Choosing a lube

johnboy183
johnboy183 Posts: 832
edited May 2015 in Workshop
Well how? Do I choose wax, wet, dry, ceramic or whatever? What are the relative merits of each and/or cons? And what is best for my bike? Or does it not really matter as long as inept the chain well maintained?
Thanks

Comments

  • dilatory
    dilatory Posts: 565
    They're all good. The difference being longevity / ease of removal. I use Ceramic Wax all year round on t'nice bike. If it's wet it'll probably be all gone before you get home so clean and reapply, if not reapply regularly anyway. The bonus being it doesn't gunk up and turn black, the negative being it doesn't stay on your chain long. Next up is a dry lube, usually works fine. Bit of a middle ground, will get dirty if you don't keep it clean. Wet lube lasts for ages, will survive the winter, perfect for your MTB / CX bike etc but fills up with shit and collects the road gunk much easier.
  • bobones
    bobones Posts: 1,215
    I've used ceramic wax lubes on the good bike in the past, but I quickly tired of getting a squeaky chain mid ride. I now use wet lubes on all my bikes all year round. Yes, chains do get black, but a quick wipe down and they look great again. More importantly, my chains never squeak.
  • ai_1
    ai_1 Posts: 3,060
    I use Piranha PTFE spray. It lasts pretty well, doesn't pick up much debris unlike viscous lubes but will gradually go black. Easy to wipe off to re-apply but doesn't wash off easily in the rain. never had a squeak yet. I've never used a lube that didn't do the job fine, but I wasn't fond of the high viscosity lubes intended to stay on your chain in bad weather. They seem unnecessary to me and too much tendency to gather debris.
    When using a spray lube like the Piranha one do make sure not to accidentally spray in the direction of your wheels. Lube on the brake track is not a good idea!
  • johnboy183
    johnboy183 Posts: 832
    Thanks folks
  • drlodge
    drlodge Posts: 4,826
    Ai_1 wrote:
    I use Piranha PTFE spray. It lasts pretty well, doesn't pick up much debris unlike viscous lubes but will gradually go black. Easy to wipe off to re-apply but doesn't wash off easily in the rain. never had a squeak yet. I've never used a lube that didn't do the job fine, but I wasn't fond of the high viscosity lubes intended to stay on your chain in bad weather. They seem unnecessary to me and too much tendency to gather debris.
    When using a spray lube like the Piranha one do make sure not to accidentally spray in the direction of your wheels. Lube on the brake track is not a good idea!

    I use Prolink ProGold and its like the lube Ai_1 uses - last pretty well (although not so good in the wet), and its easy to clean therefore a quick wipe and relube regularly keeps the chain clean and well looked after. I've found thicker lubes last longer in wet conditions but they tend to gunk up more and aren't as easy to clean off. For that reason I'm using Fenwicks Stealth lube on the winter/wet bike - it lasts longer but cleaning is a bit of a PITA
    WyndyMilla Massive Attack | Rourke 953 | Condor Italia 531 Pro | Boardman CX Pro | DT Swiss RR440 Tubeless Wheels
    Find me on Strava
  • dilatory
    dilatory Posts: 565
    Apparently (i've been told) Rock and Roll Red Lube is a great summer lube, one of these degrease and relube in one jobbies. It kept my chain clean but didn't seem to last long (one long ride and it'd need reapply) so would cost a fortune. Finish Line Ceramic Wax for me or their Dry Lube at a push. Their wet lube goes on my CX bike.
  • DKay
    DKay Posts: 1,652
    dilatory wrote:
    Apparently (i've been told) Rock and Roll Red Lube is a great summer lube, one of these degrease and relube in one jobbies. It kept my chain clean but didn't seem to last long (one long ride and it'd need reapply) so would cost a fortune. Finish Line Ceramic Wax for me or their Dry Lube at a push. Their wet lube goes on my CX bike.

    Rock N Roll Gold is a better lube than the red. The blue version is great for winter.
    N
    N+1
  • CYCLESPORT1
    CYCLESPORT1 Posts: 471
    Ann Summers own brand - £4.99
  • Captain Fagor
    Captain Fagor Posts: 739
    Rock N Roll is great stuff. However, it's becoming increasingly difficult to get hold of as far as I can tell.
  • johnboy183
    johnboy183 Posts: 832
    Thanks for the replies folks. Ive started using the Fenwicks Road Stealth lube as 1 or 2 of you mentioned. Have to say that in my ignorance i don't notice any difference. My overshoes still gets black oil on them! And as for the running of the gear or how noisy it may or not be? well everything is still drowned out by the sound of my heart pounding in my ears...
  • ai_1
    ai_1 Posts: 3,060
    johnboy183 wrote:
    Thanks for the replies folks. Ive started using the Fenwicks Road Stealth lube as 1 or 2 of you mentioned. Have to say that in my ignorance i don't notice any difference. My overshoes still gets black oil on them! And as for the running of the gear or how noisy it may or not be? well everything is still drowned out by the sound of my heart pounding in my ears...
    Your overshoes really shouldn't be touching the chain.
    Nothing will prevent you getting marks on your overshoes, tights or legs if you brush against the chain, although the more viscous winter lubes will certainly make a much bigger mess. I presume you wipe off excess lube after applying?
    The trick is to avoid making contact with the chain (or the chainring teeth). I only ever get marks on my calf if I'm careless while stationary, say waiting at traffic lights. Very rare occurrence but seemed to happen more frequently when I started.
  • johnboy183
    johnboy183 Posts: 832
    For sure i shouldn't be getting oil on my overshoes, but like you say it happens!

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