Which chain lube are you using and why?Let's shill and share some experiences on what works well and what doesn't.
I've always used cheap af oils my parents had lying around in the shed and it worked well enough. I found that keeping the chain clean from debris is more important than the actual lubricant.Recently I've tried a PTFE spray and subjectively it kept the chain cleaner while providing less friction.I'm currently degreasing a chain to try experimenting with wax. I heard great things about it but you need to completely degrease the chain first which is kind of an ordeal.
>>1871723For the last few months I used industrial vaseline. Seriously. I dab every roller, melt it with a heat gun and wipe the excess. Seems to work very well. So well, in fact, that I am considering making some sort of a custom lubricant.
I've played around with various different lubes and I've come to the conclusion that it doesn't really matter. Whatever generic cheap lube works well enough. At least for a commuter and recreational rider like me.The was that expensive pro tier lube that I got a free sample of, that made my chain smell like blueberry and candy. I liked that one, but it was ridiculously expensive.
I've never found a lube that I loved, but I've been using finish line dry teflon lube exclusively for quite a while since I need teflon anyway for my cleats and having a bunch of different single-purpose lubes lying around is annoying
>>1871732I need Teflon for my seatpost
>>1871723Ballistol
>>1871723https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-oyNX6-CCMwI've mixed myself two liters of this shit two years ago.It's fucking awesome.You do have to apply it more frequently but..>I've mixed myself two liters of this shit
>>1871750>You do have to apply it more frequentlyI'd rather pay a little more for the convenience of not having to apply it as often.
>>1871723been using this for about a year. no complaints and it's cheap.https://bike.bikegremlin.com/5855/the-best-bicycle-chain-lubricant/
>>1871728That sounds quite genius to be honest. How is it in terms of dirt sticking to it and in terms of rain washing it off ?
Triflow for winter, as I'm mostly looking to displace water to prevent rust, so I don't even bother wiping off the excess. I use a lot less of it during the summer and might actually wipe off the excess because it attracts a lot of dirt.For the road bike or gravel riding I use Finish Line Dry as it makes less mess.
motor oil, because i have a little bit left every oil change
Air tool oilits cheep
>>1871748C'mere BallistolSuper Lube with Syncolon (PTFE) gonna beat your ass
>>1871743This is what I use because it works good and doesn’t contain any PTFE or other fluorocarbon bullshit.
Keeps shit clean as hell and chain feels completely dry/waxy, not greasy or gunky at all. Only lasts a hundred miles or so but worth it. Only get the "clean" version though, the other WL products are apparently fucking atrocious.
>>1871781how does it feel to let a few dollars make your choices for you?
>>1871898you tell me, you're the one buying overpriced oil
>>1871723Probably been ripped off but I got some MucOff. Wet for winter, dry for summer. How often should I apply?
Motorex Wet Protect because it's durable in wet conditions (made for mountain bikes) which is great for commuting, and also biodegradable.
>>1871951I've use MucOff thoughout the year. Only the dry lube though. It smells good and is a bit better than the spray stuff I had before, no plans on switching away.
>>1871951as soon as the chain starts getting loud
>>1871732>boy butterlewd
i use wax because i'm not retatedred
>everyone using dank lubricants>meanwhile I just use sewing machine oilBros have i been doing it wrong?
>>1872028nah
>>1872028how black is your chain? be honest
I use much off wet lube year round. >>1871854I agree, don't really like the idea of PTFE run off in the waterways.
>>1872059>I refuse to lube my chain properly because muh polar bearsfucking lol
>>1871951>>1871958>>1872059>muc offoh nononono
spray can CLP, which I think has some teflon shit in it, should I use something better?
>>1871723All the bike based chain oils are too thin IMO, currently on Tri Flow, it's alright, feels really good when freshly applied but it attracts so much dirt and it's a sticky oil when dirty and is so thin it wears off too fast. My usual go-to oil is just some random 80w gear oil but when my refillable squeeze bottle broke I had to acquire another bottle (hence being on Tri Flow now). The most premier oil I've ever tried was Finish Line Ceramic, felt really fast but again, was too thin for real winter riding. I'm almost done with my bottle of Tri Flow, can't wait to refill it with some gear oil.
>>1871771Dollar store mineral oil, in a dropper thinned with eucalyptus and tea tree essential oils (because those were what I had on hand.) The smell is an acquired taste :PI use one of the D-limonene cleaner can tool, Clean Streak.
>>1872028>I just use sewing machine oilIt's super thin. I won't even use it on my sewing machines lol
>>1872072The level of autism in that report is cool and informative but from what I gathered they applied it once and then rode for 1000km. Shouldn't you be cleaning and lubing your drive train far more frequently than that?>>1872071Not too bothered about polar bears. Just don't like the idea of 'forever chemicals' getting in soils and freshwaters around me.
>>1872178>Shouldn't you be cleaning and lubing your drive train far more frequently than that?Yes, trusting any reports other than your own experiences regarding chain lube is kinda dumb, it’s not like any testing regime is going to perfectly emulate the conditions in which you usually ride. >Just don't like the idea of 'forever chemicals' getting in soils and freshwaters around me.I don’t like fluorocarbons and other similar compounds being used for hobbyist applications (like bicycle chain lube) but I mostly don’t want to handle that stuff if I don’t have to. Boeshield T-9 has been working great for me for decades and avoids all of that garbage. I’m not sure what >>1872071 means by “properly”, but you definitely don’t need PTFE to lubricate a bicycle chain effectively.
