Best lube for muddy, wet and gritty conditions?
ben-----
Posts: 573
I've just noticed the most chain "stretch" I've ever had, and it's not even done a 1000 miles. Noticed the chain wasn't sitting on the chainring very well, used a chain wear indicator to see if chain wear might be the cause (didn't think it would be as it didn't seem long ago I changed it, although it turned out to be a bit longer than a I thought), and it didn't drop though. So that's good I thought. But then I realised it wasn't dropping through because it was hitting the next link along!
This is after just less than a 1000 miles, using ProLink ProGold lube, cleaning and relubing after most but not all rides. I have been through a lot of wet, mud and grit though.
I suspect ProLink ProGold isn't so good in wet/mud? It's so thin. Or am I wrong? PG is said to be for the wet.
I'm thinking a need a thicker lube, better for coping with wetness, mud and grit. Any suggestions, or is that not the source of my probs? One thing, when I cleaned and relubed it often was the next day, not right after the ride. Would that make a difference?
This is after just less than a 1000 miles, using ProLink ProGold lube, cleaning and relubing after most but not all rides. I have been through a lot of wet, mud and grit though.
I suspect ProLink ProGold isn't so good in wet/mud? It's so thin. Or am I wrong? PG is said to be for the wet.
I'm thinking a need a thicker lube, better for coping with wetness, mud and grit. Any suggestions, or is that not the source of my probs? One thing, when I cleaned and relubed it often was the next day, not right after the ride. Would that make a difference?
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came across Chain-L which looks appropriate
http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/reviews/tools-maintenance/chain-l-no-5-lube
but not buyable, at least easily0 -
"But then I realised it wasn't dropping through because it was hitting the next link along!"
You sure you're properly familiar with the way your chain checker is meant to be used? With mine that result would mean the chain isn't worn.0 -
That's a good point - you can't have stretched it THAT much.
Maybe I'm not imagining this right - but 1000 miles isnt a huge distance and I'd not expect a chain to wear out - let alone go over the wear limits.0 -
I've have been trying Prolink progold this summer after reading glowing reviews about it's self-cleaning properties and your right it is very thin and I found myself applying it frequently. I shall be trying Squirt next year as this seems to be the rave dry lube of the moment. For winter try something like Rock & Roll lube, which seem to get good reviews.0
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Always been happy with Muc Off ceramics - wet and dry. It gets me through the winter on my mtb and works a treat on the road bike. Quick wipe and re-apply every couple of hundred miles or so unless the weather is really bad.
1,000 miles sounds extreme. I only just get rid of the shipping lube on a chain after 500!0 -
I've have been trying Prolink progold this summer after reading glowing reviews about it's self-cleaning properties and your right it is very thin and I found myself applying it frequently. I shall be trying Squirt next year as this seems to be the rave dry lube of the moment. For winter try something like Rock & Roll lube, which seem to get good reviews.
Squirt is fine if it isn't wet but it's crap in the rain. On a 190k Rapha prestige ride, I found myself hunting for lube (no, not THAT sort of lube) with a certain Ms Vos of cycling fame after the Squirt stuff had completely washed off. My chain sounded like a bag of nails.
The trouble with heavy lubes is that they retain the dirt. Ultimately chains and gritty dirt don't mix so everything is a compromise.ROAD < Scott Foil HMX Di2, Volagi Liscio Di2, Jamis Renegade Elite Di2, Cube Reaction Race > ROUGH0 -
keef66 wrote:With mine that result would mean the chain isn't worn.
Not if the link the chain wear tool hits is the next one along from the one that's supposed to stop it falling through.Fenix wrote:Maybe I'm not imagining this right - but 1000 miles isnt a huge distance and I'd not expect a chain to wear out - let alone go over the wear limits.
You're wrong. It just has.
I think the chain is a bit crap quality (worse than I usually use on this bike possibly, I'm not sure), the cassette was probably a bit warn when I put the new chain on, the chainring is now worn, so maybe that was also a bit worn when I put the chain on. Plus lots of water/mud. I can often hear crunching/gritty grinding after going through muddy puddles.
