Olive oil for the gears and chain?

[Accy cyclist]

I know some are thinking this is another Accy Cyclist stupid question/wind up thread,but it isn't. The stuff seriously works..well it does for me! My bike was squeaking and grinding ,crying out for lubrication. Just before my ride i poured about a level tablespoonful of olive oil over the cassette,turning the rear wheel to distribute in evenly. Don't do it in the house as you'll get olive oil on your carpet. Then i simply set off and let the oil work its way over the chain and free wheel. The squeaking was gone after about 30 seconds,giving out a smooth running sound. Surely the stuff can;t do any harm to the bike as we put it into our stomachs? I know some might say it picks up grit and stuff,but so does stuff like GT85. Even the so called non oily lubes have picked up grit on my chains in the past.

 

[tyred]

Personally, I think that you'd have been better and boiled in goose fat.

 

[Banjo]

I must remember your tip about not lubing the bike on the living room carpet Accy.

 

[Drago]

The waterproofing oil from condor feathers is much better.

On a serious note for a moment, isn't there something in vegetable based oils that makes them prone to gumming up, and needs processing or extracting before it can be used as a lube?

 

[Banjo]

I wouldnt use it I think it will emulsify into a gooey mess first time it rains.Be ok as a get you home fix if you needed it but I would wash it off and replace with something more able to stand British weather.

 

[Drago]

I would wash it off and replace with something more able to stand British weather.

Goose fat.

 

[Accy cyclist]

something more able to stand British weather.

Spry crisp 'n' Dry maybe?

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m5kHVaqxjdo

 

[Drago]

Surely your bike would sizzle in the hot weather?

 

[Mugshot]

a level tablespoonful of olive oil

As opposed to a heaped one?

 

[Tim Hall]

Goose fat.

Woad.

Woad's the stuff to show, men
Woad to scare your foemen

 

[Accy cyclist]

As opposed to a heaped one?

Yes good point!

 

[Fab Foodie]

Difference between mineral oil and vegetable oi is stability.
Vegetable oil will soon oxidise especially in contact with metals forming a variety if volatile compunds and gums. You know that sticky residue of old oil you get on the outside of an old veg oil container or fat fryer? That will soon be in your chain.

 

[Accy cyclist]

Surely your bike would sizzle in the hot weather?

And maybe you'd get dogs chasing after you,trying to lick the chain?

 

[Drago]

Or hungry hobo's.

 

[Profpointy]

A friend of mine cracked the sump on his jaguat based kit car. He was up a donkey track in the wilds of spain somewhere so had to get back to somewhere sensible in pre mobile phone days. He took off the sump, lined it with plastic then refilled with his remaining engine oil plus cooking oil and butter. Got hime back to the villiage so he could do proper repair.

And to be fair to Accy using olive oil on a chain is probably one of his more sensible suggestions. But that said a cap of 3 in 1 is hardly going to break the bank. For what it's worth I use car engine oil on mine