squirt chain lube users chain prep advice needed

swod1

I've searched the forum but cant find anything on this or just missed it.

Anyway I've had enough of the gunk and mess from the wet lubes I've been using on my bike chains and thought I would try squirt out.

My bike is due a new chain as the current is worn so ideal time to try this out.

As the new chain comes with factory grease on do I use the chain until that comes off or clean the new chain and use squirt straight away?

How do I make sure the chain is clean, is it ok to wipe the new chain with some IPA after degreasing?

any other tips will be welcome.

dgunthor

use the chain as is when new, clean and lube when it needs it.

i use paraffin to clean my drivetrain. you could use muck off/petrol/diesel/degreaser to achieve the same thing but clean then lube

swod1

yeah I will use the chain as it is when it arrives, its just the mess from the wet chain oils that gets everywhere especially around the rear derailleur wheels they just attract too much dirt and I would like to try cut down on it as its a pain to clean.

I've already got a bottle of squirt to try so that's the reason for asking.

cooldad

dgunthor wrote:

use the chain as is when new, clean and lube when it needs it.

This.
The factory lube is excellent.

swod1

cooldad wrote:

dgunthor wrote:

use the chain as is when new, clean and lube when it needs it.

This.
The factory lube is excellent.

yes it would be great if we could buy it.

I've just ordered a new chain for my bike as CRC has the kmc x10-93 chain for £12.99, did fancy a gold one but the lighter chains a few people had snapped them from reading reviews.

will using squirt stop the gunk from around the chain rings and derailleur wheels as this is annoying part of other chain oils.

Thewaylander

See i hate the factory lube.

Sucks up gunk of the trail like you wouldn't believe into a thick grinding paste to destroy everything. would be fine if i didn't see any muck,..

Angus Young

I'd just do it from the off and be done with it. You're going to have to degrease is at some point anyway so you might as well do it clean as let it get all gunned up and have to deal with all that crap, as well as the extra wear it will inflict.

Been using Squirt for a while now and I can't say enough good things about it.

swod1

Spent a good couple of hours today getting it all cleaned and chain prepared with squirt.

Went for ride round street, chain jumping like mad a new cassette needed then

Cant seem to manage wear on cassette to allow for a new chain.

How do you guys manage it, think had about 1600 miles on old chain and cassette, old chain was at .5 stretched when checked it with chain tool, is that really bad?

Been using kmc x10-93 chains last 2 times as shimano chains wear rate was worse.

dgunthor

swod1 wrote:

Cant seem to manage wear on cassette to allow for a new chain.

How do you guys manage it, think had about 1600 miles on old chain and cassette, old chain was at .5 stretched when checked it with chain tool, is that really bad?

Been using kmc x10-93 chains last 2 times as shimano chains wear rate was worse.

normally change mine at 0.7 with new cassette not needed.

i use this:
http://www.parktool.com/product/chain-w ... tor-CC-3-2

i've seen these but found it hard to measure:
http://www.parktool.com/product/chain-checker-cc-2

swod1

dgunthor wrote:

normally change mine at 0.7 with new cassette not needed.
i use this:
http://www.parktool.com/product/chain-w ... tor-CC-3-2

I have this one and checked my chain last week but had a feeling it was worn anyway.

I will make sure to check this more often.

Going to give this squirt a good length of time to see how it fairs in bad weather, as I do ride all weathers.

I was using finish line wet chain lube but just seems to turn into a black mess and has probably done the damage.

How much do you guys put on the chain?

I did one lot on the chain and left it 10 minutes and then put a bit more on.

zx6man

Did you put the cleaned chain on the correct way/direction?

swod1

zx6man wrote:

Did you put the cleaned chain on the correct way/direction?

A good point, I didn't think kmc chains were directional ?

Are they, its a brand new kmc x10-93 chain I'm using on the bike.

zx6man

I was more thinking if you had chain off cleaning it, then putting it back on the opposite way, possibly causing the skipping, and just read your post again for the 3rd time, and its the new chain thats skipping... specsavers for me!

cooldad

My advice - throw away the measuring thingy and replace both when trashed.

And always apply Squirt the day before so the water can evaporate and leave the wax behind.

swod1

cooldad wrote:

My advice - throw away the measuring thingy and replace both when trashed.

So I should continue using my old chain and cassette?

I have new replacements here to use.

cooldad wrote:

And always apply Squirt the day before so the water can evaporate and leave the wax behind.

I will remember this, what do you do in wet weather apply some before each ride?

cooldad

swod1 wrote:

cooldad wrote:

My advice - throw away the measuring thingy and replace both when trashed.

So I should continue using my old chain and cassette?

I have new replacements here to use.

That's what i would do.

swod1 wrote:

cooldad wrote:

And always apply Squirt the day before so the water can evaporate and leave the wax behind.

I will remember this, what do you do in wet weather apply some before each ride?

I normally manage a good few wet rides unless they are really long or terrible conditions. Then I would normally give the bike a wash, apply lube after it's dry, and be ready for next time.
But I use a variety of bikes, so normally just keep them all ready to use.

swod1

cooldad wrote:

That's what i would do.

think I will fit the new gear and keep the old for a hack bike I'm going to build as the bits still look in good condition.

cooldad wrote:

I normally manage a good few wet rides unless they are really long or terrible conditions. Then I would normally give the bike a wash, apply lube after it's dry, and be ready for next time.
But I use a variety of bikes, so normally just keep them all ready to use.

