Viewing 38 posts - 1 through 38 (of 38 total)
  • What road / commuter bike chain lube?
  • Superficial
    Free Member

    Yeah, yeah. Another “What x for y” question.

    I have a road bike which I use for commuting. It rarely gets washed / looked after and it gets used in all weathers. This poses a problem – namely that the drivetrain just gets completely clogged with a sticky brown rusty greasy sludge. Is there a particular type of lube that I can use to negate this?

    I’ve been using finish line wet XC lube (I suspect this is the culprit), but have tried various other things in the past with no joy. I’m beginning to think that something light with water-dispersal properties might be the best option.

    GT85?

    Anyway, I’d welcome any suggestions.

    cynic-al
    Free Member

    No.

    Anything lighter will just get washed off.

    You need to clean it for the terminally lazy GT85 will make some inroads, a £12 chain cleaner, or split link and vessel to wash it in with some paraffin or degreaser will do it properly.

    Superficial
    Free Member

    I’ve just cleaned it all this morning so it’s nice and shiny again. But I don’t really want to do that every few weeks, there must be an easier way 😐

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    jonba
    Free Member

    The likes of white lightening or rock n roll don’t build up but get washed off easily when I used them on mountainbikes.

    On my singlespeed I use chainsaw oil. While it is likely to gunk up the fact that you don’t need to apply much or very often means it happens less. I just occasionally* take off the chain stick it in some white spirits and then wipe the sprockets down with a rag.

    *Maybe once or twice a year.

    Rag with white spirit on makes a good chain cleaner.

    cynic-al
    Free Member

    Motorbike chain wax?

    You arelubing only the gaps between links/rollers? Wiping it off the outside otherwise?

    nealy
    Free Member

    Rock n Roll Gold

    nevermind
    Free Member

    3 ln 1. used mucoff wet lube and had similar gunk problem even after wiping chain down.

    chakaping
    Free Member

    (I suspect this is the culprit)

    Yep.

    I’ve been using TF2 this winter and it’s doing a reasonably good job at a very good price compared to most lubes…
    http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/weldtite-tf2-performance-oil/rp-prod5960

    Just wipe dry and re-apply after each wet/grotty ride.

    vincienup
    Free Member

    My CX that gets heavy commute runs Squirt which is awesome stuff – IF you follow the instructions (!!!) and if the entire drivetrain has never seen anything that it didn’t leave the factory with. I’ve tried it on mountainbikes and didn’t like it for them.

    I got sick of tradional wet/dry lubes on that bike.

    Mountain bikes are different and I tend to use JuiceLubes through the winter and Purple Extreme in the summer…

    tod456
    Free Member

    vincienup – how offend do you have a re-apply the Squirt ?
    I’ve just fitted a new group set on the road bike and can’t decided what to lube it up with. Was also considering Muc-Off’s wet ceramic lube … if any else has an opinion on that to ?!?!

    gogg
    Free Member

    If you’re prepared to re-apply fairly regularly, this stuff is the mutts nuts.

    Superficial
    Free Member

    This might be a daft question, but here goes anyway:

    What’s the harm in just running it dry?

    Obviously it’ll be a bit less efficient, and it might wear out sooner. BUT the efficiency I don’t care about (it’s a short commute) and I’m sure the wear is just as bad when caked in brown sludge. Is it really a crazy idea?

    I might try the squirt again actually. I got the impression that it just washed off too quickly when I tried it last time, although admittedly that’s better than the brown sludge.

    Edric64
    Free Member

    I used rock oil once ,that was a mistake !sticks like sh1t to a blanket

    tod456
    Free Member

    gogg, how offend is offend? rough distance?

    Superficial, the dream is to find a lube that does collect the brown sludge!!! plus a dry drive chain make a shed load of noise and I’d imagine wear many times quicker.

    any squirt converts in tonight ????

    vincienup
    Free Member

    Todd – just happened to be passing again – I don’t have an alert set up!

    I’ve not pushed Squirt past about 400 miles on an application, but I don’t think that’s bad. Chain doesn’t collect gunky gritty crap like every ‘wet’ lube ever does (and quite a few ‘dry’) and is easy to clean.

