Grease on chains?
Comments
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Probably grease. (Sorry, I'll get me coat!)Faster than a tent.......0
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I would like to know what the Grease is what he might be using.0
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I don't know what it is, but I would imagine that the chain would be in a right state by the end of the stage with lost of crap sticking to it. It'd probably need to be degreased on a daily basis else the whole drivetrain would be in a mess. You don't need grease or oil in the wet anyway - water works as a lubricant.More problems but still living....0
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All right if you're a pro-team mechanic and you can junk the chain at the end of the day and fit a shiney new one for the next. Less such a good idea for regular use. Don't see the point TBH, the lubricant needs to be on the inside of the chain roller - a decent wet lube would be just as effective, unless of course you're looking to give yourself 'chipper' marks on your leg?Make mine an Italian, with Campagnolo on the side..0
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amaferanga wrote:I don't know what it is, but I would imagine that the chain would be in a right state by the end of the stage with lost of crap sticking to it. It'd probably need to be degreased on a daily basis else the whole drivetrain would be in a mess. You don't need grease or oil in the wet anyway - water works as a lubricant.
Have you never been on a long ride where the dry lube has been washed off? The drive chain sounds terrible, or at least IME it does. And when the chain dries you're left with rust on the chain.
I find finish line wet is good enough for me on long rides in the wet though I do try and wipe it off afterwards and reapply with the dry version.0 -
As I understand the theory, the grease is applied to the outer surfaces of the chain to reduce the amount of water getting inside and washing out the oil.
I doubt anyone has ever compared chains with and without grease to see if it actually does any good in the wet. Pro team mechanic folk-lore more likely.
I might give it a go if I'm going to be riding all day in torrential rain and my team mechanic is happy to clean the thing properly afterwards.0 -
Bit odd IMO, better off with a wet lube and reapply from the team car during the stage if required0
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I was surprised to read this yesterday.
http://velonews.competitor.com/2011/07/tour-de-france/tour-de-france-tech-wet-weather-preparations_181775Tire pressures and chain lube by team
Radioshack
Chain lube: Morgan Blue oil and grease
Tire pressure: 109/116 psi (front/rear) on Aeolus 5.0/24mm Challenge
116/123 psi (front/rear) on XXXLite /22mm Challenge
130.5 psi (front and rear) for Brajkovic--
Burls Ti Tourer for Tarmac, Saracen aluminium full suss for trails0 -
Greases are often used as a mobile sealant in industry. It will be to help prevent the oil in the chain from washing out, but, as other posters have said, debris will tend to stick to it more. OK for a bike that's being fastidiously maintained every day, maybe not so great for a commuter (although I tried it on my winter bike last winter and my relube interval stretched out from 1 week to 3 weeks, but that might have been down to riding in a different environment).- - - - - - - - - -
On Strava.{/url}0 -
we've run saturation tests for wet and dry lubricants on chains with a surface grease seal and much longer lubricant life can be achieved even under heavy load conditions. for protection, holding the lubricant in the chain and avoiding the awful dry chain noise that the constant washing a wet stage would result in, it works - especially when you've a mechanic to scrub the bike at the end of the day0
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edjo wrote:we've run saturation tests for wet and dry lubricants on chains with a surface grease seal and much longer lubricant life can be achieved even under heavy load conditions. for protection, holding the lubricant in the chain and avoiding the awful dry chain noise that the constant washing a wet stage would result in, it works - especially when you've a mechanic to scrub the bike at the end of the day
That sounds interesting. Who is "we"? What was the test procedure? And, how do you define "much"? Please expound.0 -
I think it all makes pretty much sense to me. There isn't any real doubt that oil can be displaced by water and if you are out there long enough - the chain will eventually have a lot less oil on it than you started out with. No brainer on that front.
Whether you can really be arsed with grease though - that's a different story. It's mucky, it flings, it doesn't self-apply (like oil) so you've really got to slather it on. Worse still - at the end of a whole days riding, you might be in a position where it all has to come back off again and be totally cleaned and the process repeated.
I have tried it - and was quite pleased with the results (during some wet winter days) - for a few days until it became a icky mess.0 -
double post. Soz.0
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balthazar...answers as follows:
we - major lubricants manufacturer
test procedure - with an exclusive chain test rig
much - depends upon the oil and grease combination, but above three times as good0 -
edjo wrote:balthazar...answers as follows:
we - major lubricants manufacturer
test procedure - with an exclusive chain test rig
much - depends upon the oil and grease combination, but above three times as good
Okay, thank you. Was the test subject a bushlngless bicycle chain (or equivalent bushingless chain)?
If so, I'm surprised that you measured a such a difference. In my experience, bicycle chains are quickly washed clean internally in heavy rain, regardless of lubricant. I have never tried grease on my chains, however – though I have noticed new chains with internal grease washed just as well. It's easy to tell, because the chain squeaks when a little dried, and only internally clean chains squeak.
Would you, in confidence based on your research, expect a bicycle chain in use to retain its lubricant at least three times longer dressed this way? That is a fairly revolutionary claim.
How do you assess the internal lubricant anyway? Does your test rig leave a sticky mess of partially emulsified grease and oil on the outside, as real-world riding does? I'm guessing you don't assess the squeaking as I described- do you dismantle the chain? I'm sorry if this is a dull question- I have no experience of these things.0 -
no weird science here...think about how quickly your chain dries when riding in the rain. try that on a club or group ride with the additional spray and how much more quickly it occurs...from there, riding in the pro peleton for 6 hours in splashing water and high spray conditions and you can imagine how quickly the chain would be 'cleaned' of lubricant.
adding the grease over the top allows a chain to resist the spray and stay lubricated. as a grease adheres to the chain and is much less lifted by the water, the lubricants stay in place and so there's better lubrication for longer.0 -
@edjo:
It isn't the theory I'm interested in.. everybody here has them, and in any case it's obvious how the thinking goes behind this practice. It was the reference to experimental data that made your claim stand out. I'd love to know lots more about the testing procedure, as I queried in my last comment.0
