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How stop my chain going black/stiff/greasy ??

bilabonicbilabonic Posts: 299
edited July 2009 in Road beginners
Hi All

After fitting new chain i stripped all the existing thick oil it came supplied with and added this as recommended by my LBS.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/TF2-Bike-Maintena ... tsupported

After 2 days my chain is now black/sticky and stiff ??

This stuff went on nice and clear/thin on a spotless chain ???

Anyone recommend anything else.

Cheers
Specialized Epic FSR Carbon Comp
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Posts

  • AnonymousAnonymous Posts: 79,667
    A new LBS.
  • GarzGarz Posts: 1,155
    Or dont apply so much tar to the chain! :)
  • tmgtmg Posts: 651
    suggest you clean it and then go and buy some proper bike specific lube, such as finish line, not something you can use on Boats!
  • keyser_sozekeyser_soze Posts: 90
    I agree with the above -Finish Line (wet of course) is what I use and never had any problems.
  • simmo3801simmo3801 Posts: 486
    I use the mickel method and since starting that I have never had any probs with my chain or cogs. Tkae an old lint free rag and hold the bottom run of chain with it whilst turning the pedals (easier in bike stand). Keep spinning then lube chain. Wipe with rag again as before and keep lubing and wiping until no more black stuff comes off onto rag. " or 3 times a week and it only takes 3 or 4 mins. Chain looks like new everty time....
    Giant Anthem X3 2013
  • pabloweaverpabloweaver Posts: 444
    NapoleonD wrote:
    A new LBS.

    got to be honest I'm an astounded convert to your baby wipe recommendation !






    er....not sure if that came out all wrong ! :lol: :?
    http://www.northcheshireclarion.co.uk/

    Great club in and around the Warrington area.
  • Takis61Takis61 Posts: 239
    +1 on the babywipes.
    That can looks suspiciously like the lube I am using, bought from Decathlon - I clean the chain after my long ride weekly but I have had problems with it sticking to the front chainrings.
    I'm going back to Finishline.
    My knees hurt !
  • Frank the tankFrank the tank Posts: 6,553
    I clean my chains with white spirit. Please yourself with regards to lube depending on the time of year/conditions you'll be riding in.
    Tail end Charlie

    The above post may contain traces of sarcasm or/and bullsh*t.
  • teulkteulk Posts: 557
    a vote for white spirit, gets your chain squeeky clean ready to be lubed up again.
    Boardman Team 09 HT
    Orbea Aqua TTG CT 2010
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  • bilabonicbilabonic Posts: 299
    Cheers, going to clean it with white spirit then relube with wet finish line or similar.

    Will keep the spray for my boat.
    Specialized Epic FSR Carbon Comp
  • doog442doog442 Posts: 370
    dont be so hasty..ive used that stuff for several years now without issue

    as recommended by numerous persons on these forums

    Are you sure you fully removed the original stuff :?:

    I damp a wet wipe in white spirit to clean the chain, apply tf2 and take the excess off with a rag.....no issues
  • pompeypoppypompeypoppy Posts: 182
    Out of interest how far did you ride in the 2 days after cleaning the bike, and was it in wet weather?
  • Surf-MattSurf-Matt Posts: 5,952
    I bought a Muc Off chain cleaner a while back for the MTBs. Heathen actions of a lazy bike retard but it does a grand job :oops: :lol:

    Then use Proline Gold to lube it and GT85 for daily lubing. So far (4500 miles on one bike) so good.
  • HeadhuunterHeadhuunter Posts: 6,494
    I just use the cheapo Decathlon stuff, you can buy a combined degreaser and lube together. Never had any probs. Sounds like it wasn't properly clean the 1st time but it was a new chain so it sounds very strange. Where have you been riding? What sort of weather conditions?
    Do not write below this line. Office use only.
  • flasherflasher Posts: 1,734
    bilabonic wrote:
    After fitting new chain i stripped all the existing thick oil it came supplied with and added this as recommended by my LBS.
    Sheldon Brown wrote:

    New chains come pre-lubricated with a grease-type lubricant which has been installed at the factory. This is an excellent lubricant, and has been made to permeate all of the internal interstices in the chain.
    This factory lube is superior to any lube that you can apply after the fact.

    Some people make the bad mistake of deliberately removing this superior lubricant. Don't do this!

