Chain lubricants
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I clean my chain, let it dry or use compressed air to dry it. Than I put it in a pot full of parafine. You can add graphite. Let it melt and "cook" for a few minutes. Let it cool a bit. Take the chain out, let it dry and wipe away the rest of the parafine. Put the chain back on the bike. The chain is very stiff. The first few meters, shifting won't work very good. After that, it isn't a problem.
Benefit: I can use my chains on the Mountainbike two and a half time as long as usual.
Benefit: I can use my chains on the Mountainbike two and a half time as long as usual.
I started waxing my chain a few months ago - but have given up for now.
My chain was super clean but it slipped when I was in gears like 34/16-18. I tried 2 chains treated the same way.
It was a brand new chain and cassette. Changed the chain and just left the factory lube on and it's perfect. Anyone think the culprit is the chain (KMC waxed, Ultegra factory lube) or the technique?
I'm tempted to wax the Ultegra one to see.
When I hung it up after removal I hung it in a loop and I'm suspicious I twisted the chain doing that - hanging it vertically might fix that.
My chain was super clean but it slipped when I was in gears like 34/16-18. I tried 2 chains treated the same way.
It was a brand new chain and cassette. Changed the chain and just left the factory lube on and it's perfect. Anyone think the culprit is the chain (KMC waxed, Ultegra factory lube) or the technique?
I'm tempted to wax the Ultegra one to see.
When I hung it up after removal I hung it in a loop and I'm suspicious I twisted the chain doing that - hanging it vertically might fix that.
I'm left handed, if that matters.
Rex Domestique is by far the best wax-based chain lube I have used. It's a new product developed by a company that makes high-end cross-country ski waxes, so the formula is pretty unique. It performed well in FrictionFacts tests also...
Rex contains PTFE, but adding graphite to a chain lube is not a good idea because it is black. Makes your drivetrain look dirty and messy...
Rex contains PTFE, but adding graphite to a chain lube is not a good idea because it is black. Makes your drivetrain look dirty and messy...
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probertsqbe
- Posts: 166
- Joined: Fri Feb 22, 2013 1:27 pm
Have tried loads of different lubricants over the years; Progold, Squirt, Muc off Wet lube, Morgan Blue extra dry to name a few. As I'm UK based and the weather is so variable I've just settled on using Morgan Blue Wet lube which keeps my chain well oiled in all conditions. I've accepted that my chain will get dirtier than using light weight lube such as Progold. I now using KMC quick links on all my bikes so I can remove my chain and clean it in white spirits in a plastic container. This gets the chain spotless and it goes in the oven for 10 minutes to completely dry out before applying the Morgan Blue wet lube.
The chain gets a wipe after each ride and stays fairly clean. I can get 200-300 miles between each application.
So as I said earlier whatever you choose is a compromise between your cleaning regime and how long the oil lasts.
I also moved to Wet lube as since I moved across to Shimano 11 speed the chainset is noisier than 10 speed and this helps quieten it down.
There is no magic chain lube you need to decide what works best for you, the conditions you ride in and how well you maintain your bike.
Good luck.
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The chain gets a wipe after each ride and stays fairly clean. I can get 200-300 miles between each application.
So as I said earlier whatever you choose is a compromise between your cleaning regime and how long the oil lasts.
I also moved to Wet lube as since I moved across to Shimano 11 speed the chainset is noisier than 10 speed and this helps quieten it down.
There is no magic chain lube you need to decide what works best for you, the conditions you ride in and how well you maintain your bike.
Good luck.
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natiedean24
- Posts: 380
- Joined: Wed Jun 10, 2009 2:16 pm
- Location: Austin, Texas
- Contact:
velomane wrote:For those of you using water to clean, do you have any special way of drying the chain?
200 degree F oven for half an hour. Then I apply warmed Chain-L.
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I never experienced any negatives with the paraffin. When adding graphite, it won't turn very black. The outer coating wears very fast. I can post a picture tomorrow of my Mtb-chain I prepared with paraffin and graphite. Of course it is work but I like the clean cassette and chainrings. When the paraffin wears I use squirt lube on my chain.
fEichert wrote:I never experienced any negatives with the paraffin. When adding graphite, it won't turn very black. The outer coating wears very fast. I can post a picture tomorrow of my Mtb-chain I prepared with paraffin and graphite. Of course it is work but I like the clean cassette and chainrings. When the paraffin wears I use squirt lube on my chain.
Edit: when I don't have time for applying paraffin.
kdawg wrote:I started waxing my chain a few months ago - but have given up for now.
My chain was super clean but it slipped when I was in gears like 34/16-18. I tried 2 chains treated the same way.
It was a brand new chain and cassette. Changed the chain and just left the factory lube on and it's perfect. Anyone think the culprit is the chain (KMC waxed, Ultegra factory lube) or the technique?
I'm tempted to wax the Ultegra one to see.
When I hung it up after removal I hung it in a loop and I'm suspicious I twisted the chain doing that - hanging it vertically might fix that.
That is an interesting finding! I have found certain cassette and chain combos that run a little rough when brand new in those exact gears you mention, although I have never had one slip on me, and I have also never heard of wax causing a brand new chain to slip. Since it was KMCs that slipped and and Ultegra that didn't I say do the experiment and wax the Ultegra and report back! Similarly, you could strip the wax and try running the KMC again with a conventional lube.
