New chain should I oil it?

wilshawk
wilshawk Posts: 119
edited February 2012 in Road beginners
Hi, I just fitted a new SRAM chain, it is new out the packet, it seems to have some sticky kind of lubricant on it already, do you reckon I should I add more of my own oil before riding with it?
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Comments

  • balthazar
    balthazar Posts: 1,565
    Spray some WD40 or similar solvent on a rag, and run the chain through the rag to remove most of the sticky grease from the outside. Don't use so much that you dilute the grease inside, which is a perfect lubricant. You shouldn't need to oil the chain for a while after that.
  • dennisn
    dennisn Posts: 10,601
    I'm of the opinion that oil / lube is a good thing for a bicycle chain and that there is no such thing as too much,within reason of course. You don't want lube being flung all over but
    even too much is not a bad thing.
    I say wipe chain with a clean rag once or twice a week add new lube, ride, repeat.
  • pbt150
    pbt150 Posts: 316
    NO! Don't remove the lubricant - it's added in the factory and is much better than anything you can put on the chain yourself. By all means add a little chain oil and wipe it off again, but any solvent/WD40 is a bad idea.

    BTW WD40 isn't a good enough 'lubricant' to use on chains. It's alright for loosening bolts etc. but not as anything to keep your chain working.
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  • softlad
    softlad Posts: 3,513
    pbt150 wrote:

    BTW WD40 isn't a good enough 'lubricant' to use on chains. It's alright for loosening bolts etc. but not as anything to keep your chain working.

    different poster - same old nonsense.

    WD is perfectly adequate as a lube - granted it is not marketed specifically as a chain lube, but I have used it on road, MTB and heavy duty motocross chains without issue.

    The 'sticky' factory coating has more to do with preserving the condition of the chain while it is in the box. I have always wiped this off and re-applied a more regular lube...
  • flanners1
    flanners1 Posts: 916
    The instructions on my ProGold ProLink lube bottle states to remove the lube the chain comes with?
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  • dennisn
    dennisn Posts: 10,601
    This chain thing is the weirdest. People claiming that this or that brand is better. That this or that is in fact a lube or not. Chains must be soaked in strong solvent every week or
    all they need is a wiping down and re lubing. You've got to buy one of those chain cleaners or, no, you don't. So here's how I see it. Remove chain, thoroughly soak and scrub, let dry, reinstall chain, lube up and ride. Time spent - who knows.
    Leave chain on bike, attach chain cleaning machine, run chain through machine, wipe dry(I guess), clean mess off of rest of bike, re lube. Time - I'm guessing at least 30 minutes and probably more.
    Leave chain on bike, wrap chain with clean rag, turn crank backwards, re wrap with clean portion of rag, turn crank backwards, re lube. Time - 10 minutes tops.
    Which works the best - No one knows, and this is proven by many different forum
    posts on this subject.
    Which lube is the best - No one knows. Well I take that back. I know. It's the one you bought last week.
  • rokkala
    rokkala Posts: 649
    Another one that i've recently come across, is you can get a bike shop to clean you chain with some magic machine that sends an electric current through the chain, which apparently shifts all the grime from the inside of the links.

    Only £25 a pop, bargain!
  • KEN 8654TS
    KEN 8654TS Posts: 6
    The most important thing regarding chain maintance is keeping it clean. I wipe my chain down before every ride. Lube the part of the chain that needs it: the rollers and wipe all the lube possible from the outer plates. Remember to replace your chain at regular intervals to save the expense of needing to replace the rings and cogset if the chain becomes too old. K
    When the going gets tough, the tough turn pro!
  • sheffsimon
    sheffsimon Posts: 1,282
    balthazar wrote:
    Spray some WD40 or similar solvent on a rag, and run the chain through the rag to remove most of the sticky grease from the outside. Don't use so much that you dilute the grease inside, which is a perfect lubricant. You shouldn't need to oil the chain for a while after that.