    The factory lubricant all by itself is usually good for several hundred miles of service if the bike is not ridden in wet or dusty conditions. It is best not to apply any sort of lube to a new chain until it is clearly needed, because any wet lube you can apply will dilute the factory lube.
  • ian_sian_s Posts: 183
    As per Flasher, I too was wondering what the reason was to remove the original lube?
  • il_principeil_principe Posts: 9,152
    ian_s wrote:
    As per Flasher, I too was wondering what the reason was to remove the original lube?

    'xactly - Sheldon is spot on in my book. I use the KMC method and never ever degrease the chain on my best roadie. I just clean and lube it regularly.

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

    The OP has basically bought a factory lubed chain, removed the proper lube and replaced it with an inferior product...
    2015 Canyon Aeroad CF SLX
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    On the Strand
    Crown Stables
  • mjd611mjd611 Posts: 46
    Appologies for going over things that have already been mentioned, but i'm a little confused. In the past i would never degrease my chain, i would oil every month or so with 3in1, and clean the bike every 2-3 months.

    BUT now i have a new trek 1.2 and i think i need to change my habits. Here's what i'm thinking (assuming use in relatively dry british summer):

    Every 200-300 miles - with the chian on the bike use Muc-Off Water Soluble Degreaser, wipe clean with damp cloth, dry, finish line road lubricant.

    Every 800-1000 miles - remove chain, leave in white spirits and repeat until clean, wiple clean with damp cloth, finish line road lubricant.

    Does that sound ok? Thanks in advance
  • softladsoftlad Posts: 3,513
    mjd611 wrote:
    Appologies for going over things that have already been mentioned, but i'm a little confused. In the past i would never degrease my chain, i would oil every month or so with 3in1, and clean the bike every 2-3 months.

    BUT now i have a new trek 1.2 and i think i need to change my habits. Here's what i'm thinking (assuming use in relatively dry british summer):

    Every 200-300 miles - with the chian on the bike use Muc-Off Water Soluble Degreaser, wipe clean with damp cloth, dry, finish line road lubricant.

    Every 800-1000 miles - remove chain, leave in white spirits and repeat until clean, wiple clean with damp cloth, finish line road lubricant.

    Does that sound ok? Thanks in advance

    sounds unnecessarily complicated to me. I tend to wipe my chain with an old towel after every ride, and then re-lube with a light spray lube like GT85, or WD40. Every few weeks I will have the rear wheel off the bike to properly clean in between the sprockets - and that's about it.

    The chain is a remarkably simple device - it only needs to be kept clean, dry and usefully lubed to do its job well....
  • ju5t1nju5t1n Posts: 2,028
    mjd611 wrote:
    Appologies for going over things that have already been mentioned, but i'm a little confused. In the past i would never degrease my chain, i would oil every month or so with 3in1, and clean the bike every 2-3 months.

    BUT now i have a new trek 1.2 and i think i need to change my habits. Here's what i'm thinking (assuming use in relatively dry british summer):

    Every 200-300 miles - with the chian on the bike use Muc-Off Water Soluble Degreaser, wipe clean with damp cloth, dry, finish line road lubricant.

    Every 800-1000 miles - remove chain, leave in white spirits and repeat until clean, wiple clean with damp cloth, finish line road lubricant.

    Does that sound ok? Thanks in advance

    The KMC link above has some good advice including "Avoid the use of solvents..."

    White spirit IS a solvent and won't do your chain any good at all
  • softladsoftlad Posts: 3,513
    ju5t1n wrote:
    White spirit IS a solvent and won't do your chain any good at all

    I think you may have misunderstood.....

    White spirit may be a solvent - but a solvent is exactly what is needed if you want to degrease your chain. It won't do the chain any harm at all...
  • hamstrichhamstrich Posts: 112
    Seems odd though that KMC would recommend against the use of solvents if there was no risk of harming the chain... perhaps the issue is that with a solvent it's possible to completely degrease the chain, and it may then be difficult to re-lubricate the inner moving parts?
    softlad wrote:
    ju5t1n wrote:
    White spirit IS a solvent and won't do your chain any good at all

    I think you may have misunderstood.....

    White spirit may be a solvent - but a solvent is exactly what is needed if you want to degrease your chain. It won't do the chain any harm at all...
  • Surf-MattSurf-Matt Posts: 5,952
    I get a about 3000+ miles from my chains using my simple cleaning/lubing method.

