Chain Oiling

Andrew Mitchell said:

Is Mobil 1 really the best way to lube ones chain. If so ,
which weight oil? I spose the thin one 0W40?

From what I've been told, clean the chain with kerosene,
and lube with a fine oil. Wipe off excess.

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Andrew Mitchell said:

Is Mobil 1 really the best way to lube ones chain. If so ,
which weight oil? I spose the thin one 0W40?

I reckon that special oils for bike chains is a big con job.

I just use Woolies sump oil and serve it up thru an oil can.
I have had this 4 litre container for 5 years now and also
use it as the oil for my lawnmower two stroke mix.

The chain doesn't seem to suffer. Had to replace one chain
at 12000 Kms because the rear cluster went and the LBS said
"You have to replace the chain as well". Whether that was
another snow job or not, I will never know.

This latest chain and cluster are ->11000Kms, no
problems, but having said that, Murphy says it will
probably fail today :-)

Just squirt it on, and wipe off the excess which seems to
remove the accumulated dirt as well.

However if I was an importer of Super Galacto bike chain oil
that I could sell for $50.00 per cc, then I might have a
different point of view.

Owen

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Greetings, I wouldn't use car oil or machine oil on a bike
chain at all. It attracts tons of dirt on dusty roads. I
have been using TriFlow teflon lubricant for years. It
washes off a bit easier, but attracts much less filth. There
are other lubricants you can check on at your local bike
shop. The only advantage with car oils is that for quantity
they are cheaper. Regards, Ray.

Andrew Mitchell said:

Is Mobil 1 really the best way to lube ones chain. If so ,
which weight oil? I spose the thin one 0W40?

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by Owen

BOn Wed said:

Is Mobil 1 really the best way to lube ones chain. If so ,
which weight oil? I spose the thin one 0W40?

I reckon that special oils for bike chains is a big con job.

I just use Woolies sump oil and serve it up thru an oil can.
I have had this 4 litre container for 5 years now and also
use it as the oil for my lawnmower two stroke mix.

The chain doesn't seem to suffer. Had to replace one chain
at 12000 Kms because the rear cluster went and the LBS said
"You have to replace the chain as well". Whether that was
another snow job or not, I will never know.

This latest chain and cluster are ->11000Kms, no
problems, but having said that, Murphy says it will
probably fail today :-)

Just squirt it on, and wipe off the excess which seems to
remove the accumulated dirt as well.

However if I was an importer of Super Galacto bike chain oil
that I could sell for $50.00 per cc, then I might have a
different point of view.

Owen

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Hi Owen:

I think, if I may say, you're missing a point. Lubricating the chain is not meant to maintain the chain only. It is also to maintain chain rings and cogs. Due to the nature of work that these three components do, if you lubricate them properly and if they are from the same grade of components, chain has to go first. Averagely, rear cogs must last three chains and front rings must last three cogs.

The fact that your chain outlast the cogs could suggest that the contact surfaces of your cogs and chain rings are not protected enough.

Cheers,
Amir.

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by Andrew Mitchell
Is Mobil 1 really the best way to lube ones chain. If so ,
which weight oil? I spose the thin one 0W40?

Hi Andrew,

A high-tech multigrade synthetic oil such as M1 is meant for use in car engines. Its chemistry, especially folding HC chains and its additives, serve the purpose of protecting high performance engines under long service intervals. Lubricating a chain does not require that fancy chemistry, unless you pump out like 6000 rpm in deserts around Alice Spring in temperatures around 100-1500 degrees (yes, 1500 inside a turbocharger)!! Well, if you decide to use an engine oil to lubricate your chain, and if you use M1 for your car/s, so yeah, why not use some left overs. Otherwise, any thin grade mineral oil will do. I have even seen people using sewing machine oil (due to low viscosity). But there is another aspect to lubricating the chain, IMO. You can read my post above.

Cheers,
Amir.

Originally posted by amirm:

Quoted message said:

The fact that your chain outlast the cogs
could suggest that the contact surfaces
of your cogs and chain rings are not
protected enough.

