Appropriate lube for chains and gears

[Theo Bekkers]

suzyj wrote:
> Travis wrote:
>
>> What oil do people use for their chains and gears?
>
> I've tried every oil known to mankind. In reverse order of
> preference:

Rotate chains, wash spare chain in kero then leave in a container of diesel
for a few days. Hang to drip-dry for a day, wipe off excess.

Theo

 

[Terryc]

Travis wrote:
> What oil do people use for their chains and gears?

I don't. When I can get a-into-g I soak my chain in motor cycle chain
wax (gently warm it, soak, then hang chain. Okay, I do all three (chains
for a bike) in a batch.

Between times and after rain, I touch uop with any light to medium oil,
say SAE40 works well (just leave car oil containers to drain for a long
time and collect the bit that never goes into the car.

Light, spray on stuff also washes off in rain, which is why I don't use it.
>
> The oil I use in my car drips or spatters off the chain while the bike
> is parked or in use, the result being my chain gets a bit dry.

You are applying too much. Get an applicator with a smaller hole. Or
wipe the chain with a rag after applying it.

> Some of the prices for speciality bicycle oils seem a bit steep,

Marketing. Oils ARE Oils.

> so I'm wondering if people have had any luck using motor oils of a different
> grade, like heavy oils used for trucks and tractors?

these seem to pick up and hold the dirt better.

> (Or maybe the opposite extreme, something very light...)

Seems to blow off with the wind.

 

[Peter Signorini]

"Bean Long" wrote:
>
> I use Tri-Flow which is a teflon containing oil. A drop on each link and
> wipe off the excess with a cloth. Lovely! I clean and lube the chain at
> least once a month (depending on use and chain condition) and have had the
> same bottle of lube for about 3 years.

I was beginning to think I was the odd one out here, being happy to use
specific *bicycle* lube for my bike. I use the Finish Line Cross Country
lube and find it works very well. A $14 bottle will last me about 2-3 years,
doesn't seem overly expensive. Clean the chain in kero or CT-18, wipe dry,
then put a drop on each link roller, allow to soak in then wipe clean and
refit to the bike. This lube process will last for 2-3 months with a couple
of intervening lube applications.

Finish Line Dry Wax gives a very clean chain and works, but needs to be
reapplied way too frequently. After a couple of days riding the chain is
squeaking madly for more.

I used to use Tri-Flow for many years, it's also very good.

Oil is a poor chain lube. It washes off very easily in the rain, leaving a
squeaky chain, it attracts lots of dirt and ****, turnning the chain into a
gungy black mess on gravel roads. The only thing worse than oil was my brief
fling with graphite powder back in the 70s.

 

[Tamyka Bell]

Peter Signorini wrote:
>
> "Bean Long" wrote:
> >
> > I use Tri-Flow which is a teflon containing oil. A drop on each link and
> > wipe off the excess with a cloth. Lovely! I clean and lube the chain at
> > least once a month (depending on use and chain condition) and have had the
> > same bottle of lube for about 3 years.
>
> I was beginning to think I was the odd one out here, being happy to use
> specific *bicycle* lube for my bike. I use the Finish Line Cross Country
> lube and find it works very well. A $14 bottle will last me about 2-3 years,
> doesn't seem overly expensive. Clean the chain in kero or CT-18, wipe dry,
> then put a drop on each link roller, allow to soak in then wipe clean and
> refit to the bike. This lube process will last for 2-3 months with a couple
> of intervening lube applications.
>
> Finish Line Dry Wax gives a very clean chain and works, but needs to be
> reapplied way too frequently. After a couple of days riding the chain is
> squeaking madly for more.
>
> I used to use Tri-Flow for many years, it's also very good.
>
> Oil is a poor chain lube. It washes off very easily in the rain, leaving a
> squeaky chain, it attracts lots of dirt and ****, turnning the chain into a
> gungy black mess on gravel roads. The only thing worse than oil was my brief
> fling with graphite powder back in the 70s.

I use whatever's cheap on PBK when I order. I liked the weldite (?) TF2
but it's very liquid, like white lightning, and you tend to use a lot of
it. I like the finish line cross country okay but it's very thick, you
really need to be able to leave the bike to sit before wiping it off. I
also like triflow.

T

 

[Donga]

I used to train with a guy who was known to be a bit of a goose. One
day he was out of chain lube and plastered Vaseline all over his chain.
You could try that ... or not!

