Chain lube

[georgew]

are there ANY greases/lubriants thant DONT attract much and still do the job? if they stick to the chain, muck will stick to the lube?

Indeed there is one which I've found will lube the chain and yet attract no grit at all and it's this one.
https://www.scottoiler.com/us/products/ ... ution.html


This is not oil based and works and will deter muck and grit even when sprayed on the frame and I've used it for quite a few years now.
Best product I've ever used.

No connection blah...blah..blah.

[Gattonero]

are there ANY greases/lubriants thant DONT attract much and still do the job? if they stick to the chain, muck will stick to the lube?

Regardless of the lubricant, wet roads will spray the whole bike anyway, so the answer is "no" because the road-spray will always be there
You can reduce this, by using a relatively lighter lubricant, and applying it in small quantities and more often, so that every couple hundred miles you wipe-off and apply again.
If you lubricate the chain a lot, it will ooze and make a mess of the drivetrain, hence the need to a full-degrasing.

[Psamathe]

Question: (Probably doing something wrong, hence the question). I clean my chain, re-lube it applying too much e.g. "Wetride" of Finish Line Wet, leave it a few hours then run the chain through a rag to wipe off the excess. Then I leave it too long, maybe in a hurry add a bit more lube ('cos I'm off out on my ride) and get build-up of cruddy lumps of black greasy gunge. My house (indoors where the bike is kept) does have a fair amount of fluff/hair around (dog) so a tacky surface might be collecting airborne fluff (made worse as dog likes to lie next to bike - resting against front wheel and she can't settle these days so keeps moving around).

When I clean the chain I also remove this crud from the chainwheel & cassette (using chain degreaser and a paint brush).

Is this build-up just part of life with a chain or am I leaving it too long between chain/cog cleanings?

Ian

[Brucey]

...Is this build-up just part of life with a chain or am I leaving it too long between chain/cog cleanings?

you probably are leaving it too long too, but IME it is exactly symptomatic of using those lubes.

cheers

[reohn2]

are there ANY greases/lubriants thant DONT attract much and still do the job? if they stick to the chain, muck will stick to the lube?

Regardless of the lubricant, wet roads will spray the whole bike anyway, so the answer is "no" because the road-spray will always be there
You can reduce this, by using a relatively lighter lubricant, and applying it in small quantities and more often, so that every couple hundred miles you wipe-off and apply again.
If you lubricate the chain a lot, it will ooze and make a mess of the drivetrain, hence the need to a full-degrasing.

That's the ticket
And alway lube after a ride never just before,it allows the lube to soak in and dry off so it attracts less road grit

[kwackers]

Is this build-up just part of life with a chain or am I leaving it too long between chain/cog cleanings?

I like the crud. It keeps salt and road grit stuck to the outside but isn't fluid enough to circulate and take the grit with it. When I spray it with 'dry' lubricant it seems to wick through it anyway before the solvent evaporates leaving more goo.

6000 miles between chains when I did that. 2000 when I did it 'properly' - well, cleaning it on the bike, lubing after a ride and wiping it down if that can be counted as properly.

I'm going to continue with the dry lubricant but I'm also trying a slightly different tack.
Two chains which I'll rotate every two weeks and clean the one not on the bike properly when I get a moment. If nothing else I reckon the cassette will last longer since worn chains are what kills it and two chains must logically wear at half the rate of one...

[mercalia]

are there ANY greases/lubriants thant DONT attract much and still do the job? if they stick to the chain, muck will stick to the lube?

Indeed there is one which I've found will lube the chain and yet attract no grit at all and it's this one.
https://www.scottoiler.com/us/products/ ... ution.html


This is not oil based and works and will deter muck and grit even when sprayed on the frame and I've used it for quite a few years now.
Best product I've ever used.

No connection blah...blah..blah.

". The solution is water based which makes it easy to apply and also to remove (if necessary). UBS is designed to be applied on a daily basis, or after every run, or every time you wash your bike. Whatever works best for your riding pattern. "

I think when it rains you will be in trouble? and every day? not me

[reohn2]

The answer is TF2 aerosol spray,a light lube,relatively water resistant and cheap

[MikeDee]

The best lube I've used (and I've used a bunch) is Lilly Lube.

[LinusR]

I generally don't have too much problem with keeping my chain lubed and clean. I gave up using any de-greaser 15 years ago. The theory being is that the de-greaser may still be present in between the parts even after washing off. Not much can get into the workings of a newish chain except oil and water. So I'd rather leave whatever oil is left there and not introduce something that will displace or disolve it.