>>1871883What do for wet conditions? The weather is never perfect
>>1872143Anything organic is very likely to polymerize, which turns it into very hard debris that is impossible to remove.My friend used a thick plant oil on his chain and when he left it on for a month it made the chain seize. Had to replace the chain because no household chemical would do anything to it.
>>1872178https://zerofrictioncycling.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/MucOff.pdfTesting protocols on last couple pages. They relube every 400km for the 'clean' portions of the test and every 200km for the contaminated portions unless mfg says otherwise. In fact they suggest that lubing less often might make things slightly less terrible because every time they relube all the shit that's glued to the outside of the chain gets sucked farther inside.> then rode for 1000km1000km was the length of that block of the test. They stopped the test after 2000km because it had already blown past 0.5% wear, and they extrapolated it hit 0.5% at 1580km. The best lubes they test survive 6000km without hitting 0.5%.>>1872189>I also put a call out on social media asking for anyone who has used this lube to advise me of their experience. Overwhelmingly the responses were the same. Most stopped using it after 1 or 2 uses due to it being horribly messy, and some that persisted were concerned regarding wear rates. Trust the science, anon. You don't have a torque sensor in your legs to measure friction and you're not monitoring your drivetrain wear remotely as well as you should.
>>1871917woosh
>>1872193I don’t use Muc Off, I use T-9. I used to wax the chain on my TT bike with MSW but eventually gave up and started using T-9 on that too. I didn’t see any change in my times between the two lubricants. I’ve had chains last over 3,000 miles with T-9, even though they aren’t showing 0.5% wear on either of my gauges I still replace them after about that long. PTFE really isn’t needed for bicycle chains, and I’m happy with T-9.
>>1872202woosh
>>1872193I'll try something else next time, but I am not going to buy fucking 40 euro 20ml bottle lubes that this site suggests. What's a good lube with a reasonable price for regular commuting use? Squirt?
>>1872208white lightning
>>1872203>I didn’t see any change in my times between the two lubricants.Chain lube watt differences are in the <1w range.>I’ve had chains last over 3,000 miles with T-9, even though they aren’t showingLooks like their predicted lifetime for T-9 is 3500km for mixed riding and 9000km for clean+dry only, so that's within expectations.
>>1872214According to this table the flowepower stuff seems decent. Nearly same price as mucoff on some webstores. Might try it next.
chains are too inexpensive to warrant bothering to min/max their lifetime.just make sure they have any kind of lubricant on them and replace it when it starts being shit.
>>1871755Difficult to say. It is certainly cleaner then oils I used previously, and seems to last for much longer. But currently I have mud season here, so nothing definitive can be said.
>>1872251This. Also singer oil >>1872028 was used by pros before bicycles was the sport of rich men because1. Its cheap2. Does not attract grime (sewing machines are dust monsters' lair)3. Just werks
>>1872208>SquirtI'm currently doing the first initial application of that after completely degreasing the chain. Will do a first ride tomorrow. From the looks of it I'm rather skeptic. Looks like dried cum.
>>1872303singer oil was used by the pros in their hubs because it's extremely thin and low friction and they had mechanics to repack them after every race.
>>1872251Good chains are close to $50 and cassettes are close to $100, and that's not even the high-end stuff. Do whatever you want with your tourney shitheap.
>>1872322really depends on how new your bike is nice 7/8/9 cassettes and chains are pretty cheap.
>>1872327>7/8/9>nice> Do whatever you want with your tourney shitheap.
>>1872329ahem. Ultegra and XT thank you. The poorfag is the man not living within his means. If the cost of a new chain is non-trivial to you, you are a poorfag. Regardless of if it's $10 or $100.
>>1872329>she thinks the amount of speeds relates to quality
>>1872333>9 speed ultegraIn that case you should worry about chain wear because your bike is an antique and finding replacement components on the same level of quality as the originals is very hard.
>>1872339>finding replacement components on the same level of quality as the originals is very hard.wtf are you talking about? This is a frankenbike so i don't care but lets say it was a complete 9 speed ultegra bike, stock. There's absolutely nothing wrong with the readily available consumables for that. You think a Sora or Alivio level cassette is gonna shift worse than vintage Ultegra? The difference is it'll be a little bit heavier and probably wear better. And the new higher-spec 9 speed chains are likely better than anything you'd get then. BB is the same.
>>1872340>"sora is basically ultegra">flat pedals>frame literally says "COPE"bahahahaha
>>1872342Sora is better than old Ultegra in some ways. And the cassette from what I can see is 20 grams heavier. Oh wow, 20 grams. Better spend hours cleaning your chain every week to keep that 20 grams off.
