GT85 vs WD40

Fight!

Why do cyclists favour GT85?

Have and use both. GT85 has a bit of Teflon in it but not enough to be considered a lubricant IMO. Neither is a chain lube but I am sure there are those that use it as such.

GT85 smells nicer, and the can is red, and that means if you use it on your bike it goes faster. But you’ll now get a whole bunch of numpties claiming that neither of them are lubricants.

I know a lot of bike shops can buy GT85 through Fishers unlike WD40 so I guess its what they prefer to push.

GT85 smells much better, hence is my lube of choice for mechs, cables & pedals.

GT85 smells nicer

+ many

If only it were available as an aftershave…

[Cue someone to post pic of WD40 one]

Duck oil’s good gear too, a 5L can has lasted 2 years of heavy use.

GT85, the can is bigger and it’s got bold type which is nicely set.

WD is a bit 80’s garage with a topless calendar on the wall look about it.

WD40 is corrosive. Need to be careful if you are using it as it can brake down seals, tyres etc.

GT85 is a Teflon lubricant.

When it first became available, GT85 was being advertised as “lavender scented”!

its got 45 more so its got to be better innit?

Is this a glue-sniffing thread?

Are there any teflonesque sprays that you would recommend as a lubricant? As a lazy f’er the easier it is to use, the more likely I am to actually use it, rather than shoving dirty bike in the shed and hoping for a miracle.

Strictly speaking WD40 is a solvent which is why it can knacker some stuff.

Always prefer proper lubes for, er, lubing. Will happily use GT85 or WD40 for cleaning.

WD40 is not a lube. It is a solvent, good chain cleaner.

Just buy some finish line.

WD40 is not a lube

wahey, there we go.
Of course it’s a lube.

WD40 is a better flame thrower

WD40 IS a Lubricant. A thin lubricant with a lot of solvent. Leave some in a jar and it does not ALL disappear.
It does attack rubber – Workshop bulletin went round Rover/LandRover years ago.
Displaces water a treat.
After many years I have come back to it and am a fan.

GT85 seems very similar but not sure about the lubing qualities of the amount of Teflon. Not as oily.

Tri-flow with Teflon seems to work well with cables.

WD40 is great for de-seizing stuck stuff, but doesn’t lubricate them afterwards. GT85 does lubricate stuff – it’s a thin lube so needs reapplying reasonably often.

However, all I use in the workshop is Profi Drylube. Absolutely fantastic stuff.

and nearly burned halfords rotherham down circa 1999 being used as such…..

WD40 is a water displacer, “it took 40 attempts to make a Water Displacer” hence WD40

what about TF2? personally i dont think many cyclists use WD40 much these days it tends to be between TF2 and GT85 (obviously some people do still use WD40, i know i’m going to get a few who do still use it, but i’m talking cyclists as a whole)

Olive oil and hairdryers are also water displacers.

http://www.juicelubes.co.uk/jl69/%5B/url%5D

WD40 is the only one I use. I use it for displacing water (from my chain) and cleaning and unseizing things.

Can’t think of any use for GT85 if it doesn’t do those? I use (non-spray) lubes as lubes.

It displaces and water and leaves a protective film to prevent corrosion. It can also act as a light lubricant in the right situation (low load), be used as a cleaner on the right materials and help penetrate seized parts.

There are better products for penetration (oo-er), lubrication and cleaning but it’s a bit of a jack of all trades and as such useful round the house and in the garage for fixing your gardening tools and austin allegro.

GT85 is also good at penetrating due to the solvents (low surface tension organic solvent = able to get into tight spots) and doesn’t leave a wet residue (which is why I use it and not WD40) but also leaves a dry film of PTFE which may or may not be suitable. Also the solvent can damage some materials as with a lot of solvent based stuff.

I prefer IPA for cleaning and leaving no residue.
GT85 if I need to give something a quick blast and protect and not have it al slimy.
WD40 for stuff in the shed that might rust and are nice simple items with nothing to get damaged, also works well cleaning the plastic parts in the car engine bay but I normally use the waste diesel from changing the fuel filter for that.

I have used GT85 for 20 years as a chain lube, and never had to replace a chain before replacing the Alloy chainrings!!

WD40 is the only one I use. I use it for displacing water (from my chain) and cleaning and unseizing things.

They spray it on surfaces in dodgy pubs to stop people doing drugs off the surfaces.

WD40 is a better flame thrower and lighting the end of the red plastic tube gives you a built in pilot light…

Read all about it!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WD-40

TF2 myself like.

Quite different products, anyone who owned early mini’s know they don’t go in the rain without a good squirt of WD40 so it will always have a special place in my heart.

stevewhyte – Member
I have used GT85 for 20 years as a chain lube, and never had to replace a chain before replacing the Alloy chainrings!!

You really should be going through more chains than chainrings. Alloy inner and middle chainrings are a bad idea to me personally and I wonder if poor surface lube of a chain increases wear on the rings? You are better with a dropper bottle of dry PTFE lube than GT85 (similar thing, no aerosol so better for the environment and goes on thicker) although if I use PTFE dry lube I normally give the chain a good going over with the GT85 and then lube with the bottle on the bike.

You miss the point, its not that i am going through lots of chainrings, its that i dont need to replace chains.

GT85 has served me well and will continue do so.

remember seeing this stuff on a stand at the CRC bike thingy in Harrogate about 35 yrs ago

They had an electric train running submerged in a fishtank after spraying the contacts with it – impressed me lots at the time but I’ve never bought a can

Gt85 always used to do me fine as a lube. Plus it smells if bike workshops which = fun therefor is ace. I stopped using it when I became too ham fisted to not get it on my disc brakes and it was costing a small fortune in pads!

WD40 smells of cars that don’t start = no fun

Simples!

WD is such a good lubricant it sticks grips on….

+1 on the GT smell

WD40 is a homeopathic lubricant

reggiegasket – Member

WD is such a good lubricant it sticks grips on….

Erm. The idea is to make it easier to get tight grips on, then the solvent flashes off and leaves the grips attached. Just like isopropyl alcohol only worse. WD40 leaves an oil film which is a lubricant- not a very effective one and not suitable for much on bikes though.

GT 85 every time. Once can does my cables, takes glue from stickers off, shines things up and also lubes my chain! Its good stuff.

GT85 gets oil out of you lounge carpet.

Are either okay for cooking?

The idea is to make it easier to get tight grips on, then the solvent flashes off and leaves the grips attached. Just like isopropyl alcohol only worse. WD40 leaves an oil film which is a lubricant- not a very effective one and not suitable for much on bikes though.

like I said, it’s such a good lubricant the grips are well and truly stuck on….

Are either okay for cooking?

😀