Quick lube question

So at the LBS, I took a free bike maintenance class where they went over the basics. They suggested two different kinds of lube to use - white lightning, which is the wax-based kind that is not water-resistant and tri-flow, which is water-resistant. I remember the guy saying you could use one on top of the other, but not the way around. And I think he said you leave on the white lighting but wipe off the tri-flow. Similarly, is it fine to just use one of them? I'd assume it'd be better to use the tri-flow since it's the most protective. Thoughts?

PS- I apologize if this is a really dumb question, but I honestly can't remember what the guy said I really don't want to mess up my bike.

I used to use White Lightning and really did not like the results. It made my chain noisy and picked up all sorts of gunk. I've never heard of using one lube on top of another, but if I were choosing between the two you named I'd go with Tri-Flow.

Everyone you talk to will have a different opinion about lube, but Rock'N'Roll Gold is the best one I've tried yet. It cleans as it lubes, it's great in dusty conditions (any dust/grit the chain picks up wipes off easily), it didn't pick up any mud when I did my first mtb ride the other week (my pedals, on the other hand, were full of dirt & mud), and after 9 months or so I'm barely halfway through a 16oz bottle. Great stuff. :D

I used to use White Lightning, too. With similar results.

Now I use Boeshield, and I'm very happy with it and how well it handles the Seattle rain and muddy puddles.

Between Boeshield and Phil's Green Grease I've got all my bike lube needs covered. (anything more involved I take to the LBS)

The Rock & Roll Gold sounds interesting. The instructions say

"Get the chain really wet, this stuff cleans and lubes all in one. Freewheel the chain backwards for about 5 seconds-no less".

What do they mean by "freewheel the chain backward"?

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Originally Posted by zencentury

What do they mean by "freewheel the chain backward"?

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Rotate the cranks backwards so the chain moves backwards, but the wheel doesn't move. Doing so helps to distribute the lube into the links where it belongs, and pushes any gunk between them up to the surface where it can be wiped away. And when they say wipe all of the lube off, they mean wipe it ALL off.

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Originally Posted by Kalidurga

Everyone you talk to will have a different opinion about lube, but Rock'N'Roll Gold is the best one I've tried yet. It cleans as it lubes, it's great in dusty conditions (any dust/grit the chain picks up wipes off easily), it didn't pick up any mud when I did my first mtb ride the other week (my pedals, on the other hand, were full of dirt & mud), and after 9 months or so I'm barely halfway through a 16oz bottle. Great stuff. :D

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That stuff sounds interesting--maybe I'll have to see if my favorite LBS carries it. I ride through my share of sand and gravel, so something that doesn't pick up all that garbage would be good. I think White Lightning may have been what they had at the bike co-op where I replaced my chain and so that's what I used; it does seem to have picked up quite a bit of sand.

this is a bummer, I just claned and lubed my bike with White Lightening.

lol, i know. me too! :( i've heard good things about White Lightening. though i have to admit after trying it, it does make the chain louder and i find that it gets dry a lot and needs re-lubing. kinda weird. hmmph. i might check out the RNR Gold next time around. :confused:

I've used Tri Flow in the past but I like Pro Link better. It lasts longer and pushes the dirt out of the links and since you wipe it completely off, it doesn't pick up road dirt like the White Lightning does. I don't have to do nearly the amount of relubing/maintenance that I used to and the chain sounds and feels smoother. Our local LBS doesn't carry it but Performance Bike just down the street from them has it. One bottle lasts forever.

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Originally Posted by Xrayted

I've used Tri Flow in the past but I like Pro Link better. It lasts longer and pushes the dirt out of the links and since you wipe it completely off, it doesn't pick up road dirt like the White Lightning does. I don't have to do nearly the amount of relubing/maintenance that I used to and the chain sounds and feels smoother. Our local LBS doesn't carry it but Performance Bike just down the street from them has it. One bottle lasts forever.

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From what I've read/heard, Pro Link sounds very similar to Rock'N'Roll. I'd guess that either of them would be a good choice for an easy, self-cleaning, non-gunk-grabbing lube that keeps your chain happy and quiet. If you can't find them in a local shop, I think a good lube is certainly worth ordering by mail.

Just lubed my new Surly's chain. Ok, I'm bad, I should've done it last week when I got her... cuz we all know the "lube" that comes on a new chain is useless and isn't really lube.

Boy, what a demonstration of how used to Boeshield I've become! I was appalled by the grit and sand and general ick stuck to the chain and jockey wheels and cogs and rings! Yowza! (after only a week of riding... yes, I'm bad, should've done this right off the bat... bad bike caretaker Knot) That stuff doesn't happen with good lube.

Glopped on the Boeshield, ran it, wiped off the very dirty excess, repeat, repeat, repeat. Used the damp-with-petroleum-distillates rag to wipe the gunk off the other parts of the drive train.

Much better now.

(I apologized to my Surly.)

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Originally Posted by KnottedYet

Just lubed my new Surly's chain. Ok, I'm bad, I should've done it last week when I got her... cuz we all know the "lube" that comes on a new chain is useless and isn't really lube.

