Chain oil

[Mark]

Does anyone have recommendation for chain oil? My precious last bottle of "Black Gold" is about to
run out & the LBS hasn't been able to get it for about a year. It was made by a company called
"Ebony Lubrication", but a search using Google has brought back nowt but a few, er, "interesting but
not relevant" matches...

I need something good - the lanes round here (rural) are chocablock with muck for the 6 months
between Oct - Mar inclusive & so I don't want anything which is going to be washed off after a
couple of spots of rain.

The ability for online ordering (e.g. Wiggle) would be a bonus, too.

Thanks for any thoughts.

Mark

 

[Vincent Wilcox]

Mark wrote:
> Does anyone have recommendation for chain oil? My precious last bottle of "Black Gold" is about to
> run out & the LBS hasn't been able to get it for about a year. It was made by a company called
> "Ebony Lubrication", but a search using Google has brought back nowt but a few, er, "interesting
> but not relevant" matches...
>

Any cheap car engine oil will be more than adequate.

 

[Dave Larrington]

My chum Mr. Davies has a friend who recommends chainsaw oil.

--

Dave Larrington - http://www.legslarry.beerdrinkers.co.uk/
===========================================================
Editor - British Human Power Club Newsletter
http://www.bhpc.org.uk/
===========================================================

 

[Vincent Wilcox]

Vincent Wilcox wrote:
> Mark wrote:
>
>> Does anyone have recommendation for chain oil? My precious last bottle of "Black Gold" is about
>> to run out & the LBS hasn't been able to get it for about a year. It was made by a company called
>> "Ebony Lubrication", but a search using Google has brought back nowt but a few, er, "interesting
>> but not relevant" matches...
>>
>
> Any cheap car engine oil will be more than adequate.
>

Although this turns up on a google groups search...

http://groups.google.com/groups?q=%22Ebony+Lubrication%22+Black+Gold&hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-
8&selm=a2qeld%24qdg%241%40paris.btinternet.com&rnum=1

 

[Colin Blackburn]

On Fri, 30 Jan 2004 14:07:25 -0000, Dave Larrington <[email protected]>
wrote:

> My chum Mr. Davies has a friend who recommends chainsaw oil.

This is one of the many oils I have in the workshop left by the previous occupant of the house. My
favourite, but probably least use for bicycles, is Rangoon Oil. I believe it is for guns.

Colin
--

 

[Just Zis Guy]

"Mark" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...

> Does anyone have recommendation for chain oil?

I've recently been receiving a lot of advertisements by email for "amazing oil" - perhaps I should
forward them to you? ;-)

--
Guy
===

WARNING: may contain traces of irony. Contents may settle after posting.
http://chapmancentral.demon.co.uk

 

[Zog The Undenia]

Mark wrote:
> Does anyone have recommendation for chain oil? My precious last bottle of "Black Gold" is about to
> run out & the LBS hasn't been able to get it for about a year. It was made by a company called
> "Ebony Lubrication", but a search using Google has brought back nowt but a few, er, "interesting
> but not relevant" matches...
>
> I need something good - the lanes round here (rural) are chocablock with muck for the 6 months
> between Oct - Mar inclusive & so I don't want anything which is going to be washed off after a
> couple of spots of rain.
>
> The ability for online ordering (e.g. Wiggle) would be a bonus, too.

3-in-1 is as good as anything.

 

[Zog The Undenia]

Just zis Guy, you know? wrote:

> I've recently been receiving a lot of advertisements by email for "amazing oil" - perhaps I should
> forward them to you? ;-)
>
Nah - that stuff gives you stiff links.

 

[Peter B]

"Vincent Wilcox" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Mark wrote:
> > Does anyone have recommendation for chain oil? My precious last bottle
of
> > "Black Gold" is about to run out & the LBS hasn't been able to get it
for
> > about a year. It was made by a company called "Ebony Lubrication", but a search using Google has
> > brought back nowt but a few, er, "interesting
but
> > not relevant" matches...
> >
>
> Any cheap car engine oil will be more than adequate.

Which is what I used to think and act on but it makes a right mess when mixed with muck so I rather
sceptically started using Finish Line Dry for drier conditions and Finish Line Wet, oddly enough,
for wet conditions on recommendation. And despite it costing more, which goes against my ethics as a
tight-wad, I'm staying with it. It's far cleaner in use, but does need regular application, and the
chain seems to last at least as long .

--
Regards, Pete

 

[Just Zis Guy]

"Zog The Undeniable" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...

> 3-in-1 is as good as anything.

No it's not. It's pitiful thin stuff which washes out at the first sign of damp weather and sprays
everywhere as you ride along.

--
Guy
===

WARNING: may contain traces of irony. Contents may settle after posting.
http://chapmancentral.demon.co.uk

 

[Msa]

Just zis Guy, you know? wrote:

>I've recently been receiving a lot of advertisements by email for "amazing oil" - perhaps I should
>forward them to you? ;-)

Zog the Undeniable wrote:

> 3-in-1 is as good as anything.

Good job that wasn't your first reply to Guy!

