Wet lube or dry !!

paulb369uk
paulb369uk Posts: 69
edited March 2014 in Road beginners
Evening guys and girls, I bought my bike at the end of last year and really want to get into cycling this year, over 100k done this week :) (ok not massive compared to some but an achievement for me) Could you advise me of the benefits of wet and dry lube and which is best ? I am using oil at the moment, should I be using lube ??

Thanks as always

Paul

Comments

  • RDW
    RDW Posts: 1,900
    The best lube is, of course, ProGold Prolink.
  • giant_man
    giant_man Posts: 6,878
    RDW wrote:
    The best lube is, of course, ProGold Prolink.
    No. It's crap.
  • Sprool
    Sprool Posts: 1,022
    Well that was constructive.
    Anyway, a recent review on some bike website not far from here ended up recommending dry lube for both summer and winter as it didn't attract so much crud as the sticky syrup of wetlube, and although there is a chance of it wearing off quicker in the wet, as long as you clean, dry and relube after a soaking, the reviewer preferred it. Others state you have to use wetlube when its wet or your chain will start to creak and seize up halfway round a long ride in the wet. I've used whatever I have on the shelf at the time, in all sorts of weather and both have been fine. I tend to give the drive chain a good dry, degrease, clean and relube after every 2 or 3 rides anyway, so I'd say use what you like, as long as you are doing the regular maintenance it doesn't matter much, just go for little and often, wipe off the excess and give it a good clean down and relube after wet rides.
  • You'll get strong opinions on both sides. It actually doesn't matter that much. Both work, and you'll find people arguing that each is the best for every season, too.

    What does matter is a) that you do lubricate, b) that you wipe off the excess, and c) that you remove the muck the road throws all over it.

    Personally I use Green Oil wet lube; all year round. I started for environmental reasons and continued because it works brilliantly. I have no plans to start using anything else.

    Finish Line in the green bottle is one of the most common lubes I see in bike shops, and it's a good choice too; don't let the 'cross country' label fool you, it works very well for road, particularly in autumn and winter. It's viscous, but as long as you wipe off the excess, the tenacity is an asset in wet weather.
  • dennisn
    dennisn Posts: 10,601
    Sprool wrote:
    Well that was constructive.

    In an odd sort of way it actually was somewhat constructive. That's the kind of answers you get on forums, pretty much whatever the question was. 50% hate it, 50% love it. Give or take a percentage point or two.
  • rob.m
    rob.m Posts: 89
    I use wet lube all year round, after all it is the UK. But as the others state, just keep a bit of regular cleaning and re-lubeing going and all will be fine.
    It's never too late to become what you might have been...........
  • I've tried loads of different stuff as most of us have, always used wet lube in the winter and dry in the summer but late last year I started using the muc off c3 dry lube and it works well in either condition providing you give it time to dry. It forms a lacquer which seems to resist water ok. I found with normal wet lubes that you still need to dry the chain off each ride to avoid rust?
  • diamonddog
    diamonddog Posts: 3,426
    I use 3in1 oil year round, no problem.
  • MrSweary
    MrSweary Posts: 1,699
    British Cycling recommend wet lube year round if that helps.

    I use the finish line wet lube - I clean my bike weekly and I've found that cleaning, oiling and removing excess works best for me. Tried a few dry lubes (including c3 ceramic) and found they just gunked up really quickly.

    I think removing excess is they key part a lot of people don't do.
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  • JayKosta
    JayKosta Posts: 635
    I have always used wet lube because I believe it soaks into the interior surfaces of the chain where lube is really needed. I've been happy with spray-on 'motorcycle' chain lube, or spray-on industrial 'chain lube'.

    The KEY item with any lube is to clean & replace it on a regular schedule depending on conditions and amount of use.
    Don't allow the chain to become 'dry', or to get coated with dust & grunge.

    Also wipe off the gunk from the chainrings, cassette, and jockey wheels.
    If you ride a lot, then maybe weekly. One a month (first Saturday / Sunday) is probably plenty.

