Recommend me a chain lube please
Comments
-
softlad wrote:broachboy wrote:Since being told by LBS, Wiggle & GT85 direct that the product is not suitable for more than a 1hr plus ride in wet conditions, not to by used as a long term lubricant in the dry, I use my GT85 as a frame cleaner & protectant, though I suppose I blow it over the mechs if they are wet after a ride .... :roll: :?:
Practical experience suggests otherwise. I use GT85 in all weathers, and typically my rides are anything between 1.5 - 4 hours around the sh1t-covered roads of west Wales. The transmission stays clean and quiet. What else can I say - I've been using it for 10-15 years and no plans to change....
Out of interest softlad, do you use the hand trigger big bottle or the standard aerosol :?:
I imagine the non aerosol to be easier to apply for some reason ?Regards
Andy B
Colnago Active 2004
Guerciotti Alero 2008
Cinelli Vigorelli Road 2018
Colnago C60 PLWH 20180 -
just the standard aerosol - I didn't even know there was a hand trigger bottle.....0
-
softlad wrote:just the standard aerosol - I didn't even know there was a hand trigger bottle.....
Take a look ...
http://www.gt85.co.uk/products.htm
maybe the 'feel' of the trigger gives a better flow ?Regards
Andy B
Colnago Active 2004
Guerciotti Alero 2008
Cinelli Vigorelli Road 2018
Colnago C60 PLWH 20180 -
I would guess the aerosol gives a better flow when it comes to lubing a chain....0
-
I know this may not be hi tech.But i have used 3in1 for more than twenty years.It's cheap &it lubricates the chain in a kind of slippery way.I get about 3000miles out of a shimano HG50 chains so i think it's doing it's job ok.May be i'm not a sheep
TT photos http://www.flickr.com/photos/steverob/0 -
Airwave wrote:I know this may not be hi tech.But i have used 3in1 for more than twenty years.It's cheap &it lubricates the chain in a kind of slippery way.I get about 3000miles out of a shimano HG50 chains so i think it's doing it's job ok.May be i'm not a sheep
+1 ..... I'm with you. It's oil. Why wouldn't it work????
0 -
This is why I've mostly given up on these threads. Too many are reluctant to accept that their bicycle may not represent the highest pinnacle of technology, requiring the wooshiest and scienciest of lubricants, or else efficiency will suffer.dennisn wrote:At a grass roots level that's my opinion. Most others, it would seem, think otherwise.
I've used lots of different brands during my riding "career" and can't remember EVER being able to discern any difference in lubricating abilities in any of them. I have even used an entirely different brand right on top of another brand(without cleaning the chain) and it actually worked. I've even gone so far as to put an oil based lube on over a wax based one.
Lubricants are properly tested in high-speed, high-load environments like combustion engines, where steel things melt if they aren't properly lubricated. Low speed, high torque mechanisms like cycle transmissions could be lubed with spit, and they would work ok. I've said all this before, as have others, but everyone else loves their little placebo bottles. Meanwhile, I'll continue putting Motor oil, ATF, 3-in-1, WD40 (in a pinch) or whatever else is nearest on the bikes in my care, and they'll do fine.0 -
balthazar wrote:
This is why I've mostly given up on these threads. Too many are reluctant to accept that their bicycle may not represent the highest pinnacle of technology, requiring the wooshiest and scienciest of lubricants, or else efficiency will suffer.dennisn wrote:At a grass roots level that's my opinion. Most others, it would seem, think otherwise.
I've used lots of different brands during my riding "career" and can't remember EVER being able to discern any difference in lubricating abilities in any of them. I have even used an entirely different brand right on top of another brand(without cleaning the chain) and it actually worked. I've even gone so far as to put an oil based lube on over a wax based one.
Lubricants are properly tested in high-speed, high-load environments like combustion engines, where steel things melt if they aren't properly lubricated. Low speed, high torque mechanisms like cycle transmissions could be lubed with spit, and they would work ok. I've said all this before, as have others, but everyone else loves their little placebo bottles. Meanwhile, I'll continue putting Motor oil, ATF, 3-in-1, WD40 (in a pinch) or whatever else is nearest on the bikes in my care, and they'll do fine.
+1 ............Truer words were never spoken.0 -
Yes, but it's not about lubrication ability, it's about drivetrain cleanliness. Thus, indirectly, drivetrain wear and tolerance of one's partner to your choice of sport, particularly when cars or carpets are involved :-)
Seriously, any kind of oil does work fine, but you end up with a black mess over everything. Wax lubricants solve this but fail on the lubrication adequacy front - it simply doesn't lubricate effectively in the wet. RnR/Prolink seem to have found the magic medium - adequate lubrication and a really clean drivetrain!0 -
In the summer I use Squirt. It does flake off taking the dirt with it, keeping things clean and running quietly.
In the winter I think the choice is a black, quiet drivechain or an orange, squeaky one. I go for black, which I achieve with Finish Line Wet, 3-in-1 oil, Ford SAE 5W-30 or anything else to hand when I'm wiping down the chain0 -
huuregeil wrote:
Seriously, any kind of oil does work fine, but you end up with a black mess over everything. Wax lubricants solve this but fail on the lubrication adequacy front - it simply doesn't lubricate effectively in the wet.
