Everything You Need To Know About Bike Lubricants (But Were Afraid To Ask!)

[Ben Reeve]

I just posted this over on my site, but thought I'd share here too to get your opinions on a greasy subject!

Hope you enjoy!

Ben

Prompted by a question from reader Mark Baily, in this article I’m going to take you through the various different types of greases, lubrications and oils that you will use on your bike. I will also cover how best to use them.

And yes, I will be using the word lubrication.

Alot.

It never fails to make me snigger too.

So without further ado let’s move swiftly on….

The Lube List

There are essentially 3 different types of lube you will be using on most bikes. The 4th is reserved for carbon framed bikes so won’t be relevant to everyone

1. Chain Lubricants (Dry/Wet)
2. Grease
3. All Purpose Lubricants
4. Carbon Paste

1) Chain Lubricants (Dry/Wet)

There are two types of chain lubricants, dry and wet. These are pretty much universal terms, and most chain lubricant manufacturers will offer these two variants as a minimum.

As a very simple rule of thumb, use dry lubes in dry conditions and wet lubes in wet conditions!

Dry Lubes

These go on to the chain wet, but then dry to a waxy finish. Most take a few hours to dry, so plan for this before heading out to ride.

The positive side of a dry lube is they do not collect much dirt. If you are cycling in dry conditions then this should be perfect as you want as little dust getting onto your chain as possible as it can quickly damage components.

On the downside, dry lubes wash off very easily and will need re applying after a wet ride.

Wet Lubes

Wet lubes are thicker, and stick to the chain remaining wet to the feel until rubbed away.

These are perfect for wet conditions, as they offer a highly increased resistance to rain and are therefore more difficult to wash away.

The downside is they collect dirt, and will need cleaning up alot more regularly to stop damage to components.

Wet lubes should only really be used when the conditions call for it. They are perfect for your winter bike in harsh conditions, but clean up the chain and swap back to dry lubes in the summer to prevent grime building up within the cassette.

Can I Use Other Types Of Lubrication On My Chain?

I would not suggest using any other kind of lubrication on your chain. As with everything there are some exceptions, but chain lubes are made specifically for the task and I can’t see any reason to stray elsewhere.

The classic beginner mistake is to use a very lightweight household oil such as WD40. Whilst this will grease the chain in the short term, it is not meant for outside use, and will very quickly wash away. This kind of household lubricant is designed for low use parts and is best kept away from bikes.

At the other extreme is motor oil. This is generally too thick for use on a bike chain, and will not penetrate the smaller parts used on bikes. It is also very sticky, so will pick up muck from the road very easily.

Application Of Chain Lube

CLEAN CHAIN

Before applying lubricant, try to get the chain as clean as possible. There is no point lubricating over dirt that is already there, as this will continue to grind around all of your key components.

Depending on the state of your chain it might be best to use a chain cleaner however a piece of rag and degreaser can do a good job. Try to clean in the cassette and around the jockey wheels to remove any build up of grime that may get back into your chain.

APPLICATION

The best way to apply lube is with your bike in a stand, or the back wheel off of the ground. Apply one drop of lube into every chain link, and work the pedals around gradually until you have completed every section.

Then run the bike through as many of the gears as possible to force the lube into the inside parts of the links where it is most needed. Be careful at this point, as any excess will inevitably find its way towards you! We can all do without that conversation with our partners. “What’s that on your shirt!?”. “Um, it’ll only make things worse if I tell you….”

WIPE DOWN

As a new rider, leaving excess lube on the chain was the first thing I got told off for when I took my bike in for its 3 month service! The key place for the lubrication to be working on is the internal parts of the chain, so you would not expect to see it coated on the outside.

When you have applied the lube and run it through the gears a few times, grab an old piece of rag and gently wipe the chain down to remove any excess. This should stop too much grit being able to stick to the outside. If you have used a dry lube leave it for a few hours so it has dried out completely before taking it for a ride.

HOW OFTEN SHOULD I LUBRICATE THE CHAIN?

There are so many variables here it is unreal. How often do you cycle? How far? On road or off road? What type of lubricant do you use? Have the roads been gritted?

And I haven’t even scratched the surface….

