Best lube for dusty conditions?

[Kalidurga]

I have an occasional slog through mud on my favorite route, but most of the time it's dry, dry, dry and my chain gets coated with dust. I usually use a dry lube, but even a well-wiped off dry lube seems to trap all that dust. I'm curious whether a wax lube is what I really need to use. Any suggestions or recommendations?

[KnottedYet]

I've used White Lightning. It was dry and shed dust and sand well, but the chain ended up being awfully noisy. I only used it a couple times, and ended up tossing the bottle. Now I use Boeshield, which is also suupposed to be dry but work well in soggy wet conditions. So far it hasn't dried. I'm still waiting....

Edit: actually, I didn't TOSS the bottle, i gave it away.

[Cari]

Rock N Roll lubes: http://www.rocklube.com/chainlubes.html

Try Gold Chain Lube (http://www.rocklube.com/products_detail_gold.html) or Absolute Dry (http://www.rocklube.com/products_detail_absolutedry.html).

Make sure you follow the instructions, coat the chain really well, wipe it down with a rag and let it sit for a few hours before you ride. It's great stuff, I buy it by the box!

[CorsairMac]

I use Dry Lube from Wrench Forge (I think). Since I live in the desert we Have to use a dry lube out here.

[Kalidurga]

KnottedYet: I'm currently using White Lightning, too, and having the same issue. The chain squeaks like I dunno what and I end up worrying whether I've applied enough or wiped too much off. I do like the ease of the spray application in the can formula, though.

Cari: I've been to the website for Rock N Roll lubes before, but until now I hadn't found anyone who'd actually used them. Any chain squeak? Do you clean the chain at all? How often do you find you need to re-lube?

[Cari]

Cari: I've been to the website for Rock N Roll lubes before, but until now I hadn't found anyone who'd actually used them. Any chain squeak? Do you clean the chain at all? How often do you find you need to re-lube?

Rock "N" Roll has a bit of a cult following where I live. I know people who hoard the stuff (myself included) -- it's funny.

No chain squeak. I made sure to start with a clean chain on my mtb. Then I applied Extreme (the blue one) and let it sit a few hours before riding. I ride around in the rain, dust, mud, freshly cut grass, street gunk, etc. I reapply Extreme once every month or so, spin the cranks like it says to, and use an old t-shirt to wipe off the excess and all the crud that comes out.

On the road bike I use Absolute Dry or Gold, also about once a month. And it feels grrrreat. :)

[Kalidurga]

Lubing once a month instead of after every ride sounds like a good deal. Guess I'll be placing an order with Rock N Roll this weekend. Thanks for the info!

[bcipam]

White Lightning is a lube best suited for wet conditions - like if you are riding in the Pacific Northwest. Otherwise it's a dust and sand collector and plan on doing a thorough cleaning after each ride. Here in So Cal (where its either sand or silt) I would use Pedro's Dry Lube on the mountain bike and Pro Link on the road bike. Make sure you use both sparingly, after applying you wipe the chain off well and allow the lube to dry overnight (if possible) before riding. After a ride, if you can't clean, use a good cleaning brush and dust off the grit. Grit on a chain can cause the cassette to wear out faster.

[KnottedYet]

How fascinating! The new White Lightning Wet has only been available in Europe and Canada. Where did you find some?

www.whitelightningco.com/products/wet-ride.htm

[KnottedYet]

I used White Lightning in the lower penninsula of Michigan during the DALMAC. Quite a lot of sand and dust there, as the entire region used to be a sea bottom. I was impressed by how well the dry WL shed the dry sand and dry dust, and even coped with a rainy day. But I really wasn't happy with the chain chatter that developed. From what I've gathered, that is a fairly common issue in dry conditions with WL.

From what my boss the bike goddess has said (and my own experience with my old bike) WL is pretty awful in rainy Pacific Northwest conditions. I'd looooooove to hear from some folks who've used the new WL-Wet in the wetter parts of the world.

I'm not too impressed with Boeshield at the moment.

