Quick lube question

[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! )

[Kalidurga]

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.

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.

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

Ain't that the truth!

[KnottedYet]

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!)

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

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.

[KnottedYet]

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

Lisa, does the teflon stay on well in rain?

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

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

Lisa, does the teflon stay on well in rain?

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.