Not sure about the others, but Tingle definitely works better on the steel HT

i think you will find that the sticky stuff that kmc put on thier chains is only on there to stop the chains rusting in storage, it should be cleaned before use or everything on this gods earth will stick to your new chain and you will end up with a chain slowly grinding its self to bits, you tend to get alot of that grease on engineering parts

I’ve never wiped the sticky oil my new chains come caked in, and yet never had one grind itself to death either.

I use chain lube. Finish line wet or the roadie ceramic one. Just needs a bit of Mr Myagi on it…

I,ve used gt85 on my chains for years, long before it does any harm your chain will have stretched too far any way and so need replacing,

I too used to use it and got through chains (stetching) like nobody’s business. It’s good stuff but not ideal for chain lubrication due to its low film strength – i.e. it is pushed aside by the high pressure inside a chain leaving metal sliding over metal. I remember a while back (15 years or more) one of the cycle mags doing a scientific test including film strength, and the upshot was that GT85 amd WD40 whilst excellent products for penetrating light lurication and water dispersal, will be bettered by high film strength lubricants such as those marketed as chain oil. That’s not to say that bike chain lubes are anything special let alone good value; they may well be gear oils labelled and marked up. Nonetheless they should generally be high film strength lubricants better suited to the job of lubricating a chain.

jobst brant:
“A myth that is difficult to dispell is the story that grease on a new chain, fresh out of the package, is not a lubricant but rather a preservative that must be removed. This piece of bicycling myth and lore thrives despite its illogic.”

kmc:
“Don’t degrease your new chain, you’ll take out the valuable lube which we injected into the chain’s bearing, instead, just dry the chain’s outside, in order to prevent it from attracting dirt.”

tried to find srams advice on their website but failed.

Does anyone use chain wax?

KMC recommended I thoroughly clean the warranty replacement before riding, and relube it with quote “a more suitable bike specific lubricant”

Slightly bizarre as their web site says “Don’t degrease your new chain, you’ll take out the valuable lube which we injected into the chain’s bearing, instead, just dry the chain’s outside, in order to prevent it from attracting dirt.” They even sell the original lube now; I’ve been using it and it seems to be pretty good if somewhat overpriced.

Edit: should have read mickolas’ post before posting! Just to add to the debate Shimano say “The grease that comes on a Shimano chain is applied at the factory to the individual pieces before the chain is assembled. The grease does a better job of reducing friction than aftermarket chain lubes and it lasts longer.”

Yep, I was surprised tbh, if I’m honest I expected a brushoff… the thick sticky lube is probably ideal in a lot of circumstances though. I reckon the advice on the website is maybe intended for the majority of people who don’t need to worry so much about the mud and who also can’t/don’t lube their chains properly

(KMC also make most Shimano chains incidentally)

SRAM are clear that the thick stuff that comes on their chains is a chain lube and should be left there. It seems to last a lot longer in claggy conditions than anything else. I usually change my chain before a trip somewhere like CYB to take advantage of this…

SRAM are clear that the thick stuff that comes on their chains is a chain lube and should be left there.

In my experience, leaving it inside the chain, in the bushings, is okay but you need to clean it off the outside of the chain otherwise you end up with a sticky black gunky mess within about an hours ride.

Silly me! Almost forgot 😳

Northwind – Member

mickolas – Member

WD40 is not a lube

It is, though. I mean, water’s a lube, so it’s not like that’s particularily meaningful, but WD40 is largely diluted machine oil- it makes a good cutting lube and does leave a residual oil coating once the carrier solvent’s flashed off. It’s not any good mind, doesn’t provide adequate or lasting lubrication, but don’t get carried away

mickolas – Member

Makes me laugh on reviews and forums when people complain how hard it is to remove “the sticky stuff that my new chain came covered in” – probably the only time those chains will actually be lubricated is while they’re still in the packet

Laugh at this one then– after a brand new chain lunched itself in about 2 miles of winter riding, KMC recommended I thoroughly clean the warranty replacement before riding, and relube it with quote “a more suitable bike specific lubricant”

Hahahahahaha! 😆

What’s wrong with using just GT85 as a chain lube?

You need a chain lube to lubricate, inhibit rust, be thick enough to stay put and thin enough not to pick up dirt. The last two contradict each other.

If you’re wanting to protect your chain from rust after hosing it down you want something like Scottoiler FS365. This is a water-soluble rust inhibitor.

Just about every chain oil will wash off in the wet. Not a problem because water is a very effective chain lube (but see the rust issue mentioned above). The problem is what do you do when it stops raining!

Personally I use a Scottoiler chain lube system – so I can pump water-soluble chain lube onto the chain throughout the ride. I also know some very knowledgeable riders who use Scottoiler motorcycle lube (designed to fling and not pick up grit) or chainsaw oil.

I use thick oil on my commuter but it’s protected from the elements (and grit) by a chain case.

wax – Americans rave about chain wax, but have you seen how rarely it rains in the US! And if it does rain nobody rides in it (I lived there so know!). Don’t even think about it in the UK.

The best bit of kit I’ve ever used for keeping the chain and cassette clean, yet lubed up nicely is this.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Scottoiler-AFS-Bicycle-MTB-Chain-Oiler-Kit-Active-Fluid-System-SCT600-/370638805324

The Scottoiler uses a replacement bottom jockey wheel with a tube going into it that’s linked to an oil reservoir via a ‘squid’. When you squeeze the squid (I kept mine strapped to the underside of the top-tube), fluid is pumped from the reservoir, down to the rear jockey wheel and from there onto the chain as you pedal. The lube is water based, and the idea is that in the dry the lube keeps your chain…well, lubed. When it rains though, the water based lube is washed off, and the rainwater itself lubricates the chain and cassette. Once you get home, run a dry rag over the chain, then squeeze the squid and put fresh lube onto the chain. As it’s water based, and thus, non-sticky, dirt doesn’t collect on the chain and cassette. They look as clean and fresh as they did when they first came out the packaging. I’ve gotten nearly 2yrs out of a chain and cassette combo using this system, where normally I have to replace the lot every 6 months (I live in Scotland…it’s a bit soggy here).

Give it a go, I reckon you’ll struggle not to be impressed.

Beagy 😉

leaving it inside the chain, in the bushings, is okay but you need to clean it off the outside of the chain

with a bit of GT85 on on cloth…