I commonly, on this bike in bad weather, get about 1000 miles out of the Shimano HG71 chains at the most. And that's with the chain wear indicator dropping through on both its sides. So I'm not being fussy and prematurely changing the chain. Far from it.
I'm about to replace everything in the drive chain apart from the jockey wheels and the large chainring. Unfortunately the chain I already have is another SRAM PC830. I was under the impression that that is SRAM's same quality as Shimano HG71 (I'm not saying Shimano HG71 are good but they're not the bottom of the range) but it now looks like they're lower, possibly their lowest.
Depending on the weather, I'd be closer to 100 I reckon. We'll see.GrenW wrote:I only just get rid of the shipping lube on a chain after 500!meanredspider wrote:The trouble with heavy lubes is that they retain the dirt. Ultimately chains and gritty dirt don't mix so everything is a compromise.
Hmm, well this thin one really isn't working I don't think, so a thicker, stickier one is worth a go I reckon. That Chain-L lube I linked to looks really good for that, but as I say, isn't so easily available. I'll have a look at Rock & Roll lube which DJ58 mentioned. Suspect it might not be as thick I'm looking for. Not sure though, haven't looked properly yet. Thanks.0 -
I've worn 10 speed chains in 1500 miles of winter riding before, so it's certainly possible.
I'm still struggling with your description of your chain wear checker hitting the next link though...
I use simple 3-in-1 oil as a summer lube, sparingly applied and any excess wiped off.
And on the wet weather bike I've just gone back to some Finish Line Wet Lube. It's thick and sticky, so it doesn't easily wash off. The secret to avoiding a gloopy black chain is to apply it very carefully and sparingly to each roller, and be very thorough wiping off any excess and any dirt it's displaced. And maybe pay more attention to keeping the cassette and jockey wheels clean too.0 -
> I'm still struggling with your description of your chain wear checker hitting the next link though...
Chain is OK when the wear indicator end prong hits a particular link. Chain stretches a bit, long enough to make chain wear indicator end prong not hit particular link -- drop through. Chain continues to stretch even more, much more. Chain wear indicator prong now hits the link the other side of the hole it drops through when it's only stretched a little bit. The other side of the hole from the link which it's supposed to hit when the chain is OK.
> Finish Line Wet Lube. It's thick and sticky
Sounds good. I'm sold.
> And maybe pay more attention to keeping the cassette and jockey wheels clean too.
I have been doing that. I've been cleaning it reasonably well reasonably regularly. I think it's a combination of things: worn cassette, cheap chain, far too thin not repellant enough lube, and now worn chainring. Plus loads of grit and water and mud.
This one?:
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/finish-line-ceramic-wet-lubricant-120ml-bottle/
or this one?:
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/finish-line-cross-country-wet-lubricant-120ml-bottle/
The ceramic one's the one to go for?
Thanks.
edit: oh no, reading the description, probably the non-ceramic one; "high viscosity".0 -
Always been happy with Muc Off ceramics - wet and dry. It gets me through the winter on my mtb and works a treat on the road bike. Quick wipe and re-apply every couple of hundred miles or so unless the weather is really bad.
I've used the Muc Off Ceramic stuff and hated it. It works well at the beginning, but quickly accumulates into little blobs of gunk which are hard to shift and require the chain to be put through a chain cleaner with degreaser to remove. I threw the bottle away after three uses.0 -
muc off Hydro dynamic lube is good. A little goes a long long way.Pegoretti
Colnago
Cervelo
Campagnolo0 -
Something you might want to experiment with is the product that Halfords sell that keeps brake dust and dirt off alloy wheels. Applying it to the chain after lubing it, might help keep the dirt off. I used it on my frame last year and was pretty impressed by how clean the frame was and could clearly see the bits I'd missed.ROAD < Scott Foil HMX Di2, Volagi Liscio Di2, Jamis Renegade Elite Di2, Cube Reaction Race > ROUGH0
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This year I have used Halfords bike wet lube (or dry lube in summer) and degrease every other ride with their aerosol degreaser spray. Its just a quick spray and hose off whilst on the bike. Awesome stuff. The chain stays as shiny as new and seems to last about a season, so thats 4000km roughly per bike.0
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I use Finish Line Cross Country wet lube for summer and winter. It copes well with cyclocross, so if it can manage that it can manage anything. I agree with keef66, one drop per link, spend plenty of time wiping excess off.0
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I use Finish Line Cross Country wet lube for summer and winter. It copes well with cyclocross, so if it can manage that it can manage anything. I agree with keef66, one drop per link, spend plenty of time wiping excess off.