    When I clean the chain I do use a machine, and I tend to clean the chain whenever I wash the bike. I don’t necessarily use anything other than soapy water in the scrubber though (sometimes dilute cleaner, but not usually).

    What I have noticed is that the outer plates look a little rusty now after nearly a year of this regime and an awful lot of miles doing everything from commute thru 100 mile roadie epic to caning around the Dark Peak in the depths of winter – but the chain is still perfecly flexible with no stiff links, spins well and changes as slickly as it ever did (low end Shimano chain on Sora rings)

    I’m officially Impressed with this stuff and would happily recommend it with the caveat that it didn’t like a whole day in snow on top of the NY Moors on a mountain bike and froze – but so did my freehub.

    I tend to wash the commuter weekly but have been known to let it go two … or three … and i’d always lube the chain after a wash.

    I’ve seen Squirt tried on drive components that have remains of ‘normal’ oils on and it doesn’t work very well. It needs a different regime too – especially in the wet it really needs to go on with plenty of time to dry before riding (so night before is good). Also, you don’t really want to wipe it off – which is probably why I’m getting a slight patina on my outer plates.

    tod456
    Free Member

    thanks vincienup most informed response!!

    vincienup
    Free Member

    We aim to please 🙂

    cuckoo
    Free Member

    I’ve just cleaned it all this morning so it’s nice and shiny again. But I don’t really want to do that every few weeks, there must be an easier way

    singlespeed?

    MaryHinge
    Free Member

    If it’s just road use I use TF2. It’s like GT85 but leaves. Bit more of a Teflon film on for a bit longer

    Lasts 50 plus miles easily and just a quick spray replenishes it and o gunk build up.

    TiRed
    Full Member

    You obviously don’t like the rain 😉 . Any teflon based lube is good for one wet ride, so I use Finish Line “wet” lube just like the mtb. This is on a fixed wheel. I just can’t abide noisy transmissions. On the road bikes that aren’t used for commuting, I use Finish Line Dry teflon based and just reapply as needed. But commuting is different.

    IanW
    Free Member

    White Lightening Clean Wax

    everyone
    Free Member

    I’d say Chain-L. It’s a bit of a faff to initially apply but after that it’s amazing. Unapologetically bad for the environment if that sort of thing bothers you.

    PeterPoddy
    Free Member

    I’ve just cleaned it all this morning so it’s nice and shiny again. But I don’t really want to do that every few weeks, there must be an easier way

    Hate to break it to you, but no, there isn’t.
    All lubes will wear off and attract dirt. It’s pointless adding more lube to dirt so you’ve got to clean it before lubricating.
    And DO NOT use motorcycle chain lube. Most of it is the thickest most irremoveable clag you could ever imagine, and it doesn’t even work that well on motorcycles! I’ve got a Scottoiler on both out motorbikes which steadily drip feeds a light oil direct to the chain, and that works best.
    Light oil on any bike chain is all you need. Car engine oil is fine, shock oil, whatever you’ve got. It not WHAT you lube it with it’s HOW you lube it. Keep it clean and lubricated and it’ll be fine. Just keep adding claggy sticky stuff and it’ll be a nightmare to clean when you get round to it. 🙂

    iainc
    Full Member

    On the road bike this time of year I find progold prolink xtreme better than the multitude of others I’ve tried.

    Rock n roll etreme pretty good too

    goldenwonder
    Free Member

    I use Finish Line Ceramic wet or Muc Off ceramic wet lube.
    Both last well even at this time of year.
    Sadly not really possible to find a clean, long lasting lube at this time of year-especially on a commuter.
    I’d rather clean my bike once a week-got to get the salt off it as much as anything else & doing the chain properly only takes an extra 5 mins.

    dvatcmark
    Free Member

    I just use cheap chains and run them dry. They last about 2 months (pc951) and cost less then a tenner

    Onzadog
    Free Member

    Mine has been going rather well with the putoline solid chain wax. You melt it and drop a clean, grease free chain in. Not sticky so doesn’t attract dirt.

    jeb
    Full Member

    Chain L -google it, very very reviews, i used for 4 yrears, amazing stuff.

    njee20
    Free Member

    I use White Lightning Wet Ride and just embrace the (silent) black sticky mess that is the commuter drivetrain. It gets rebuilt and cleaned in the autumn, then again in the spring. Job done.

