Chain lubricant advice

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Samuel D
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Re: Chain lubricant advice

Post by Samuel D »

Mick F wrote:Very simple indeed and you don't need any special facilities.

It’s simple enough, but it’s still a dirty job and therefore hard to do indoors. I have a white porcelain kitchen sink that stains easily, requiring elbow grease to clean it after it’s seen a chain (which only happens when my girlfriend is absent). Drips are inevitable. The whole job takes a fair bit of time, accounting for set-up and clean-up.

I’m not complaining, just noting that I’d do it more often if I lived in a house.

That said, maybe I should try harder. I don’t get half of your chain life, although I’m convinced Paris should take some of the blame.
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georgew
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Re: Chain lubricant advice

Post by georgew »

Being tired of all oil-based lubes as they invariably attract grit and crud I opted for a water-based lube around two years ago and have had no problem with this since. My whole transmission has remained clean since I stared using this.

https://www.scottoiler.com/us/products/ ... ution.html
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Mick F
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Re: Chain lubricant advice

Post by Mick F »

georgew wrote:Being tired of all oil-based lubes as they invariably attract grit and crud .......
That is the single most important bit of info.

If the chain doesn't get so dirty, it's simpler and cleaner to clean it. I use White Lightning Clean ride, which is a wax lube that automatically shed the muck, but isn't so good in wet weather.

I use White Lightning Epic Ride in the winter .......... and also all year on the Moulton as the rear mech is only an inch off the road so the chain picks up everything. :shock:
Mick F. Cornwall
Bmblbzzz
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Re: Chain lubricant advice

Post by Bmblbzzz »

I've not tried it but I imagine the biggest problem to the white spirit method if used indoors is the stink of the white spirit.

Wax based lubes sound like a decent idea, though the reviews I found said they need to be applied more frequently, so perhaps not that good for long wet rides. They sound pretty similar to the 'ceramic' lube I've used.
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Mick F
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Re: Chain lubricant advice

Post by Mick F »

Bmblbzzz wrote:I've not tried it but I imagine the biggest problem to the white spirit method if used indoors is the stink of the white spirit.
Gunk doesn't smell too good either, but at least it's water-soluable, where WS is oil-based.

As a matter of interest, I tried petrol as a cleaning agent recently. At least after it evaporates it is non-smelly, but it doesn't wash the grit out so well as it dries too quickly.

Petrol is cheap though at £1.20 a litre, as opposed to nearly a fiver for a litre for Gunk. White Sprit is a couple of quid per litre maybe, so still more expensive than petrol, but you can buy it much cheaper if you shop around.
Mick F. Cornwall
GarethF
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Re: Chain lubricant advice

Post by GarethF »

Gunk was what I was told to use by my LBS when I was old enough to learn this vital skill. The key step, he imparted (with a knowing wink, and a check that nobody was listening from the back of the shop), is to rinse very thoroughly in your chosen vessel (say a washing up bowl, for instance), before placing on a baking tray in a low oven to dry entirely before replacing on the bike and relubing. This, particularly that last bit, to be completed 'before your Mum gets home'. This works great, but I find I'm reluctant to break a 10 or 11 speed chain if I can avoid it.
lead-legs
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Re: Chain lubricant advice

Post by lead-legs »

Please don't use petrol for chain cleaning. White spirit has a flash point of ~ +40c petrol has a flash point of ~ -40c.

Those vapours that you can smell at highly flammable!!!!

I'm a trendy consumer. Just look at my MotoG3 using hovercraft full of eels.
freeflow
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Re: Chain lubricant advice

Post by freeflow »

If you live in a hard water area then you need something to rinse off the water that will dry and leave deposits precisely where you don't want them. That's why I now do the final rinse in isopropanol rather than water.

Crud only sticks to the chain if there is something on the chain for it to be stuck with, so wiping off the chain until the outer plates are dry to the touch is a must if you want to minimise crud colection. As lubes will spread on standing then you need also to wipe the chain after every ride using a dry absorbent cloth. I just wish there was a simpler way to effectively wipe between the links.

