How often do folks clean chains on their road bikes?

I generally look after my kit, removing chains regularly and giving a proper clean and degrease in a jam jar. On the MTB that’s every half dozen rides, maybe. On the SS – it’s once in a blue moon (that’s the point of a SS, yes?)

But on the road bike – which is also a CX and gets used for gravel roading as much as for road biking. After it’s been trudged through bridleways and farmtracks it gets a proper clean just like the MTB, but when used for road rides – it was clean on last week, done about 70-odd miles since and it’s black! Has ‘ruined’ a pertex top that accidentally touched it and now has a lovely oily motif.

Is it this time of year and road grime, or am I using the wrong sort of lube or what? Currently on Muc-Off wet lube, but Finish Line green seems similar.

Sounds like you’re putting too much lube in. For road/ cx I tend to use dry lube all year round, and just apply little, and often.

No, any chain lube will go black in the space of a few miles once those metals begin to wear into it. Somebody on CC said this is actually called blueing but I thought engineer’s blue was used for checking tolerances.

I’ve found Muc Off wet lube and Finish Line green particularly gruesome, sticky and dirty stuff. Fine for keeping the mtb rolling in the slop, but attract way too much dirt on the road bike, for no particular benefit.

I use White Lightning clean ride (wax) but when I get fed up of it covering everything in a layer of white wax, I also currently use Lifeline Dry lube (Wiggle). Fenwicks stealth and Muc Off ceramic dry (NOT the wet ceramic version, that is horrid stuff) have also been ok.

I think unless its a wax type lube that dries to a hard film, then one ride in anything but perfectly dry summer conditions is enough to blacken the chain and sprockets.

I use ProGold prolink on road bike and its pretty clean. Use the prolink extreme version in winter/gravel, it lasts a bit better

I just use Squirt for everything these days

Currently on Muc-Off wet lube, but Finish Line green seems similar.

These both created a huge amount of gunk on my drivetrain.

I mainly use White Lightning Epic Ride and just wipe/reapply after each ride. Also got a fancy Muc-Off dry ceramic lube which smells fruity and does a good job in the dry.

Interested to try progold or squirt, based on others’ reports.

^^^ I really rate Squirt on MTB in dryer weather but found it awful on road bike, lots of black gunky lumps. ProGold is the best I have found to give decent lubrication with minimal mess. Quite like Fenwick’s Stealth Road, but not as clean as ProGold

ProGold is top of the list to try, but doesn’t seem as widely stocked as other brands.

I usually buy a bottle of lube to tip a CRC order over the BC discount level.

I agree with the MUC-Off Wet lube and also the Finish Line Green wet lube, I stopped using FL WET years ago as it just went black, Bought the Muc-off last Autumn and its probably worse,

Tried lots of Lubes over the years and found the Rock n Roll stuff a staple in all weathers, I Cant get on with Squirt, Purple Extreme also went black.

I know GT85 is NOT a lube but its as good as some of these expensive lubes and doesnt turn the drivetrain black.

I fitted a new chain to my road bike a Month ago, And as yet i havent lubed it AT ALL, its still got the factory cack on it, the cassette is dry and clean as is the chain, its a bit sticky in places and a bit of muck accumalating but im seeing how long i can run it without lube, Admittedly the last ride yesterday was a bit sticky in gear but it was cold. I’ll keep you posted.

Currently using Morgan Blue.

Drivetrains on road bikes go black very quickly, I think it’s all the oil/diesel/general hydrocarbons that get spilt on the road surface and as soon as it is slightly damp it gets picked up and mixed in with whatever lube you are using.

Sounds like you’re putting too much lube in. For road/ cx I tend to use dry lube all year round, and just apply little, and often.

+1.

No need to use oil on road chains imo. Good wax/teflon dry lube used and not degreased-off, just replaced as the chain gets dry to allow a good build-up inside the links, works for regular rides up to around 100 miles summer or winter ime. FL Teflon Dry for me. Save oil for the MTB in winter. Too-regular degreasing prob means there’s little lube where it needs to be, inside the bushings.

^^^^ agreed, I find ProGold is dry enough to not pick up road dirt much.