>>1872343
>>1872347lol
>>1872343Seek immediate help
>>1871723
>>1872352absolute shit>smells>attracts dirt and water>essentially a solvent >nothing from 20th century ever "waterproofed" with it still exists I hate this product with a white hot intensity>Only PTFE based formulas are worse
>>1872192>Anything organic is very likely to polymerize, which turns it into very hard debris that is impossible to remove.>My friend used a thick plant oil on his chain and when he left it on for a month it made the chain seize.Its a good point and worth considering. Many vegetable oils are hygroscopic meaning they absorb water. Water means oxygen, and any iron present means rusted chain this would be the "hard debris", I would think, as if it were just an organic polymer (& not semi-aqueous emulsion), it would just be greasy. What I'm doing is adding essential oils (that are basically purified and concentrated light fractions of terpenoids) at something like a 1:50 v/v ratio to mineral oil, just enough drops to thin so it drips like water, and coats the chain and the smell only lasts maybe a day before it evaporates compeltely (the aromatics) leaving the heavy mineral oil. Those aromatics are a diverse array of terpenes. I did a quick search and it doesn't seem likely to polymerize. Because of the heterogenous mix of the heavy mineral oil (stable) and terpenes (light) they separate rather quickly and the terpenes "boil off" the outer surface leaving the mineral layer. >>1871728>For the last few months I used industrial vaseline.Here is an example of a heterogenous mixture:>Vaseline: Water (aqua), Glycerin, Stearic Acid, Isopropyl Palmitate, Glycol Stearate, Peg-100 Stearate, Mineral Oil, Dimethicone, Petrolatum, Glyceryl Stearate, Phenoxyethanol, Cetyl Alcohol, Methylparaben, Acrylates/c10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Triethanolamine, Propylparaben, Disodium EDTA, StearamideThe problem is that first ingredient. Vaseline is more of a greasy emulsion. Because it is semi-solid at room temp, he has to heat it to get it to flow like mineral oil. And the chain flings it off. As long as he keeps glopping it on, I'm sure things will run smooth. I'm not in a high-salt environment, but I wouldn't use this if I was
>>1871743>170€ for a chain lube
>>1872395Do I have to be German to get this joke?
>>1872395Blame whatever incompetent politicians created an world where it costs $150 to send a small bottle of liquid from the US to Krautland.
>>1872395why is it t-9's fault that (Your) country is retarded?
>>1872408it doesn't
>>1871723has anyone experience with the wipermann zinc coated chain?it feels not sticky at all. i think the zinc also works as lubricant. i wanted to try it for my 7 gear bike but it only comes as 108 links and my bike needs 110.
>>1872421>my bike needs 110.does it really though
>>1871854in a german Bicycle forum there was a thread about grease not chain oil but anyways. A guy claimed to have worked in a grease factory and all the scraps from cleaning or leftover batches of grease got collected in tub once full it was all blended up and mixed with a shovel of PTFE and then sold as various special bike lubes.
>>1872422the original oem chain is 110, various online calculators with teeth count say 110. and 108 feels a lithe to tight would probably work since you never should change gears to big big anyways. its a biopace btw don't know if that changes the chain length versus a round gear.
>>1872424"trust me bro"
>>1872424Who cares about product consistency between batches anyway?Also good luck with MSDS requirements with that lucky dip grease. No way would that fly with a commercial product.
>>1872072Thanks. I'm >>1871951 and that report might explain a lot. I think I'll get some new lube.
>>1872433desu most MSDS are pretty shoddy anyways.Paint thinner for example often lists 20 different solvents with 10-50% content. that's just some dirty industrial cleaning solvent they distilled off. contamination's likely. PTFE is often not even in the MSDS because its a polymer Many fluoridated contents are not listed because not harmful (one of the 10000 they did not test jet.) they probably just write together the ingredients of their 5 most used Greases and call it a day. no one is going to test if its natural or synthetic base oil.
>>1872433>>1872451>MSDS what fucking year is it
>>1872421The zinc will be a metal plating, not lubricant. Whatever grease comes on new chains should be cleaned off before use.https://zerofrictioncycling.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Lubricant-detail-review-Factory-Grease-v1.1.pdf
>>1872487its not galvanized its zinc flake and it has a lower friction than steel. i have bought the single speed chain for a bike and its really not sticky, it appears there is no lube on it like wipermann chains usually have new. I will not ride this bike much so i can tell you in 20 years if the chain was good,on my daily beater i needed a longer chain. but this could be a game changer for chains
>>1872493Using low friction coatings like that is very common on anything but the cheapest shit. It gives you better friction until it wears away, then it doesn't.
>>1872214I'm going to borrow this chart anon. I also appreciate how the person(s) who tested used a higher quality chain. This is an aspect that people overlook. Chain quality is critical and you absolutely get what you pay for. There is no beating longevity of an Ultegra/XT or Dura Ace/XTR chain (and those other companies with similar top end chains).
>>1872616>I'm going to borrow this chart anon.Ok but I need it back by saturday.
>>1872616I got curious and found some chain wear tests on ZFC too. 105 looks like it's pretty much the same as Ultegra. Mid level chains seem to be the most economical chains, with only small increase in longevity from premium level chains. If I read this correct.https://zerofrictioncycling.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/chainlongevitypg1.pdf
I just use Morgan Blue because it's really nice in general and very easy to clean. I wipe my chain after every ride and wash it every other month.