I would suggest a general rule of thumb is about once a month, maybe slightly more in bad conditions, but you will get to know your own bike quite quickly. With experience you can feel when the chain doesn’t feel so smooth, and this will prompt you to give it a clean and lube.

Remember, the lube is working on the inside of the chain, not the outside, so even if it gets slightly muddy you can still wash it down without feeling you have to re lube every time. All this will do in the long run is cause more grime to stick to the chain.

Products

I personally have always used the Muc Off range off chain lubes.

There are so many types on the market, each with their own recommendations from others, but the Muc Off range was the first I bought, and I have seen no reason to change over yet.

You can normally get a bottle for around £5 each, and this lasts me well over a year. I always have a bottle of the we lube and a bottle of the dry lube in the garage so I can swap over during the different conditions in year.

2) Grease

Grease is a heavier, waterproof lubrication which is generally used in places on the bike you don’t take apart or see too often.

It has two key, but quite different functions:

1. To keep key components moving and free from water ingress
2. To help places of static metal to metal connection from seizing up

In the first example grease is used heavily to keep moving parts of the bike running freely. You will find it in the bearings of your wheels, bottom bracket and headset and also in the moving parts of your brakes and gear levers.

You will not find grease in moving parts that are open to the air as, due to its thick and sticky nature, it would attract dirt too easily.

In the second example grease is used to prevent parts from seizing up or ‘cold welding’.

Similarly to the first, these parts will all be shielded from the elements.

Key static areas to use grease on are saddle posts and bolt threads. These components sit against metal for long periods of time under pressure, and can seize up making them very difficult to remove.

I would recommend greasing any bold before tightening on a bike, and once every few months removing your saddle posts, cleaning it down and re greasing to prevent is seizing to the frame.

Products

I use Lithium Grease by Weldtite.

I was introduced to this product by a local mechanic *insert joke here* and have never tried anything else.

It is perfect for both examples described above, and a small tube seems to last a hell of a long time.

It is a white grease, which really helps when seeing where you have applied it to components to save using too much.

3) All Purpose Lubricants

All purpose lubricants are your day to day workhorses for keeping the bike moving.

It is best to invest in something that has a waterproof element such as teflon and is suited to outdoor use.

For an all purpose lubricant, I prefer to buy a product in a spray can for ease of application. This is especially handy when blasting it into those hard to reach areas such as down cable housing.

I tend to reach for my can whenever I am working on the bike. It can free up a sticking brake cantilever, stop a squeaking pedal, get your brake cables shifting smoother and alot else besides.

As with all other types of lube, make sure you clear off any excess as, being quite thin, this can easily run down onto brake pads or other areas of the bike you don’t need it.

Products

My favourite is again by Weldtite, the TF2 Aerosol Spray.

This spray contains teflon which helps to make it more waterproof, and has one of those handy red tube for spraying it into hard to reach places.

4) Carbon Paste

Carbon paste is unique on this list as it technically increases friction rather than reducing it. It is here as it is regularly used on carbon bikes in place of grease.

You will find carbon paste in the place of grease where carbon components come together such as seat posts meeting the frame o handlebars meeting the stem.

Alot of professionals advise against using grease for two reasons:

1. They feel carbon can absorb the grease causing it to swell
2. Carbon can get very slippery

In the first example if a seat post did swell it would make it very difficult to remove from the frame. There is disagreement as to whether or not this can happen, but it it is a generally held view that carbon paste is better for the job.

In the second example using grease on a carbon seat post can make it incredibly slippery. This could leave you trying to over tighten the seat clamp and potentially cause lasting damage to the frame or post.

Carbon paste is a compound that contains plastic and glass which increases friction when assembling parts to hold them in place. This should mean you don’t have to over torque bolts and should help prevent damage to your carbon bike.

Summary

Well done for sticking with me this far through a barrage of unintended innuendo and double entendre!

I would summarise this article with a few statements;

1. Use the right product for the right job
2. Don’t use too much, and clear off any excess
3. Stick to the words ‘oil’ and ‘grease’ outside the cycling community to prevent blacklisting from social gatherings!

I hope this post has helped you acclimatise to the different products on the market for lubricating your bike and why so many different types exist.

