Is Purple Extreme to thin and dry for a chain lube?

on-yer-bike

I cleaned my KMC chain in white spirit, dried it out over night and lubed with Purple Extreme. At the end of a 100 mile sportive it was squeaking like hell. A reputable mechanic has told me he thinks its rubbish as it is too thin and dry and that i should use a more viscous wet lube like White Lightening Wet Ride. Any suggestions?

giant_man

Yes. It is rubbish. And so is White Lightening.

http://bicycletutor.com/lubricants/

http://bicycletutor.com/no-wd40-bike-chain/

http://bicycletutor.com/chain-lubrication/

Wooliferkins

Why use white spirit it is oil based amongst a number of other unlisted chemicals? No one knows what is in it which is why it is not used in industry anymore. Use a proper degreaser, let it dry apply Purple let it dry as per destructions. I've been using Purple Extreme for years now no problem. It was original an underwater drill lube so properly applied it's just fine.

GyatsoLa

I think if you read the KMC website, you will see that they specifically say not to use solvents on the chain.

http://www.kmcchain.com/index.php?ln=en&fn=service#2

In using white spirit, you probably removed the lubricant within the bearings (the important stuff).

I've used Purple Extreme for years, works very well for me..

on-yer-bike

GyatsoLa wrote:

I think if you read the KMC website, you will see that they specifically say not to use solvents on the chain.

http://www.kmcchain.com/index.php?ln=en&fn=service#2

In using white spirit, you probably removed the lubricant within the bearings (the important stuff).

I've used Purple Extreme for years, works very well for me..

I have read it and the stuff that comes on the chain is sticky gunk which you can't really leave on there after it's covered in grit. This only takes a couple of rides.

Wappygixer

I've recently been using rock n roll gold which has been fantastic.
3 weeks on my winter bike through rain and all and its still fine and dandy.
I bought some finish line ceramic wet lube at the same time (i like to experiment) and it to was good but very dirty, my chain turned black after one 40 mile ride and I always degrease my chain in a parts washer.

Its OK going off what chain makers list on their websites but most don't take into account UK conditions of heavy rain, salt spread all over our roads for 4 months a year.Even if you didn't drgrease your chain, in those conditions how long do you think the grease would stay put in the rollers?Ever had a squeaky chain?Do you really think grease was still anywhere in their?

synchronicity

I found that all those wax-based lubes did not stand up to extreme lubrication intervals seen with my rental bikes. They were also getting too pricey, even at only €3 for a small applicator bottle. At that rate, I'd be spending 150€ / year just in chain lube. :shock:

So I've been using....


wait for it...




(I know I'll get flamed for this)





Plain old 5W engine oil.

Primarily because this stuff is CHEAP and will last two weeks or more between applications. It's also easy to wipe off with a rag & reapply (I do this every week, on every drivetrain). I've got some utterly fantastic mileage out of chains ever since using it.

1 litre (€5-10) is enough to last me all year, if not two or three. That's for a whole darn fleet of 20+ bikes which see a lot of hard use, including extended climbing, volcanic dust and sometimes rainy weather. I had a dude come back after 2 whole weeks training, 1000km he said he'd done, and the chain was still running quietly ok.

Sure some people will say that it's too thick to lube the roller bushings and whatnot. Well the other alternative is motorbike chain oil... some of those really do look like they contain teflon additives. :arrow: And when you think about it, the performance requirements of a motorbike chain are WAY higher than that of a bicycle chain.

Having said all that, I must confess that I still prefer wax lubes on my own bikes... if only because they don't stain yer right-side calf muscle quite so easily.

sward29

I've found purple extreme to be better than wax lubes or dry lubes such as finish line. It makes the chain almost silent in usage and doesn't attract much dirt. I use degreaser rather than white spirit to clean the chain though so that may be the cause of your problems.

Crapaud

synchronicity wrote:

I found that all those wax-based lubes did not stand up to extreme lubrication intervals ...

I'm a big fan of White Lightning. It's true though that the chain does need a re-application after a reasonably long ride, but it does reduce chain wear by a considerable amount in the right conditions.

When I did the Tour du Canada I started with a completely new drive-chain: new chain-rings, chain, cassette and jockey wheels. For the first half I used my usual FinishLine lube. At the half way point there was quite a bit of wear despite frequent, almost religious, maintainence. It was about what I would expect.

Half way, I fitted a new chain and started using White Lightning, applying it after each days ride. It took a couple of applications to work it's way into the chain, but when it did it made a huge difference: complete silence from the chain and smooth, smoooooooth gear changing. During the second half the chain remained clean and I didn't have to do anything to it. The amount of wear was negligable! I've since re-newed the chain a couple of times, but I'm still riding the same cassette and chain-rings! They'll probably need replaced sometime this year.

I should point out, though, that the weather conditions were perfect for wax - dry and warm.

madbutch75

I used purp on my trek 8500 for over 6 years and my gears and chain ran like clockwork through rain mud dust and snow. Just have to let it dry after applying. Also is the only one I used that doesn't clog up n the rear mech. Cracking stuff.

svetty

A whole 9 year grave-dig! Chapeau :roll:

veronese68

Svetty wrote:

A whole 9 year grave-dig! Chapeau :roll:

Well he read the thread three years previously and then spent the next six testing the stuff. That's true dedication to researching your response before posting.