>>1872621No problem.>>1872631Gonna borrow this one too. Pretty good data here. I may run Sram Eagle chains after seeing this graph.The cost comparison between the Sram Eagle XO1 chain to the XTR m9100 chain is only a difference of $8.00 or so (XTR more expensive) yet the Sram lasts 40% longer. Fucking A that is HUGE. Not to mention whoever made that study used a mediocre lube wearing the chain out BIGLY.
does lube affect cassette wear? or is it only so far as its affect on chain wear affecting the cassette wear?
>>1872640probably only the later.but a really sticky oil thats full of grit sand and dirt will probably have some affect on cassette wear.
>>1871723fite me
>>1872631I hope people keep rerunning these kind of tests every couple of years or so.I don't know, but I suspect the reason that 12 speed chain seem to be so much more durable is that 12 is a relatively new standard and companies are overbuilding their flagship products, in terms of quality. I imagine the relative longevity of 12 chains will drop as companies get better at cutting costs.
>>1872671Or perhaps due to tighter lateral/width tolerances within the link, companies need to use better alloys.
>>1872028Based, +1 on this
>>1872028i used this in my 3 speed hub, it worked very well but needed topping off more frequently than thicker stuff>>1872644moast baste
>>1872214Ok, might've fallen for a meme but I ordered two bottles of this 13 euros each based on this table. The weather has been terrible for last weeks so I need a wet weather lube anyway, though I don't know if any lube can handle the road salt and other shit. According to that table this should atleast do a bit better than the mucoff dry lube.
>>1872853Thinner = less friction = FASTAAnd I like my oils like my pasta. Fasta!
>>1872884Be sure to report back. My concern with that natural sunflower based stuff is that it'll go bad or rancid over time
>>1871723Walmart brand, because it's cheap and works just fine even in adverse conditions.Keeping the chain n shit clean and checking up on it regularly is way more important than using some fancy expensive oil.
>>1871726Does WD40 PTFE dry lube work as an alternative?
>>1872884Where did you find it, fellow euro-located anon?
I got myself pic related. I dont believe in there being much of a difference and dont sperg out about it either. It's just the inconvenience of irregularly applying random and 'less suited' mineral oil products to my chain when I can just have something that comes in a handy size with an applicator tip, can just be carried around on the bike and at least is equally suitable as your average GPL2 grease and 50 weight oil.Also they offer a refill size which makes a good impression.
>>1872352This is petroleum. Petroleum does evaporate and has almost no lubricity. To make matters worse it will dilute any remaining lubricantas in the chain and draw them out as it evaporates. It will displace existing water tho.The misconceptions surrounding this product being so common is why many competitors to WD40 opt to include lubricants in their product, so it meets the expectations of imbeciles.
>>1873889Petroleum, also known as crude oil, or simply oil, is a naturally occurring yellowish-black liquid mixture of mainly hydrocarbons
I use my own sperm
>>1873892A hydrocarbon is an organic compound made of nothing more than carbons and hydrogens. It is possible for double or triple bonds to form between carbon atoms and even for structures, such as rings, to form.
>>1873889>>1873892>>1873938Stop same-fagging.
>>1873931based coomer not wasting his jizz
it's engine oil thinned with petrol for me
>>1871723Long Life III Full Synthetic
anyone hear from the anon who spraypainted his drivetrain
>>1873885Wiggle, there was also some raceface 1x chainrings for 16 euros each and free posts to EU after 50 euro
>>1874172>raceface 1x chainrings>for 16 euros>on wiggleIt's not Raceface.
>>1874244https://www.wiggle.co.uk/race-face-single-narrowwide-chainringstill some colours and sizes left
I haven't so much as washed my 90s trek in monthsIt just works
>>1871748I used to use Ballistol, now I use Lucas CLP.
>>1874267Is it an 820?
>>1873938I was linking the Wikipedia page for petroleum (wd40 is not crude oil)>>1873959Based illiterate retard
>>1874391There's teflon hoppe's lubricant too.
>>1871723clean chain in solvent. flush with molten wax
supposedly optimal chain lube is a couple watts more efficient max, but a waxed chain just feels so smooth. can it really be just a couple watts?
Retard from /o/ here, what about that spray on motorcycle chain lube? Is it too thick for bikes?
>>1874799yes, grime magnetyou can always thin it down with some acetone
Big thank you to the queer who posted the graphs of the chain wear. Picked up a couple pic related for my e-cargo bike since it’s a chain eater.Merry Christmas to you and yours.
>WAXMy final verdict on wax (and wax-based) lubricants: IT'S A MEMEAfter going through the whole ordeal of degreasing the chain and making it sterile (which costs time and money) I waxed the chain and rode a few times.Does it lubricate the chain? Yes. Very well actually. It's probably the smoothest it ever felt. Feels like the chain doesn't even exist. It's max comfy.Does it keep the chain clean? Yes. It's truly fascinating to see how no major debris or sand sticks to it. Quite cool. If you don't look closely, the chain appears almost 'bare' it looks so clean.Then why is it a meme? Because it makes your fucking chain rust like crazy. Even a tiny bit of humidity will immediately cause your chain to rust after a single ride. Also wax is 100% FUCKED if you ever entertain the idea of riding in wet conditions. At this point the wax mixes with the water and you get a grey paste that prohibits your chain from drying, so you need to thoroughly wipe it down after each ride. So basically you can choose grey gunk with rusty chain, or black gunk with protected chain. Oil has the advantage that it can easily be cleaned with a quick spray of brake cleaner and subsequent application of new oil.If you're the type of guy who changes his chain twice a year, go ahead and enjoy the wax. Anyone else (especially those with expensive chains) stay with oil.