    Jay Kosta
    Endwell NY USA
  • Monty Dog
    Monty Dog Posts: 20,614
    You can always tell people who use dry lube by the annoying squeaking of their drivetrain after an hour's riding - the stuff is snakeoil.
    Make mine an Italian, with Campagnolo on the side..
  • Moonbiker
    Moonbiker Posts: 1,706
    I use 3 in 1 also am i missing out buy not getting some special stuff?
  • cookeeemonster
    cookeeemonster Posts: 1,991
    Sprool wrote:
    Well that was constructive.
    Anyway, a recent review on some bike website not far from here ended up recommending dry lube for both summer and winter as it didn't attract so much crud as the sticky syrup of wetlube, and although there is a chance of it wearing off quicker in the wet, as long as you clean, dry and relube after a soaking, the reviewer preferred it. Others state you have to use wetlube when its wet or your chain will start to creak and seize up halfway round a long ride in the wet. I've used whatever I have on the shelf at the time, in all sorts of weather and both have been fine. I tend to give the drive chain a good dry, degrease, clean and relube after every 2 or 3 rides anyway, so I'd say use what you like, as long as you are doing the regular maintenance it doesn't matter much, just go for little and often, wipe off the excess and give it a good clean down and relube after wet rides.

    is the reviewer reviewing from somewhere thats the opposite of here? Or are they a fair weather rider? Or do they have tons and tons of spare time on their hands? ;) :P

    I prefer wet lube now after trying dry...but like so many things it's a personal choice and many people are happy with either
  • Thanks for all your replies, I have decided to stick with wet and ensure that I regularly degrease, clean then reapply (remembering to remove the excess!!!) Always good to get more experienced riders opinions, thanks again

    Paul
  • dennisn
    dennisn Posts: 10,601
    Moonbiker wrote:
    I use 3 in 1 also am i missing out buy not getting some special stuff?

    You're missing out on spending more money than you need to. Then again all those so called high end lubes sure do come in pretty bottles. Some of the lubes themselves even come in pretty colors. :wink:
  • Moonbiker
    Moonbiker Posts: 1,706
    Checked the oracle Sheldon & he says its not a good idea but I suppose even he can be wrong.
    Lubricants Not to Use!

    While it's hard to say which lubricants are best for chains, some lubricants are real no-nos:

    Automotive motor oil contains detergent, to wash away combustion products, and is made to be renewed constantly under pressure from the motor's oil pump. I rode once with someone who had used it the day before, and her chain was already squeaking.
    "Household" oil, such as 3 in 1, is a vegetable oil and is acidic. It tends to gum up. (It's really bad news inside internal hub gears, too...)
    WD-40 and other thin sprays are intended more as solvents than lubricants. They evaporate quickly.

    How about GT85?
  • imposter2.0
    imposter2.0 Posts: 12,028
    paulb369uk wrote:
    I am using oil at the moment, should I be using lube ??

    Last time I checked, oil WAS a lube. I think it probably still is...
  • cookeeemonster
    cookeeemonster Posts: 1,991
    Moonbiker wrote:
    Checked the oracle Sheldon & he says its not a good idea but I suppose even he can be wrong.
    Lubricants Not to Use!

    While it's hard to say which lubricants are best for chains, some lubricants are real no-nos:

    Automotive motor oil contains detergent, to wash away combustion products, and is made to be renewed constantly under pressure from the motor's oil pump. I rode once with someone who had used it the day before, and her chain was already squeaking.
    "Household" oil, such as 3 in 1, is a vegetable oil and is acidic. It tends to gum up. (It's really bad news inside internal hub gears, too...)
    WD-40 and other thin sprays are intended more as solvents than lubricants. They evaporate quickly.

    How about GT85?

    Nah won't last long at all
  • imposter2.0
    imposter2.0 Posts: 12,028
    Moonbiker wrote:
    Checked the oracle Sheldon & he says its not a good idea but I suppose even he can be wrong.
    Lubricants Not to Use!