This is incorrect. What does chainrings and clusters in is a stretched (worn-out) chain, as the chain no longer meshes properly with the teeth. Putting oil on the outside of the chain is asking for trouble, as grit will adhere to the oil and make a really good grinding paste.

The cause of chain stretch is simple; wear at the pivots. Keeping the chain well oiled reduces this wear, and keeping an eye on chain stretch (and chucking out what may otherwise seem to be a perfectly good chain) will make sure your clusters and chainwheels live to a ripe old age.

The math is pretty simple. You could leave a worn chain on the bike until it stuffs the whole drivetrain (say 10,000km), or go through four or five chains and one set of sprockets and chainwheels in about 20-30,000km.

Given the relative cost of chains and other drivetrain components, I'll chuck my chain any day.

Regards,

Suzy

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by Andrew Mitchell
Is Mobil 1 really the best way to lube ones chain. If so ,
which weight oil? I spose the thin one 0W40?

I think that the most important thing about chain lubricants is that there be some. And that it is clean. The actual lubricating job is pretty undemanding. Chains don't get hot, run very fast (not when I'm turning it, anyway) or have huge pressures between parts. Just get some oil into the inside bits and wipe it off the ourside parts where it picks up dirt. Engine oil works well as do many others.

Not keen on the idea of solid lubricants such as teflon particles or waxes. The stuff probably works OK while it is there, but it can't flow back if it is squeezed out. Makers of high tech parts that rely on solid lubricants seem to find it necessary to plate with alloys of tin and indium to keep the stuff in place. I don't see any bicycle chains treated this way. Wax enthusiasts seem to need to apply the stuff pretty often. This is not practical if you do long rides.

Suzy Jackson points out the need to replace chains when they elongate due to wear if the proper life of sprockets and chain wheels is to be obtained. Elongated chains no longer match the pitch of the sprockets and move further up the teeth, where they wear pockets on the driving side of the tooth. Sound advice seems to be to use relatively inexpensive chains and to discard them when they wear.

John Retchford

Owen wrote:

...snip.....

Quoted message said:

I reckon that special oils for bike chains is a big
con job.

Luddite {:-). I hope you are wearing your asbestos
(sp?) suit {:-)

I guess you were not fooled by the Castrol "Oils aint Oils"
campaign either.

Just my 2c. Whenever the racers/roadies/etc start going on
about oil, just leave them to it. {:-).

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by suzyj
Originally posted by amirm:

This is incorrect. What does chainrings and clusters in is a stretched (worn-out) chain, as the chain no longer meshes properly with the teeth. Putting oil on the outside of the chain is asking for trouble, as grit will adhere to the oil and make a really good grinding paste.

The cause of chain stretch is simple; wear at the pivots. Keeping the chain well oiled reduces this wear, and keeping an eye on chain stretch (and chucking out what may otherwise seem to be a perfectly good chain) will make sure your clusters and chainwheels live to a ripe old age.

The math is pretty simple. You could leave a worn chain on the bike until it stuffs the whole drivetrain (say 10,000km), or go through four or five chains and one set of sprockets and chainwheels in about 20-30,000km.

Given the relative cost of chains and other drivetrain components, I'll chuck my chain any day.

Regards,

Suzy

Not intending to get into any debate. But I cannot connect these two: chains wear out first (elongate, etc.) and they start wearing cogs (this is the point SuzyJ states), and a chain outlasts the cog (owen's report). My maths's been always weak 😄

But come on, were' talking power transfer through metal on metal contacts. We propose no wear, or no need for lubing? Then, theoretically, if we always keep the chain/s in a good shape, cogs should last forever.

All statements in above postings agree that cogs wear out anyway. How fast, is affected by the chain maintenance, but it's not all. Due to the open set up of the drivetrain, it's lubrication and maintenance is far from ideal. I think everyone go about it in their own way.