>>1875096>he actually fell for it
>>1875096thanks for your honest opinion anon, good post
>>1875096Thanks Anon. Good to know. I ride a lot in the wet.
Anyone else use rock n roll? I've been using the blue one because it's supposed to be good, but my chain starts making noise again after like 30 mins of riding. I apply every other ride and follow the application method on the bottle, letting it sit for a few hours or overnight. It's still better than prolink tho. Had to apply that shit every ride and my chain still rusted somehow (since replaced it)
>>1872631Why does more speeds = more longevity? Shouldn’t it be the other way? With fewer gears in the cassette there’s more space between them, the chain can be wider and bigger overall, and there’s just more of it to wear, right? I thought reduced strength, faster wear, and higher price was the compromise you make for those fancy new 1x12 mechs all the cool kids have now. When the Gates belt on my gear hub wore out (another story) I replaced it with 8spd chain because I thought it would be cheap, durable, and available. The other option was non-derailing BMX chain. What am I missing here, and what’s the right chain for a singlespeed or gearhub?Pic related: a gearhub bike in its natural habitat.
>>1872631I know it's not about old stuff but it annoys me they tested only a low end 8 speed chain, considering that the focus is mostly on expensive chains. HG40 instead of HG71. It's like with KMC there's Z8 and then X8And Sram have 830, 850, 870I've always found the better (not that much more expensive ones) to last longer. Why would you test the cheapest one against all these expensive new chains?
>>1876083With control cogs the same amount of cog is pressing the rollers. Chain stretch is the rollers wearing down. I guess more expensive chains have harder rollers, better materials tech. That makes sense. The price - durability is probably peak for a high spec 8 or 9 speed chain still though. Your extra wear on a fancy drivetrain is also caused by a tonne of crosschaining by design.
Anyone ever use a dishwasher to clean their chain? I was feeling frisky so I threw mine in with no actual dishes, using Finish Quantum Powerball which has no chlorine bleach. It did almost as thorough a job as a lazy quick run through with a toothbrush and degreaser, but I waited 45 minutes before taking it out at the end of the cycle and there were some rust spots. Also there were still a few chunks of black goo that it didn't remove even though I took pains to orient the links vertically to maximize exposure to the spray jets.Overall 4/10 will probably not bother with again. Thinking of getting an ultrasonic cleaner though.
>>1871723i just cum on mine
>>1874928My entire drivetrain was replaced new last fall around mid-September. New derailleur, cassette, front chain ring and chain. The chain is a Shimano SLX 12-sp. My average is 600 km/month. We recently had snow which resulted in about a week of wet, salted roads. I kept the chain lubed often except for one day where I forgot to lube resulting in faint chain noise. Shortly after this week of snow I could tell the chain was toast due to how the drivetrain vibrates at high rpm as the rollers of the chain engage the teeth throughout the drivetrain. Checked this morning and was nearly a full 1.00 wear on the gauge.So on a ‘budget’ shimano chain, installed on a E-cargo bike often times fully loaded in a hilly area, I got roughly 2000km of use. Not too bad, not amazing. For the price, not too bad. Curious to see how the Sram performs when I install one this Spring.
>>1879757finally some data we can use
>>1879758I too like being ironic.Actually, I am installing another budget Shimano chain today. I thought originally the chain was an SLX, but is a CN-M6100 Deore. Referencing the graph above, 2000km is right around what I should expect (factoring the weight and abuse of a cargo E-bike). So then I'll have to consider what I get out of the premium Sram then compare cost basis over km along with chain replacement frequency...cause time is money too. If I can get 6k out of the Sram, that will be the least hassle, and cheaper alternative.
>>1876083Higher speeds = Higher spec drivetrain = Manfuacturers cheap out less and actually make shit properly>>1876087There's no such thing as a "high spec 8 speed chain".>>1879757Wet = rust and general shit, salt = corrosion, lubing but not cleaning = all the shit that's trapped in there stays in there.
>>1879952>There's no such thing as a "high spec 8 speed chain".there's HG40 (tourney), the chain tested, vs HG71 (acera/claris), two levels higher in the shimano hierachy, and properly into 'good' territory generallySram have 830, 850, 870KMC do Z series (cheap) and X series (quality), and recently historically, various levels of X You also have chinkshit like YBN and memeshit like Connex and NOS chains. Did you not know this, or do you not understand how language works? Like, that 'quality' is a qualifier for '8 speed chain' and is relative to the low spec 8 speed chain discussed.
>>1879957Claris is not "high spec" even if it is decent. I didn't realize you meant high spec relative to aliexpress trash.
>>1879952>There's no such thing as a "high spec 8 speed chain".Then why is this 5 times more expensive than the cheapest 8-speed chain at my online bike store?
>>1874928Your ebike shouldn't be eating through chains quickly. You need to be buying chains that are specifically made to handle the torque of your mid drive. KMC ebike chains are cheaper than the SRAM ones in your picture and a lot of people have had good experiences with it over SRAM and Shimano for ebikes. Never use chains that are used for normal bicycles.
