What chain lube are people using these days?

neeb

I've been using Finish Line wet lube for decades - mainly because I don't want to have to think about reapplying oil between chain washes and even bikes that are mainly ridden in dry conditions are sometimes ridden in the wet. I always wipe thoroughly after applying but it does attract dirt.

Have seen one or two new products advertised recently - is there anything which is apply-and-forget, efficient (in friction terms) and doesn't attract too much dirt?

alanyu

Smoove, if you can't get that, Squirt. Both are the similar (same) compounds.

The only annoying thing is you need to degrease/clean the chain thoroughly before the first time lubing, but after that it's very easy to use: apply ten drops upside and ten drops downside after 100~200 (Smoove) / 80~150 (Squirt) miles riding, spin the crank and leave it there, no need to wipe. Then you can have a nice ride the next day.

The friction is in the first tier. AFAIK, the fastest lubes are: 1, CS UFO; 2, Molten Speed Wax; 3, Smoove; 4, Squirt; ...

cycleclinic

Rock n roll lube are pretty clean and keep transmission losses low. Squirt is as good for keeping transmission losses low I dont know if it keeps the chain as clean though or even what it's made from.

The practical difference between squirt and rock n roll lubes is the rnr lube cleans the chain while lubing it. That saves one job
You do have to wipe tbe chain off with a rag though. It helps if you clean the jockey wheels too. It's worth doing that though whichever lube you use.

Does anyone know what squirt is made from. Never looked I to it before. I think I should.

Matthewfalle

whatever wet stuff my mate has on the counter of his shop when I pop in.

If he has Finish Line in (as recommended above) then I'm a happy Matt.

shirley_basso

Does it make that much difference? I am a good boy and buy some natural eco lube and apply whenever required.

mrb123

Rock and Roll for me. The blue one for winter duties.

N0bodyOfTheGoat

Mucoff C3 Ceramic Wet, but it turns into a thick black paste, might get a dry lube for Cube as I never take it out in the rain anyway!

jpj84

Paraffin wax - posh stuff too, from Fred Aldous, not some industrial muck (non-scented).

napoleond

Whatever is on offer

cycleclinic

The only data on friction losses I have seen and is avilable is from friction facts. There is a fairly wide range of losses for different lives with 4 to 5 w difference best and the best and worst. This data though is not replicated by others because no one else has.

The other thing that's untested is the effect on chain life of various lubes.

First.Aspect

jpj84 wrote:

Paraffin wax - posh stuff too, from Fred Aldous, not some industrial muck (non-scented).

I think this is what is in Squirt, judging from the ads. Squirt is basically an emulsion that leaves behind the same thing.

neeb

Tempted to give the r&r a go. I see that there are lots of different versions however. Can't be bothered working out which one is best.. ;-)

It's like single malt whisky - 10 or 20 years ago there was just Ardbeg, Jura, etc. Now there are 10 different types of each (and none of them are as good as the standard 10yo or whatever). What a faff!

Not going to try lubing (or even cleaning) my chain with whisky though.

thegreatdivide

Progold Prolink for spring/summer/autumn and Prolink Extreme in winter.

Wayne Plunger

75/90 Gearbox oil.

First.Aspect

Wayne Plunger wrote:

75/90 Gearbox oil.

I guarantee that more r&d has gone into that.

neeb

First Aspect wrote:

Wayne Plunger wrote:

75/90 Gearbox oil.

I guarantee that more r&d has gone into that.

Probably not for this application, though.. :-)

imposter2.0

neeb wrote:

First Aspect wrote:

Wayne Plunger wrote:

75/90 Gearbox oil.

I guarantee that more r&d has gone into that.

Probably not for this application, though.. :-)

For lubricating two moving surfaces? I suspect it has...

I will use variously 3in1, GT85 or Muc-Off wet lube which I picked up cheap at Aldi. They all work.

The other thing to say is that this thread will probably go over 8 pages or more...

neeb

Imposter wrote:

For lubricating two moving surfaces? I suspect it has...

Yeah, but probably not for keeping bicycle chains shiny. Maybe even not for minimising friction given the particular application (i.e. no need for high temperature performance, etc).

dannbodge

Silca NFS
Won't use anything else now. It just works in all conditions and doesn't leave your chain horrendously gunked up

pblakeney

neeb wrote:

...is there anything which is apply-and-forget...

