Chain maintenance products

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

I used to use Purple Extreme and other good lubes.
But then I tried some "dry" lube- silicon based (the silicon is suspended in a liquid that evavorates after applying). I noticed right away that a) my chain was quieter and felt smoother and b) my chain and gears stayed cleaner longer- they didn't have the oil anymore that made black road grime stick to them.
I love the dry lube- lasts just as long and my drive chain stays cleaner and is easier to clean up when I wash my bike.

[uforgot]

Another vote for Rock n Roll. Started using it a few weeks ago and it's the best and easiest one I've ever used.

[aicabsolut]

I like Rock n' Roll too. I clean my drivetrain a lot, and when I've been riding in a lot of grit/sand/wet I'll use some Prolink to get it cleaner faster, because it's always on sale at Performance.

[Aggie_Ama]

Another vote for Rock n Roll. Started using it a few weeks ago and it's the best and easiest one I've ever used.

Yup easy peasy! I am admittedly challenged at most things on the bike including cleaning the drivetrain and lubing it but I can use this stuff. Put on, wipe off. No skills required.

[sundial]

I used to use Purple Extreme and other good lubes.
But then I tried some "dry" lube- silicon based (the silicon is suspended in a liquid that evavorates after applying). I noticed right away that a) my chain was quieter and felt smoother and b) my chain and gears stayed cleaner longer- they didn't have the oil anymore that made black road grime stick to them.
I love the dry lube- lasts just as long and my drive chain stays cleaner and is easier to clean up when I wash my bike.

I agree! I am a dry lube kind of girl.

[Ana]

I agree! I am a dry lube kind of girl.

Don't you need a special degreaser to get rid of the waxy ingredients? Do dry lubes work in wet conditions?

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Don't you need a special degreaser to get rid of the waxy ingredients? Do dry lubes work in wet conditions?

Doesn't seem waxy to me. I don't notice any problems at all in the rain.
I just put some on every few hundred miles, wipe the chain, and forget about it.
Then typically about twice a year I thoroughly clean my drive chain and gears with citrus degreaser, then suds/wash the whole bike with SimpleGreen (diluted), rinse, re-lube and ready to go again.

[Tri Girl]

Lisa, not that I'm asking you to endorse the product, but what brand of dry lube do you use? I use Purple Extreme right now and I like it, but I was looking to try a dry lube next time.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Lisa, not that I'm asking you to endorse the product, but what brand of dry lube do you use? I use Purple Extreme right now and I like it, but I was looking to try a dry lube next time.

I've been using "Finish Line" Dry Teflon lube:

I'm sure other dry lubes are probably good too.
Purple Extreme was a perfectly fine lube, but I did find that black road grit and gunk stuck all over my gears and chain way more than with the dry lube. (I always wipe my chain thoroughly after applying any kind of lube, by the way.)

[Xrayted]

I do what BSG does for maint of chain and drive gear but use ProLink instead. Just drip a little on, run it into the chain, wipe off and go. Lasts and doesn't get gunked nearly as much or as fast. The prolink cleans it as it lubes it. I buy it at Performance when on sale. One bottle lasts a long time tho and we use it on all 4 bikes.

Good luck.

[aicabsolut]

Don't you need a special degreaser to get rid of the waxy ingredients? Do dry lubes work in wet conditions?

If you use a cleaning lube, you won't have to use a degreaser until you really want to detail your drivetrain. There are some slightly more gentle (safer for the components and frame and paint) degreasers that you can spray on and wipe off (look for ones you don't have to rinse). The only time I've needed this was after a really really disgusting ride on muddy and gravelly backroads after serious rain. This was after a good bath with the hose didn't work well enough. 99% of the time, a cleaning lube like RnR will help shed the gunk while it relubes.

Some dry lubes do not work well in wet conditions. You'd need a wetter or waxier one. RnR gold does ok in the wet, but they make a blue one for really sloppy stuff as well as a red one that is the driest. The silicon stuff in it isn't as waxy as, say, White Lightning, so you won't get as much buildup on the chain. But the thinner and drier the lube, the more often you'll need to re-lube.