>>1880069oral surgeons with too much disposable income
>>1871723The oz cycle wax is my endgame, but I just bought the bike so I'm gonna do oil until 3 months go by then ill petrol clean it and switch
>>1879957>Claris within 3 tiers of goodWhat kind of shit bait passes for a post in this board nowadays
>>1880341Make me. Just kidding, I'll check them out anon. Though, after assessing my current chain setup with the cheap Shimano chain, I am really not that far off the data set provided above, considering the weight of the rider, bike, child that are always stressing the drive train.
>>1871723I use Rock n Roll Extreme (blue) for my fixed gear bike and love the shit. It's possible other waxes are slightly better but I'm so impressed with this shit I have no need to look for more especially if it meant having to apply it more often.I have a new chain and I read online they come with awesome lube that can't be bought so so far I've done about 100 miles without lubing it at all and it's completely silent and feels amazing still
>>1871726with rock and roll you don't need to degrease it, it comes with degreasers. But even if you want to just soak it in diesel overnight in an ice cream tub or something
>>1876068As I've said before, I use the exact same shit and I don't hear a peep from my chain. The important thing after leaving it overnight is actually to dry the fuck out of it because once it's dry, dust doesn't stick to it. So maybe that's your problem. I redo mine about every 200 miles and that's only because I feel I should
>>1879952>There's no such thing as a "high spec 8 speed chaincampagnolo nigger, google it
Singer oil. Escape the big brands marketing BS, this is all you need.
>>1880427probably awesome oil except oil inherently attracts dust
>>1880427Singer is a big brand.
>>1880464for you
>>1880460Negro look up what it's designed for and then tell me if it's anti dust or not.>>1880464Not in the bicycle industry. They do not make a living selling oil.
>>1880427this shit is pretty much 3-in-1 oil. it's too thick. sewing machine mechanisms aren't exposed to the elements.of course you can always thin it down with some acetone
>>1880500>it's too thickt has no idea what he's talking about
>>1880574solid rebuttal
>>1880500>it's too thickDepends on if you want friction reduction, or just no rust.>aren't exposedThat is a fair point. But there is already a lot of lubes, oils and waxes that do draw in dirt and sand, which is popular.
>>1880584if it's thick then dust sticks to it and grinds the chain
>>1880988No.Thickness/viscosity != dust embedding itself into the oil deeply
>>1872352I use this but my can of WD-40 says: "lubrica y protege contra la corrosión/lubricates and protects against corrosion".So I assume that if it lubricates and protects against the corrosion it must be good enough for the chain.
>reading about <amazing new chain lube>>half of it is eco garbage about how environmentally friendly all the ingredients are and if I pay an extra $30 they'll sell me some environmentally friendly bike cleaner that's 69% more environmentally friendly than the regular solvent I bought at home depot and every time I use this lube a polar bear will ejaculate on a coral reef before suffocating in a wall of fresh new arctic iceFuck this cult shit, what lube do I use if I want to cause as much global warming and kill as many endangered animals as possible. Used motor oil?
>>1881274>what lube do I use if I want to cause as much global warming and kill as many endangered animals as possiblesounds like cult shithow about using the best lube for your chain and disregard everything else?
>>1881162too thinit works in theory but you would have to reapply it before every single ride
>>1871723I used some canola cooking spray in a pinch last weekend when I was 20 miles from home. Before that I used some canola (all it good for if you know about pufas/seed oil effects on health) and a 3 inch brush from dollar tree. Just found some white lighting lying around though.>>1872192Looks like I have some cleaning to do. Ty.No one has mentioned that Hot Tub parafin bath shit that is so we'll rated? I finally saw some bikes with stainless drives....bad as guns this isn't standard yet.
>>1871771>For the road bike or gravel riding I use Finish Line Dryoh nononononoohttps://zerofrictioncycling.com.au/latest-zero-friction-cycling-news-ceramic-test-one-fail/
>>1881694Probably the other dry finish line with teflon, don't think ZFC tested that one
>>1871723Bacon fat.
>>1881694"wax" is a style that several brands make, everyone knows to avoid it, finish line doesn't have a monopoly on that shitohononono posters being stupid againn
>>1881830>wax lube badlawl
I worship at the alter of wax. Not weird “wax-based” bike shop products, actual molten paraffin. Mix just a bit of heavy gear oil to soften it up and add molybdenum and stuff, it’s cheap enough to be basically free. I only maintain my bike twice a year when I swap winter tires around so I want something that lasts even if it’s a process at the time, the hot wax thing fits that bill. Works good in wet weather and keeps my pants clean too, like the Gates belt drive but without the tensioning hassle.
>>1881162that will make your chain absolutely filthy with black shit
>>1881162>trusting anything written in SpanishIt's your fault
>>1881162You idiot. WD-40 is a FUCKING SCAM!
>>1872424No, thats sounds accurate. Getting rid of toxic waste by processing and resale is a lot more common than you think.
>>1874792It becomes intuitive when you mutiply those watts by service life. Unlubed chains will not substantially lose efficiency, of course, until they break.
>>1875134
Can you use personal lubricant to lube a bike chain. I have a cheap bike and want to spend as little as possible on the bike, and since there are companies that provide free personal lube samples, can I use the personal lube on the bike chain?