Chains are pretty tough to unless you really applied a lot of side load to the looped KMC I doubt you twisted it, but you can hang it and eyeball down the length to see if there is anything obvious.
Wax is NOT a lubricant, while the wax won't get dirty like oils will but unlike oils it won't lubricate the chain and thus the chain won't last as long, and wax does not protect the chain from rust, and addition to all of that wax is lengthy and involved process.
Read this: http://www.nordicgroup.us/chain/
I have never used bar and chain oil, not sure if dirt wouldn't cling to it like just plain motor oil? But the older I've gotten and the more I read about all of this the more I'm thinking about trying it, but I've heard that Phil's Tenacious oil is nothing but bar and chain oil, I don't want to buy a big bottle of bar and chain then if I don't like it I have a lot of that stuff I have no use for. I currently use two different oils, on the road bike I use Rock N Roll Gold which seems to work really well for dry conditions keeping the chain clean, and it will last in rain but then I have clean the chain and reapply; and on the MTB's, touring bike, and commuter bike I use ProLink's ProGold Xtreme which stays on really well in the rain, it doesn't fling off like other wet lubes, and it stays cleaner longer than other wet lubes. In no way am I saying those two are the best lubes in the world, it's just what I've come to like the best so far in 40 years of riding including about 5 years of doing the melting wax crap and adding teflon and later I tried to mix in graphite, but I found that didn't work well and it was a lot of work. Finish Line Ceramic comes in two flavors, wet and dry, I haven't tried the dry but it's nothing but a fancy wax, the wet is wax too but mixed with something else, but I found the wet version flings off even after a lot of wiping the chain first, and it gets black very fast, I still have some left but I use it on the grandkids bikes now!
Finish Line changed their formulas too, the Teflon Dry I really liked but then they bought out White Lightening and they started to add a lot more wax to it and it would dry to a white look and like all the other drip on wax crap it would only last about 70 miles before the chain started to make noise, and noise is metal to metal contact which means your chain/gears are wearing out at an accelerated pace, so I no longer use Finish Line products except as noted earlier.
Read this: http://www.nordicgroup.us/chain/
I have never used bar and chain oil, not sure if dirt wouldn't cling to it like just plain motor oil? But the older I've gotten and the more I read about all of this the more I'm thinking about trying it, but I've heard that Phil's Tenacious oil is nothing but bar and chain oil, I don't want to buy a big bottle of bar and chain then if I don't like it I have a lot of that stuff I have no use for. I currently use two different oils, on the road bike I use Rock N Roll Gold which seems to work really well for dry conditions keeping the chain clean, and it will last in rain but then I have clean the chain and reapply; and on the MTB's, touring bike, and commuter bike I use ProLink's ProGold Xtreme which stays on really well in the rain, it doesn't fling off like other wet lubes, and it stays cleaner longer than other wet lubes. In no way am I saying those two are the best lubes in the world, it's just what I've come to like the best so far in 40 years of riding including about 5 years of doing the melting wax crap and adding teflon and later I tried to mix in graphite, but I found that didn't work well and it was a lot of work. Finish Line Ceramic comes in two flavors, wet and dry, I haven't tried the dry but it's nothing but a fancy wax, the wet is wax too but mixed with something else, but I found the wet version flings off even after a lot of wiping the chain first, and it gets black very fast, I still have some left but I use it on the grandkids bikes now!
Finish Line changed their formulas too, the Teflon Dry I really liked but then they bought out White Lightening and they started to add a lot more wax to it and it would dry to a white look and like all the other drip on wax crap it would only last about 70 miles before the chain started to make noise, and noise is metal to metal contact which means your chain/gears are wearing out at an accelerated pace, so I no longer use Finish Line products except as noted earlier.
Wax is a lubricant, whether or not that guy believes it to be one or not. It has a number of industrial uses. Whether it's an effective chain lubricant is debatable. Galvanic corrosion is pretty much a non-issue in practice, no one says do not apply molygraph grease to steel. If you're that paranoid, use PTFE. He's just being silly by the point he says unlubricated chains have long life.
Like I said before, wax has it's own issues, but that guy has gone off the deep end in his hatred against wax.
Like I said before, wax has it's own issues, but that guy has gone off the deep end in his hatred against wax.
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I use Chain-L. Maybe not the 'fastest' but it keeps the drivetrain lubed for a long time. The smell is a bit nauseating though (especially if the bike is inside the car).
I used to use waxes 15+ years ago, the biggest benefit was the drivetrain was cleaner to the touch (or when transporting inside a car) and no terrible black stains. It doesn't last long. And once it goes, it goes in a hurry. Cleaning and re-waxing every 3 rides isn't something I'm interested in these days.
I used to use waxes 15+ years ago, the biggest benefit was the drivetrain was cleaner to the touch (or when transporting inside a car) and no terrible black stains. It doesn't last long. And once it goes, it goes in a hurry. Cleaning and re-waxing every 3 rides isn't something I'm interested in these days.
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The best lube I've found to keep my chain reasonably clean is the Muc-off C3 dry chain lube. My only concern with it is that it comes off really really easily even if there is a whiff of rain. I always carry a tiny bottle (about the size of my little finger nail) of wet lube just in case I get caught out). The muc-off makes for cleaning the chain a doddle too as it washes off as soon as the hose pipe water hits it.