 

[Globalti]

To the notes above I'll add lanoline - 100% natural and amazingly waterproof, available from chemists and perfect for waterproofing the bottom headset bearings on bikes designed for use in California where it never rains. Also smeared on the ends of the rear derailleur cable before the plastic ferrules are slipped on, it protects the cable from water and rusting and clogging of the steel reinforcements, which affects shifting.

As it's a lubricant I'll also add talc, which is a 100% natural dry lubricant for sticky rubber and will enable you to fit those tight tyres using only your thumbs. Also prevents recently-patched tubes from sticking to the inside of the tyre and helps inner tubes to settle inside the tyre without getting trapped between rim and bead.

 

[Citius]

A little knowledge is a dangerous thing. As soon as I saw this post, I knew it was going to mention WD40. Guess what - it did. Same old nonsense. Two things - one, WD40 is now a generic brand name for a range of lubricants, many of which are specifically designed for cycling. Two, WD40 (ie the original 'household' spray you are referring to) is perfectly fine for use on chains in the right circumstances. So advising against it just makes it look like that you haven't researched your topic properly. Which you probably haven't.

And as for advising against wet lube in anything other than wet conditions. That is just laughable. What do you think cyclists used on their chains before some marketing men invented 'dry' lube?

 

[Yellow Saddle]

There are essentially 3 different types of lube you will be using on most bikes. The 4th is reserved for carbon framed bikes so won’t be relevant to everyone

1. Chain Lubricants (Dry/Wet)
2. Grease
3. All Purpose Lubricants
4. Carbon Paste

Carbon paste is not a lubricant and has no place in a list like this. You may as well then include thread lock compounds and copper paste.

1) Chain Lubricants (Dry/Wet)

There are two types of chain lubricants, dry and wet. These are pretty much universal terms, and most chain lubricant manufacturers will offer these two variants as a minimum.

As a very simple rule of thumb, use dry lubes in dry conditions and wet lubes in wet conditions!

Dry Lubes

These go on to the chain wet, but then dry to a waxy finish. Most take a few hours to dry, so plan for this before heading out to ride.

The positive side of a dry lube is they do not collect much dirt. If you are cycling in dry conditions then this should be perfect as you want as little dust getting onto your chain as possible as it can quickly damage components.

On the downside, dry lubes wash off very easily and will need re applying after a wet ride.

Wax products, whether applied by way of dissipating solvent or the melt method are very poor, short-lived lubricants. The fact that they remain clean means that they don't suspend and transport metal wear particles. Avoid at all cost.

Wet Lubes

Wet lubes are thicker, and stick to the chain remaining wet to the feel until rubbed away.

These are perfect for wet conditions, as they offer a highly increased resistance to rain and are therefore more difficult to wash away.

The downside is they collect dirt, and will need cleaning up alot more regularly to stop damage to components.

This displays a complete misunderstanding of chain lubrication. It can't collect dirt.

Wet lubes should only really be used when the conditions call for it. They are perfect for your winter bike in harsh conditions, but clean up the chain and swap back to dry lubes in the summer to prevent grime building up within the cassette.

Grime building up in the cassette is not a problem, since the chain and cassette don't slide over each other. You need to figure out where lubrication is required and why, before recommending a lubricant.

Can I Use Other Types Of Lubrication On My Chain?

I would not suggest using any other kind of lubrication on your chain. As with everything there are some exceptions, but chain lubes are made specifically for the task and I can’t see any reason to stray elsewhere.

The classic beginner mistake is to use a very lightweight household oil such as WD40. Whilst this will grease the chain in the short term, it is not meant for outside use, and will very quickly wash away. This kind of household lubricant is designed for low use parts and is best kept away from bikes.

At the other extreme is motor oil. This is generally too thick for use on a bike chain, and will not penetrate the smaller parts used on bikes. It is also very sticky, so will pick up muck from the road very easily.

Perhaps you should explain why chain oil needs to be different from other oils? WD40 is not an oil, BTW. In what way does the viscosity of motor oil differ from chain oil? Some figures would help. What makes you think that it will not penetrate? Have you tried it and can prove that it does not penetrate? Do you understand the role of capillary action in a chain?

