Best chain lube?

[Otruba_843]

So right now, I have pro link lube and it does not seem to be what I am looking for. It does not last long at all. Down here in South Carolina the trails are dry sand or dry dirt with some mud puddles here and there. What's the best lube? I was looking at Phil Wood's tenacious oil and I like the fact that it is a really thick viscosity so it will stick better, but is the dirt attraction that bad? Whats the best lube that will stay on for trail riding? It seems most of the lubes are geared towards road bikes that do not ride through dirt, AKA thin, watery oil/lubes. Also how often do you clean your drive train? It seems like mine needs to be cleaned after a 20 mile ride. I can feel the sand and dirt in it after 1 ride. Then how often should I apply the lube? Anyone else use tenacious oil?

[Flucod]

Parrafin is the best choice.

[thickfog]

Extra virgin olive oil of course. Just think when you have a chain issue out in the woods and get the chain goo all over your hands.... Just rub your hands all over your ciabbata bread and you have instant flavor.
Point is, even in the same region, same trail even, you'll get 89 kazillion
answers.

[ntm1973]

I use phil's in the wet seasons and parrafin in the summer. I clean and lube after every ride in the wet seasons unless it is very frozen with no mud. I can usually go a 4 or 5 rides in the summertime if it is dry using parrafin. Phil's attacts EVERYTHING when it is dry and is counter productive. I may not clean the frame or wheels after every ride but my drivetrain gets attention. It only takes about 10 minutes from nasty to nice.

[heyyall]

Sorry 843, you have exceeded the number of questions for a day. But since I used to live in SC and I still have a soft spot for sweet tea, I'll share my secret. Use White Lightening Dry Lube. It sheds the grit and yes, you have to add it frequently...in most cases, before each ride. But, it helps protect your cassette and chain from wearing out.

[koudja]

i've really been pleased with finish line teflon dry. i have tried several brands and styles of each brand (t9, white lightening, tri flow, dumonde). it has worked well for me in the midwest (Wisconsin) and out now out west (Idaho, Utah, and Colorado). most places late in the summer the trails get really dry and the dirt gets really fine and will stick to almost everything. it picks up the least amount of dirt. i get the best results after the chain is cleaned well. apply thin coat, let it dry for a couple of hours. apply a second thin coat, let it dry and then wipe the excess. i'll keep an eye on my chain and apply some if it's starting to look dry. it's best when there's a little bit of time after you apply it and when you ride. it dries quickly here in the west, and i have lubed it in the parking lot before a ride without much dirt sticking to it.

making sure the entire drivetrain is clean really makes a difference. occasionally i'll clean the pulleys, cassette, chainrings and chain if they're getting gummy. all i use is a dry rag. to some it may some time consuming, tedious, and anal, but i've had the least drivetrain problems of my friends and my gear lasts a lot longer.

[Otruba_843]

Sorry 843, you have exceeded the number of questions for a day. But since I used to live in SC and I still have a soft spot for sweet tea, I'll share my secret. Use White Lightening Dry Lube. It sheds the grit and yes, you have to add it frequently...in most cases, before each ride. But, it helps protect your cassette and chain from wearing out.

Sorry about that, Im just bored tonight and new to the whole trail riding thing. The prolink lube I have right now is not lasting very well. What is this parrafin they are talking about? I also read people like rock n roll extreme for its dry capabilities.

Looks like dry lubes are the way to go!

[JoePAz]

I ride the desert and I rarely ever encounter water. I do get lots on lots of sand and dust. I use White Lighting "Clean Ride". I really like it as it works well to keep things moving well and does not attract to much dust. I toss a little on every 50 to 75 miles to keep things moving nicely. A few squirts in the chain an tend crank it around and ready to ride.

[heyyall]

Sorry about that, Im just bored tonight and new to the whole trail riding thing. The prolink lube I have right now is not lasting very well. What is this parrafin they are talking about? I also read people like rock n roll extreme for its dry capabilities.

Looks like dry lubes are the way to go!

It's a wax lube.