    No, no, no.
  • dennisn
    dennisn Posts: 10,601
    Is too much being made of this chain lube thing???? I remember way back when I was just a young boy, at least I think I once was, that I had a bike for 5 or 6 years that I doubt ever saw anything resembling lubricant. This thing got ridden pretty much daily, although
    not mega miles, got left out in the rain, got washed sometimes, got dirty and dusty lots,
    yet I don't recall any kind of chain maintenance, ever. That chain had rusty side plates
    and polished smooth, like chrome, rollers. Don't remember a chain failure either. Ah, those were the days.
  • rake
    rake Posts: 3,204
    SheffSimon wrote:
    balthazar wrote:
    Spray some WD40 or similar solvent on a rag, and run the chain through the rag to remove most of the sticky grease from the outside. Don't use so much that you dilute the grease inside, which is a perfect lubricant. You shouldn't need to oil the chain for a while after that.

    No, no, no.
    no again.
    leave it be for a few hundred miles and then use propper stuff. not wd40 and soething thicker than oil is better. i use motorbike chain oil.takes the load and stays on a long time.its made for chains you know. :wink:
  • balthazar
    balthazar Posts: 1,565
    SheffSimon wrote:
    balthazar wrote:
    Spray some WD40 or similar solvent on a rag, and run the chain through the rag to remove most of the sticky grease from the outside. Don't use so much that you dilute the grease inside, which is a perfect lubricant. You shouldn't need to oil the chain for a while after that.

    No, no, no.

    If you really want to drag this into yet another tedious argument then at least expound on your objections: "no, no, no" helps nobody.

    Otherwise, and very much preferably, review the recent long-winded threads by using the search facility. I've written at length on this subject recently, as have others.
  • dodgy
    dodgy Posts: 2,890
    SheffSimon wrote:
    balthazar wrote:
    Spray some WD40 or similar solvent on a rag, and run the chain through the rag to remove most of the sticky grease from the outside. Don't use so much that you dilute the grease inside, which is a perfect lubricant. You shouldn't need to oil the chain for a while after that.

    No, no, no.

    Yes, yes, yes (imho ;) ). Nothing wrong with cleaning off the really sticky factory applied lube/grease that sits on the side plates. I use the same technique as above but with GT85, apply some to a rag and wipe the side plates thoroughly until they're no longer sticky. That's a bit different to spraying WD40 directly into the chain.
  • rake
    rake Posts: 3,204
    no no no some people have written at length but its all tripe.
  • bompington
    bompington Posts: 7,674
    You're all a bunch of idiots talking rubbish, I bet you all wear socks with your sandals and some of you probably use the wrong knife for fish.

    I can tell you with complete confidence that the best lube is chainsaw chain oil, since I happened to acquire a litre of it for free.
  • dennisn
    dennisn Posts: 10,601
    bompington wrote:
    You're all a bunch of idiots talking rubbish, I bet you all wear socks with your sandals and some of you probably use the wrong knife for fish.

    I can tell you with complete confidence that the best lube is chainsaw chain oil, since I happened to acquire a litre of it for free.

    Wait a minute. I may be some of those things but I have NEVER used the wrong knife for fish. What kind of person do you think I am??? Wrong knife my *ss.

    Anyway, I'm in complete agreement with your chainsaw oil theory. It won't get better than that no matter how much you pay for that little 2 oz. bottle at the bike shop.
  • dodgy
    dodgy Posts: 2,890
    The fish knife comment was completely uncalled for imo.
  • bompington
    bompington Posts: 7,674
    dodgy wrote:
    The fish knife comment was completely uncalled for imo.
    But it's true, it must be, I read all about it on an internet forum
  • rake
    rake Posts: 3,204
    i use a general purpose carving knife of whatever is at hand in the kitchen.it still cuts.
  • redddraggon
    redddraggon Posts: 10,862
    WD40 is a pants lube. not thick enough, especially when it's normally raining and the roads are covered in mud from farms.