Donga

 

[DeF]

Travis wrote:

> What oil do people use for their chains and gears?
>
> The oil I use in my car drips or spatters off the chain while the bike
> is parked or in use, the result being my chain gets a bit dry. Some of
> the prices for speciality bicycle oils seem a bit steep, so I'm
> wondering if people have had any luck using motor oils of a different
> grade, like heavy oils used for trucks and tractors? (Or maybe the
> opposite extreme, something very light...)
>
> Travis
>

After reading everyone else's recommendations, here's mine:
le Tour Weatherproof chain lube from Branford Bike:
http://tinyurl.com/ns6gk
After using a number of bike specific chain lubes and some
others, this was the one that finally silenced my veloce 9sp
system. Very happy with it - I'd like to hear from others who
have used it. Before applying any new lube you should thoroughly
clean you chain and gears. I use a barbari on-bike chain cleaner
with a water based degreaser (twice) then rinse with water (twice)
then lube with above. Comes up a treat.

Enjoy,
DeF.

 

[jcr_au]

cfsmtb wrote:
> suzyj Wrote:
> > Travis wrote:
> >
> > > What oil do people use for their chains and gears?
> >
> > I've tried every oil known to mankind. In reverse order of
> > preference:
> >
>
> Have OT question, several years ago I briefly encountered a old bloke
> while I was packing the panniers with the weekly groceries. He
> mentioned he used to be a trackie & bike mechanic in his youth and said
> something about Velvet soap being a substitute for when he couldn't
> afford bike lube. Seriously to this day I've wondered if the old chap
> was having a lend of me (I've never tried it!) or it's old repair tip a
> la bush mechanics.
>
>
> --
back in the horse and buggy days axle grease was a crude soap formula

velvet soap was a "bush" substitute for many lubricants in the "old"
days. Sill is in some circumstances

JR
> cfsmtb

 

[DaveB]

jcr_au wrote:
> velvet soap was a "bush" substitute for many lubricants in the "old"
> days. Sill is in some circumstances
>
> JR

Also handy for temporary repairs for a hole in a fuel tank as are chewed
up Minties (bleuch hope I never chew on a Mintie again).

DaveB

 

[Mike]

jcr_au wrote:
> cfsmtb wrote:

>> something about Velvet soap being a substitute for when he couldn't
>> afford bike lube. Seriously to this day I've wondered if the old chap

Soap + oil = grease.
Good for bearings, but not the chain.

> back in the horse and buggy days axle grease was a crude soap formula

 

[Theo Bekkers]

DaveB wrote:
> jcr_au wrote:
>> velvet soap was a "bush" substitute for many lubricants in the "old"
>> days. Sill is in some circumstances

> Also handy for temporary repairs for a hole in a fuel tank as are
> chewed up Minties (bleuch hope I never chew on a Mintie again).

I've done this. On a trip accross the Nullarbor in 1973 BB (before bitumen)
the road was awful and I managed to bottom out over a sharp rock which
managed to make a small crack in the petrol tank of my then 1964 Mercedes. I
rubbed it with a cake of soap (no idea what brand) until it stopped leaking.
It started to weep again 9 months later, at which point I removed it and got
it welded up. A couple of years later a bus ran over the Merc. :-(

Theo

 

[DaveB]

Theo Bekkers wrote:
> DaveB wrote:
>> jcr_au wrote:
>>> velvet soap was a "bush" substitute for many lubricants in the "old"
>>> days. Sill is in some circumstances
>
>> Also handy for temporary repairs for a hole in a fuel tank as are
>> chewed up Minties (bleuch hope I never chew on a Mintie again).
>
> I've done this. On a trip accross the Nullarbor in 1973 BB (before bitumen)
> the road was awful and I managed to bottom out over a sharp rock which
> managed to make a small crack in the petrol tank of my then 1964 Mercedes. I
> rubbed it with a cake of soap (no idea what brand) until it stopped leaking.
> It started to weep again 9 months later, at which point I removed it and got
> it welded up. A couple of years later a bus ran over the Merc. :-(
>
> Theo
>
>


Wish I'd used the soap then. With the Minties I had to re-plug the hole
with newly chewed Minties every 20km for 600km. For someone who hates
Minties it was very unpleasant.

DaveB