    While it's hard to say which lubricants are best for chains, some lubricants are real no-nos:

    Automotive motor oil contains detergent, to wash away combustion products, and is made to be renewed constantly under pressure from the motor's oil pump. I rode once with someone who had used it the day before, and her chain was already squeaking.
    "Household" oil, such as 3 in 1, is a vegetable oil and is acidic. It tends to gum up. (It's really bad news inside internal hub gears, too...)
    WD-40 and other thin sprays are intended more as solvents than lubricants. They evaporate quickly.

    How about GT85?

    If that's what Sheldon says, then he is materially incorrect on a couple of points. 3in1 is not a vegetable oil, so does not 'gum-up' - and WD-40 does not 'evaporate'. The carrier solvent does evapourate, but what it leaves behind is a coating of light mineral oil. Whether that is enough to lubricate a chain is another matter.
  • diamonddog
    diamonddog Posts: 3,426
    +1 for ^This, 3in1 only contains a tiny amount of citronella oil.
  • team47b
    team47b Posts: 6,424
    diamonddog wrote:
    +1 for ^This, 3in1 only contains a tiny amount of citronella oil.

    To ward off Mosquitos?
    my isetta is a 300cc bike
  • MattC59
    MattC59 Posts: 5,408
    Wet lube : wet weather
    Dry lube : dry weather

    You can use dry lube in the wet, but it won't last long.
    You can use wet lube in the dry, but unless applied properly will attract dust and be a black mess pretty quickly.

    I use White lightning clean ride in the summer (wax lube, just to confuse things) and it's sort of self cleaning. You have to apply it properly and about every 150miles, but you don't need much and it keeps your chain beautifully clean.
    In the winter I use Finish Line Cross Country. Again, applied properly it doesn't get filthy and doesn't get washed off too quickly.
    Science adjusts it’s beliefs based on what’s observed.
    Faith is the denial of observation so that Belief can be preserved
  • Sprool
    Sprool Posts: 1,022
    gt85 and wd40 get some bad press, but its great as a light lube, esp. the teflon-containing ones, once the solvent carrier evaporates it leaves a light teflon lubricant coating - it penetrates well, disperses moisture and acts as a degreaser. Trouble is, it will not stick around for too long so don't use it for cyclocross rides or all-day sportives. If you have a tendency to over-lube and not remove the excess with a heavier gunk then maybe a lighter spray like this may be ideal as you're likely to end up with less grime sticking to your drive chain. Just apply regularly and it works great as a frame polish and to help prevent more filth sticking to it.
  • diamonddog
    diamonddog Posts: 3,426
    team47b wrote:
    diamonddog wrote:
    +1 for ^This, 3in1 only contains a tiny amount of citronella oil.

    To ward off Mosquitos?
    Mostly to ward off wheel suckers. :)
  • MattC59
    MattC59 Posts: 5,408
    Sprool wrote:
    gt85 and wd40 get some bad press, but its great as a light lube, esp. the teflon-containing ones, once the solvent carrier evaporates it leaves a light teflon lubricant coating - it penetrates well, disperses moisture and acts as a degreaser. Trouble is, it will not stick around for too long so don't use it for cyclocross rides or all-day sportives. If you have a tendency to over-lube and not remove the excess with a heavier gunk then maybe a lighter spray like this may be ideal as you're likely to end up with less grime sticking to your drive chain. Just apply regularly and it works great as a frame polish and to help prevent more filth sticking to it.

    Slight isue here, WD40 doesnt' have teflon in it. It's a very light penetrating oil and the WD stands for Water Displacer.
    So yes, it penetrates well, yes it disperses moisture well, but your last point about acting as a degreaser is contradictary to it being a great lube. Actually, that's not fair, it may be a great light lube in the right application, but its degreasing properties will remove any existing lube that is in place.

