New chain -with or without grease?

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Garry Booth
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Joined: 12 Jan 2010, 11:22am

New chain -with or without grease?

Post by Garry Booth »

When mounting a new chain do people put it straight on (sized obvs) with the grease coating - or is it best to clean the grease off?
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andrew_s
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Re: New chain -with or without grease?

Post by andrew_s »

Leave it on.

It lasts longer than any lubricant you might replace it with, and it's properly applied to the innards, between the pin and the inner sideplate, where it's most needed.
Tiberius
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Re: New chain -with or without grease?

Post by Tiberius »

andrew_s wrote: 13 Jan 2022, 10:08pm Leave it on.

It lasts longer than any lubricant you might replace it with, and it's properly applied to the innards, between the pin and the inner sideplate, where it's most needed.
+1.... :wink:
simonhill
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Re: New chain -with or without grease?

Post by simonhill »

Brucey used to say it was the best lubrication your chain will ever have.

I'm slightly embarrassed to say that I rode over a thou Kms on a well greased new chain before needing to start my own lubrication regime. (Dry muck free conditions.) Normally, I reckon on about 300kms..
Blondie
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Re: New chain -with or without grease?

Post by Blondie »

Yep best lubricant is the stuff the chain comes with
gcogger
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Re: New chain -with or without grease?

Post by gcogger »

I tend to wipe the outer surfaces of the chain with a rag that's dampened with something like WD40. The original lube is very sticky, so this removes the lube from where it's not needed (and only attracts dirt) but leaves it where it is needed.
rogerzilla
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Re: New chain -with or without grease?

Post by rogerzilla »

It varies. The stuff SRAM uses was supposed to be good and was identified as Gleitmo about 20 years ago, but may have changed since. The stuff Shimano uses, certainly on an HG53, will allow the chain to rust at the drop of a hat. Some KMC chains are very greasy and some are almost dry.

After suffering several rusty chains after only a couple of rides, I strip off whatever was there and oil with Finish Line wet lube.
bgnukem
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Re: New chain -with or without grease?

Post by bgnukem »

Some of the new chains I've had recently have almost nothing on them.

The thick, sticky lube which coats some chains is good stuff but at this time of year will attract loads of dirt so you may want to clean the chain once it becomes too dirty as the muck will just act as grinding paste.
Garry Booth
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Joined: 12 Jan 2010, 11:22am

Re: New chain -with or without grease?

Post by Garry Booth »

Thanks people for the input. For interest, this is a very sticky KMC (9sp)
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freiston
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Re: New chain -with or without grease?

Post by freiston »

Garry Booth wrote: 14 Jan 2022, 11:29am Thanks people for the input. For interest, this is a very sticky KMC (9sp)
My B'twin branded 9 spd KMC chain was very sticky too. I put it on as-is and left it like that for a few weeks until a couple of small rust spots developed on the outer plates (after some riding in wet mucky conditions), then I rag-wiped with WD40, oiled, rag-wiped without WD40. I had intended to clean the sticky stuff off the outer plates when new as gcogger recommended but never got round to it. I have a long front mudguard with flap, so it wouldn't have picked up as much muck as some chains might.
Disclaimer: Treat what I say with caution and if possible, wait for someone with more knowledge and experience to contribute. ;)
Stevek76
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Re: New chain -with or without grease?

Post by Stevek76 »

Would leave the stuff inside the chain, if you want to clean the grease on the outside because you prefer a dry or wax lube then that's usually considered ok.
The contents of this post, unless otherwise stated, are opinions of the author and may actually be complete codswallop
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Mick F
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Re: New chain -with or without grease?

Post by Mick F »

The first thing I do with a new chain, is degrease it. Always have done, and will continue to do so.
Gunk, or similar, or white spirit. Clean it so you could eat with it.
Then, lube it with proper chain lubricant bought especially for the use you are going to put the chain to.
Brucey and me would disagree, and have done on the many threads on here regarding this subject.
If the stuff that's on the new chain is so good, why can't you buy it?

I reckon, that chain manufacturers put whatever-they-put-on-it to preserve the chain in its wrapping for storage and for display, and not for YOUR chain in the Real World.

Clean it, then lube it.
Mick F. Cornwall
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Tigerbiten
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Re: New chain -with or without grease?

Post by Tigerbiten »

I only tend to thin it a bit.
When running the chain at ~200 rpm I can feel the extra drag from the thick packing grease.

Luck ........ :D
MartinC
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Re: New chain -with or without grease?

Post by MartinC »

Mick F wrote: 16 Jan 2022, 1:54pm ......If the stuff that's on the new chain is so good, why can't you buy it?.......
Genuine question - how do you know you can't? The stuff you buy to put on your chain is made so that you can apply it easily. In the factory they can put grease on it and in it. I've got various kinds of grease in the shed but I don't know how to use it as chain lube.
Jdsk
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Re: New chain -with or without grease?

Post by Jdsk »

simonhill wrote: 14 Jan 2022, 8:21am Brucey used to say it was the best lubrication your chain will ever have.
Mick F wrote: 16 Jan 2022, 1:54pmBrucey and me would disagree, and have done on the many threads on here regarding this subject.
Sheldon Brown on Factory Lube:
https://www.sheldonbrown.com/chains.html#factory

Jonathan
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