Lubrication...

[Drago]

Much like me Chris. Im a high mileage rider and MTB instructor, have only ever used wet lube, and have never experienced any "grinding paste" problems. Steel is higher up Moh's Hardness Scale than virtually every mimeral constituent present in road dirt or soil (the main exception neing granites), so any such grinding paste would be softer than the steel its grinding against, and cannot possibly cause wear.

Fundamentally, as long as there is some lube on there then the different types of lube make only a minor difference to component life. Some CC members have even gone as far as keeping spreadsheets and trying different lubes, and the conclusion is there is no major difference in lifespan, certainly within the limits of statistical and observational variance.

The only thing I would countenance is to ensure the drivetrain is kept relatively clean, especially on bikes used off road, as that can have an effect on shifting performance. But as for wear, as long as there is a lube of some sort present is makes little difference for the relatively minor loads, low heat, and light interface pressures of a bicycle drivetrain.

 

[Beespoke]

Fundamentally, as long as there is some lube on there then the different types of lube make only a minor difference to component life. Some CC members have even gone as far as keeping spreadsheets and trying different lubes, and the conclusion is there is no major difference in lifespan, certainly within the limits of statistical and observational variance.

Interesting to hear this, I know someone nearby who has kept a record regarding his Emtb and he has notice a difference in wear rates with different chain lubes, but then different lubes maybe optimised with different application processes 🤷‍♂️

🐝

 

[Drago]

To be really scientific you need to measure doses, air and component temperature upon application to ensure equal opportunity to spread an penetrate, apply doses rigorously in all instances by the same mileage interval, make proper allowance for changing weather conditions, etc...

Of course, all of that is really beyong the average CC'er - the best we have is amateur experimentation, with great lattitude for variance. We cannot conduct such experiements in controlled conditions or with any degree of technical or scientific authority.

What we can say is that those who have kept such records a have noted no significant difference. Therefore any difference that does exist is liable to be down to observational or methodological inconsistencies.

If something genuinely made components last twice as long - or even a genuine, consistent, repeatable 10 or 15% longer - then all rivals would long have been out of business. As aforementioned, bicycle drive trains endure tiny loads and pressures compared to other chain drive systems, and any lube we use has a relatively benign time as a result.