Application Of Chain Lube

CLEAN CHAIN

Before applying lubricant, try to get the chain as clean as possible. There is no point lubricating over dirt that is already there, as this will continue to grind around all of your key components.

Depending on the state of your chain it might be best to use a chain cleaner however a piece of rag and degreaser can do a good job. Try to clean in the cassette and around the jockey wheels to remove any build up of grime that may get back into your chain.

How does wiping the outside of a chain with a rag help the chain get rid of grinding paste on the inside?

APPLICATION

The best way to apply lube is with your bike in a stand, or the back wheel off of the ground. Apply one drop of lube into every chain link, and work the pedals around gradually until you have completed every section.

Then run the bike through as many of the gears as possible to force the lube into the inside parts of the links where it is most needed. Be careful at this point, as any excess will inevitably find its way towards you! We can all do without that conversation with our partners. “What’s that on your shirt!?”. “Um, it’ll only make things worse if I tell you….”

The very fact that you mention the word "excess" tells me you have been reading to many product labels. There should be no excess and I doubt anyone is scared by the dire warning of excess moving our way. That's really excessive.

WIPE DOWN

As a new rider, leaving excess lube on the chain was the first thing I got told off for when I took my bike in for its 3 month service! The key place for the lubrication to be working on is the internal parts of the chain, so you would not expect to see it coated on the outside.

When you have applied the lube and run it through the gears a few times, grab an old piece of rag and gently wipe the chain down to remove any excess. This should stop too much grit being able to stick to the outside. If you have used a dry lube leave it for a few hours so it has dried out completely before taking it for a ride.

Thanks to capillary action, chain oil will move around. What's inside now, will be outside within a few revolutions. A bit of wiping will not stop the mixing or re-appearance of oil on the outside.

HOW OFTEN SHOULD I LUBRICATE THE CHAIN?

There are so many variables here it is unreal. How often do you cycle? How far? On road or off road? What type of lubricant do you use? Have the roads been gritted?

And I haven’t even scratched the surface….

I would suggest a general rule of thumb is about once a month, maybe slightly more in bad conditions, but you will get to know your own bike quite quickly. With experience you can feel when the chain doesn’t feel so smooth, and this will prompt you to give it a clean and lube.

Remember, the lube is working on the inside of the chain, not the outside, so even if it gets slightly muddy you can still wash it down without feeling you have to re lube every time. All this will do in the long run is cause more grime to stick to the chain.

Instead of a useless rule of thumb, why not suggest conditions to look for when considering relubricating? Again, outside grime is not a problem.

Products

I personally have always used the Muc Off range off chain lubes.

There are so many types on the market, each with their own recommendations from others, but the Muc Off range was the first I bought, and I have seen no reason to change over yet.

Surely you can only provide advice if you have tried many products and made sensible observations and can qualify the differences? Do you work for Muc Off?

2) Grease

Grease is a heavier, waterproof lubrication which is generally used in places on the bike you don’t take apart or see too often.

It has two key, but quite different functions:

1. To keep key components moving and free from water ingress
2. To help places of static metal to metal connection from seizing up

Grease is a huge contributor to corrosive seizing in metal parts on bicycles. You advice above is ill informed.

In the first example grease is used heavily to keep moving parts of the bike running freely. You will find it in the bearings of your wheels, bottom bracket and headset and also in the moving parts of your brakes and gear levers.

You will not find grease in moving parts that are open to the air as, due to its thick and sticky nature, it would attract dirt too easily.

In the second example grease is used to prevent parts from seizing up or ‘cold welding’.
[\QUOTE]

Cold welding doesn't occur on bicycles? Where do you imagine this happens?

Similarly to the first, these parts will all be shielded from the elements.

Grease readily emulsifies with water. How do you propose it shields things from the elements? What elements?

Key static areas to use grease on are saddle posts and bolt threads. These components sit against metal for long periods of time under pressure, and can seize up making them very difficult to remove.

I would recommend greasing any bold before tightening on a bike, and once every few months removing your saddle posts, cleaning it down and re greasing to prevent is seizing to the frame.

This is very poor advice. I hope no-one pays attention to it.

Products

I use Lithium Grease by Weldtite.

I was introduced to this product by a local mechanic *insert joke here* and have never tried anything else.

