WD40

[Crankarm]

a) it's not "stretch". Chains don't stretch, the links wear. my experience with WD40 is quite different - chains last just as long with WD40. And I'm far from the only one.

How far and who is this only one ?

 

[Dave5N]

oil

ho hum.

 

[Fab Foodie]

a) it's not "stretch". Chains don't stretch, the links wear. my experience with WD40 is quite different - chains last just as long with WD40. And I'm far from the only one.

You may be right. IMO as long a some form of lube is present where it's needed then that's fine.
Agree, it's the pins that wear.
Too much bollocks is talked about chains on a bike, they only have 1 human power through them at low revs and low torque, unlike cam-chains in an engine for instance or on the drive of a motorcycle. They do need some protection from the elements, but I don't prescribe heavily to the grinding paste theory.

 

[Rhythm Thief]

Did you know that the company who make WD40 make nothing else? Or that it's not patented, since taking out a patent would mean disclosing the ingredients? Isn't that interesting?

 

[Rhythm Thief]

Oh, and I wouldn't use it as chain lube, either. I don't know why anyone would, since there are products which are actually designed as chain lube and they're not expensive. Still, if it works for you ...

 

[Keith Oates]

I went to my local Giant shop here in Guangzhou yesterday to buy some chain oil and they said they don't use or know of any and then showed me a product that is similar to WD40 (I forget the name) and said this is what they use on all of their bikes. I bought a tin of the stuff and will now use it and see how it compares with the other oils I've used and am still using at home on my other bikes. It certainly smells similar to WD40 but it's not exactly the same as far as I can see!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Davidc]

The smell is probably the solvent part more than anything else.

I have some spray oil (always left by the dealer after a car service) which smells like WD40. It is different when applied though, as it leaves much more lubricant behind (a very light oil in this case).

That stuff is superb for house door hinges as well as car ones, but haven't tried it on the bike doors yet.

 

[BentMikey]

TBH I don't think it matters much what you lube your chain with, as long as it gets regular application and a bit of maintenance. After that you're talking small variations in time between application, cleanliness of chain, etc. Oh, and a whole lot of chain lube religeonista b0ll0cks.

 

[Gareth]

Being an Agricultural engineer and professional industrial lubricator, I have had access to all sorts of lubricants and water displacers over the years including; Agricastrol, Texaco, Century, Fuchs, Graphol, Kluber, Shell, WD40, etc. to name but a handful. The Chain on my Falcon Explorer Hybrid has been lubricated a grand total of 4 times in 4 years over some 12-13,000 miles with 3 in 1 PTFE spray oil, and I have absolutely no complaints as the chain is showing only minimal wear, always disperses water, and has remained reasonably clean in all riding conditions.

I now use only 2 lubricants for my complete bicycle maintainence requirements: 3 in 1 PTFE spray oil, and Agricastrol MP grease. I have found both to be greatly superior to everything else I have used.

For penetration purposes, and releasing rusted items, Graphol is by far the very best, but I don't think that it is available these days. I still have another 7 & 1/2 bottles left from a case of 12 that I purchased some 20 years ago: so I think that'll see me through until retirement.

 

[g00se]

I went to my local Giant shop here in Guangzhou yesterday to buy some chain oil and they said they don't use or know of any and then showed me a product that is similar to WD40 (I forget the name) and said this is what they use on all of their bikes. I bought a tin of the stuff and will now use it and see how it compares with the other oils I've used and am still using at home on my other bikes. It certainly smells similar to WD40 but it's not exactly the same as far as I can see!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Possibly GT85 or TF2 spray?

GT85 is very similar but TF2 is slightly more 'oily' and has teflon in it too.

http://www.evanscycles.com/products...oogle&utm_medium=froogle&utm_campaign=froogle

http://www.evanscycles.com/products/weldtite/tf2-teflon-lube-400ml-spray-ec006165

 

[Norm]

The Chain on my Falcon Explorer Hybrid has been lubricated a grand total of 4 times in 4 years over some 12-13,000 miles with 3 in 1 PTFE spray oil, and I have absolutely no complaints as the chain is showing only minimal wear, always disperses water, and has remained reasonably clean in all riding conditions.

Excellent information, Gareth, thanks.

 

[Davidc]

Gareth - I'm interested in your use of the 3 in 1 PTFE for your chain, I hadn't thought of it for that.

I keep a can of it for other things, it's very good and one of the most water repellent substances I know. I'll think about it next time I change a chain as its probably cleaner than bike lubricants.

The other 3 in 1 product I find very good is their water based citrous degreaser.

 

[Fab Foodie]

The Chain on my Falcon Explorer Hybrid has been lubricated a grand total of 4 times in 4 years over some 12-13,000 miles with 3 in 1 PTFE spray oil, and I have absolutely no complaints as the chain is showing only minimal wear.

Good to have your input!

Question, it depends what we mean by wear of course. My pal run his completely lube free and shows minimal waer too, in terms of visuals and apparent performance. However if measured with a chain tool then you might find otherwise. You can run a drive-train for years and years and they wear nicely into each other, the problem comes that to replace a chain or a sprocket means the replacelment of all the cogs as well because they're worn together uniquely.
However, many of us don't want to reach that stage where the chain has elongeted sufficiently to wear the chainrings and sprockets uniquely to the point where you cannot simply replace a chain or a cassette without having to replace everything else. So we use a chain measuring tool and a a certain point of wear you can replace the chain with a new one and it all meshes together smoothly. It think that's where we are on wear in this discussion, elongationg the miles before the chain 'stretches' to that point. That will be a lo short of 12,000 miles!

 

[Davidc]

Well expressed FF.

Sorry about the imperial measure but I replace chains when they are 6 1/8" long for 6" worth of original chain. With my strength and a Shimano HG chain that happens at about 2500 to 3000 miles, and I've so far been able to keep chainrings and cassettes for about 20,000 miles.

The old chains seem to end up in various gardening and DIY applications.

The elongation seems to be mainly where the pins between the links wear away. Looked at under a magnifier a new one is more or less straight edged, whereas an old one is shaped a bit like an extreme 10 pin skittle.

Edit: The older 5 speed freewheel rings and associated chains and chainrings used to last longer, but weren't as smooth in use as the modern stuff, and the freewheels internals used to fail earlier than freehubs.

 

[wilko]

I've been using Muc Off Bike Spray for quite a while now and have been pleased with the results. I spray it just about everywhere, except the braking area. Keeps it all lubed and clean.