    cookeaa
    Full Member

    Keep it Basic on a commuter IMO
    I’ve been relying on more or less weekly re-application of waste oil (Suspension mostly, passed through a filter paper) that I keep in a jam jar with an old paint brush in the Garage, I literally just drag the brush over the chain a couple of times and then a quick wipe over with a rag, it’s still gunged to buggery, but its not rusty and it doesn’t squeak…

    This is on my fixie commuter, I’ve not actually cleaned the chain since I got it (Circa~6 months ago) sometimes heavy rain shifts some of the gunge but then I chuck more oil on to prevent rust, which eventually turns into the lovely black fudge…
    I’ll probably just carry on with this method till winter subsides… then I’ll either clean it and lube it “Properly” or bin it and fit one of the £2 specials I got from CRC a while back…

    I do pretty the same with my SS MTB, although I clean the chain more often, maybe once every 6-9 months…

    I normally take off my geared MTB/road chains and put them in an old milk bottle with white spirits every few rides, dependant on their state; shake em up, leave them for a day or two, pull them out, rinse clean, then re-lube, but even that’s a bit faffy IMO and you never ge the chain back to a “Like New” state.

    Putting my MTB chain through the dishwasher once actually worked OK quite well, I did have to get it out, rinse through and lube it sharpish, mostly so the Missus didn’t twig… not sure I want to run that gauntlet too often though…

    thisisnotaspoon
    Free Member

    +1 for singlespeed

    IME all wet lubes form a claggy mess if you let them, and dry lubes last untill thwy get wet. The trick is to wipe off any lube off the outside untill it looks dry.

    The other option is putoline wax, its a faff, and forms the ultimate black claggy mess, but it doesn’t come off for weeks.

    cynic-al
    Free Member

    thisisnotaspoon – Member
    IME all wet lubes form a claggy mess if you let them,

    Not IME, I guess most folk are over-lubing.

    Blackhound
    Full Member

    Really like chain-l but was not aware of environmental impact mentioned above. Lasts really well. Need to find a supplier again though as not seen it for a long time. Any pointers?

    MaryHinge
    Free Member

    @ TiRed – rain or shine here!

    Commuter gets finish line wet or muc off wet and a degrease every fortnight to loose the gunk.

    TF2 seems to work on the winter roadie in all conditions and is good for at least 50 miles.

    I’m a keen fetter though so keep everything as clean as poss, except the commuter 🙂

    gogg
    Free Member

    Once a week (unless I’ve noticed it was a particularly gunky ride).

    At least once a month, I give it a proper clean using one of these park Tool Cyclone Scrubbers & some Chain Brite

    gogg
    Free Member

    I’m slightly OCD about it as I use it for my daily commute.

    D0NK
    Full Member

    I’ve used a lot of squirt, good for most of the year, I probably don’t get the chain quite as clean as you are supposed to before application but manage a light relube every couple of dry rides, doesn’t pick up muck/dust, but try using it on a wet winter ride and it gets covered in grit and washes off, I’ve had to reapply mid ride on longer very wet rides. Used prolink gold, that seemed to stick a little longer but gunked up slightly more. On the commuter I was suing random cheapo light oil but I’m currently running finish line wet, yes it gunks up badly but it’s that or having a dry, noisy, rapidly wearing chain on the way home.

    Commuter is running SS, chain gets a wipe and relube either every day or every other depending on just how shitty the conditions have been, bike gets a half arsed wash down on friday.

    Sorry just seen you said road commuting, on my old pompino with full guards using finish line wet meant I only had to wipe/lube my chain about once a month, proper lazy stuff, the drivechain lasted pretty well too.

    nedrapier
    Full Member

    I use White Lightning Epic ride.

    Back pedal through a baby wipe or two for a few minutes till there’s not so much black coming off any more, let it dry and re-apply. leave it for a bit, back petdal a bit more than wipe any excess off with kitchen roll.

    Cleaner than squirt, which can flake off, taking black bits of gunk onto the cream carpet in your living room and annoying your wife.

    And easier than wet lube to clean off.

    2-3 months if it’s dry, 2-3 weeks if it’s raining a lot. 60 miles/week.

Viewing 38 posts - 1 through 38 (of 38 total)

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