I see as it does look good stuff and not easily washed off from looking at how its adhered to the new chain.

I hope it does what it says on the bottle as the wet stuff just goes to a mess and acts like a grinding paste which I think has worn the bits on my bike.

kevinharley

I'm a big fan of Squirt, and use it on my MTB all the time. I usually apply after every ride, certainly if its been wet and muddy, but it may be possible to apply less frequently.

I use white spirit to degrease, and then hot soapy water to remove the remnants of the white spirit, rinse, and then immediately apply Squirt.

I didn't get on so well with Squirt on my commuter over winter ... despite applying fairly regularly, it didn't seem to resist the onset of rust (from the salt on the roads very well), so abandoned Squirt on that bike in favour of normal oil-based lube. Has anyone else had that problem? I'd rather use Squirt, so if its only me, I'll have another go on the commuter.

kinioo

Thewaylander wrote:

See i hate the factory lube.

Sucks up gunk of the trail like you wouldn't believe into a thick grinding paste to destroy everything. would be fine if i didn't see any muck,..

Same here.

When bought a brand new chain it was so sticky I had to clean it (I did just outside plates); After few rides cleaned it with a cloth and lubed with dry lube.

After another few rides I took it off and cleaned it thoroughly / properly with paraffin, lubed and re-fitted.

Now, with my new bike I plan to have two KMC chains and swap the over after XX miles to extend chain & sprocket life.

Chris

swod1

Been using this for a while and its great but I'm just wondering about winter and road salt etc because I was out on a ride last week and got caught in some very heavy rain and after checking my bike the chain was showing signs of rust even though I've kept applying it to the chain.

I'm using a kmc x10-93 chain which has meant to have a rust free coating.

Any tips for winter use or should I go back to using wet chain oil?

Angus Young

I used Squirt all through last winter and it seemed to work fine. Just had to dose it up a little more often.

Chunkers1980

Me too. It's just a bit rubbish against salt on gritted roads. When the grit went out and it rained I moved to a wetter lube as with Squirt the outer plates went to surface rust. Not a problem if you only use the bike for MTB off road though, then I'd happily use it whatever the weather.

swod1

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19721338#p19721338]Chunkers1980[/url] wrote:

Me too. It's just a bit rubbish against salt on gritted roads. When the grit went out and it rained I moved to a wetter lube as with Squirt the outer plates went to surface rust. Not a problem if you only use the bike for MTB off road though, then I'd happily use it whatever the weather.

That's the issue it seems to be the outer plates that showing signs of rust.

I do use the bike a lot on roads and off road, seems like something to keep an eye on.

Maybe I'll have to go back to using wet chain oil, its just the black gunge that you get around the rear mech wheels n on the chain rings that I hate.

cooldad

A bit of rust on the outer plates makes no difference at all.

larkim

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19722147#p19722147]cooldad[/url] wrote:

A bit of rust on the outer plates makes no difference at all.

Certainly true. But might visible "rust" on the outside of the chain indicate conditions unseen within the chain links? Just a thought.

Though I'd accept that when I apply squirt very little of it would make it onto the outside plates anyway, I drip it into the links (which I believe is the correct thing to do?), so I wouldn't expect squirt to be having any impact on the outside plates.

Chunkers1980

Not likely (or from what I've even seen) to be the case as the outside doesn't have constant friction move the wax around the pins. It's the lack of constant contact with the lube that stops the metal going rusty hence why the outside seems to go rusty added to the fact that you should/do only apply it to the rollers.

Mister_g

My chain went rusty with Squirt (outside, and inside, around the rollers). It (the lube) would only last half a ride, too. I went back to Muc Off dry lube. The standard stuff with the yellow writing on the bottle works OK for me, but the super-duper C3 ceramic stuff with the green writing (somebody bought me some!) works slightly better.

Complete drive train stays clean for months - just need to hose the mud off if it's been a dirty ride.

You can apply the Muc Off stuff to a wet chain after it's been hosed down and it's ready to go for next time.

I know chain lubes are a bit like religion - this works for *me*

cooldad

I get a bit of surface rust on the outside of the plates, but never had a chain actually rust inside the rollers.

But I do keep my bikes inside, so they dry off sooner or later.

It might depend on the chain itself to a degree as well.

Mister_g

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19722789#p19722789]cooldad[/url] wrote:

... never had a chain actually rust inside the rollers.

Dunno about inside the rollers, but the gap between the edge of the roller and the inside of the side plates became rust stained in my case, as did the surface of some of the rollers where they had been sitting on a sprocket / chainring.

You may be on to something with the length of time it would take to dry out.

(KMC X10.93 chain / bike kept in shed, FWIW)

cooldad

I only use KMC, but normally cheap ones.

apreading

If you put Squirt on a wet chain or ride it straight after application then it wont last at all. Needs to be put on right - dry chain and leave for at least 20 mins to 'set' (even better if longer). If you ride straight away or it doesnt dry then it will just fly off in no time at all. Do it right and it is fantastic though.