Chain, Gears & Wheel Lube

Rick Onanian

On Thu, 17 Jun 2004 22:12:31 GMT, John Everett
<jeverett3@earthlink.DEFEAT.UCE.BOTS.net> wrote:
>The prime directive of chain maintenance is: Never
>Lubricate a Dirty Chain.

Actually, a semi-clinical study done by one rec.bicycles
person has produced results slightly in favor of _not_
cleaning the chain, certainly well enough to cast doubt on
the idea that one should Never Lubricate a Dirty Chain.
--
Rick Onanian

Leo Lichtman

WD-40 is really not a lubricant--it is a solvent/penetrant.

This is a really effective way to protect and lubricate a
chain, though it is a lot of work. Take the chain off the
bike, and soak it in a light solvent. Then, melt some
parafine, and mix in some graphite. Soak the chain in this
melted mix. The heat will drive the solvent out of the
insides of the link/pins. Then, whirl the chain around your
head on the end of a strong cord, to remove most of the wax
from the outside. After it cools, you have wax and graphite
on all the surfaces, including the inside. This protects
against wear, and is not sticky or wet, so it does not
collect grime.

I have used this on off-road motorcycle chains, as well as
mountain bikes.

Tom Keats

In article <tid4d054h3lar75jpk275kjq36g8pejrne@4ax.com>,
Rick Onanian <spamsink@cox.net> writes:
> On Thu, 17 Jun 2004 22:12:31 GMT, John Everett
> <jeverett3@earthlink.DEFEAT.UCE.BOTS.net> wrote:
>>The prime directive of chain maintenance is: Never
>>Lubricate a Dirty Chain.
>
> Actually, a semi-clinical study done by one rec.bicycles
> person has produced results slightly in favor of _not_
> cleaning the chain, certainly well enough to cast doubt on
> the idea that one should Never Lubricate a Dirty Chain.

I don't think so much in terms of cleaning a chain, as
/drying/ it. Cleaning a chain is largely prep'ing for drying
it. Subsequent lubrication of the chain facilitates the next
cleaning/drying operation, and helps prevent rust.

Never lubricate a /wet/ chain (including wet by previous
lubrication).

If there's a lot of crud sticking to a chain, it's because
the chain is wet. Dry dust mostly just flings off. So in
more arid climes, chain cleaning just isn't so often
necessary. And that white, waxy stuff like White Lightning
is certainly good enough.

Making a wet chain wetter (no matter what it's wetted with)
just makes it attract more crud, and more crud attracts more
moisture. It's a downward spiral.

The wetness provides a vehicle for gritty particles to
work their ways into pin/roller/sideplate interfaces, as
well as getting all over your rear der, cogset and
chainrings. Rear derailers don't shift very well when
their moving parts are clogged with muck & goop inflicted
upon them by dirty chains.

I guess it's mostly particles with a Moh's hardness rating
higher than the chain's, that would cause wear. That would
include powdery silicates. I don't care too much about
preserving my chain because it's just a cheap-o, $10 KMG knock-
off of a PC-48 anyway. But I do want to keep my dependable,
old Exage rear der going for awhile. That's what I /really/
keep clean & lubed. Maintaining the chain is just a by-
product and side-issue of that endeavour. But if you're
gonna maintain one, might as well maintain both.

If the crud is really thick, sooner or later you'll bring
your bike into your girlfriend's apartment, and it'll drop
off your chain onto her carpet like brownie batter off a
wooden spoon (at least that's how she'll see it), and she'll
moidalize ya. So, there's an incentive for bicycle hygiene.
Of course if a chain is that cruddy, the undersides of the
fenders will really be laden with all kinds of crap. When
that stuff dries out and falls on the floor, one is really
in deep doo-doo, because it makes a visibly bigger mess,
even though it's easier to sweep up than chain crud.