    The subject of WD40 comes up fairly regularly on here, so a while back I emailed WD40 about WD40's suitability s a chain lube. Their response states that it does not have sufficient shear force capacity to act as an effective cycle chain lubricant (If you search my posts you'll find more info). Basically, it gets squeezed out/worn away from the inner faces of the chain which need lubricating.

    Use it to disperse water from your chain after washing, if you want, but let it dry and then lube with something more suitable.
    Science adjusts it’s beliefs based on what’s observed.
    Faith is the denial of observation so that Belief can be preserved
  • dennisn
    dennisn Posts: 10,601
    Imposter wrote:
    paulb369uk wrote:
    I am using oil at the moment, should I be using lube ??

    Last time I checked, oil WAS a lube. I think it probably still is...

    :lol::lol::lol::lol::lol:
    That made my day.
  • Tiltzey Boy
    Tiltzey Boy Posts: 120
    My advice is never to go dry! It can cause excessive friction and result in severe wear which reduces the likelihood of future use without replacement!

    Always use lube, but stick to the "made for the job" brands, and also, avoid the use of shower gel/shampoo as a lubricant, even though they are nice and slippery, they can cause irritation to sensitive areas!

    :oops:

    Well, someone had to say it!! And, by the way, this is tongue in cheek before anyone says I'm wrong!!!!
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  • Sprool
    Sprool Posts: 1,022
    MattC59 wrote:
    Sprool wrote:
    gt85 and wd40 get some bad press, but its great as a light lube, esp. the teflon-containing ones, once the solvent carrier evaporates it leaves a light teflon lubricant coating - it penetrates well, disperses moisture and acts as a degreaser. Trouble is, it will not stick around for too long so don't use it for cyclocross rides or all-day sportives. If you have a tendency to over-lube and not remove the excess with a heavier gunk then maybe a lighter spray like this may be ideal as you're likely to end up with less grime sticking to your drive chain. Just apply regularly and it works great as a frame polish and to help prevent more filth sticking to it.

    Slight issue here, WD40 doesnt' have teflon in it. It's a very light penetrating oil and the WD stands for Water Displacer.
    Yes it does - WD40 with teflon: (that's PTFE)
    http://road.cc/content/review/64289-wd4 ... -lubricant
    GT85 also has Teflon but I don't know if they tell you how much is in there...
    Anyway, accept the point of it being thin and volatile, good use as a cleaner and dispeller of water, then lube up with something more robust.
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 72,243
    Wet lubricant is less hassle and at the level almost all amateurs are you won't notice the difference.

    Main point is to look after it and degrease/lubricate regularly, however much of an arse ache it is (and let's face it, after a long ride in the p!ssing rain, getting all mucky with your chain is the last thing you want to be doing))
  • MattC59
    MattC59 Posts: 5,408
    Sprool wrote:
    MattC59 wrote:
    Sprool wrote:
    gt85 and wd40 get some bad press, but its great as a light lube, esp. the teflon-containing ones, once the solvent carrier evaporates it leaves a light teflon lubricant coating - it penetrates well, disperses moisture and acts as a degreaser. Trouble is, it will not stick around for too long so don't use it for cyclocross rides or all-day sportives. If you have a tendency to over-lube and not remove the excess with a heavier gunk then maybe a lighter spray like this may be ideal as you're likely to end up with less grime sticking to your drive chain. Just apply regularly and it works great as a frame polish and to help prevent more filth sticking to it.

    Slight issue here, WD40 doesnt' have teflon in it. It's a very light penetrating oil and the WD stands for Water Displacer.
    Yes it does - WD40 with teflon: (that's PTFE)
    http://road.cc/content/review/64289-wd4 ... -lubricant
    GT85 also has Teflon but I don't know if they tell you how much is in there...
    Anyway, accept the point of it being thin and volatile, good use as a cleaner and dispeller of water, then lube up with something more robust.

    Well I never :D still wouldn't use it on my chain though.
    Science adjusts it’s beliefs based on what’s observed.
    Faith is the denial of observation so that Belief can be preserved