Gear and chain oil

What's a good lubricant to use on gears and the chain? Bike shop said don't use WD-40 on any bike, buy our $14 stuff with teflon.

WD40 is a great rust preventative but is too thin to lubricate a chain. Motor oil is better. Put a drop on each roller and wipe off all the excess.

The purpose behind the bike shop teflon is that it is a drier formulation and grit won't stick to it so easily. It won't abrade the chain or stain your pant leg so readily.

WD40=no no. However, motor oil is way too thick and will gunk up really fast. If you like cleaning your drive train every 2-3 rides then it may be ok . I personally use 3-in-1 machine oil. It is thin without being too thin and does not collect grit as quickly. After cleaning chain (off the bike), I apply to the "inside" of the chain (relative to the gears) work in, wipe off excess put back on bike, spin through cogs to get a little lube on them as well.

If you don't desire to clean your drive train with any regularity, if at all, I would stick with a teflon based lubricant (no pun intended ). Theoretically, you can go longer between cleanings than other lubricants. Either way, the drive train will need to be cleaned at some point or you will wear your cogs prematurely.

Hope this helps

Grab some bike specific chain oil.
It will last for years.

Enjoy the ride !

ProLink. I apply one drop to each roller every 100-150 miles. Turn the cranks, and go up and down the cassette. Then I wipe the excess off

Chain washing? Only if I have mud splattered everywhere or have ridden through a lot of blowing sand/dust. Otherwise, ProLink keeps the chain clean enough.

__________________
Sex is horrid
Pain is Fun
I cut my fingers off
One by one

+1. ProLink is good stuff.

__________________
One life, one chance. Don't waste it!

I just switched to Chain-L No. 5, and I'm pretty happy with it. A bit more work putting it on the chain, but it does seem to last a long time , and makes for a nice quiet drivetrain. Once you thoroughly wipe off the chain after applying it, it's not any more messy than other lubricants, and maybe less so.

You might want to give this stuff a try. They're sending out samples for 4 bucks including shipping...

WD-40 is a solvent, not a lubricant. Find some ProLink, as has been mentioned. Apply ala directions, little goes a long way.

This is the first time I've heard of Chain-L No. 5, so I can't vouch for it, but that's a clever name!

Yeah, they're a really small outfit, and not particularly adept at marketing (which, in fairness, is hard to do in any case if you're a startup with limited funds). On the plus side, they're small enough to really care about their customers, and their product is good, in my experience anyway.

I am, of course, not affiliated in any way to the company.

Applied the way Alienator recommended, a bottle of Prolink lasted for almost 10K miles over two years. Sure, $8.99 is a lot to pay for 4 oz of lube, but on a per mile basis it's much less than tires,chains, and cassettes. Even those costs are small compared to my fuel outlay: today on the club ride I spent $4 on rest stop food and drink....Gatorade, crackers and bananas can really add up

Pro-Link is good. So is Finish Line. Use bicycle-specific lube. As mentioned, it won't gunk up, or conversely, act as a solvent.

__________________
VeloWeb The bicycle is the noblest invention of mankind.
~William Saroyan

The best lube is the one you get around to using regularly, that's far more important than which product you're using. (although I too stay away from WD-40)
I've gone from boutique lubes to engine oil and I'm currently using something called white, or paraffin oil, medical grade. The white oil is nicer to handle and chains seems to last about as long as they always have.

+1 for Prolink. As mentioned, wipe off the excess ( after turning the cranks backwards for a minute or so. )

I used some ProLink, and my chain was quiet and smooth as silk afterwards. Much better than when I'd applied WD-40. ProLink it is, for now.

I also put some on my wheels and gear shifters, hoping to protect them somewhat from rusting and corrosion since it's been raining a lot lately (and I ride in the rain).