Here's some info:
White Lightning

[snark7]

you want waxed based, so...Rock and Roll is hands down by far the best.

also Dumond tech.

but if you don't want waxed based, then A.T.B. (which stands for "absolutely the best", incidentally) is the best.

or maybe some others.

ask your local bike shop. then ask another local bike shop. ask a third for a tie breaker.

[mitzikatzi]

squirt lube



If you want the very best then.

[gdtrfb24]

I'll second squirt lube!!

[aBicycle]

Chain L, man.

[Flucod]

Here is a link on how to apply Parrafin - Lubricating a Bicycle Chain using Paraffin

[PretendGentleman]

I use biodegradeable chainsaw bar and chain oil mixed about 20:1(i.e., up to a tablespoon in a 4oz bottle) with fresh motor oil for relubing my chain after I've cleaned it and straight bio chainsaw oil when I'm just adding oil on top of a chain that is wet and dirty (e.g., during a wet ride). The bio chainsaw oil is super cheap and if anything is a bit on the thick side and easily washes off. The motor oil seems to really increase the ability of the oil to penetrate into the nooks and crannies of the chain. My chain stays quite clean with this mix, and for about $10 I got enough to last for years.

This stuff seems to work comparably to finish line wet. To me finish line dry lube was a joke. I'd put it on my chain liberally and 20 minutes later in dry conditions my chain would be squeaking like crazy. I've had this happen over and over again with dry lubes. One theory is that I'm too heavy and the teflon/ptfe breaks down and stops lubricating.

finishline ceramic worked well too, but I didn't want to spend the money on bottle after bottle...

I ride in all sorts of non-freezing weather. dry in the summer and wet in the winter. I ride my mtb about 60 miles in the average week.

[bulerias]

Another bar oil user here. I rinse the chain clean in a jar of solvent and then immerse it in a bath of 4:1 mix solvent to bar oil. At that ratio it completely displaces the air in the chain so worries about having flushed the lube off the pins are gone. Then I rub the outside as dry as possible with an old towel when it's back on the bike.

You have to use a master link, but I've never had a chain break at the master so what's the problem. All oils 'attract' dirt - it's magnetic! - but at least the tacky bar oil stays in the chain. Even if the chain didn't last as long, at least it's smooth and quiet while it's wearing out. And you can neglect oiling or go for long rides without maintenance and still not have a grumpy chain. I don't care if it's wearing out; I just don't want to hear about it.

Teflon has one major problem as a lube; it doesn't stick to anything. That was the point. So it's a nice squeak preventer for about 20 minutes. I'd add some molybdenum disulphide powder to my mix if I didn't have to buy a huge industrial tub of it to get some. But you can get Molyslip G gear additive or moly grease for auto CV joints and a bit of that would help. Moly actually grinds into the metal surface at high pressures [ a chain has up to about about four times your body weight load on it, on every tiny pin] and stays there for a while at least. I did some industrial bearing tests in a former life, and at extreme load situations, steel on steel, it's astounding. But it's black and looks ugly.

I've never tried biodegradable bar oil, just 30w Husqvarna brand. Diluting with motor oil seems to defeat the bio deal, but would thin it down for less tack, but why not use a winter bar oil if you want thinner.

Motorcycle chain lubes use tackifiers and often moly additives, so why not for a bicycle? The usual Bel Ray spray is way too tacky for the job as it is designed to stay on a chain going multiples faster, but bar oil seems to be about right, and you don't have to be thrifty with it or ever run out for that matter. I just used it one day because it was a Sunday and I was out of designer lube.....

It's a lost cause trying to provide sanitary lube conditions for an exposed chain. Nothing really works; just some things work less poorly than others.

[customfab]

Dumonde tech

[thickfog]

Dumonde tech

Oh, I'll add to the fun...
Boeshield t9.
http://boeshield.com/

[PretendGentleman]

I've never tried biodegradable bar oil, just 30w Husqvarna brand. Diluting with motor oil seems to defeat the bio deal, but would thin it down for less tack, but why not use a winter bar oil if you want thinner.