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I didn't know that about the new chain lube. I thought I had read somewhere that it is good lube and shouldn't be messed with (?)

It just happens that I bought some Rock & roll Gold and Speedplay Frogsyesterday:D

ZenC, you're gonna love Rock'N'Roll. When I had a new chain put on my bike earlier this year, I took a box of q-tips and a rag and wiped between and around every single link to get off the stuff that came on the chain. Since then, it hasn't been touched by anything but Rock'N'Roll. After the incredibly dusty ride I did a week or so ago, all the chain needed was a few runs through a clean rag. The rest of the bike, though, is still waiting to be cleaned, cause it's just not as simple!

DH and I do almost all of our riding in dry dusty conditions. Pedros extra dry lube is the best for this. Okay, I'll admit it, DH does all the bike maintenance, so virtually all of this info is from him. Rock n Roll was good lube, but required more time and effort to lube the chain properly - you really need to follow the instructions completely.

His methodology: clean the chain thoroughly, wipe all excess water off. Apply lube, link by link, and run the chain through a few times. Let stand, preferably over night. Before riding, wipe all excess lube off of the chain.

The grease on new chains is EVIL. This is the stuff that sticks to your legs if you so much as brush against it, and picks up all sorts of debris when out riding. DH has been known to soak a new chain in simple green before putting it on his bike, to ensure that evil grease doesn't get on all the cogs and chain rings.

Your best lube will definitely be determined by the types of conditions you ride in - wet/muddy or dry/dusty.

Hugs and butterflies,
~T~

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Originally Posted by LBTC

Rock n Roll was good lube, but required more time and effort to lube the chain properly - you really need to follow the instructions completely.

His methodology: clean the chain thoroughly, wipe all excess water off. Apply lube, link by link, and run the chain through a few times. Let stand, preferably over night. Before riding, wipe all excess lube off of the chain.

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????? Personally, I find self-cleaning lubes like Rock'N'Roll to be much faster and easier. For one thing, you don't have to clean the chain first. I basically do exactly what your DH does, except that I skip the first part described. And I don't apply the lube link by link. I just apply a continuous flow of lube along the chain as I freewheel, then freewheel for another 20 or so cranks, let it sit at least a few hours or overnight, then wrap a rag around the chain and rotate the cranks until there's no gunk or excess lube on the links.

I'm inherently lazy. Trust me, if this weren't an easy process, I'd be ridin' with a gunky, squeaky chain ;)

*The Lube Queen steps down from her soapbox*

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Originally Posted by KnottedYet

Just lubed my new Surly's chain. Ok, I'm bad, I should've done it last week when I got her... cuz we all know the "lube" that comes on a new chain is useless and isn't really lube.

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Really? Where did you get that information. I was told the opposite by a bike shop mechanic, that it is an extremely high quality lube, and that you shouldn't remove it until the chain was dirty from use and required cleaning.

I read it in a thread about chain lube, either here or on BikeJournal. Rust inhibitor for shipping and storage vs. lube for riding.

Kalidurga and LBTC, where did you guys hear that the new-chain stuff was bad?

Maybe nice chains come with nice lube on them, but whatever was on my Surly was nasty sticky thick gritty honey-like goo.

I felt guilty that I hadn't cleaned it off as soon as I got the Surly home, it was quite yucky. I don't think I damaged anything by riding on it for a week, but at least it's in much better shape now.

A clean chain is a joy...
(so is a clean house, but I'd rather clean my bike!:D )

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Originally Posted by KnottedYet

Kalidurga and LBTC, where did you guys hear that the new-chain stuff was bad?

Maybe nice chains come with nice lube on them, but whatever was on my Surly was nasty sticky thick gritty honey-like goo.

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My LBS tech asked what sort of lube I wanted him to use when he installed my new chain, and I told him that I was planning to use Rock'N'Roll on it. He didn't say the factory-applied lube was bad, but he did suggest that I clean it all off so that I could start with a totally bare chain. The goo on mine wasn't gritty, but it was definitely sticky and waxy, kind of like White Lightning's dry lube. I just wiped off every bit of it that I could with a rag and q-tips, then lubed it up.

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Originally Posted by KnottedYet

A clean chain is a joy... (so is a clean house, but I'd rather clean my bike!:D )

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Ain't that the truth! :rolleyes:

It was the dirt sticking to the gobs of honey-like goo that made it gritty. It was a dirt-magnet. I was even picking dog hair off the chain! Bleh.

Of course, the dog hair was just floating in the air when it got slurped up by the ravenous amoeba-goo... and that's not a sign of good housekeeping.

Does that mean I should clean my house so that my bikes stay cleaner? Maybe that would motivate me to run the vacuum once in a while.

Do it for the bikes!

(now if I could just figure out how cleaning my bathroom is good for the bikes, we'll be golden!)

