chain lubing technique?

Bill, I have 4800 miles on my Leprechaun HR chain (original Sachs PC51 chain and Shimano HG70
cassette) and it is still quiet and shifts great. I have never used anything but Pedro's Ice Wax for
a lube and Simple Green for a cleaner. It has been a great combo for me. I will still try one of the
orange oil based cleaners to see if they do a better job than Simple Green. Hard pressed to switch
from Pedro's though. It is clean.

I use Dumonde Tech on my Merlin. Now that is a nasty smelling lube. Completely over powers the
lemony fresh smell after I lemon Pledge the bike 🙂 I can't agree with their philosophy of just
applying more lube so a shield builds up on/in the metal or whatever. It just picks up too much
grit. It turns black after just one ride.

[email hidden] (Bill Anton) wrote in message
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[email hidden] (GeoB) wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

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When I lube my chain I generally get comfortable on a chair in front of it and lube each and
everyone of the million or so links in that thang. Do any of you hang it up and let the juice
run down it?

Do any of you clean it regularly by emersion in solvent? I don't yet have the fancy cleaner that
lets you clean thechain w/o removing it.

How often should I clean it? Should I clean it every time I lube it? I ride to work in clear
weather on clean streets. I get very little dirt on the bike.

What is your favorite lube? Best value?

Thanks GeoB

For years I used Pedro's Orange Peelz in a Finish Line chain cleaning machine. Worked well,
but dripped all over the bike's idlers, wheels and fork--a mess. Plus Orange Peelz requires a
rinse cycle.

Recently I started using the kerosene in the 2-litre soda bottle method recommended by Sheldon
Brown. No rinse required, so no chance of leaving water inside the links to corrode the works. On
the whole, I believe the kerosene method works much better, yielding a quieter-running chain after
it's re-lubed. But I've learned it's important to let the chain dry for a day or so before
bringing it into the house, unless you mind your house smelling like a gas station.

For lube, I've tried White Lightning--what a nasty mess! Pedro's Ice wax is pretty good for a dry
lube, though it doesn't lubricate all that well--noisy. My absolute favorite is Pro-Link--it
really does reduce metal-to-metal friction and my drivetrain seems to be lasting longer (3000
miles so far, compared to only 1500 on the factory chain and cassette). In fact, I bought some
Boeshield T-9 but haven't used it yet 'cause I like the Pro-Link so well.

What to do with the used kerosene? You can filter and re-use it, or take it down to your
local city household hazardous waste disposal facility (if there is one), or if you live out
in the country, you can use it as a fire starter for your trash pit provided there's no
burn-bans in effect.

Bill Anton 2001 Vision R-40 SWB, OSS (soon to be a 26x26 highracer R-40!) Lubbock, TX, USA

"Larry Bloomfield" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
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I apply the lube to the chain at the rear derailleur (chain on small cog)

I find it really hard to turn the pedals from that position. How do you get around that? FWD?

Torben

[email hidden] (Kelly) wrote in message
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[email hidden] (GeoB) wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

When I lube my chain I generally get comfortable on a chair in front of it and lube each and
everyone of the million or so links in that thang. Do any of you hang it up and let the juice
run down it?

Do any of you clean it regularly by emersion in solvent? I don't yet have the fancy cleaner that
lets you clean thechain w/o removing it.

How often should I clean it? Should I clean it every time I lube it? I ride to work in clear
weather on clean streets. I get very little dirt on the bike.

What is your favorite lube? Best value?

Thanks GeoB

I use Prolink and a cotton Qtip. Soak the Qtip in the Prolink and run the chain while holding the
Qtip's cotton tip on the chain rollers. One Qtip will do the job before wearing out. The result is
a lightly lubed chain, no drip or mess to clean up. Kelly

Thanks for the (Q)tip - I'll give it a try. BTW, I mark a starting point link w/ a paint pencil

"Torben Scheel" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

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"Larry Bloomfield" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I apply the lube to the chain at the rear derailleur (chain on small cog)

I find it really hard to turn the pedals from that position. How do you get around that? FWD?

Torben

So who needs to turn the pedals? Hold the lube bottle in your left hand, grab chain with right hand
and pull right to left. Dripping the lube over the freewheel is highly recommended because (1) the
cogs engaged in the chain prevent the lube from just falling through the middle without soaking in,
(2) the bending of the just-lubed chain around the freewheel and derailleur cogs helps the lube to
work in better, and (3) you're also lubing your freewheel, making it quieter when coasting.

Bill Anton 2001 Vision R-40 SWB, OSS Lubbock, TX, USA

Bill, I doubt that you have a freewheel. They went out with mullet haircuts. Not completely gone
and certainly not forgotten. I suspect your 2001 Vision has a free-hub which is radically different
from a freewheel. On free-hubs everything is sealed and the only way to lube them is with a
free-hub buddie (a special fitting that fits onto the end of the free-hub to allow grease
injection). Campy Record (not sure about their other models) have grease ports that are accessible
if the cog set is removed.

On free-hubs the cogs and spacers all come off as indivicual pieces. The free spinning mechanism is
in the hub. On free-wheels, the cogs, spacers, and free spinning mechanism are all one pre-assembled
unit. Even if you have a freewheel, I doubt many other riders have one. My 1994 mountain bike and my
1995 Merlin both have free-hubs.

Lube on the cogs would make shifting easier and quieter but would do nothing for coasting.

I lube at the crank.

Short-armed Don with the clean hands.

[email hidden] (Bill Anton) wrote in message
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So who needs to turn the pedals? Hold the lube bottle in your left hand, grab chain with right
hand and pull right to left. Dripping the lube over the freewheel is highly recommended because
(3) you're also lubing your freewheel, making it quieter when coasting.

Bill Anton 2001 Vision R-40 SWB, OSS Lubbock, TX, USA

Just one more lube tip: Although a work stand would be ideal, I put my REX my Sportworks hitch rack.
Before starting to lube the chain, I take some newspapers and tape the sheets between the chain, and
the wheels. I take care to pull the paper between the brake pad and rim and under the rear cogs.
This is kind of a PITA, but believe me, it's a lot quicker than trying to clean Boeshield off of a
rim to eliminate the brake shriek that results from a contaminated rim. "Don" <[email hidden]>
wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Bill, I doubt that you have a freewheel. They went out with mullet haircuts. Not completely gone
and certainly not forgotten. I suspect your 2001 Vision has a free-hub which is radically
different from a freewheel. On free-hubs everything is sealed and the only way to lube them is
with a free-hub buddie (a special fitting that fits onto the end of the free-hub to allow grease
injection). Campy Record (not sure about their other models) have grease ports that are accessible
if the cog set is removed.

On free-hubs the cogs and spacers all come off as indivicual pieces. The free spinning mechanism
is in the hub. On free-wheels, the cogs, spacers, and free spinning mechanism are all one
pre-assembled unit. Even if you have a freewheel, I doubt many other riders have one. My 1994
mountain bike and my 1995 Merlin both have free-hubs.

Lube on the cogs would make shifting easier and quieter but would do nothing for coasting.

I lube at the crank.

Short-armed Don with the clean hands.

[email hidden] (Bill Anton) wrote in message

news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

So who needs to turn the pedals? Hold the lube bottle in your left hand, grab chain with right
hand and pull right to left. Dripping the lube over the freewheel is highly recommended because
(3) you're also lubing your freewheel, making it quieter when coasting.

Bill Anton 2001 Vision R-40 SWB, OSS Lubbock, TX, USA