Anyhow, whether or not you opt to commit to the drudgery of
chain cleaning, I heartily recommend not bringing your bike
at all into your S.O.'s abode on rainy days.

cheers, Tom

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Claire Petersky

"Tom Keats" <tomk2003@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:knmtac.a6d.ln@bud.garden.local...

> If the crud is really thick, sooner or later you'll bring
> your bike into your girlfriend's apartment, and it'll drop
> off your chain onto her carpet like brownie batter off a
> wooden spoon (at least that's how she'll see it), and
> she'll moidalize ya.

This sounds like the Voice of Experience.

Anyway, I learned from the Sheldon Brown website that the
technical term for what you called "crud" is "schmutz".

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Tanya

"Ian \(remove the antispam\)" <ianstock"antispam"@sympatico.ca> wrote in message news:<40d1b3fd_6@corp.newsgroups.com>...
> What's better for regular lubing of chain, hubs,
> derailleur, etc on a hybrid used mostly for road touring?
>
> A very light spray oil (like WD-40), something heavier (3
> in 1 light machine oil), or a heavier grease?
>
> I'd like to be able to avoid buying the small overpriced
> bottle of "chain lube" at the bike shop.

From someone who once used chain saw motor oil for lube,
don't use that! It collected dirt and grime like there was
no tomorrow.

Rick Onanian

On Thu, 17 Jun 2004 20:15:00 -0700, tomk2003@hotmail.com (Tom Keats)
wrote:
>Anyhow, whether or not you opt to commit to the drudgery of
>chain cleaning, I heartily recommend not bringing your bike
>at all into your S.O.'s abode on rainy days.

She wouldn't even allow me to put a clean, dry bike (from
the garage) in her basement on the trainer. I must go into
the garage to ride on the trainer. Not an issue in this
season, I suppose.
--
Rick Onanian

Drew Eckhardt

In article <l8j3d09q0cn5hmk7eif6jg8b3fqjv1c5h0@4ax.com>,
Badger_South <Badger@South.net> wrote:
>Dunno if this is correct. FWIW. (this is the same guy who
>wants to charge my brother 30 bucks to true a wheel...!!)

Wheels that go out of true usually weren't built right.
Making it true, dishing, tensioning to uniform high tension,
and stress relieving is 3/4 the work of building a new
wheel. If you charge $40 for a new wheel then $30 to true
isn't unreasonable.

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Tom Keats

In article <36i6d0pm65ps53ipng9vhlduotdtm4hf44@4ax.com>,
Badger_South <Badger@South.net> wrote in part:

> My guy just charged me $15 bucks, so that's what I'm
> basing it on.

When we're just coming out of the so-called off-season in
the early spring, bike shops will often promote wheel truing
"deals", along with other bike maintenance stuff.

I think those deals are largely a loss leader to attract
business (in other words, they can be really good deals for
what we get.)

Anyway, the price of wheel truing can depend on the
time of year.

cheers, Tom

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Badger_south

On Fri, 18 Jun 2004 13:23:58 -0600, drew@revolt.poohsticks.org (Drew
Eckhardt) wrote:

>In article <l8j3d09q0cn5hmk7eif6jg8b3fqjv1c5h0@4ax.com>,
>Badger_South <Badger@South.net> wrote:
>>Dunno if this is correct. FWIW. (this is the same guy who
>>wants to charge my brother 30 bucks to true a wheel...!!)
>
>Wheels that go out of true usually weren't built right.
>Making it true, dishing, tensioning to uniform high
>tension, and stress relieving is 3/4 the work of building a
>new wheel. If you charge $40 for a new wheel then $30 to
>true isn't unreasonable.

Well, wouldn't argue with that, but I think we're just
talking about eyeballing the wheel on a spinner and tweaking
a little with the spoke wrench, and since he's not a world-
class rider, that's all he needs/wants. In fact I'd go so
far as to say very few bike shops do that kind of 'truing'
unless you ask them and the wheel they're working on is of
obvious high quality, but I'm just guessing. <g>

My guy just charged me $15 bucks, so that's what I'm
basing it on.