I clean my bike with a dilute washing up liquid solution using very hot water, using a brush and a rag. Then I rinse it with hot water from a watering can with a tiny amount of washing up liquid in it. I give the chain a good wipe with a j-cloth or similar clean rag. I may spray some GT85 or WD40 onto a rag and run the chain through it. I don't clean my road bikes after every ride except after using wet roads. The off-road bikes get a bit more cleaning.

In the dry I use Finish Line Dry Lube. In the winter if the roads are wet or if it is forecast to rain I used to use the Finish Line Wet Lube. This was fine as long as I didn't use too much. I found it best to painstakingly dab a drop on each roller, rotate the chain a few times and then give it a good wipe with a dry cloth. I try to get away with the minimum amount of oil.
Recently (since I have litre of it) I've been using EP90 Gear Oil which I bought to lube a freehub body. Again, I just painstakingly dab a drop on each roller, rotate the crank a few times and wipe it down thoroughly with a clean rag. This seems to work very well so far and it is a fraction of the price of bike lube.

I use the cheapest Sram or KMC 10 speed chains. I check for wear with a chain checker. Any hint of wear approaching 0.075mm on a Rohlof Caliber 2 gauge https://www.rohloff.de/en/products/tools/ I replace the chain. (I go through lots of chains but few cassettes)

So my tips are: don't bother using any de-greaser, clean it often, wipe the chain by hand with a clean cloth, never spray oil directly onto the chain (or anywhere on your bike), lube little and often, replace the chain after any noticeable wear. I've also found Tesco Baby Wipes very good for cleaning the chain and also the derailleur pulleys. I'm not sure why these work so well (they are used for wiping a kids buttock) but once a London bike courier demonstrated cleaning a filthy chain with a few I've done the same. they cost about £1 for a pack. Also good for wiping your hands after roadside repairs. Dispose of sensibly.

[reohn2]

White Spirit degreases and evaporates off afterwards if the excess is wiped off and then the chain left hung up for 20 minutes or so afterwards.
Cleaning a chain with degeaser gets any road grit and grinding paste out of the chain such as under the rollers and more importantly IMO between inner and outer plates which causes side slop and elongation in short order if not cleaned out with something,degreaser is that something.

TF2 aerosol spray gets into the innermost parts of the chain and stays put in anything but day long rain.
I lube the chain twice after cleaning, letting it soak and then wipe of any excess lube with an old t shirt or similar from chain,jockey wheels,cassette and chainrings.
I never lube the chain just before a ride but after riding so it soaks in and dries ready for the next ride,this is important for not attracting the road dust,grit and muck which kills chains.

My 2d's worth

[Fraz101]

What do you all think of this as a chain cleaner

https://autosmart.co.uk/cg10214d-g101.html

[reohn2]

What do you all think of this as a chain cleaner

https://autosmart.co.uk/cg10214d-g101.html

No idea,I find White Spirit is cheap and effective.
If you use it in a chain scrubber or put the chain in a jam jar with a lid on filled have full with the chain in it,then shook for a couple of minutes,The excess WS can be saved and when settled reused again and again

[georgew]

are there ANY greases/lubriants thant DONT attract much and still do the job? if they stick to the chain, muck will stick to the lube?

Indeed there is one which I've found will lube the chain and yet attract no grit at all and it's this one.
https://www.scottoiler.com/us/products/ ... ution.html


This is not oil based and works and will deter muck and grit even when sprayed on the frame and I've used it for quite a few years now.
Best product I've ever used.

No connection blah...blah..blah.

". The solution is water based which makes it easy to apply and also to remove (if necessary). UBS is designed to be applied on a daily basis, or after every run, or every time you wash your bike. Whatever works best for your riding pattern. "

I think when it rains you will be in trouble? and every day? not me

I've now used it for several years as have my friends and have found that it only needs renewed after heavy and sustained rain so that has never been a problem. The chain and block are always free from dirt and grit even in muddy conditions but if you prefer to continue to use your recycled chip fat then have at it.

[hemo]

I never clean chains with any degreaser or other solution, wet weather and winter usually does a good job of clearing muck and lube off a chain so every now and then I just give them a lube of ep90. An old cloth sometimes to run the chain through to remove most surface gunk other wise just an oil up and a thin pick to clean between gears on the cassettes. I have 5 bikes and have only replaced 2 chains on all of them in the past 5 years.