I have a jug of it, so I've been experimenting with how to make it work best for me. It may just be due to thinning, but with a bit of motor oil, it seems to really penetrate into the chain better. I use old finish line lube bottles as they're a good size and have a good enough nozzle and allow me to experiment in small batches with different mixes.

Perhaps I'll try adding a solvent next time instead of motor oil. I have acetone, white gas, paint thinner, and rubbing alcohol convenient, which would you recommend(and why)? would the solvent work well in conjunction with some of this moly stuff you speak of? I might see if there's a small inexpensive quantity available next time I'm in autozone.

Totally agree about not being able to keep it all clean/sanitary. Sheldon Brown's site recommended that you not apply lube to the outside/topside of the chain b/c it catches more grit thrown off the front tire. In my experience nothing prevents a chain from getting dirty in every direction! I ain't rich, but my time is worth enough that cleaning every molecule of contaminant off my chain before every ride is totally out of the question, and perhaps to really have a clean chain you need to clean it every mile or so. who knows, but re-oiling and wiping down with an occasional more thorough clean is all the chain maintenance that makes sense for me.

[J.B. Weld]

If done correctly by thoroughly saturating the chain and then wiping it clean and dry, the worst of the (petroleum based) lubes will out perform the best ones that are left on the outside of the chain and sprockets to collect grit and form a nice grinding paste.

[Rock dude]

I use squirt lube.

[TwoHeadsBrewing]

I've used Prolink progold with the same results. It's still my favorite "light lube" for clean conditions and short rides, but as you say it just disappears too fast under dirty and dusty conditions.

My new go-to lube is both flavors of Dumonde Tech. The blue stuff is super thick and will last for 30+ miles, with the only downside being it mucks up the drive train if you apply too much. They also have a thinner lube which is yellow, and I use that for most of my rides these days. It's somewhere in between the blue thick lube and Progold. Lasts plenty long for my typical 15-20 mile rides.

[goodmojo]

you want waxed based, so...Rock and Roll is hands down by far the best.

also Dumond tech.

but if you don't want waxed based, then A.T.B. (which stands for "absolutely the best", incidentally) is the best.

or maybe some others.

ask your local bike shop. then ask another local bike shop. ask a third for a tie breaker.

I use rock and roll gold. I wipe my chain and relube after every ride. I use a brush on the cassette and rings and wipe down the pulleys. Even so the chain starts to get noisy at around 20 miles. Not squeaks, just noisy instead of silent. I dont mind cleaning the drivetrain after every ride, but I do want the lube to keep the chain silent for up to an 80 mile ride. Conditions are dry and dusty with a few creeks in between.

[bulerias]

I have a jug of it, so I've been experimenting with how to make it work best for me. It may just be due to thinning, but with a bit of motor oil, it seems to really penetrate into the chain better. I use old finish line lube bottles as they're a good size and have a good enough nozzle and allow me to experiment in small batches with different mixes.

Perhaps I'll try adding a solvent next time instead of motor oil. I have acetone, white gas, paint thinner, and rubbing alcohol convenient, which would you recommend(and why)? would the solvent work well in conjunction with some of this moly stuff you speak of? I might see if there's a small inexpensive quantity available next time I'm in autozone.

Totally agree about not being able to keep it all clean/sanitary. Sheldon Brown's site recommended that you not apply lube to the outside/topside of the chain b/c it catches more grit thrown off the front tire. In my experience nothing prevents a chain from getting dirty in every direction! I ain't rich, but my time is worth enough that cleaning every molecule of contaminant off my chain before every ride is totally out of the question, and perhaps to really have a clean chain you need to clean it every mile or so. who knows, but re-oiling and wiping down with an occasional more thorough clean is all the chain maintenance that makes sense for me.

Deodorized paint thinner is readily available and works fine. I use three jars; clean, rinse and dunk. Just become a human paint mixer on the rinse cycle and let it soak a while in your recipe.

Usually you can buy small sachets of CV joint grease at the autoparts store. It's ugly black stuff, tho..

[Bacchus32]

Chain L, man.

+1 for Chain L.