>>1884775No. Personal lubricants are water soluble and are for shafts not chains.
>>1874792The tests are done with a clean chain that's been submerged in the lube and are short so there's no accounting for how long the lube lasts. Once it's dirty or the chain starts to dry out or if you didn't apply it very well the difference will be more. A completely unlubed chain sucks up 20-25w t. some pdf on ZFC I saw a while ago.
Lmao it's a bike stop falling for memes and getting robbed. You could use vegetable oil and it would do the same job
>>1885719nope you're wrong
>>1885772Delusion
>>1871778 and gear oil which is stickier
>>1885719>vegetable oils in their natural form lack sufficient oxidative stability for lubricant use. Low oxidative stability means, if untreated, the oil will oxidize rather quickly during use, becoming thick and polymerizing to a plastic-like consistency.
>>1885796You'll be cleaning it before you have to worry about that
>>1885799>the oil will oxidize rather quickly during use
Small crockpot: $12Food grade paraffin wax: $15/pound5x reusable quicklinks: $3/eaReminder that there is ZERO excuse to not be waxing.https://www.walmart.com/ip/Crock-Pot-2-Quart-Round-Manual-Slow-Cooker-Black/50213889https://www.amazon.com/LorAnn-Paraffin-Beads-Fully-Refined/dp/B0051PJTCE/refhttps://www.amazon.com/YBN-Speed-Master-Camopagnolo-Compatible/dp/B07T14J3VN/ref
>>1885801Doubt
Is this a good lube?
>>1886279Looks like some generic cheap shit but will probably get the job done. If you don't ride in the rain a lot a "dry" lube might be better than a "wet" one though and will stay a lot cleaner.
>>1886279dry lube is a lot better man. stays cleaner. even if you do ride in the rain a lot just re-apply it somewhat more.
>>1886373I do ride in rain and snow a lot.>>1886375I've tried dry lube. Shit sucks. Thanks for the reply, but kindly fuck off.
i have a dutch type bike, my chain is completely orange brown with rust, do i need to replace it? it also rattles quite a bit, is that an indication? it's an internal hub gear, shimano i think
>>1886421he's right, wet lube is shit and gunks up your drivetrain quickly. i wouldn't suggest dry lube in the rain but dry lube for dry conditions is ideal. listen to good advice when it's given to you, faggot.
>>1886436Just put some gear oil on it
>>1871883very optimal shit. i used this for road and mtb, best stuff. also, i actually use this (pic related) . pretty durable and extra clean finish. i just need to reapply often (each 50 km on mtb, each 100 km on road bike) in order to keep things lubbed,as usual on dry waxes.>>1872191personally, i try to not ride while raining. if tarmac is still wet (hours after a rain) i use ptfe-based oil lube, i dont like it because shit sticks on it easily, but protects a little better the chain from water splash.
>>1888140ah, and between reapplies, i just clean the chain with an old clothing with paraffin, and wait it to evaporate into air before apply lube. this way i dont relube over old shit.
never lubed when I rode bike as kid no problem so don't see reason to fall for this meme now. It only become a problem when marketing teams tried to sell me their bike oil
>>1871723>been fighting shifting problems for ages>done everything i can>replaced pretty much every drivetrain component>straightened the hanger>still skips gears and shifts like fuck>finally get round to buying chainlube>its perfect nowi know im retarded but damn i didnt realize how much of a difference lube makes, i thought it was just a meme about watts or something, didnt think a lack of lube could cause double shifts and noshifts chain skipping and suchim using pic related idk if its good loob or not but its got a funne munky on it
>>1893227>replace the entire drivetrain before thinking maybe he should lube the fucking chainPlease gather whatever bike tools you own and give them to someone less likely to accidentally kill himself with them.
>>1893312idk ive never had to use it beforei forgot its even a thing that existsand never thought a lack of lube could fuck up the indexingguess it just goes to show how finicky modern bikes are my 21s shitboxes have never been lubed and shift perfectly
>>1893312btw ive seen you post that wojack a bunch of times here nowi know it your fave but you should rly mix in some others
>>1893315> 21s shitboxkek, normally its a seized link and rusty cable housings that cause evasive problems, that and the return springs wearing out>modern bikeson the wide range 12 speed cassettes I've found that the B screw is very important
Using this on both the ebike and gravel bike now. I often ride in the rain and the ebike especially gets a lot of splash from the ground even with mudguards.
>>1893316Total number of times that picture has been posted on /n/: 5Total number of times someone has mentioned chain lube on /n/: 357https://archive.palanq.win/n/search/image/XtrNaHipJlf4PnG4wCUwBQ/https://archive.palanq.win/n/search/text/%22chain%20lube%22
>>1893355>I've found that the B screw is very importantfound that on my 9s tooimportant with any oversized cassette
I cant be the only tard to buy Silica, which is pretty good by all accountsI also have some morgan blue, but don't rate it better than any other I have tried; but its not bad
>>1871952I use the dry one on all my bikes, it's good shit, lubricates nicely
>>1872339>he doesn't trust the KMC fairy with high quality X series chains>being this autistic
>>1893418You sure told that guy from three months ago.
>>1893571Welcome to /n/.
>>1893390I bought this to try out after glowing reviews.Got it late last season, so haven't ridden that much, but I love how silent it is (compared to wax lubes like Squirt).