I'm not suggesting trying to scam the nice bike shop
guys...just wondering why they'd charge this for a 20 year
old wheel of medium quality, that's all.

-Badger

Tom Keats

In article <s6DAc.63201$eu.19679@attbi_s02>,
"Claire Petersky" <cpetersky@mouse-potato.com> writes:

> This sounds like the Voice of Experience.

I guess saying "Life is a learning experience" is another
way of saying that sometimes it ain't much fun.

It's men's job to set ourselves up for the occasional
moidalization. We exist to relieve women's safety valves.
The trick is to artfully apply just the right measure, so we
can not only repair the bad stuff we did, but while we're at
it, throw in some extra good stuff without having to be
romantic or corny or verbose, or make a big deal about it.

But our (men's) misdeeds have to be not too much/not too
little. Bill Clinton went way overboard, and he got
rightfully moidalized beyond the point of no return. Maybe
he should have just parked a dirty bike in the Oval Office.
But the Secret Service probably would have just taken care
of it before anything happened, and I suppose Hillary
wouldn't give a rat's (|) about the carpet. I guess it's
hard for presidents to relieve safety valves, except maybe
their own.

I'd rather lose the $$$ for the price of renting a carpet
steamer, than losing what Bill Clinton did. People can say
what they want about Hillary, but I bet she can be a back-
breakingly passionate li'l tiger when given a fair chance.

> Anyway, I learned from the Sheldon Brown website that the
> technical term for what you called "crud" is "schmutz".

I always figured schmutz was more like stuff to be cleaned
off of windows, while crud is stuff that can be scraped off
with a large screwdriver.

Folks use 'schmuck' a lot to refer to innocent victims.
I've frequently been a victim, but rarely innocent.
Innocence is so bland, like those white jelly beans. Why do
those things exist?

cheers, Tom

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Rick Onanian

On Fri, 18 Jun 2004 14:23:10 -0700, tomk2003@hotmail.com (Tom Keats)
wrote:
>It's men's job to set ourselves up for the occasional
>moidalization. We exist to relieve women's safety valves.
>The trick is to artfully apply just the right measure, so
>we can not only repair the bad stuff we did, but while
>we're at it, throw in some extra good stuff without having
>to be romantic or corny or verbose, or make a big deal
>about it.

Thanks, that reminds me that I wanted to buy some
flowers tonight.

>I always figured schmutz was more like stuff to be cleaned
>off of windows, while crud is stuff that can be scraped off
>with a large screwdriver.

My mother is Jewish. Schmutz can be either of those things,
but is usually dust bunnies or any dustbunnyish stuff found
in hair/fur/whiskers. I suppose if the screwdriver is the
_only_ way to remove it, it's officially no longer schmutz
and definitely is crud.
--
Rick Onanian

Pat

> *Simple Green is the name brand of a non-toxic concentrated cleanser and
> de-greaser. I use it for everything around the house. 20:1 for general
> cleaning 80:1 for windows, and 2:1 or straight on greasy bits and pieces.
>
>

How do you stand the smell of it, though? For some reason, I
just cannot stand the way that stuff smells!

Pat in TX

Eric S. Sande

>Innocence is so bland, like those white jelly beans. Why do
>those things exist?

For contrast. If white jelly beans did not exist, they would
have to be invented.

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Tom Keats

In article <40D38E70.ED70F74@erols.com>,
"Eric S. Sande" <esande@erols.com> writes:
>>Innocence is so bland, like those white jelly beans. Why
>>do those things exist?
>
> For contrast. If white jelly beans did not exist, they
> would have to be invented.

I was wondering if maybe they evolved that way as a survival
tactic. Nobody picks the white ones. Sort of like keeping a
commuter bike nondescript, to reduce the chances of it
getting stolen.

White jelly beans really should have a flavour, though. I
guess vanilla is the obvious possibility. Maple would be
interesting.

cheers, Tom

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