--
Mark (MSA) This post is packaged by intellectual weight, not volume. Some settling of contents may
have occurred during transmission

 

[Garry Broad]

On Fri, 30 Jan 2004 17:49:09 +0000, Zog The Undeniable <[email protected]>
wrote:

>Mark wrote:
>> Does anyone have recommendation for chain oil? My precious last bottle of "Black Gold" is about
>> to run out & the LBS hasn't been able to get it for about a year. It was made by a company called
>> "Ebony Lubrication", but a search using Google has brought back nowt but a few, er, "interesting
>> but not relevant" matches...
>>
>> I need something good - the lanes round here (rural) are chocablock with muck for the 6 months
>> between Oct - Mar inclusive & so I don't want anything which is going to be washed off after a
>> couple of spots of rain.
>>
>> The ability for online ordering (e.g. Wiggle) would be a bonus, too.
>
>3-in-1 is as good as anything.

If you ride bikes at the 'cheaper end of the market' like I do then then you might be quite happy
to buy a litre of chain-saw oil from the sheds. It's about 3.50 for a litre, and does the job
just fine.

gb

 

[Tony Raven]

Zog The Undeniable wrote:
> Just zis Guy, you know? wrote:
>
>> I've recently been receiving a lot of advertisements by email for "amazing oil" - perhaps I
>> should forward them to you? ;-)
>>
> Nah - that stuff gives you stiff links.

And promises to increase the length and girth of you chain - which means it will no longer fit.

Tony

 

[Zog The Undenia]

Tony Raven wrote:

> And promises to increase the length and girth of you chain - which means it will no longer fit.

At the very least it would give you a badly scarred ring.

 

[Dave Kahn]

"Dave Larrington" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> My chum Mr. Davies has a friend who recommends chainsaw oil.

It's the best chain lubricant I've tried yet, and very cheap - about a fiver for 100 years supply.
It's very clingy and has good water resistance. The downside is that it can be very dirty. Apply to
a clean chain, one drop per roller. Allow to soak in overnight and use a rag to wipe off as much as
you can the next morning. The more you get off, the less spatter you'll get, and the less crud it
will attract. Wipe down again after a wet ride. Clean chain with degreaser and repeat when it seems
dry or begins to sound gritty.

--
Dave...

 

[Sandy Morton]

In article <[email protected]>, "Just zis Guy,
you know?" <[email protected]> wrote:
> > 3-in-1 is as good as anything.

> No it's not. It's pitiful thin stuff which washes out at the first sign of damp weather and sprays
> everywhere as you ride along.

Presumably "IMVHO"

--
A T (Sandy) Morton on the Bicycle Island In the Global Village http://www.sandymillport.fsnet.co.uk

 

[Just Zis Guy]

On Fri, 30 Jan 2004 22:56:48 +0000 (GMT), Sandy Morton
<[email protected]> wrote:

>> No it's not. It's pitiful thin stuff which washes out at the first sign of damp weather and
>> sprays everywhere as you ride along.

>Presumably "IMVHO"

More "in my bitter experience." Engine oil, yes, if you don't mind getting skanky trousers, but 3-in-
1 is a light penetrating oil.

Guy
===
May contain traces of irony. Contents liable to settle after posting.
http://chapmancentral.demon.co.uk

 

[Dave Kahn]

On Fri, 30 Jan 2004 17:49:09 +0000, Zog The Undeniable <[email protected]>
wrote:

>3-in-1 is as good as anything.

Not really as it dries out over time leaving a gummy residue.

--
Dave...

Get a bicycle. You will not regret it. If you live. Mark Twain

 

[Zog The Undenia]

Dave Kahn wrote:

> On Fri, 30 Jan 2004 17:49:09 +0000, Zog The Undeniable <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>
>>3-in-1 is as good as anything.
>
>
> Not really as it dries out over time leaving a gummy residue.
>
True, but I usually have to clean the chain well before that happens due to general grit-
encrustation.

 

[Zog The Undenia]

Just zis Guy, you know? wrote:

> On Fri, 30 Jan 2004 22:56:48 +0000 (GMT), Sandy Morton <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>
>>>No it's not. It's pitiful thin stuff which washes out at the first sign of damp weather and
>>>sprays everywhere as you ride along.
>
>
>>Presumably "IMVHO"
>
>
> More "in my bitter experience." Engine oil, yes, if you don't mind getting skanky trousers, but
> 3-in-1 is a light penetrating oil.

Penetrating oil is good for chains!

I used to use some of the fancier lubes (e.g. Finish Line Cross Country) but they attract just as
much muck and can be rather difficult to clean off and renew. 3-in-1 comes off pretty easily with
detergent.

The main problem with 3-in-1 is that it goes a bit gelatinous with time. I'm not sure whether there
is a vegetable component in it - castor oil is notorious for this.

I don't get any problems with flinging if I wipe the chain thoroughly after oiling it.

Urban myth (which may be true) - Pedro's Syn lube, which was raved over by mountain bikers a few
years ago, was pure unadulterated Mobil 1 engine oil. All the synthetic techno-waffle on the bottle
was true, but it wasn't actually developed for the purpose in hand.