cycle oil

[Banjo]

I hear the advice not to use 3 in 1 oil etc but does anyone know the actual spec for cycle oil?



On quality motor oils the full spec is usually available for comparison,on cycle oils it seems noticeably absent on the bottle.

I know you dont use much so its not a major expense but I really wonder if the high price is justified or are we being fleeced ?

 

[palinurus]

I've heard the "don't use 3-in-one on your bike chain" thing quite a few times, and I don't use it.

But I'm not sure why.

 

[Steve Austin]

You can use any oil on bike chains. If you buy cycle oil, you will pay significantly more than for any other oil. The finish line stuff really is very good and is what i use, but i use it more through personal choice, than any kind of magical chemical formula.

 

[Bigtwin]

There is an enormous amount of rubbish talked about this subject.

Mostly, we are being fleeced to the tune of a lot for tiny bottles of reasonably viscous mineral oil. Call me an old git, but none of this crap existed a few years back, we oiled our chains with "oil", and they lasted pretty much forever.

Do a google search and you'll find plenty of tried an tested formulas for home-made lubes for pence. Sheldon has some too I seem to recall.

 

[oscarplu]

Ive always used 3 in 1 and never had any problems!!

 

[Mr Pig]

I use Finish Line Cross Country, mainly because I love the smell!

It does also seem to work well but I hate stinky oil, Finish line is nice :0) A bottle lasts for ages so I'm not bothered about the cost.

 

[Garz]

Not off-topic I hope but I was going to start a new post regarding the de-greasing agent to remove the oils from the chain. This seems to be citrus based and I was going to look into what stuff it is actually made of so I can maybe buy a big drum of it instead of small bottles of expensive park tools markup.

I got myself one of the chain cleaners which is great, but you go through the degreaser fast, so any thoughts people?

 

[Mr Pig]

I remove the chain and wash it in white spirit. After that I wash it in a mild detergent solution and rinse off with water. Then I stick it in the oven for five minutes to dry it, stick it back on the bike and a drop of Cross Country on each link.

Sounds like a palaver but it's actually very easy and works well without the need for any special chemicals. Degreaser works fine too, but not really much better than the white spirit, and you still need to get all of that out of the links before you put fresh oil on.

 

[chris667]

I have recently bought a bottle of Swarfega parts degreaser (not the same thing as you use on your hands, it comes in a bottle), it was about £6 for a gallon. As far as I can tell, it's no different from bike degreasers.
Currently for chain lubrication, I'm using a mixture of candlewax and engine oil, which I heat up and immerse the chain in like motorcycle chain wax. Watch this space.

 

[Garz]

Hehe, I like the home-made ideas there chris!

 

[brodie]

Generic "engine" oil: £1.50 per litre.

Bike shop "cycle" lube: £40+ per litre, but you do get a nice handy bottle that you can re-fill after all the lube's been used.

 

[oscarplu]

Does anyone else use 3 in one, im getting worried now!!! Still dont know whats wrong with using it!! Anyone know whats the problem with 3 in 1????

 

[Garz]

Theres nothing wrong with it, the downside is its vegetable based and easier for dirt to stick to is all i think.

 

[oscarplu]

Cheers Garz, i do clean off and re apply regularly so probably ok then

 

[John the Monkey]

Cheers Garz, i do clean off and re apply regularly so probably ok then

Chain oil does its most important work inside the rollers of the chain - what you see on the outer plates &c doesn't really matter, save for where the action of rain, relubing &c carries it into the rollers.

If your 3-in-1 is trapping more gunk inside the rollers than a dedicated chain lube, then in theory you're wearing your chain more quickly.

My personal preference is for Finish Line Pro-Road Ceramic, although I use the cheaper weldtite stuff on the other bikes in the household.