Cheers,
Amir.

amirm said:

Not intending to get into any debate. But I cannot connect
these two: chains wear out first (elongate, etc.) and they
start wearing cogs (this is the point SuzyJ states), and a
chain outlasts the cog (owen's report). My maths's been
always weak 😄

If I can refer to the experts on these matters:

draco.acs.uci.edu8d.2.htmlOpen ↗
sheldonbrown.comchains.htmlOpen ↗

Sprockets will last longer if chains are replaced before
they are worn to the extent that the chain can only ever
load up a single sprocket tooth at any one time.

I like Mobil 1 0W40 oil, always applied to a clean dry
chain. This is arguably among the best general-purpose
engine oils available. It meets the harshest environmental
demands specified by engine manufacturers. Most of these are
not important in a chain lubrication context, but some
properties (high lubricity, low friction, exceptional thin-
film shear-strength) are surely of some advantage (however
marginal).

John

God does it all have to be that hard? I could argue this point all day long. Mobil 1 on a bike chain?? I wouldn't waste the $$$ using that **** in my hi-performance engine let alone on my chain.
I can concur that yes 99% of the wear of a drivetrain is cause by a stretched chain! I love throwing mine away cause i know it saves me $$$ on new cassettes and chainrings even jockey wheels. Think about it a strected chain won't sit in the lowest point of the teeth on your chainrings, cassette or jockey wheels. The longer it is (more stretched) the higher it will ride on the teeth, giving it less and less support on the face of the teeth.

Here's what to do. Aquire the following tools.
1 x ParkTool CC-2 (Chain Checker (measures chain stretch))
1 x Shimano HG Chainbreaker
1 x Chainwhip
1 x Cassette Removing Tool
1 x Crank Puller (unless you've got HOLLOWTECH II Like me)
1 x Shimano BUTT Plug (If you've got Octalink)
1 x 16mm Spanner
1 x 8mm Allen Key
1 x 5mm Allen Key
1 x ParkTool Cable Cutter
1 x Alloy Cable Crimps
Shimano replacement chainpins OR
SRAM/Connex 8/9/10Spd re-usable link (depending on how many gears u've got)
1 x Bottle of 'Pro-Link' chain lube (by far the best stuff ever. PERIOD)
1 x 20Litre Drum 'Mobil B1 Solvent' (Ring Mobil PetroGas)
1 x Parts Brush
1 x Petrochemical parts cleaner with gravity oil/water filter and pump.
1 x LACKY/NUFNUF (you don't wanna get your own hands dirty doin all this)

Now everytime your chain gets really dirty, take it off, take ur cassette off, rear derailleur off, r/h chainwheel off. Clean all in the Solvent. Blowing off with compressed air. [PLEASE NOTE: DON'T Submerge your pedals in the solvent, this stuff will dissolve any traces of grease or oil and dissolve it in seconds, Same applies for Cassette Body, Bottom Bracket and any other NON-Serviceable items if your cleaning]

Then re-lubricate using Pro-Link making sure to wipe off excess and to lube jockey wheels.
Then everytime your chain gets to '1' on the ParkTool CC-2. REPLACE it.

If you do all this, like I do, you too can get 30000km out of a cassette, chainrings and jockeywheels. and still have them look RATHER new.

If anyone disagrees with this you obviously don't ride the 20000km per year I do, rain, hail, snow, shine. With 9 or 10Spd Dura-Ace none the less.
This I not only do for my own bike, but I also do the above for dozens of state, national and world level riders who ride a hell of a lot more than I do.

ANY QUESTIONS?

My local bike shop advised against using teflon - saying
that the teflon it is a lubricant in itself. Instead they
recommended a non-teflon bike oil. Anything in this?

"Ray Peace" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Greetings, I wouldn't use car oil or machine oil on a bike
chain at all. It attracts tons of dirt on dusty roads. I
have been using TriFlow teflon lubricant for years. It
washes off a bit easier, but attracts much less filth.
There are other lubricants you can check on at your local
bike shop. The only advantage with car oils is that for
quantity they are cheaper. Regards, Ray.