    Proper thick oil is what ye want.
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  • rake
    rake Posts: 3,204
    or even chain lubricant.
  • redddraggon
    redddraggon Posts: 10,862
    rake wrote:
    or even chain lubricant.

    that's called oil mato
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  • strodey
    strodey Posts: 481
    i completely clean the chain then re lube with bike specific chain lube (any will do)
    The reason i remove it is because although its a great lube it seems to attract loads of dirt and grime and create a right gunky mess, this does not happen when cleaned and a dry or wet lube applied depending on conditions.
    The Black gunk build up caused by the lube it come with creates a paste with dust and dirt which soone means your chain is wearing at twice the speed it should.
    I do this with my mtb too.
    Normally clean the chain and re lube every 100 miles, yes i have a OCD when it comes to chains!
    Carbon is a mans best freind
  • giant_man
    giant_man Posts: 6,878
    WD40 is NOT a chain lubricant. Its a releasing agent. For gods sake, only a numpty would say the opposite.

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

    The 'sticky stuff' that appears on your new chain is in fact, factory lubricant that's better than anything you or I could find to put on a chain. Don't get rid of it. Just look after your chain and keep it clean, lubricating it with decent lube such as Pedros syn lube or Phil Wood tenacious oil. Finish Line cross country for wet weather is good.
  • dodgy
    dodgy Posts: 2,890
    giant mancp wrote:
    WD40 is NOT a chain lubricant. Its a releasing agent. For gods sake, only a numpty would say the opposite.

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

    The 'sticky stuff' that appears on your new chain is in fact, factory lubricant that's better than anything you or I could find to put on a chain. Don't get rid of it. Just look after your chain and keep it clean, lubricating it with decent lube such as Pedros syn lube or Phil Wood tenacious oil. Finish Line cross country for wet weather is good.


    Agreeing with you, just saying there's nothing wrong with taking the stuff off the side plates, it just attracts dirt.
  • redfox
    redfox Posts: 295
    When in doubt its usually worth checking what Sheldon had to say:
    Factory Lube

    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.
    www.endtoend.info
  • strodey
    strodey Posts: 481
    Meh, sheldon can go pump a hard curb, i like shiny gleaming chains so will keep cleaning!
    Carbon is a mans best freind
  • softlad
    softlad Posts: 3,513
    giant mancp wrote:
    WD40 is NOT a chain lubricant. Its a releasing agent. For gods sake, only a numpty would say the opposite.

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

    The 'sticky stuff' that appears on your new chain is in fact, factory lubricant that's better than anything you or I could find to put on a chain. Don't get rid of it. Just look after your chain and keep it clean, lubricating it with decent lube such as Pedros syn lube or Phil Wood tenacious oil. Finish Line cross country for wet weather is good.

    try reading the label, 'numpty' - it IS a lubricant. WD is simply a light oil in a carrier solvent - of course its a feckin lubricant. It may not be ideal for cycle chains, but it works adequately, nonetheless....
  • dennisn
    dennisn Posts: 10,601
    strodey wrote:
    Meh, sheldon can go pump a hard curb, i like shiny gleaming chains so will keep cleaning!

    Absolutely. If you have the time and the desire to polish that chain on an hourly basis, then have at it. No problem. I think the gist of all these posts is whether all this cleaning, scrubbing, de-oiling and re-oiling, actually DOES anything for chain life? Also are all these lubes that you pay big money for(consider the price per gallon) any better than the chainsaw oil or used motor oil that many people use?
  • balthazar
    balthazar Posts: 1,565
    dennisn wrote:
    Also are all these lubes that you pay big money for(consider the price per gallon) any better than the chainsaw oil or used motor oil that many people use?
    Hey Dennis I'd keep away from used engine oil. Though it does no harm to a bike chain, you don't want that stuff on your hands more than necessary – it's full of all sorts of unpleasantries. The dribble of clean oil left in the can after you "emptied" it into the car will do for the bike. Chainsaw oil or motorbike oil is undoubtedly preferred if you have it. I don't and I'm not going to buy it especially – but my car gets through oil, so thats what I use for the bikes.

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