Do I let the chain dry overnight before I lube?

Washed my bike and drivetrain today. Actually, both of them. Poor little mtn bike hasn't seen any love since I'd gotten it. Course I was ignorant before I came to this forum...

Now that I've seen the light, I can actually see the rear cassette again on the mtn bike (my commuter).

So now that I've scrubbed and cleaned, do I wait overnight for the chains to dry before I lube? Someone told me that so now I'm not sure. THe TE directions just say lube right after but just in case, I'm asking you experts out there.

It's also weird that the guy @ the lbs told me not to scrub the chain but to just wipe it down and the lube it. Said that it takes away the soaked in lube from the original manufacturer or something like that. I was confused but I just followed the TE's instructions and what everyone else on the forum seems to have done except I used the cheater chain cleaner. Hopefully that's ok.

Tks ahead of time.

Oh and which lube should I use or does it matter?

I bought the Finish Line one w/ teflon but the lbs recommended Boeshield T9 which is a wax.

tks

Here's what TriskelionGirl told me:
"This is how I do it. I first spray simple green on all the the greasy parts of the drivetrain. Then I put citrus degreaser in my roll a ma jig and clean the chain. I pour out the citrus degreaser on a rag, and use it to manually clean the roller things the chain goes around on the rear derailleur. Then I take a bucket of soapy water and a rag and wipe down everything else good, and finally I rinse all with clear water. Then I let it dry, and then I re-lube my chain. I also squirt some thinner lube at pivot points on the deraileurs and brakes (but NOT brake pads). I also protect rims from oil when oiling chain to avoid squeaks later. I also relube my pedals (frogs) but not all pedals require this."

I would think you should finish off cleaning everything with the soapy water, then rinsing gently and thoroughly with a hose (don't blast water into the hub areas). Then I would let dry overnight before lubing. You want a nice clean and dry surface for the lube to adhere to and spread over, so it will creep into the inner parts of the chain.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by roguedog

Oh and which lube should I use or does it matter?

I bought the Finish Line one w/ teflon but the lbs recommended Boeshield T9 which is a wax.

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Where do you live? What are your roads like? wet, dry, sandy? Different lubes are best in different conditions. Most will work fine, but some pick up dirt easier than others, and some will last longer than others. Go ahead and use the Finish Line and see how it works out for you.

i'm in northern california and the rainy season is coming. not sure how to answer the road thing. aren't roads normally dry unless it's raining or something? though i'm pretty sure it's not sandy i'm pretty sure. not near ocean.

i've got both lubes so if there's a recommendation, i can use either or even another brand if you think another is better, deb.

If you are just tallking about a normal before a ride lube... you can lube the clean and go ride. I use Pro Link. I drop a small dab on each link and then wipe the chain very carefully so there's excess. This helps keep the chain lubed and also keeps grit from building up. If you do this before each ride, you'll find you have to do a thorough cleaning less often.

wow! You gals get fancy! I just hit my chains with WD-40 to drive out the water, and oil them with 30W oil in winter and 50W in winter. :eek: But then again, I only get between 8000 to 10,000 kilometers out of each chain...

Quote:

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Originally Posted by bcipam

If you are just tallking about a normal before a ride lube... you can lube the clean and go ride. I use Pro Link. I drop a small dab on each link and then wipe the chain very carefully so there's excess. This helps keep the chain lubed and also keeps grit from building up. If you do this before each ride, you'll find you have to do a thorough cleaning less often.

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um.. uh.. <quirky smile> i'm supposed to lube before each ride??

You'll find as many ways to lube a chain as there are riders, so don't get too hung up over it. ProLink is supposed to be good. There are a few lubes made specifically for wet conditions. I certainly don't lube every ride. Just when the chain looks dry or gritty (and then I clean it first). Too much lube is not good, so lube sparingly and wipe off the excess to avoid attracting grit.

Dry means dry, the chain must be dry to apply lube, whether that is overnight or shorter. I use pro link gold, but as Deb said lube does depend on where you live, etc. Between washings, I wipe my chain down if it looks gritty, and reapply lube. I also reapply lube if my chain looks dry. I usually apply lube at night, to each link, and then wipe down any excess the next morning. When a chain is brand new it comes with good quality lube, so you don't want to wash this out immediately, but as it gets dirty you need to remove the dirty lube (what the degreaser does) and reapply fresh clean lube to avoid excess wear on your drive train.

Thanks everyone.. my jedi masters..

This padawan put the teflon on the road bike and the T9 on the mtn bike. Seemed to make sense.

Both seem happy to be clean and lubed!