OK, great, thanks. That's what I've gone for.
How bad is it, after a wet muddy ride, to wipe the chain down and clean it the day after? That was one thing I was doing and I'm wondering if that contributed a lot, or just a little, to the chain's incredibly quick and excessive wear.0 -
I've have been trying Prolink progold this summer after reading glowing reviews about it's self-cleaning properties and your right it is very thin and I found myself applying it frequently. I shall be trying Squirt next year as this seems to be the rave dry lube of the moment. For winter try something like Rock & Roll lube, which seem to get good reviews.
Squirt is fine if it isn't wet but it's crap in the rain. On a 190k Rapha prestige ride, I found myself hunting for lube (no, not THAT sort of lube) with a certain Ms Vos of cycling fame after the Squirt stuff had completely washed off. My chain sounded like a bag of nails.
The trouble with heavy lubes is that they retain the dirt. Ultimately chains and gritty dirt don't mix so everything is a compromise.
Squirt isnt meant to be any good in the rain. However, I have found its not that bad at all - PROVIDED you let it dry on the chain properly before venturing out. So when commuting in rainy times, dry the bike in the evening when you get home and apply the squirt so that it can set overnight, rather than do it in the morning just before leaving for work. I get on so well with it that the pile of wet lubes etc I bought a couple of years ago sit, unused and unloved.0 -
[quote=How bad is it, after a wet muddy ride, to wipe the chain down and clean it the day after? That was one thing I was doing and I'm wondering if that contributed a lot, or just a little, to the chain's incredibly quick and excessive wear.[/quote]
If it's a properly wet and muddy ride then it really needs wiping down and relubing the same day. I've seen rust develop overnight on chains in some cases, so you may have contributed to this one's demise...0 -
I'd gone out of my way to ensure it was done properly: applied, dried, reapplied all to a clean, dry chain that's only ever seen Squirt. It still washed off. Given the OP's requirements, Squirt would be a long way down my list of lubes. In fact, whilst I'm back to commuting on a wet muddy route, my bottle of Squirt is sitting unused and unloved except for the odd reapplication on the turbo bikeI've have been trying Prolink progold this summer after reading glowing reviews about it's self-cleaning properties and your right it is very thin and I found myself applying it frequently. I shall be trying Squirt next year as this seems to be the rave dry lube of the moment. For winter try something like Rock & Roll lube, which seem to get good reviews.
Squirt is fine if it isn't wet but it's crap in the rain. On a 190k Rapha prestige ride, I found myself hunting for lube (no, not THAT sort of lube) with a certain Ms Vos of cycling fame after the Squirt stuff had completely washed off. My chain sounded like a bag of nails.
The trouble with heavy lubes is that they retain the dirt. Ultimately chains and gritty dirt don't mix so everything is a compromise.
Squirt isnt meant to be any good in the rain. However, I have found its not that bad at all - PROVIDED you let it dry on the chain properly before venturing out. So when commuting in rainy times, dry the bike in the evening when you get home and apply the squirt so that it can set overnight, rather than do it in the morning just before leaving for work. I get on so well with it that the pile of wet lubes etc I bought a couple of years ago sit, unused and unloved.ROAD < Scott Foil HMX Di2, Volagi Liscio Di2, Jamis Renegade Elite Di2, Cube Reaction Race > ROUGH0 -
I used Squirt for a couple of summers, properly applied twice to a clean chain and left to dry before riding etc. Still seemed to need frequent reapplication to prevent squealing, and when the dirty wax flaked off, some of it ended up on the rear wheel rim which wasn't ideal from a braking perspective.
I found it pretty useless in the wet regardless of frequency of reapplication. Used it all and won't be trying it again.0
