Chain lube of choice?

[rogerzilla]

Finish Line wet lube pretty much does what it says on the bottle - quietens noisy chains and is very resistant to being washed off by rain. Doesn't "string" all over your back wheel like chainsaw oil but may spatter slightly.

 

[mangid]

Fenwicks Profession Chain Lube for me

https://fenwicksbike.com/product/professional-chain-lube/

 

[rogerzilla]

3 in 1 isn't bad, and goes a bit gummy as it dries out which is no bad thing for chain noise. It just washes off a little too easily.

 

[Salty seadog]

however it doesn't go black or collect dirt

Which means it's not doing it's job properly.

Wet lube is great in all conditions, however it does collect dirt and much easier so a little more additional work is required to keep things clean running

Which means it is doing it's job properly. Washing in and out of the moving parts and washing the crud out.

 

[Ajax Bay]

Would like to hear opinions and/or suggestions as to your chain lube of choice, and why?

Wend Wax - best thing I've ever used - my drive train is so quiet now. It lasts a good while and keeps the chain nice and clean. Oh, it smells lovely too and comes in lots of pretty colours.

Dry lube tends to be of the waxy nature And is a terrible lube as noted before. It only lubes until it gets squeezed from the moving parts by pressure and because of its non liquid state cannot flow back in when the pressure is relieved. Your drive train will soon start making a noise.

From another 'what's the best chain oil thread' [Edited for relevance to this thread]:

A bicycle chain, or motorbike chain for that matter, undergoes two different work cycles; the tension cycle and the return run. On a bicycle the tension cycle is the part on top, from where the chain departs the rear sprocket to where it enters the front sprocket. Any link in this cycle experiences only tension. As soon as the link goes around the front chainring it starts to relax and enters the return run where it remains in relative slack until it turns the corner around the top of the cassette again.

During the tension cycle oil between the bushing and pin is squeezed out of the interface and on the return run oil returns again. Oil thus flows in and out. The inflow is by way of capillary action and the outflow is because the capillary is squeezed and the fluid moves elsewhere. The black you so quickly see on the chain is steel particles ground off inside the chain when it articulates under tension. The reason the black oil can eventually be seen is evidence that the oil flows as you pedal.

Should you apply wax to the chain then the tension cycle squeezes the wax out but it cannot flow back in. We see evidence of this in the wax that settles on the pulleys and outside of the chain sideplates. The wax wasn't applied there, it moved there. However, it cannot move back. The chain doesn't turn black, which means that the grit remains inside and also that the insides are running without the aid of lubricant.

Bicycle chains are open and liquids can freely flow in and out. It is easy to wash a chain and completely clean out the insides and replace with fresh oil and this should be done frequently if you care about chain life.

As I explained earlier on, a suitable chain lubricant is oil that's neither too thick or too thin and it is easy to find the sweet spot.

Another chainsaw oil user here. Why? Lubricating, sticks to where it's needed, excess wiped off after application to minimise 'stringing', inexpensive.

 

[tommaguzzi]

i have always used used regular engine oil applied with an old school pump oil can this has worked fine for the last 50 years and i see no reason to change.

 

[Slow But Determined]

i have always used used regular engine oil applied with an old school pump oil can this has worked fine for the last 50 years and i see no reason to change.

Same here, Total Quartz 0-30 at the moment as that is what goes in the car and that is what I have in the garage.

 

[rogerzilla]

Allegedly one popular (and raved-about) chain lube of the 1990s was repackaged Mobil 1 engine oil. It's a good enough lubricant - most engines have chains in them, after all - but tends to wash off too easily.

 

[Drago]

Would have to say.....I have no idea.....in answer to your question that is, however it does beg the question as to why they would make a dry lube in the first place if it didn't actually do the job?

To sell it for many hundreds of pounds per kilo, and thus make a lot of profit. A lot of profit.

 

[wonderloaf]

Fenwicks Profession Chain Lube for me

https://fenwicksbike.com/product/professional-chain-lube/

Me too, one application seems to last ages. Getting two bottles for Xmas, how sad is that!

 

[Truth]

TF2 for me too. Which reminds me, I need to buy some more as I have recently dribbled the last of a 1ltr bottle, bought a fair few years ago, into the smaller squeezy nozzle bottle I use for applying it.
I have covered many, many thousands of miles on different bikes (MTB/hybrid commuter/best road bike) in all conditions and always found this oil does the job. Also pretty cheap when bought 1ltr at a time - http://www.wiggle.co.uk/weldtite-tf2-performance-oil

Bottle has changed a bit since I last bought some

It doesn't have an offensive smell?

Used this for 5 years now with the Mickle Method and suits me just fine ...

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Snake oil.

With a hint of wet beaver in the winter

 

[smokeysmoo]

Chainsaw oil for me. Used it for years and still on the original bottle, in fact I suspect the bottle will last longer than me, and I'm only 45

 

[MrGrumpy]

Just bought some chainsaw oil as the fancy pants Finish Line Wax wet lube ( or what ever its called ) is no good at all in winter weather. Require daily reapplying , which makes it an expensive choice. I think its fine for spring and summer. Will see how we get on with the chainsaw stuff.

 

[derrick]

Race oil - on the race bikes

What would that be Castrol R?