Quick lube question

[madscot13]

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

[equus123]

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.

[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.

[Kalidurga]

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.

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.

[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.

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.)

[Zen]

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.

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

[Kalidurga]

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!

[LBTC]

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~

[Triskeliongirl]

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.

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.

[KnottedYet]

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! )