[Kalidurga]

Well, the folks at Rock'n'roll recommended their Gold chain lube for me, but it's taking it's sweet time getting here. I've also been reading about this stuff: Purple Extreme (http://www.purpleextreme.com/). Has anyone tried it?

I've started noticing ProLink at some of the LBS's I frequent (stalk, haunt, whatever...) and KnottedYet mentioned it in another thread. Any testimonials for that brand?

[Kallisti]

I've been using it for about 4 months and I'm quite pleased with it, for both road and mountain. Most recently, I rode my mountain bike through water crossings and sand, followed by fine, dusty soil. The next day I just wiped the whole thing clean. I was really surprized that I didn't have to wash and re-lube.
On the other hand, I found that it didn't hold up to NorCal mud, nor our rainy season.


Other products I've tried:
White Lightning; stopped using on the MTB it because it leapt off the chain, if it thought it was approaching water. But not bad for road.

Rock n Roll; on the first few uses, I found it holds dirt really well. Even on my road bike, my silver chain was turning black and gunky after a few rides. I really wanted to like this product, too (I'd read some great reviews on it).

[Kalidurga]

Well, I finally received my Rock'n'Roll Gold. Dunno when I'll get to try it out, though, since we've had so much rain here lately that they closed down the IRS, National Archives, and a few other federal buildings due to flooding. Is Nature telling me that I should've stuck with a wet lube...?

[Kitsune06]

I've started noticing ProLink at some of the LBS's I frequent (stalk, haunt, whatever...) and KnottedYet mentioned it in another thread. Any testimonials for that brand?

I'll testify on its behalf.

Where I live, I've gotta go either 1.5 or 2 mi (depending on which direction...) on dry, dusty gravel roads to get out to the 'real' road... and where I used to live, the singletrack I frequented was little more than a little dust-ditch we could ride through.

...Then in the winter, this being OR, everything changed 180 deg. and everything was gross and muddy and wet.

All that said,
Prolink is the only lube I'll use again. Nothing else has proven itself even close to equal (yet) and it's not just good for the chain and drivetrain; it works for the cables, etc, too. It's just fantastic stuff. If ever I have a metal/metal joint around the house that's squeaky or sticky, I drip some there, too. (much to my GF's annoyance) "that smells like bike lube!!!" ...:rolleyes:

It's fantastic stuff.

What I did to pre-treat my chain:
1 Break chain and clean with solvent- I soaked it awhile, then brushed it pretty thoroughly, as the Dumonde Tech acted more like glue than anything...
Thoroughly dry chain, and lube thoroughly with Prolink.

2. Throw it in a plastic bag and work all the little links/pins/joints. Allow to sit overnight to penetrate (if you're patient enough)

3.Take chain out of bag and coil up on an oven-safe pan (pref. disposable pie tin) and put in the oven at 300 degrees for half an hour. Bake. It smells vaguely of lighter fluid, but I've never had any problems arise.
This stage allows the metal to expand and the lube to work into the crannies. It also helps some of the more stubborn debris loosen.

4.Remove and allow to cool. Once cool, spray down with Simple Green (or any solvent-free cleanser/degreaser)
clean and dry thoroughly.

You now have a very clean, very dry chain.

[Selkie]

Well, the folks at Rock'n'roll recommended their Gold chain lube for me, but it's taking it's sweet time getting here. I've also been reading about this stuff: Purple Extreme (http://www.purpleextreme.com/). Has anyone tried it?

I've started noticing ProLink at some of the LBS's I frequent (stalk, haunt, whatever...) and KnottedYet mentioned it in another thread. Any testimonials for that brand?

Purple Extreme is my favorite lube but it's hard to find. I had to order mine directly from the company. It's also a bit more expensive but a little goes a long way.

I used Prolink but found it that I had to reapply it a lot more often than Purple Exteme.

[Nanci]

Hey Cari,

I was at a ride this weekend, and the bikes got poured on, and had to live outside thanks to stupid Holiday Inn Express. I planned on buying lube at the expo, which is decent, but could only find one thing- Rock N Roll Gold. I _knew_ I'd read here that it was great- so bought it with no hesitation. My bike shifted perfectly for hours in the rain. Thanks for calling my attention to it!

Nanci