I was using an average chain lube (Purple Extreme brand) for my first 2,000 or so miles. I found I had to apply it every few days or my chain would squeak. Also, chain got very black and grimy all the time.
Now I have switched to a dry teflon lube (Finish Line brand) and I like it much better. Seems to last longer, the chain runs quieter and moves smoother. I don't see much dirt and grime sticking to the outside of the chain anymore like before, so it is staying cleaner.

That's what freaked me out about the amoeba-goo, junk was even sticking to the OUTSIDE of the chain! :eek: Certainly not what was happening with my other bikes and their Boeshield'ed chains.

Lisa, does the teflon stay on well in rain?

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Originally Posted by KnottedYet

That's what freaked me out about the amoeba-goo, junk was even sticking to the OUTSIDE of the chain! :eek: Certainly not what was happening with my other bikes and their Boeshield'ed chains.

Lisa, does the teflon stay on well in rain?

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The lube comes in a typical plastic bottle that you squeeze/dribble on the chain as you rotate the chain. The teflon is suspended in a liquid medium that evaporates a little while after it seeps into the links. So you put it on like regular lube, wipe off the outside of the chain, the solvent medium evaporates, and the teflon stays inside the chain.
I only rode once in the rain yesterday, seemed to make no difference.
My chain AND chain rings seem to be staying cleaner than with the old lube.

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Originally Posted by Kalidurga

I find self-cleaning lubes like Rock'N'Roll to be much faster and easier. For one thing, you don't have to clean the chain first. I basically do exactly what your DH does, except that I skip the first part described. And I don't apply the lube link by link. I just apply a continuous flow of lube along the chain as I freewheel, then freewheel for another 20 or so cranks, let it sit at least a few hours or overnight, then wrap a rag around the chain and rotate the cranks until there's no gunk or excess lube on the links.

I'm inherently lazy. Trust me, if this weren't an easy process, I'd be ridin' with a gunky, squeaky chain.

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That's the same process we follow, and we've never had a problem. DH and I have used White Lightening from day one, have over 10,000 miles on our bikes, and couldn't be happier with the way the product performs.

I'm with ya on the whole laziness thing!

We try to lube/clean the chains after every second or third ride, definitely after every long one. Perhaps it's more of a preventive thing for us, and we definitely don't have to ride in the sort of dusty, dirty conditions that some of you do. The worst thing we have to deal with is all the sand and grit deposited on the roads by snowplows in the winter. Takes forever for the spring rains to wash it to the berm, but then it lies in wait as devilishly evil pools of crud wanting nothing more than your attention to wander for a split-second so it can grab your rear tire with its dastardly claws and start reeling you in.

The guys at our LBS swear by White Lightening. Both times we purchased bikes they were emphatic about the need to thoroughly remove the factory goo from the chains before the first application of whichever product we chose to go with.

Sheldon Brown has this to say about the factory lube on a new chain:
<<Factory Lube
New chains come pre-lubricated with a grease-type lubricant which has been installed at the factory. This is an excellent lubricant, and has been made to permeate all of the internal interstices in the chain.
This factory lube is superior to any lube that you can apply after the fact.
Some people make the bad mistake of deliberately removing this superior lubricant. Don't do this!
The factory lubricant all by itself is usually good for several hundred miles of service if the bike is not ridden in wet or dusty conditions. It is best not to apply any sort of lube to a new chain until it is clearly needed, because any wet lube you can apply will dilute the factory lube. >>

I left mine on for the first 1,000 miles, and that seemed to work just fine. When it first started squeaking, I took off my chain, cleaned it thoroughly with citrus degreaser, and put my first lube application on it generously.

I too, have never heard or experienced using more than one type of lube ta a time. Like most of you, I used White Lightening and had lots of problems with buildup... however what I soon realized is that I wasn't wiping enough of the excess lube off... that is where the all the grit came from. If you're concerned about not being water resistent than try the White LIghtening Epic.

I too, have used Boeshield and Rock-n-Roll, and liked both of them but simply preferred the White LIghtening.

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Originally Posted by ridebikeme

... however what I soon realized is that I wasn't wiping enough of the excess lube off... that is where the all the grit came from.

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We've been told that's the trick to using White Lightening and similar products -- you can't remove too much!!

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Originally Posted by Kalidurga

????? Personally, I find self-cleaning lubes like Rock'N'Roll to be much faster and easier. For one thing, you don't have to clean the chain first. I basically do exactly what your DH does, except that I skip the first part described.

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Okay, so I had to ask DH why he thought RNR lube wasn't good.

It's not that it's faster to apply the dry lube link by link, but that we use so much less! (we *are* on a budget!)

He found the RNR was great in really wet conditions, but we don't get those much.

And he found the colour of the RNR lube made it look like his drivetrain was dirty. He doesn't like that! :)


As for the factory lube on the chain...the few times our conditions are not dusty, they are wet, so the little caveat in Lisa's quote backs us up on this one. The factory lube also makes the drivetrain dirty, and my clothes, and my legs, etc etc etc.

What can I say? Maybe we are all about how it looks. :rolleyes:

Hugs and happy clean rolling chain butterflies to you all!
~T~