    Reckon that's not bad.
  • GeorgeShawGeorgeShaw Posts: 764
    hamstrich wrote:
    Seems odd though that KMC would recommend against the use of solvents if there was no risk of harming the chain... perhaps the issue is that with a solvent it's possible to completely degrease the chain, and it may then be difficult to re-lubricate the inner moving parts?
    softlad wrote:
    ju5t1n wrote:
    White spirit IS a solvent and won't do your chain any good at all

    I think you may have misunderstood.....

    White spirit may be a solvent - but a solvent is exactly what is needed if you want to degrease your chain. It won't do the chain any harm at all...

    I think that is the point. Solvent is light will penetrate all moving parts and remove lubrication. Oil is heavy and may not penetrate everywhere. Maybe the chains are lubed under pressure at the factory, or something?
  • softladsoftlad Posts: 3,513
    hamstrich wrote:
    Seems odd though that KMC would recommend against the use of solvents if there was no risk of harming the chain... perhaps the issue is that with a solvent it's possible to completely degrease the chain, and it may then be difficult to re-lubricate the inner moving parts?

    a regualr oil-based solvent like white spirit will remove the lube, but it categorically will not harm a chain - that can't really be argued. Re-lubing moving parts is straightforward enough.....
  • mjd611mjd611 Posts: 46
    softlad wrote:
    mjd611 wrote:
    Appologies for going over things that have already been mentioned, but i'm a little confused. In the past i would never degrease my chain, i would oil every month or so with 3in1, and clean the bike every 2-3 months.

    BUT now i have a new trek 1.2 and i think i need to change my habits. Here's what i'm thinking (assuming use in relatively dry british summer):

    Every 200-300 miles - with the chian on the bike use Muc-Off Water Soluble Degreaser, wipe clean with damp cloth, dry, finish line road lubricant.

    Every 800-1000 miles - remove chain, leave in white spirits and repeat until clean, wiple clean with damp cloth, finish line road lubricant.

    Does that sound ok? Thanks in advance

    sounds unnecessarily complicated to me. I tend to wipe my chain with an old towel after every ride, and then re-lube with a light spray lube like GT85, or WD40. Every few weeks I will have the rear wheel off the bike to properly clean in between the sprockets - and that's about it.

    The chain is a remarkably simple device - it only needs to be kept clean, dry and usefully lubed to do its job well....

    I am greatful for your reply, but i thought WD40 was really bad to use on a bike?
  • HeadhuunterHeadhuunter Posts: 6,494
    mjd611 wrote:
    softlad wrote:
    mjd611 wrote:
    Appologies for going over things that have already been mentioned, but i'm a little confused. In the past i would never degrease my chain, i would oil every month or so with 3in1, and clean the bike every 2-3 months.

    BUT now i have a new trek 1.2 and i think i need to change my habits. Here's what i'm thinking (assuming use in relatively dry british summer):

    Every 200-300 miles - with the chian on the bike use Muc-Off Water Soluble Degreaser, wipe clean with damp cloth, dry, finish line road lubricant.

    Every 800-1000 miles - remove chain, leave in white spirits and repeat until clean, wiple clean with damp cloth, finish line road lubricant.

    Does that sound ok? Thanks in advance

    sounds unnecessarily complicated to me. I tend to wipe my chain with an old towel after every ride, and then re-lube with a light spray lube like GT85, or WD40. Every few weeks I will have the rear wheel off the bike to properly clean in between the sprockets - and that's about it.

    The chain is a remarkably simple device - it only needs to be kept clean, dry and usefully lubed to do its job well....

    I am greatful for your reply, but i thought WD40 was really bad to use on a bike?

    Yes I thought so too, WD40 actually washes lubricant out I thuoght
    Do not write below this line. Office use only.
  • Surf-MattSurf-Matt Posts: 5,952
    Based on no scientific evidence, I find GT85 much better than WD40 on a chain.
  • softladsoftlad Posts: 3,513
    mjd611 wrote:

    I am greatful for your reply, but i thought WD40 was really bad to use on a bike?

    WD is a light lube in a carrier solvent - I like it as a chain lube because it is non-sticky and keeps the chain free of all the shite that the tyres kick up. I think GT85 is better, but I have never used anything heavier than that....
  • softladsoftlad Posts: 3,513
    Surf-Matt wrote:
    Based on no scientific evidence, I find GT85 much better than WD40 on a chain.

    agreed. these days, I tend to use WD as a cleaner, then re-lube with GT....
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