Chain Lube - Too Anal?

cjw
cjw Posts: 1,889
edited December 2007 in MTB general
Just wondering if i am using the wrong chain lube or being too anal.

I'm using muc-off chain lube which seems to be fairly dry. But after one or two rides, the chain feels and sounds gritty so I degrease and re-lube. After a complete reclean and lube on Friday I rode at Epping on Saturday and now feel the need to re-degrease and rellube (OK it was muddy but the chain is fairly clean but now feels gritty again).

Am I being to fussy or should I try another lube? Or is this normal for the winter?
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Comments

  • supersonic
    supersonic Posts: 82,708
    The trick is to lube carefully on a spotless chain - no more than you need, on the rollers, and wipe off excess.
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  • prophet_1000
    prophet_1000 Posts: 307
    Check out this I added the other day

    http://www.27gears.com/howto.html

    hope it helps?
    www.27gears.com

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  • cjw
    cjw Posts: 1,889
    supersonic wrote:
    The trick is to lube carefully on a spotless chain - no more than you need, on the rollers, and wipe off excess.

    Thamks, that's what I do, just wondering if I'm cleaning more than I need to. It's just that after a ride or two I feel the need to clean again as the drive train is a litttle gritty.
    London to Paris Forum
    http://cjwoods.com/london2paris

    Scott Scale 10
    Focus Izalco Team
  • cjw
    cjw Posts: 1,889
    prophet_1000 wrote:
    Check out this I added the other day

    http://www.27gears.com/howto.html

    hope it helps?

    Thanks for this. Similar routine as myself and it sounds as though you also clean after almost every ride as well! It just seemed a lot to me. Perfectly smooth etc after a clean and then after a shortish (2-3 hour) ride it seems to need cleaning again. Ho hum!
    London to Paris Forum
    http://cjwoods.com/london2paris

    Scott Scale 10
    Focus Izalco Team
  • milese
    milese Posts: 1,233
    To add a small bit of advice; is that parafin makes a good cheap degreaser.

    Filling the reservoir of the chain bath thing twice for every clean gets expensive quickly if you clean your drivechain after every ride!
  • pemsey
    pemsey Posts: 107
    I found using a Scottoiler mounted on the bike really helps. It's the same sort of idea as fitted on Motorbikes - a couple of drops of oil every so often right where it's needed. The beauty of the oil is it's easily cleaned off with water so a quick blast at the end of a ride and the chain is clean again. An added advantage, if you don't mind getting through the oil rather quickly, is that you can give the chain a few squirts whilst riding, especially if the chain is cacked up, and it'll give it a semi- clean and stop it graunching too much.

    http://www.scottoiler.com/active.asp
    http://www.treadsmtb.co.uk/index.php
  • rob cole
    rob cole Posts: 706
    you chain is going to get dirty in the winter....its down to your tolerance of riding a dirty bike or not....whether you clean it every few rides

    some people don't care..we get bike into our workshop that have not been cleaned for months and everything is worn out on the drivetrain

    it will last longer if cleaned regularly, but be aware that dry lube often needs regular application, much more than wet lube, even in the summer I usually add dry lube before each riding

    perhaps the best dry lube is "white lightening" which is self cleaning
    check out my riding - www.robcole.co.uk Banshee Factory Team rider, Da Kine UK Team rider, www.freeborn.co.uk www.eshershore.com

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