddy condition. It, and the mud get cleaned off after the ride anyway.

Your post implied that you were unhappy with the dry lube as well as the wet. . Make your mind up, but most importantly be prepared for other people to have an opinion. If you don't want answers, don't post questions. You seem to have drawn all the conclusions you want from the review you quote. If that's the case then get on with it. It's your kit!!

I think you like assuming things

Unhappy with Finish Line products after trying the dry but mostly the wet lub.

I think the second bit of your answer refers to me asking if anybody has used silicone spray and then me saying that I have some and I'll try some on my chain. Well, of course I'd like to read comments from forum members, that is how we learn things..... in the mean time I could try it myself (doubt it very much that it would ruin my chain ) then I can contribute with my own experience and other people looking for information on that topic might find it interesting.


A friend of mine was told at his LBS that GT85 was great for lubing chains.... I use the stuff for my spd pedals and other pasts but only after a wash and once it has evaporated I use proper oil. Any comments?