Choice of Chain Oil?

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by starship
I have been using the oil my Bike dealer said to use (Dumonde Tech)

The chain runs and sounds fine, but I feel a need to clean every two weeks or so because of the grime build up that soon develops.

Yeah, I know chains and drive parts need to be kept clean, and I don't mind doing it, I just would rather be riding!

On road or paved trails, 50-60 miles a week.

IS there a better product?
Email me!

Riding to Live,
Living for Him!

Wow!
Your drive train must be very clean. Dumonde Tech is very good lube, but very expensive.
You may be applying too much, and not wiping away excess.
One way to try is laying out the chain on a clean dry surface. Apply only at the roller joints and then side flex the chain to "encourage" the lube to flow inside.
Take a clean cotton cloth (old T-shirt) and wipe away all excess.
If you really want to get the stuff that ends up inside the link plates, use some cotton swabs.
You should also wipe down the chain rings, cassette cogs, and derailer jockey wheels.
If you don't mind being a little geeky, a front fender will help keep the road grit from being thrown back from the front tire. Mud flap helps too.

It would help to know -- what conditions are you riding in?

I use a dry lube; where I ride (NM) it's very dusty/dirty but my bike never gets wet. I switched to white lightning dry lube when I moved here and like it...much less grime build-up vs. wet lubes. I've heard others say they prefer other dry lubes over white lightning (like pedro's).

If you are getting grime more quickly than you would expect, and your chain won't be getting wet, you might try giving your chain a really thorough degreasing and apply a couple coats of white lighting or another dry wax lubricant, allowing them to dry a few hours in between and wiping off excess (you have to watch out for wax build up).

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by daveornee
Wow!
Your drive train must be very clean. Dumonde Tech is very good lube, but very expensive.
.

Two much may be my problem, I am cleaning ON BIKE, guess I should learn to take the chain off! (I use the park chain cleaning system)

We get a lot of rain here, and sometimes we get caught in a shower.

Thanks!

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by starship
Two much may be my problem, I am cleaning ON BIKE, guess I should learn to take the chain off! (I use the park chain cleaning system)

We get a lot of rain here, and sometimes we get caught in a shower.

Thanks!

Ignore the dry lube post then. Yep too much is the culprit for grime buildup pretty much 100% of the time. Keep in mind that the only part of the chain that needs lube is inside the pins...the parts you can't see. Don't apply to cogs or chainrings, and wipe off as much as you can from the exterior of the chain.

Thanks,

I think I've found a site for Biking information!

I've been using Finish Line Dry Lube with good results.....2500 miles on a PC-99 with no significant wear yet. A drop on each bushing does the trick, about every 100 miles or so (whenever the chain starts to sound a bit dry when spun on the stand after a ride). I just wipe the chain down prior to application of fresh lube.

Personally, believe solvent cleaning is unnecessary. I have a chain cleaner tool with the citrus solvent, but rarely use it except when I really want the chain to look shiny for a special event. Most of the exterior grime comes off easily with a rag, and the fresh application of chain lube flushes out the grit from the sideplates along with the old lube.

I used to run the cheapest oil I could find. Generally motor oil, 30 weight, less than a buck a quart. Works great, but attracts dirt.

Now I use white lightning, not quite as slick or quiet, but no more chainwheel tattoo on my calf.🙂

I switched from Tri-Flow to ProLink.

ProLink is a good dry lube and it significantly reduces the amount of gunk build up I was getting.

I use an old trick from my motorcycle days, which was to lube the chain right after you get back from a ride.

The chain is warmed up considerably from the friction of riding, and the lube penetrates very nicely. Furthermore the bike may sit there for a day or more before you ride it again. This gives the solvent in the lubricant time to boil out of the mix and leave just the lube behind, which reduces the amount of lube thrown out on your rim.

I used to do all my chain cleaning by hand, with rags and brushes and solvents, etc. Also break down the chain, put it in a tupperware container with solvent in it and put it on top of the washing machine while I ran a few loads through, which provides a nice agitation.

I finally got a Park chain cleaner and tried it out on a chain which I had already cleaned by hand. I was stunned at the amount of small, gritty, hard particles that came out of the chain. Those little brushes that dig down between the plates really do work, and I am a convert. Plus, it is REALLY easy to do in about three minutes.

Whit

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by starship
I have been using the oil my Bike dealer said to use (Dumonde Tech)

I use this lube too it is pretty good. But lube your chain off the bike and this will really help.
I lube it wipe and much as a I can off ride once then ride again.
I found with this lube you need to really put it on well or it does not penetrate.
Then I let it sit a few minutes and wipe off all I can. Then I ride once or twice and wipe again. You can’t keep all the back off the chain but you don’t get too much dirt. You can wipe the chain dry but then I found the lube does not last very long. A little rain will be all it takes. If you don’t ride in the rain I found http://www.voodew.com/ worked well. You can wipe the chain till it is clean and the lube holds up till it rains. But here in Portland Oregon that can be any time (G) so I have to live with a little black.

Someone may tell me why this is wrong but I always use a compressor with the fine nozzle to blow the particles out my chain before lubrication and then wipe off the excess.Seems to be an easy way to keep it clean.

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by jhuskey
Someone may tell me why this is wrong but I always use a compressor with the fine nozzle to blow the particles out my chain before lubrication and then wipe off the excess.Seems to be an easy way to keep it clean.

I've heard some argue that this forces the grit on the outside of the chain (where it doesn't do much harm) into the chain (where it does the harm).

Don't know how true it is.