I got a bottle of Chain-L 8 years ago and still have plenty left. Yes you read that right!
It really is fit and forget, even in miserable weather. It does attract dirt though and I have no idea on friction loss.
https://www.mtbriders.co.uk/workshop/101-chain-l.html

imposter2.0

neeb wrote:

Imposter wrote:

For lubricating two moving surfaces? I suspect it has...

Yeah, but probably not for keeping bicycle chains shiny. Maybe even not for minimising friction given the particular application (i.e. no need for high temperature performance, etc).

A rag will keep your chain 'shiny' - oil will keep it lubed. I don't think anyone gives a fck what colour the chain is while they're riding.

Also, I think you are significantly over-imagining what is required to lubricate a roller chain. Don't over-think it.

As for 'apply and forget' - how long are you planning on 'forgetting' it for?

First.Aspect

I was late.for work the other day. It had nothing to do with friction loss in my drive train.

neeb

First Aspect wrote:

I was late.for work the other day. It had nothing to do with friction loss in my drive train.

Probably nothing to do with whether you were in a skinsuit or an anorak with a rucksack either..

5w isn't to be entirely scoffed at.

And shiny chains & cassettes are nice.

rdt

On a turbo-only bike (*never* goes outdoors): Squirt

[EDIT] Outdoor bikes: Progold Prolink, or mainly now Rock n Roll Extreme (year round)

imposter2.0

neeb wrote:

And shiny chains & cassettes are nice.

Best way to keep them like that is to leave them in the garage..

First.Aspect

Imposter wrote:

neeb wrote:

And shiny chains & cassettes are nice.

Best way to keep them like that is to leave them in the garage..

Or Zwift.

5w isn't to be scoffed at, if it was real.

If we added up all the wattages that have been saved, by all of the kit manufacturers who have saved them for us, we would need to chain our bikes up at night to stop them taking off.

david7m

I got a free sample of squirt and initially didn't like it, but it's grown on me. Chain needs to be thoroughly decreased and 2 applications with 10 minutes in between, then I'll put another coat on next weekend. Should last a few weeks/ hundreds of miles, then I'll clean it off and start again.

rdt

FYI if interested:

Seeking the holy grail: A fast chain lube that saves you money
https://cyclingtips.com/2018/03/fast-ch ... you-money/


Since using Squirt and Rock n Roll Extreme I've "saved" so much I've retired early, been on a couple of round the world trips and even bought me a (very) small private island.

neeb

First Aspect wrote:

Imposter wrote:

neeb wrote:

And shiny chains & cassettes are nice.

Best way to keep them like that is to leave them in the garage..

Or Zwift.

5w isn't to be scoffed at, if it was real.

If we added up all the wattages that have been saved, by all of the kit manufacturers who have saved them for us, we would need to chain our bikes up at night to stop them taking off.

Do you have anything positive to contribute? If so, please share (edit - that goes for both of you)

imposter2.0

neeb wrote:

First Aspect wrote:

Imposter wrote:

neeb wrote:

And shiny chains & cassettes are nice.

Best way to keep them like that is to leave them in the garage..

Or Zwift.

5w isn't to be scoffed at, if it was real.

If we added up all the wattages that have been saved, by all of the kit manufacturers who have saved them for us, we would need to chain our bikes up at night to stop them taking off.

Do you have anything positive to contribute? If so, please share (edit - that goes for both of you)

I already said what 'chain' lube I was using. But the best way to keep your chain and cassette nice n shiny is to clean it once in a while..

shortfall

neeb wrote:

First Aspect wrote:

Imposter wrote:

neeb wrote:

And shiny chains & cassettes are nice.

Best way to keep them like that is to leave them in the garage..

Or Zwift.

5w isn't to be scoffed at, if it was real.

If we added up all the wattages that have been saved, by all of the kit manufacturers who have saved them for us, we would need to chain our bikes up at night to stop them taking off.

Do you have anything positive to contribute? If so, please share (edit - that goes for both of you)

I think they did, they encouraged you not to waste a ton of money on gimmicky products with good marketing when there are cheaper products that do the job just as well. FWIW I use EP 90 gear oil on my chains which is less than a tenner for a litre. I rotate 3 chains on a cassette and change them before .75 on the chain checker. So far on my current Chorus cassette with KMC chains I'm up to 7.5k miles and I haven't had to bin a chain yet. Most of my mileage on this bike is dry weather. My Winter bike runs Sora so I just wear them out and swap them as and when, no idea on mileage as they're so cheap. I'm 17 stone. YMMV.