It is perfect for both examples described above, and a small tube seems to last a hell of a long time.

It is a white grease, which really helps when seeing where you have applied it to components to save using too much.

Unfortunately I don't know any lithium grease jokes? Grease is not even a chemically bi-polar substance.
Anyway, no need to suggest brand names since Lithium grease is widely used in all industries and is practically a commodity.

3) All Purpose Lubricants

All purpose lubricants are your day to day workhorses for keeping the bike moving.

It is best to invest in something that has a waterproof element such as teflon and is suited to outdoor use.

Lubrication does not provide water proofing in any situation. Teflon may be waterproof when made into a membrane but in powdered form it is as waterproof as toilet paper.

For an all purpose lubricant, I prefer to buy a product in a spray can for ease of application. This is especially handy when blasting it into those hard to reach areas such as down cable housing.
{/QUOTE]
Cable housings should not be lubricated.

I tend to reach for my can whenever I am working on the bike. It can free up a sticking brake cantilever, stop a squeaking pedal, get your brake cables shifting smoother and alot else besides.

As with all other types of lube, make sure you clear off any excess as, being quite thin, this can easily run down onto brake pads or other areas of the bike you don’t need it.

You are excessively preoccupied with excess.

Products

My favourite is again by Weldtite, the TF2 Aerosol Spray.

This spray contains teflon which helps to make it more waterproof, and has one of those handy red tube for spraying it into hard to reach places.

Hmmm, the red tube is hardly unique with sprays of this kind.. How does the Weldtite product differ from others?

4) Carbon Paste

Carbon paste is unique on this list as it technically increases friction rather than reducing it. It is here as it is regularly used on carbon bikes in place of grease.

You will find carbon paste in the place of grease where carbon components come together such as seat posts meeting the frame o handlebars meeting the stem.

Alot of professionals advise against using grease for two reasons:

1. They feel carbon can absorb the grease causing it to swell
2. Carbon can get very slippery

Nonsense. You made this up yourself, didn't you?

In the first example if a seat post did swell it would make it very difficult to remove from the frame. There is disagreement as to whether or not this can happen, but it it is a generally held view that carbon paste is better for the job.

Here's the challenge: You make a seat post swell with grease and I buy you a lifetime supply of Mucoff.

In the second example using grease on a carbon seat post can make it incredibly slippery. This could leave you trying to over tighten the seat clamp and potentially cause lasting damage to the frame or post.

Slippery isn't the problem, lack of compressive strength is the problem.

Carbon paste is a compound that contains plastic and glass which increases friction when assembling parts to hold them in place. This should mean you don’t have to over torque bolts and should help prevent damage to your carbon bike.

Summary

Well done for sticking with me this far through a barrage of unintended innuendo and double entendre!
[\QUOTE]
Double Entendre? I missed that bit.

I would summarise this article with a few statements;

1. Use the right product for the right job
2. Don’t use too much, and clear off any excess
3. Stick to the words ‘oil’ and ‘grease’ outside the cycling community to prevent blacklisting from social gatherings

Ah, there it is! "Oil and grease" nudge nudge, wink wink.

I hope this post has helped you acclimatise to the different products on the market for lubricating your bike and why so many different types exist.

I just posted this over on my site, but thought I'd share here too to get your opinions on a greasy subject!

You've done more harm than good, I'm afraid. But, the double entendre was funny, or was it?

 

[Ajax Bay]

@Ben Reeve - I applaud your motives and industry, and appreciate you have got 3 months of 'gardening leave', but as soon as I read your post/draft (above, or as soon as I read its title) I thought you were standing into stormy waters. Best of luck. My advice is to look at every element of this piece and ask yourself critically 'how do I know this is true and do other people think it's not true, and why'. @Yellow Saddle has suggested a few pointers; well quite a lot really. It'll be up to you to see whether some of his suggestions are canards. I'd also avoid mentioning specific products because at least some people on this forum (not me) have vast and long experience whereas I think you do not, so suggesting a named product distracts, much the way poor grammar does, from what authority your article may have.

Grease is a huge contributor to corrosive seizing in metal parts on bicycles.

@Yellow Saddle please could you expand on that.