I'm still with "balthazar" in the idea that bikes just aren't that "hi tech" and don't require specialty lubes. Waste of money and a false belief in "hype".
Why wouldn't a wax lube work in the wet????? Who says this??? What tests have THEY done to prove this???0 -
That's why I don't use Squirt in the winter. It's too expensive to liberally coat the chain every time I wipe it down, and their one drop per roller recommendation doesn't completely stop the chain from rusting.
Morning Dennis!0 -
Olive oil 0
-
That's it there. I don't remember everybody caring so much when chains were black to begin with; I suspect all the fuss escalated when bright-plated chains became common.huuregeil wrote:Yes, but it's not about lubrication ability, it's about drivetrain cleanliness. Thus, indirectly, drivetrain wear and tolerance of one's partner to your choice of sport, particularly when cars or carpets are involved :-)
It reminds me of the "leg shaving" dispute amongst male cyclists. For a long time, advocates of shaving would argue to the end of time that they did so for performance benefits; anything– any obscure, imaginary, esoteric reason would do, so long as they didn't have to admit to themselves or others that they shaved their legs because they liked the look of it, and for the tribal identity that shaved legs confer. I think those are good enough reasons – but their reluctance to confront them, shows that most do not.
Similarly, the "chain lube" discussion rages on because we love to keep our bicycles factory-fresh at all times, and the dirty chain appalls our sensibilities. That most liquids will sort of do the job, without noticeably troubling the function, permits any hare-brained idea to flourish, because there's no cost – apart from a dirty chain. Wax is probably below even spit in usefulness as a lubricant; flakes of dry stuff which are immediately displaced from the interface? A joke, that noticeably does fail in use, as you say; yet, use of it perseveres, such is the obsession with a clean chain.
Everywhere in industry that steel lubrication is critical, lubricating oil is used. Just because snake oil chain preparations aren't immediately exposed as phoney, doesn't vindicate them. Oil the chain! Free the people!0 -
balthazar wrote:
That's it there. I don't remember everybody caring so much when chains were black to begin with; I suspect all the fuss escalated when bright-plated chains became common.huuregeil wrote:Yes, but it's not about lubrication ability, it's about drivetrain cleanliness. Thus, indirectly, drivetrain wear and tolerance of one's partner to your choice of sport, particularly when cars or carpets are involved :-)
It reminds me of the "leg shaving" dispute amongst male cyclists. For a long time, advocates of shaving would argue to the end of the time that they did so for performance benefits; anything– any obscure, imaginary, esoteric reason would do, so long as they didn't have to admit to themselves or others that they shaved their legs because they liked the look of it, and the for tribal identity that shaved legs confer. I think those are good enough reasons – but their reluctance to confront them, shows that most do not.
Similarly, the "chain lube" discussion rages on because we love to keep our bicycles factory-fresh at all times, and the dirty chain appalls our sensibilities. That most liquids will sort of do the job, without noticeably troubling the function, permits any hare-brained idea to flourish, because there's no cost – apart from a dirty chain. Wax is probably below even spit in usefulness as a lubricant; flakes of dry stuff which are immediately displaced from the interface? A joke, that noticeably does fail in use, as you say; yet, use of it perseveres, such is the obsession with a clean chain.
Everywhere in industry that steel lubrication is critical, lubricating oil is used. Just because snake oil chain preparations aren't immediately exposed as phoney, doesn't vindicate them. Oil the chain! Free the people!
You make a very good argument for oil. I have used wax in recent years but am not really sure of the reasons for my doing so. Probably no more reason than "something to use". Although I will say that while using it I haven't noticed any more wear than when I used to use oil, but I do go 10 MPH faster. Maybe I will go back to oil in the future.0 -
Sorry Dennis, I feel like I've dissed a friend..! I may have overstated it, to stress the point, but I can still see no point in wax. Still, as we've said, it doesn't much matter...dennisn wrote:You make a very good argument for oil. I have used wax in recent years but am not really sure of the reasons for my doing so. Probably no more reason than "something to use". Although I will say that while using it I haven't noticed any more wear than when I used to use oil, but I do go 10 MPH faster. Maybe I will go back to oil in the future.0 -
balthazar wrote:
Sorry Dennis, I feel like I've dissed a friend..! I may have overstated it, to stress the point, but I can still see no point in wax. Still, as we've said, it doesn't much matter...dennisn wrote:You make a very good argument for oil. I have used wax in recent years but am not really sure of the reasons for my doing so. Probably no more reason than "something to use". Although I will say that while using it I haven't noticed any more wear than when I used to use oil, but I do go 10 MPH faster. Maybe I will go back to oil in the future.