The reason I like and use Purple extreme is that I can lube a whole chain using a tiny amount of lube. But other solvent based lubes would probably work in a similar fashion.
Bmblbzzz
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Re: Chain lubricant advice

Post by Bmblbzzz »

Depends on the type of crud surely? Wet mud sticks to whatever it hits. Dry sand and fine dust will similarly settle on every surface. Larger particles will need something to cling to.

I'm beginning to think I probably value not breathing in petroleum spirits more than necessary more than chain life, though.
Brucey
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Re: Chain lubricant advice

Post by Brucey »

re 'drying a chain'; there is an easy way (which works very well provided both chain and water on it are very clean); you can drive off any remaining water by using a water displacing spray, eg GT85.

Needless to say there are more opinions on the subject of chain lubrication than there are possible chain lubes.

My view is that the best way of keeping a chain clean is....

.... not to get it dirty in the first place.... :wink:

cheers
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Brucey~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
esuhl
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Joined: 22 Mar 2017, 3:20am

Re: Chain lubricant advice

Post by esuhl »

gloomyandy wrote:I've had reasonable success (on 10 speed chains) using Squirt dry lube. My method is to fit the new chain and ride it until the factory lube is no longer doing the job, then deep clean the chain using white spirit (off the bike) and re-lube with Squirt. When the chain needs more lube (depends on number of rides and conditions) I use one of those industrial wipes to clean the surface of the chain (by simply running the chain through the wipe while the chain is still on the bike), this seems to remove the dirt and wax build up mentioned above and restores to the chain to free movement, then apply more Squirt.


I'd never thought of using industrial wipes! That's a great tip - I've even got a tub next to my bike stuff, but somehow it never occurred to me. Duh!

But yeah, Squirt is the best lube I've tried. It doesn't attract grit and gunk up like oil. It's so much easier to degrease the cassette and chain (which I need to do less regularly than with oil).

I'm surprised that more people don't use it. But everyone seems to have their own idiosyncratic methods when it comes to chain cleaning.

One thing I just discovered is that fluorescent yellow Muc-Off drivetrain cleaner. Totally amazing stuff. It just dissolves grease.
Roadster
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Re: Chain lubricant advice

Post by Roadster »

Bmblbzzz wrote:I've not tried it but I imagine the biggest problem to the white spirit method if used indoors is the stink of the white spirit.

As I keep saying, there's also "Bartolene Premium Low Odour White Spirit", which is a lot less stinky than the ordinary stuff. This is cheap and widely available in 2L bottles from DIY stores etc. - I got mine from B&Q.
niknakmb
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Joined: 26 Sep 2016, 7:12pm

Re: Chain lubricant advice

Post by niknakmb »

Luckily I work in a garage with a hot degreasing machine with the degreaser pumped through a hose to a brush on the end and holes for the crud in the bottom of the bath. It does a wonderful job and in seconds, then dry with paper and use the air line to remove any remaining fluid.
It was a godsend when I restored an old 80's bike.

I'm a trendy consumer. Just look at my GT-P3110 using hovercraft full of eels.
laager
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Joined: 10 Jun 2017, 8:46am

Post by laager »

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Last edited by laager on 20 Apr 2018, 12:04am, edited 2 times in total.
pliptrot
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Re: Chain lubricant advice

Post by pliptrot »

Do Campagnolo still recommend you never remove a chain - just wipe it over? Back in the real world I found myself in possession of Shimano chains and not enough joining pins - so having tried most cleaning methods my preferred technique is:

clean with citrus degreaser and a chain cleaner (rotating brushes in a plastic box).
pressure wash chain with water(keep spray of the BB and freehub)!
spray with GT85 or WD40.

And here is my point: Then use Purple Extreme. I have tried many lubes, and this is by far my favourite. I would use paraffin wax if I could see a way to neatly break and join chains. I don't trust quick links for multiple use.
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