 

[Citius]

WD40 is not an oil

YS - I just wanted to clarify this. The 'original' WD40 (as opposed to any of the specific products now in an expanded 'WD40' range) is basically just a light mineral oil diluted within in a solvent/propellant. So what is left once the solvent evaporates is a (very) light oil.

 

[Yellow Saddle]

@Ben Reeve - I applaud your motives and industry, and appreciate you have got 3 months of 'gardening leave', but as soon as I read your post/draft (above, or as soon as I read its title) I thought you were standing into stormy waters. Best of luck. My advice is to look at every element of this piece and ask yourself critically 'how do I know this is true and do other people think it's not true, and why'. @Yellow Saddle has suggested a few pointers; well quite a lot really. It'll be up to you to see whether some of his suggestions are canards. I'd also avoid mentioning specific products because at least some people on this forum (not me) have vast and long experience whereas I think you do not, so suggesting a named product distracts, much the way poor grammar does, from what authority your article may have.


@Yellow Saddle please could you expand on that.

Certainly.

The two parts that are commonly affected by seizure (not cold welding) are old quill stems and seatposts. Both these parts seize by the same mechanism because they are very similar in some ways:
1) Both are tight-fitting cylinders in tubes.
2) Both have dynamic joints. In other words, the joints can move around. The clamping mechanism is only at one end of the cyclinder, the other is free to move. In the case of the seatpost, the seatpost collar clamps it at one end, but the inserted end deep inside can still move. On the stem, the internally-expanding clamp holds it at one end, but the top can still move inside the tube.
3) Both are made from aluminium.
4) Neither have water-tight seals.

This means that with cycling, the posts and quills move. Now, should you smear grease on the interfaces, the following happens:
1) The grease is agitated (massaged) in the presence of water and that forms an emulsion.
2) An emulsion is great at preventing evaporation.
3) Water thus remains in the interface for a long time.
4) Water corrodes aluminium into Aluminium oxides.
5) The oxide molecule is much bigger than the aluminium molecule and the post seizes into place by the mechanism of swelling.
6) There is no welding or adhesion. Once the pressure is relieved, the post is freed.

Water on its own is not as damaging as water mixed with grease. The grease does not chemically alter the process but stores the water in the right place for long periods of time. Grease is NOT a waterproofing agent.

Instead of grease, a compound that does not emulsify is required, such as copper compound.

 

[Yellow Saddle]

YS - I just wanted to clarify this. The 'original' WD40 (as opposed to any of the specific products now in an expanded 'WD40' range) is basically just a light mineral oil diluted within in a solvent/propellant. So what is left once the solvent evaporates is a (very) light oil.

Thanks. I'm not familiar with the particular product treat and them all the same - perhaps unfairly sometimes. They come under many guises and names and all these are usually designed to sound scientific - WD40, Q20 etc.

I do realize that they differ in purpose and composition but most of them leave behind a very thin oil that is not sufficiently lubricious for chain use. Of course there are products such as spray-on White Lithium grease, Wynnflonn (SP?) etc with a thicker lubricant that remains after the volatile carrier has gone to the ozone layer.

The test for a good spray-on chain lubricant would thus be anything that leaves a viscous oily residue - oil that will flow with gravity.

 

[adscrim]

not sufficiently lubricious

Now there is something I didn't think I'd read today.

 

[Fab Foodie]

 

[numbnuts]

A little knowledge is a dangerous thing. As soon as I saw this post, I knew it was going to mention WD40. Guess what - it did. Same old nonsense. Two things - one, WD40 is now a generic brand name for a range of lubricants, many of which are specifically designed for cycling. Two, WD40 (ie the original 'household' spray you are referring to) is perfectly fine for use on chains in the right circumstances. So advising against it just makes it look like that you haven't researched your topic properly. Which you probably haven't.

And as for advising against wet lube in anything other than wet conditions. That is just laughable. What do you think cyclists used on their chains before some marketing men invented 'dry' lube?

What ^^ said

 

[Ben Reeve]

All I can say is ouch.

As always when I post to this forums I feel a mixture of embarrassed and inadequate.

Yes I put alot of research into this, reading multiple topics, and have knowledge of using the products.

What I do not have is the vast years of experience and other backgrounds that some of you guys clearly have.

