KMC chain sticky crap

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Calnago
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by Calnago

^ Yeah, that's what I'd do if I was using something like Pro-Gold, which I use for some things but not chains.

As for the Duomonde-Tech stuff, I use the Lite version. It's the same as the Original, just a little "liter".
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BRM
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by BRM

Squint wrote:
BRM wrote:Efficiency related to energy / transmission of power?

https://www.friction-facts.com/


Typical reaction.
You don't understand anything of real world conditions.
For the average cyclist it doesnt matter at all.
The average cyclist uses his/her power very different than in a Time trial.
The difference is not measurable in real world conditions.
The site you are refering to sells special products with a lot blabla, nothing on that site is for the average user here. Total mismatch and total out of focus in the discussion here. This has nothing to do with facts but with manipulated facts to sell products.

Just as foollish as the Aero discussion.
Also an enlarge focus on watts you win while in real world conditions of the average biker this is not an item at all.
Last edited by BRM on Wed Nov 25, 2015 6:23 pm, edited 1 time in total.

by Weenie


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addictR1
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by addictR1

i'm the type that believes in do it once, do it right. i tried to wipe just the sticky grease off my hand last night and ended up getting towel lint all over it. tried washing it soap 3 times and it barely took it off. can't imagine what those sticky grease being stuck to the component overtime will do. i'm going to degrease with orange oil and then lube it up with what i normally use dumonde tech lite.

Zigmeister
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by Zigmeister

Just put a new Shimano chain on among other drive train items. Soaked it in mineral spirits, goof-off for about 30 minutes, shaking the container some, like a sonic cleaner, but just not as thorough of course. Then rinsed/washed with orange cleaner. Got it pretty clean and most of the stuff off. Then used my usual chain lubes once dried.

Glad I gained that 1.75w now!

eric
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by eric

I use paper towels or rags, and WD40. You need solvent to get the stuff off. It's too sticky to remove just by wiping. WD-40 is mild and safe compared to acetone, alcohol or carb cleaner. The objective is to remove the sticky outer layer that attracts dirt, not to remove it from the inside of the chain. It's decent lube.

I tried leaving it on once. It picked up a lot of dirt. While the coating did eventually come off with enough applications of chain lube, that chain wore out noticably sooner than normal.

The problem with degreasing the entire chain is that you now need to get the solvent out of the chain and replace it with your lube. Some solvents evaporate quickly, some slowly. A process like the Friction Facts guy used for his chain lube tests will do it well. But even though I am particular about my equipement, that's too much work for me.

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BRM
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by BRM

You best take the sides of the chain off with a rough but lint free cloth like a towel that, you partly soaked in diesel. You also need to give it a bit time to solve instead of runbbing directly like a madman.

Diesel works good for this, and is friendly for the chain and grease, that is still inside.

The grease where the chain comes with is perfect for the time being, till it is poluted with all kinds of dirt.


I have used dozens of lubes and also i have followed throuhh the years dozens of extensive topics about lubes.
Outcomes is that people Always searching for the Golden Product, and then think they found. After some time they discover that their chosen product is less good than they thought and after new search they move to another product, and after some time . .. come to the conclusion that their chosen product is less good than they thought and after new search they move to another product, and after some time . . . .

:D


There is not one product that is the best.
In first in depends on the conditions you drive in, wet conditions require other kind of lube than dry dusty conditions, etc.

In general as already is mentioned after degreasing its difficult to get the lube inside again.
Besides that degreasers can attack the metals of the chain and without lube it very fast will corrode and attack the chain on a second level. So you undermine the chain and make it more vulnerable for possible breaking.

BTW Do you realy think that the wins of Eddy Merckx where depending on his chainlube? . . . .

wingguy
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by wingguy

BRM wrote:BTW Do you realy think that the wins of Eddy Merckx where depending on his chainlube? . . . .


You know that's a really good question. What do you say about that, imaginary man who said Merckx only won because of chain lube? :roll:

sanrensho
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by sanrensho

Obviously chains are shipped with a coating of grease whose main purpose is to prevent corrosion.

That coating is not meant as a lube (though it may provide some lubrication). Practically speaking, I just ride it and then soon lube with homebrew, as the solvents in homebrew will remove the grease coating.

jamesbass
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by jamesbass

As this is WW, have any of you who remove the grease weighed the chains before/after and before/after relubing? That standard grease feels heavy as hell...

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BRM
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by BRM

jamesbass wrote:As this is WW, have any of you who remove the grease weighed the chains before/after and before/after relubing? That standard grease feels heavy as hell...



As in a weight weenie doesnt has to use his brains?
This subject has nothing to do with weight, imo.

If you are busy with weight on this level you need to go to a psychiatrist for treatment.
With things like this, Function Always should stand on top, not low weight.
Last edited by BRM on Sun Nov 29, 2015 4:53 pm, edited 1 time in total.

crankinstein
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by crankinstein

KMC says that you can remove the sticky grease from a new chain with a mild degreaser, and suggest that doing so will reduce the amount of dirt that it will collect.

Wasn't that hard to find, top right corner on their homepage.

http://www.kmcchain.eu/MAINTENANCE

I use Pedro's SynLube in wet and dry and love it. I have tried ProGold in the past and was not satisfied as a chain lube, but it does a great job as a penetrating oil for other projects.

Sent from my SM-N910W8 using Tapatalk

addictR1
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by addictR1

i ended up using orange oil degreaser and soaked and rinsed several time then wipe down with a towel. got most of the crap off and the relube... chain is up and running and pretty quiet like my original sram 1090 chain.

bm0p700f
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by bm0p700f

I ride in the worst condition the u.k has to offer daily. I never remove the grease in new chain and just ride it. I never find back crap the roads I ride are not clean either.

So remove if you want I have better things to do with my time and my chain life does not suffer.

Dez33
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by Dez33

addictR1 wrote:just got my KMC 10 speed chain and it came in a plastic bag - OEM pack supposely. the grease used on there is sticky as hell.

do you guys degrease the crap out of it first or just mount and ride?


Degrease and remove it completely then apply lube i normally use.

natefontaine
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by natefontaine

Another vote to remove the grease.
My general chain cleaning method is quick and is done every ~1500 km. Especially with a new chain.
Mineral spirits agitating bath (I keep a strong magnet attached to the side of the mineral spirits can to collect the metal shavings that comes off) and wipe it down then spray with the water hose jet.
Then automotive brake cleaner agitating bath, that stuff evaporates quickly and leaves no solvent residue.
Then I pop the chain and in a jar of Prolink with added PTFE Teflon powder and hang dry. And while it's drying I clean the jockey wheels.

The whole process takes about 10 minutes and I never touch the chain between cleanings.

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