Andrew Mitchell said:

Is Mobil 1 really the best way to lube ones chain. If so
, which weight

oil?

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I spose the thin one 0W40?

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by Andrew Steele

1 x Bottle of 'Pro-Link' chain lube (by far the best stuff ever. PERIOD)

ProLink is amazing stuff. No degreasing, clean cranks and cassette all the time.

Thanks to the Cheek Monkeys a Central (the only place I could find it).

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by Dominic Sansom
ProLink is amazing stuff. No degreasing, clean cranks and cassette all the time.

Thanks to the Cheek Monkeys a Central (the only place I could find it).

You cam buy ProLink chain lube over the www from Cecil Walker Cycles in Melbourne. I agree, it's the best stuff.

Spider1977 <[email hidden]> wrote in message
[email hidden]

Quoted message said:

Dominic Sansom said:

ProLink is amazing stuff. No degreasing, clean cranks
and cassette all the time. Thanks to the Cheek Monkeys
a Central (the only place I could

find it).

You cam buy ProLink chain lube over the www from Cecil
Walker Cycles in Melbourne. I agree, it's the best stuff.

I saw it at Abbotsford Cycles as well. I've never used
it, though.

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In Holland is somebody who sells a very good wax and it has many good
aspects:

- You don't need to lubricate as much as with oil
- The chain and cogs don't ware out that much so you can
do a longer time with them. Mountainbike under extreme
conditions at least 2.000 km, roadbike
10.000 km
- The chain doesn't collect dirt so your cogs and
derailleurwheels stay clean
- It gives a splendid soft noice

Look at www.supremeblack.nl It is in Dutch but there are
many illustrations.

The theory is that the chain doesn't have to be lubricated
on the outsite. The chainlinks don't move on the cogs or the
chainrings, but just make contact. Unless the chain does not
wear out more than 0,075 mm per link. Test with Rohloff
caliber. If the chain wear out more than 0,075 mm you get
relatively more pressure on less teeth and the cogs and
chainwheels wear out. So keep the chain superdry on the
outsite. The innerside of the chain need to be lubricated
because the pins are moving in the tons.

I was a testrider four years ago and since then I only use
supremeblack on my three bikes and I don't want anything
else as oil or teflon anymore.

Excuse me for my bad English, but I speak better English
than you speak Dutch I think.

Hans

Ray Peace said:

I have been using TriFlow teflon lubricant for years. It
washes off a bit easier, but attracts much less filth.

IIRC correctly there's two flavours of TriFlow, I can't
remember the names, but essentially it amount to a summer
and winter one. I think the winter one has a green lid. The
green-lid one is much thicker and seems to build up quite a
nice layer of kruft, I'm not sure I like it anymore, but we
toured on it every day for two months, so maybe we got what
we deserved.

-kt

Owen said:

I reckon that special oils for bike chains is a big
con job.

I just use Woolies sump oil and serve it up thru an oil
can. I have had this 4 litre container for 5 years now and
also use it as the oil for my lawnmower two stroke mix.

Don't you find that lawn mowing takes away from your riding
time though ?

I read a huge thread once about a guy who said he uses
chainsaw bar oil for a (northern hemispehere) snowy
winter. The huge trail of posts to the thread were
basically: "Yeah me too". I would have thought it would be
too thick and sticky.

It could be a complete lie, but I swear I used to use fat
dripping from the sausages on my chain. This had two major
drawbacks: firstly whenever it got warm it smelled of BBQ,
making me hungry... That, and it attracted the dogs. 😉

-kt

Andrew Steele said:

Mobil 1 on a bike chain?? I wouldn't waste the $$$
using that **** in my hi-performance engine let alone
on my chain

Actually, I find my car (Suzuki Cappaccuino(sp?) 3cyl, 0.7l,
turbo) seems to run significantly better with Mobil-1 rather
than other synthetic oils... *shrug* Bloody expensive
though, luckily it only uses 3 litres 😉