My intention is never to mislead, but to try and offer my experience from what I've seen, read and used to make it easier for others getting into cycling.

@Yellow Saddle your post shows a knowledge that has clearly been studied over many many years, and your book on chains proves this. Thanks for your views.

Thanks for all the suggestions, as hard as some of it is to read.

 

[Yellow Saddle]

All I can say is ouch.

As always when I post to this forums I feel a mixture of embarrassed and inadequate.

Yes I put alot of research into this, reading multiple topics, and have knowledge of using the products.

What I do not have is the vast years of experience and other backgrounds that some of you guys clearly have.

My intention is never to mislead, but to try and offer my experience from what I've seen, read and used to make it easier for others getting into cycling.

@Yellow Saddle your post shows a knowledge that has clearly been studied over many many years, and your book on chains proves this. Thanks for your views.

Thanks for all the suggestions, as hard as some of it is to read.

I admire your desire to summarise the noise from the industry and condense it into helpful texts. Don't lose the curiosity, keep on asking why why why. If you don't get a satisfactory answer, study the topic from good references, not marketing brochures or the very worst of the worst, cycling magazines. In fact, stop reading them altogether. They are brimful of crap and it is easy to believe something if you've read it twice from different sources. Challenge answers to their logical conclusions and don't be afraid to make public mistakes. Just 'cause it is cruel doesn't mean there isn't a lesson in there somewhere. Treat the mechanics of cycling as an intellectual pursuit but don't dabble and then attempt to educate others. Cycling, like everything else, conforms to the laws of physics and you will NOT find anomalies anywhere, no matter who says "it works for me". I hope your sojourn in the bike shop is a healthy and enriching one and that your mentor is a crusty old bastard that knows his onions, but don't assume he does. I look forward to version II of the text but, hint, hint, look up the science of tribology first.

 

[Ben Reeve]

Just a couple of points I'd challenge though:

Why can't I make recommendations? I haven't suggested it is market leading, or the best out there, just something I have experience with and use. I don't have to fly with every plane operator to say my trip with Virgin Atlantic was good, or stay in every hotel in a city to say that I enjoyed the one I stayed in. I am offering a view, and the products I have used have done the job without any problems. I'm not claiming they are market leading, just that they work. For someone new this is helpful.

Secondly, my unique perspective on this is that I am an amateur. The tag line to the site is 'learnings from a an amateur cyclist'. Maybe I need to make this clearer in the post topics. This is stuff I am picking up on the way, but just because I don't have 30 years experience on it does not invalidate my view. Some people aren't looking for a ridiculous amount of detail, just enough to get them going without causing any damage, and this is what I have offered here. Some hairs to be split, some more detail I could have gone into, but then I may have spent 2 years researching a 1500 word piece. In 15 years time when I have the experience of some of you guys I may look back on this article and realise how stupid I was, however I am documenting my journey into cycling, not claiming to be an world expert on these topics.

And hey, I may be wrong on both of these points, but that's the beauty of writing, it conjures up debate, as hard as it is to read the critical views, they will help make my writing stronger in the future and put even more thought into how I present a topic, so thank you to all of your for taking time to help me out.

Ben

 

[Ben Reeve]

I admire your desire to summarise the noise from the industry and condense it into helpful texts. Don't lose the curiosity, keep on asking why why why. If you don't get a satisfactory answer, study the topic from good references, not marketing brochures or the very worst of the worst, cycling magazines. In fact, stop reading them altogether. They are brimful of crap and it is easy to believe something if you've read it twice from different sources. Challenge answers to their logical conclusions and don't be afraid to make public mistakes. Just 'cause it is cruel doesn't mean there isn't a lesson in there somewhere. Treat the mechanics of cycling as an intellectual pursuit but don't dabble and then attempt to educate others. Cycling, like everything else, conforms to the laws of physics and you will NOT find anomalies anywhere, no matter who says "it works for me". I hope your sojourn in the bike shop is a healthy and enriching one and that your mentor is a crusty old bastard that knows his onions, but don't assume he does. I look forward to version II of the text but, hint, hint, look up the science of tribology first.

Really useful post, I think I might use some of this as a mantra!. Don't be afraid to make public mistakes is one of them!