Normally I ride on grassy trails on moors but recently went down to Brecon to ride Gap route; due to wet weather loaded up chain (carefully) with Finish Line Wet lube. Within an hour chain sounded like running on grinding paste :(. So what do those who normally ride in gritty areas ( eg Peaks, S Wales Mtn) use? or do you just tolerate awful grinding sounds all day!!!

do you wipe the chain once you’ve applied the lube?

Yes wipe down excess but still terrible grinding after 1 hr riding

terrible grinding

Thats what normal riding sounds like in gritty areas.

“loaded up chain “

too much lube. But in bad conditions stuff like this happens.

well after each ride clean down bike, Muc Off on chain , wash it, when its dry add plenty lube, run thro gears , wipe off excess—to me that`s OK maintenance?

Had good experience using Rock n Roll Chain lube in the alps this year. I made sure i went overboard wiping the chain off after lubing. I had a load of rides in wet and gritty conditions and the only thing i did was use the lube to “clean the chain” as per the instructions. I checked chain wear when I got back and it was minimal..

Finishline XC lube is good stuff but as said you dont want to put too much on and also make sure you wipe the chain well. I think Rock n Roll stays on better though..

You can ease it up by taking a little dropper bottle with you. Even the mighty finish line green gets washed out.

If it was a proprer dousing you were getting, its possible you might have had very little lube left after the hour.

Oil always picks up grit and forms grinding paste 🙁

Try a dry wax but it takes a while to put on and dry but my bike is still showing a shiny chain and cassette after 4 rides in the muck.

I use the oil and wipe excess off and grinding paste forms.

Just use the oil in rain, wipe chain and add more at home.

Dust and road – wax on!

Squirt is a really good waxy type lube. In the past I have used a heavier oil type lube in the wet but I think I’ll keep on with the squirt this winter.

avalanche ive ordered some squirt , see how it goes cheers

Once again – putoline chain wax 🙂

although science officer didn’t like it but all my bikes run on it – clean non grinddy chains ridden in all conditions and only applied every couple of hundred miles – but it is a filthy faff

TJ, from your previous posts and Putoline info all sounds a pain in xxxx to apply—Squirt sounds much more user friendly overall and maybe I`ll get some now

IME, squirt lasted nearly as long as putoline and ran even cleaner.

Neither were any better than finishline wet in the mud round my way though, and were more hassle to apply (waiting for squirt to dry, and melting and dunking chain in the putoline) and alot more hassle to degrease. Since I clean my chains with quasi religious regularity, this was a problem for me.

Squirt, I thought, was also pretty pricey for the amount you end up using.(quite alot), a bit like Rock n’Roll Extreme – good enough, but expensive if you use it as instructed – and messy.

Science officer that maybe why you were having not such good results with the putoline – you should not degrease between applications – it cleans as you soak the chain in the melted wax and you end up with grit at the bottom of the tin.

James – it is a messy faff – but its £18 a kilo for solid lube not £5 for a 100ml which is mainly solvent – IME ( but for science officer it differed) I only apply it ever couple of hundred miles used in all conditions even filthy wet.

Seriously I find the chain life much extended, only lube occasionally not every ride and much much cheaper – in return for the messy faff

Maybe TJ. The other reason I neglected to mention was that per-faff, it didn’t really improve chainwear either, compared to what I’ve seen with my ‘normal’ method, although I see little chain wear compared to most others I ride with anyway.

I think I had less compelling reasons than you to make the switch on a permanent basis.

In the end a friend and I shared the £40 cost of the trade pack of finish line lube – some 3.8 litres. We split it 50:50 about 2 years ago. On my current rate of consumption I’d say I’ve got about 10 to 12 years before I need any more.

😳

With finish line at that price its not bad I guess

I think the tin of putoline will last the rest of my biking career

I really mention you as your experience was different to mine with the stuff – all in the interests of fairness / giving good info

Is Finish Line Green just a branded version of 90wt gear box oil possibly, looks similar, smells similar and has same apparent viscosity, in which case woudl that be a cheap way of buying in bulk??

im using ‘Muc-Off’ wet lube (blue lube) lol… iregualrly go across moorlands and gritty tracks
muc -off wet lube says :ultra durable-long distance-wey or muddy conditions, ensures silky smooth gear shifts and ultimate drivetrain efficiency…repels water and inhibits corrosion…
::: ideal for chain, cables,shifters,deraileurs,pedals ans cleats :
is that enough info … 😉

iregularly ????? lol ( mean to say i REGULARLY)…..

http://www.scottoiler.com/uk/products/scottoiler-bicycle-oiler-active-fluid-system.html

Fitting the thing is the worst bit, but seems to do the job.
Will only work with the right oil.

Muc-off wet lube is indeed absolutely brilliant.

cool kingtut, finally someone agrees with something i say !

Finally KingTut agrees with something some else has said!

ladies ladies.

I like rock n roll. Its not impervious to long days in the grit though.

Whatever these guys are using or a belt drive.

I’ve been impressed by the Finish Line ‘Ceramic’ lube – not cheap but very effective & lasts well.