+10 -
balthazar,
I largely agree with you, but the main issue with wet oil on the chain is the amount of crud it picks up (hence the blackness) - this causes faster wear because oil with crud in suspension is not the same as clean oil. (For this reason, sealed oil systems, like car engines, have oil filters...) So, cleanliness is good, not just for aesthetic/non-cycling-partner reasons.
dennis, ditch the wax, try Rock n Roll/Prolink! Lubes like oil, keeps the chain clean like wax. It really does strike a decent balance.0 -
huuregeil wrote:balthazar,
I largely agree with you, but the main issue with wet oil on the chain is the amount of crud it picks up (hence the blackness) - this causes faster wear because oil with crud in suspension is not the same as clean oil. (For this reason, sealed oil systems, like car engines, have oil filters...) So, cleanliness is good, not just for aesthetic/non-cycling-partner reasons.
dennis, ditch the wax, try Rock n Roll/Prolink! Lubes like oil, keeps the chain clean like wax. It really does strike a decent balance.
I do use Rock and Roll. I thought it WAS wax? Maybe I'm way out there in leftfield? :? :? :?0 -
In which case keep on using rock n roll!!!
(Rock and roll is definitely not a wax lube).0 -
With the cost of 10sp cassettes and chains, and jockey wheels and chainrings, it pays to look after the chain. In days of old, when a new freewheel was only a few £ and not much for a chain, then oil was proably OK.
A well looked after drive train, free of crud will last a long time. Using a lube that doesn't pick up crud pays dividends, as it helps clean gear changes, doesn't get everywhere and doesn't accelerate wear of the cassette, etc.
Many years ago, before White Lightning type stuff came out, I used to take the chain off and cook it up in a bath of candlewax/Molyslip mixture. This providd some degree of rust protection and some lubrication. Downside was the faff of doing the cooking and that it did flake off a bit, but lasted a couple of weeks of heavy riding in the winter. Since we now have a lot more bikes, it isn't time effective to cook chains, so I now use Pro-Gold. I did have a period of using Weldtite Cycle Oil - it's OK if used sparingly and you make an effort to wash the chain to keep the crud levels low (generally done during the weekly bike wash, soap and water works OK on the chain).
You could find a chain, when well kept lasting at least 10,000 miles.Recipe: shave legs sparingly, rub in embrocation and drizzle with freshly squeezed baby oil.0 -
Hi there
Well i live in germany and read the two roadbike mags that are available here and one of them recently had a big test on lubricants and as you might know how the germans are with such things as testing it was quite thorough . One of the ways they tested is with a machine http://bruggertest.com/ and also with a machine with a normal Drivetrain setup but powered by a motor.All in all they tested 53 different lubes including chainsaw oil and engine oil finish line , shimano , dynamic , motorex, muc off , park tool , brunox white lightning ... also diffrent lubes from all the different manufacturers.i will only mention those that were "highly recomended" otherwise i will be here for a few hours :oops: .
1/2. between Dynamic Trockenschmierstoff and finish line wachsschmiermittel (kry tech)
3.Dynamic Kettenschmierstoff
4.Motorex Wet lube
5.Rohloff Oil of Rohloff
6.Dynamic 2k schmierstoff
7.Motorex dry lube0 -
snake oil
placebo oil
Hawaiian Tropic No1 bronze oil
Oil be damned
North Sea oil
Oil of them ok, and come recommended by my mate's sister's fella's uncle's brother who once saw Lance use some on his nipples.0 -
I will never advocate a lube as being a better lubricator than others. It all sits on the chain.
The only differences I find in lubes are to do with what I personally want from it. My requirements are for a clean, silver looking drivetrain/not black, no rust. I also don't want it to seperate in the bottle thus becoming a different product from the one I bought.
You can use wax lube in the wet. But i don't because unless I re-apply it after every ride in the wet (those rides being very common in the UK) my chain goes rusty. There's no faux science in the resulting decision. Use a lube that satys on in the wet. If I persisted with wax lube in the wet, i'd use more lube, equalling more money and unless I clean my chain (properly) after every ride (who the fcuk has time to do that), shoving more lube on just makes it go all black.
I tired the 'scientific' lube bollox with the Finish Line Ceramic. I got it cheap in the CRC flood sale so i didn't really get ripped off. Plus i'd only just started cycling so knew pretty much sod all. Never again though.
Mike0 -
Sorry for the info :roll: well i rather spend some money on a good quality oil and prolong the life of my chainset .0
-
huuregeil wrote:Yes, but it's not about lubrication ability, it's about drivetrain cleanliness. Thus, indirectly, drivetrain wear and tolerance of one's partner to your choice of sport, particularly when cars or carpets are involved :-)
Seriously, any kind of oil does work fine, but you end up with a black mess over everything. Wax lubricants solve this but fail on the lubrication adequacy front - it simply doesn't lubricate effectively in the wet. RnR/Prolink seem to have found the magic medium - adequate lubrication and a really clean drivetrain!
Absolutely, if anyone has ever tried using chainsaw oil (which is high tenacity oil, and think of teh conditions it works in) it works great but makes such a mess
; it` seems to be about lube and prettiness.
Dennism re spit----water actually briefly works as a lube if you`re out MTBing, chain has gone dry, ride through a puddle
>>>much better shifting 0