>>1871726the difference between cheap oils and the more expensive ones is how well they stick to the chain. you may find that cheaper ones flick off the chain more easily.
>>1872352>>1872383i was on a motorcycle forum where they were testing this against motul chain lube for racing. they found minimal difference.
>>1893769Its because motorcycle chain have their own grease inside protected by orings.Bicycles rely chains rely only on the grease or oil you add to them
I use this stuff. It's a pain in the ass to degrease the chain, but you only have to do it once for the life of the chain.I shake the chain in a jar full of gas for a while, and let it soak and shake it more. then I'll rinse it really well in hot water, and repeat in a jar of alcohol. after the alcohol, i dry the chain then wax it, in a $5 mini crockpot. I don't reapply any liquid wax or anything, but when it starts getting noisy again, I dip the chain in wax again. I don't bother to "clean" the chain with boiling water or anything, it goes off the bike and back into the wax.For me, it seems like less of a pain to wax. The prep is annoying, but that's only once for the life of the chain. I'd rather spend a little time once every 2-400 miles, then have to repeatedly clean and re-lube every other or even every few rides.I don't really keep track, but my waxed chains have lasted a lot longer than my previous chains. I attribute this to the wax forming a barrier or seal that keeps grit out of the nooks and crannies of the chain, but i'm not a scientist.It's pretty dry here, but I have ridden in the wet without issues. People say waxing might not work for you if you ride in the wet a lot.
>>1893358I used green Finish Line as well as the dry one depending on the conditions and currently using the white ceramic whatever the weather is. Does it actually make a difference to use wet lube for wet conditions? The only difference I have seen so far is that the white ceramic stuff doesn't attract much dirt and you don't have to wipe your chain after applying it. I also have half a bottle left of some bee-wax based shit (pic-rel), that I got as a present. I guess it's ok, though apparently super expensive. It kinda smells and when dirt catches on it builds this layer of something akin to Plasticine that flakes off and sticks to the frame, rims and so on. Shit did a good lubing job, but was annoying. More so than molibden grease I used a couple of years back (great protection and lubing, but attracts dirt like a motherfucker).I'm genuinely curious, if all those types of lube actually matter, or it's just marketing. I used pretty much everything over the years including sewing machine oil and only found that as long as the chain is lubed regularly, dirt seems to be the only issue. Current chain has been in use for 2 years and doesn't show signs of stretching, though I plan on replacing it any day now, when I don't feel lazy.
>>1875096I noticed the same when I started to use the >>1872884 flowerpower drip. I think the key is to just dry the chain after a ride in the wet. Three months in salt slush shit season, 100km/week without fenders (very retarded) and the chain and cassette are looking very clean, no visible rust and extremely smooth. The claims of 400-800km riding without relube, yeah, maybe if it never rains. From my experience despite good results on the wet weather performance, after a rainy ride a new round of lube is absolutely needed. Maybe in summer there is chance to see how long it lasts without a rain. I will probably keep using this dry lube simply because I hate drivetrain cleaning and the price is fair at about 13 euro / 100ml. Though I wouldn't put it on my beater because of how easy it rusts if you dont have a rag to dry the chain with, or even bother to do that on a 8 euro chain.
>>1871723Decathlon wet&dry lurbicant with the teflon label. Seems good, apply one drop to every link joint then wipe.
>>1900404>currently using the white ceramic>>1881694
>>1875096That was interesting thanks
>>1881162It is a cleaner not a lubricant
>>1900560Wrong, both of you. It is a water displacement tool, it displaces water, helps to dry out stuff with thin crevices like machinery, pistons, joints etc...It has a temporary lubricating effect but does not replace proper lubrication.
>>1871723>clean and submerge the chain in the oil every 2000 miles>it never goes badThose gay "manly lube" tubes are worthless
>>1886375dry mean for dry conditions, wet for wet conditions. I know its confusing but try to keep up.
>>1900472>yikesI fucking hate fags like you. You could just say why you think this or that is shit. Instead you post a meme fucking gif or whatever the fuck zoomerlenial buzzword that is. It's true when they say this place is turning into reddit. If there's no censorship or up arrows, leave it to the user-base to kill any discussion, but retarded meme-words
If you dont use wax I feel bad for you son. I got 99 problems but chain wear ain't one.
>>1901067cringe
>>1901084the problems of waxing and chain wear are the same. ritual replacement of your chain every other period of time. just replacing the chain is much faster, tho.
>>1901096Waxing is like the least time consuming way of lubing your chains. And it saves you money. Put your chains on a slow cooker, turn it on, come back an hour later take them off and hang to cool down. Takes literally less active time to do multiple than lubing one chain would take with "normal" lubes. Your cassettes and chainrings will outlast your bikes.
>>1901109>Waxing is like the least time consuming way>Put your chains on a slow cooker, turn it on, come back an hour later>an hour laterCleaning and lubing my chain takes a couple minutes tops. How self absorbed do you have to be? Wax literally takes hours you yourself said so. Let alone waxing is dry climate only since water degrades your wax more quickly than dry lube, no wonder it is a californian nonsense memed for the rest of the world.
>>1871723GT85. Meme lubes either wash off in the rain or attract too much dirt.