The Fenwick’s Stealth is similar, but not really a proper dry lube, quite waxy tho…

I swear by Shimano chain lube. You only need a tiny drop on each link and is just the right consistency to penetrate and not go everywhere. They know what they’re on about those Shimano lot…

Rock n Roll extreme for me. Just reapply when the chain starts to look manky – it comes up spangly each time.

Try Chain-L. Fantastic stuff if you follow the directions.

Chan L stinks like hypoy gear oil though, great for non wash off but hideous if you have a chain issue on a ride!
I just used some of the newer MucOff Hydrophobic chain oil on a mixed damp/ light mud road ride of 30 odd miles and chains fine, no muck adherence, very quiet drivetrain and no need to reapply yet.

Do you not keep a pair of surgical gloves in your saddle bag for chain issues?

No because they shred easily as I have size 12+ hands….and I hate ruining riding gloves so use bare hands if I have to and put them back inside the gloves to keep my white bar tape white 😆

Another Squirt user here, and have used it for many years now… road and in the dirt. I do make sure that my chain is pretty clean before putting any on, and generally it stays pretty clean. But then again, we have to remember that we ride on pavement and when the roads are wet, well we pick up some oil. If I’m lucky enough not to get caught in the rain… it stays pretty clean. Another aspect of using this lube is that my drivetrain is lasting a bit longer as well… Campy on my road bikes and SRAM on my mtn bikes.

Indeed 🙂

As done said above the two examples you have are two of the very worst for going black and horrible. I’ve used white lightning clean ride in the past which is clean but doesn’t last. I’m 50/50 thinking of squirt or going back to gt85 for the commuter, I can’t be bothered to fork out for expensive lubes when use so much of it.

ProGold last a decent time and is often on offer in large bottles at Halfords

I found a product by accident in Halfords. A bio degradable lube from Pure.
Needed something urgently for the Buzzard 600. It’s great, it poured for the 600 and the stuff just lasted.
In winter it’s a weekly change, but the upside is low wear and nice clean running gear.
It’s on all bikes now, summer and winter.

Oldgit..
Saw that Pure stuff yesterday,I was in mooching about for half price GT85. I wondered what it was like.
Was it the wet version that you used?

Right, chain was clean on this ride (but with Muc-Off wet because it was all I had) and cassette was new and it’s now filthy. Tonight’s job is a full regrease and will be acquiring me some of this fancy Progold stuff to go on it.

Finish line is the worst for this black gunk.

After years of experimenting I’ve finally settled on Morgan blue on the road and squirt on the MTB. Much improved black gunk status.

fasthaggis. I actually use the dry one…white stuff. Pour on, leave a few seconds turn the chain and wipe the excess.
Doing the 2014 Buzzard 600km audax in pissing rain was the thing that sold it to me, clean lubed chain at the end.

Clean thoroughly, then apply the lube and allow to soak in and reapply if needed.

Then wipe off the excess

The wiping will leave enough lube residue to prevent rusting but too much on attracts all the crud

I only ever use dry lubes on the road bikes. Cleaning is normally a rinse off with a hose after a wet gritty ride, wipe down, some detergent on a tea towel to clean off the gunk, then a dry lube. Muc off, white lightening, finish line and pure. Muc off has the best applicator. White lightening is too thin on application, finish line doesn’t last.

Dry lube on the road bike unless it is actually raining and I’m going on a long ride. Baby wipes work well if you just wipe down the chain every now and again to stop the build up. That or something like a rag made from an old down with a bit of white spirit on. You are not trying to degrease it completely, just wipe the crud off the outside.

I’ve been using Scottoiler UBS for 3 months now. Cleanest the drivetrain has ever been, though I apply it after each ride. Lasts fine in 3h + on the road/country lanes in heavy rain. Highly recommended.

Current weather isn’t easy to deal with I find. Unless it’s dry (maybe 1 in 10 rides at the mo), bike gets a quick hose when I get home. A little spray of WD40, and then a bit more dry lube once it’s dried off a bit (if I can be bothered). Might give the chain a wipe after WD40 if it’s really filthy.

I did actually wet lube it a couple of weeks ago for the first time in a long time because I was getting sick of pulling it out rusty.

Roll on summer.

I found the UBS stuff lasted around 20 mins on winter road bike, having been applied to a degreased dry drivetrain. Utterly useless on a bike IMO 🙁 however not a total waste of money as its good at keeping the roller garage doors from squeaking…