Chain Lube

Currently using a WD40 product for lubing the chain (Not just WD40, but a specific chain oil product in a dropper bottle).

Always seems ‘wet’ to me, and consequently picks up crud, dust, grit etc, and I am forever cleaning.

Going to strip chain, chain ring and cassette off today and clean it all up.

I’m now looking for suggestions/recommendations for chain lube products that leave a ‘dry’ finish.

Thanks

Squirt :mrgreen:

Putoline.

It’s a faff to apply, but it lasts about 400-500miles even in shitty winter conditions so you only need to do it once or twice a winter, and it still takes less time than making a cup of tea.

Unlike UBS and Squirt which someone off here recommended to me. they last until you hit the first puddle or light shower and needs re-applying every time you look at the bike. I put some on my road bike thinking it would be better in the clean and dry conditions, it wore off in 40-50 miles.

Literally just walked in the house having gone out and bought a tin of Putoline. Got to give it a try because nothing else seems to work this time of year.
Been using Squirt and TF2 all summer and they have been great but now it’s wet they don’t last one evening ride.

Now where can I find a cheap deep fat fryer………….. :-)

Any suggestions on fryer capacity? Is 1 litre enough?

Have you got a Plutoline type number?

I googled and could only see motorcycle chain lubes. Is that what you mean?

What do you need chip fryer for?

Any suggestions on fryer capacity? Is 1 litre enough?

Yes, you really want as small as possible otherwise the putoine won’t fill it.

drnosh – Member
Have you got a Plutoline type number?

I googled and could only see motorcycle chain lubes. Is that what you mean?

What do you need chip fryer for?

Yes, it’s a ~1kg tub of wax for about £26.

Fryer makes life easier as you don’t need to do it in the kitchen or on a camping stove. You can just do it on the kitchen hob but it stinks and there’s the ever-present risk of spilling it and ruining the kitchen!

You basically melt the wax to about 200C and drop your clean-ish (it has to be dry with no water, mud/dirt is fine) chain in it (another win for the fryer it comes with a basket), give it a good stir to flush the molten wax through the chain and remove any crap in there, leave it for a while, give another stir etc (I go and make a cup of tea, leaving it longer IME seems to let the wax really soak through the rollers) remove the chain (carefully, it’s 200C and cools very slowly) and hang above the fryer/tin to drip, wipe it with some workshop towel to remove most of the excess before re-fitting to the bike once cool.

Because it’s a solid wax (not an oil, and not a water/solvent based wax) it won’t wash off in all but the most horrible of conditions. In terms of chain cleaning any dirt just falls off the chain and sits in the bottom of the fryer.

Heat up the putoline in mini fryer, dip chain in hot oil, leave to dry and cool, refit to bike

I only managed 140 odd km with putoline on my first attempt and that was mainly dry rides. I’m not sure if I left it in long enough. Attempt number 2 applied last night otherwise It’ll be in the classified.

I only managed 140 odd km with putoline on my first attempt and that was mainly dry rides. I’m not sure if I left it in long enough. Attempt number 2 applied last night otherwise It’ll be in the classified.

The wax on the outside of the chain falls off, so it looks dry but the lube keeps working much much longer in the rollers. I usually get a good few rides between the chain looking dry and starting to make a noise.

But leaving it in a bit longer does seem to help IME, I think it needs to get upto temperature for a few minutes so the wax can flow though it.

200c is a bit high, I only put mine to 120c and just let the chain sit for about 10mins.
Apparently, its ready when there are no more air bubbles coming up.

Get a fryer with a basket, no need to drip wax or risk burning yourself.

I usually remove it from the basket when it is still slightly warm, that way you dont burn yourself and the excess wax on the outside can be wiped off as its not needed.

I get 400-700miles depending on conditions.

Apply oil- put a rag round the chain- take off as much as you can. This spreads the oil all over the chain and stops it getting too glutinous.
Repeat often

Ah. Brilliant. Got a tub of that already in the w/shop for my vintage motorcycle chains – Silkolyne Linklyfe.

Never thought of that.

#Dig out camping gas stove…….

I usually use Fenwicks wet lube…purple waxy oil, lasts a several good rides and washes of with hose and a bit of a brush….BUT just received an new order in the post, bought from fleabay, and they’ve gone an changed it for an oil! not happy. :(

Just used Rex lube for the 1st time. Really good, clean like Squirt but lasts much better in the wet and chain runs nice and quiet.
MBR review

So…..£14.99 deep fat fryer from Argos and did a couple of chains this afternoon. 140c seemed more than enough and the results seem pretty good, yet to try it but we will see how the commuter gets on this week.