Altenative chain lubes

Phil said:

So what's the weirdest stuff you've ever used for chain lube? I was forced to use vegetable oil
once. It dried up and encrusted the chain in an almost armor-like substance that didn't get my
clothes dirty and kept the bike from squeaking for months. This was on my daily commuting
walgoose.

--
Phil, Squid-in-Training

Probably the weirdest chain lube I have used was automatic transmission oil, it seemed to drip
forever and suck up fine dust in a few minutes even in road riding.

Vegetable oils tend to oxidize fairly readily going "rancid" and creating a jelly and/or a varnish
type coating. Linseed oil is an example of this and is used in paint and varnishes for this reason.

Probably your chain would have kept quiet if you had run it through a bucket of varnish too. :-)

I have used castor oil lubricants mixed with alcohol fuel for 2 stroke engines and in the old
days one would have to drain and flush everything after a day's running or the whole fuel system
would become a mess. I have heard that current castor based lubricants (Castrol R?) have overcome
this problem.

Marcus

Marcus Coles said:

Phil said:

So what's the weirdest stuff you've ever used for chain lube? I was forced to use vegetable oil
once. It dried up and encrusted the chain in an almost armor-like substance that didn't get my
clothes dirty and kept the bike from squeaking for months. This was on my daily commuting
walgoose.

--
Phil, Squid-in-Training

Probably the weirdest chain lube I have used was automatic transmission oil, it seemed to drip
forever and suck up fine dust in a few minutes even in road riding.

I've been using ATF for close to 12 years now... and far prefer it to anything packaged for bikes...

But I thought that religion was not a fit subject for discussion around here.

ajames54 said:

Quoted message said:

Probably the weirdest chain lube I have used was automatic transmission oil, it seemed to drip
forever and suck up fine dust in a few minutes even in road riding.

I've been using ATF for close to 12 years now... and far prefer it to anything packaged for
bikes...

But I thought that religion was not a fit subject for discussion around here.

I think the two opposite views of the same lubricant sums up up the danger quite well.

I normally use summer weight, chainsaw chain lube, same nice red colour. It's beem working well for
me for the past 10 years.

Probably a petrochemical engineer will now tell me it's the same stuff different package :-)

At one time I would wash the chain in solvent, let it dry, heat up a pan of moly grease to melt it
and drop the chain in, let it cool, pull it out, wipe it off and reinstall. I have since become too
lazy for this somewhat messy, time consuming method.

Now it's just wipe crud off, oil it and when it gets too long go buy another.

Marcus

Bacon fat. I was on a camping tour through the local (El Lay) mountains, and my spray on lube
dissapeared during an overnight shower (this is why I will NEVER use a spray lube again!).

May you have the wind at your back. And a really low gear for the hills! Chris

Chris'Z Corner "The Website for the Common Bicyclist": geocities.comczcornerOpen ↗

Anyone know what Shimano puts on their new chains? This tacky stuff is lasting way longer than any
other lube I've ever used (it's on a new mountain bike chain). Yes the chain is a bit dusty, but
not too bad.

Mike DeMicco said:

Anyone know what Shimano puts on their new chains? This tacky stuff is lasting way longer than any
other lube I've ever used (it's on a new mountain bike chain). Yes the chain is a bit dusty, but
not too bad.

It kind of resembles cosmolene if you ask me.

Quoted message said:

Vegetable oils tend to oxidize fairly readily going "rancid" and creating a jelly and/or a varnish
type coating. Linseed oil is an

Aha - that's exactly what it felt like.

--
Phil, Squid-in-Training

Mike DeMicco may have said:

Anyone know what Shimano puts on their new chains? This tacky stuff is lasting way longer than any
other lube I've ever used (it's on a new mountain bike chain). Yes the chain is a bit dusty, but
not too bad.

Maybe this is it:

bike.shimano.comslippery spitt.aspOpen ↗

I haven't tried it, so I don't know.

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Marcus Coles may have said:

ajames54 said:

I've been using ATF for close to 12 years now... and far prefer it to anything packaged for
bikes...

I normally use summer weight, chainsaw chain lube, same nice red colour. It's beem working well for
me for the past 10 years.

Probably a petrochemical engineer will now tell me it's the same stuff different package :-)

I could check, but I don't think so. Power steering fluid is close to ATF, but I wouldn't recommend
it as chain lube. If you're going to use ATF, I'd say to go with either the Chrysler-spec stuff or
the newer Mercon V or synthetic Dexron. They have the most anti-friction additives. Type F has the
least. (This is why drag racers will fill their trannies with Type F; the clutches will grab like
crazy. It's hard on the trans, though.)

Quoted message said:

At one time I would wash the chain in solvent, let it dry, heat up a pan of moly grease to melt it
and drop the chain in, let it cool, pull it out, wipe it off and reinstall. I have since become too
lazy for this somewhat messy, time consuming method.

Now it's just wipe crud off, oil it and when it gets too long go buy another.

Reality's a [censored], ain't it? ;>

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"Werehatrack" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
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Quoted message said:

Mike DeMicco may have said:

Anyone know what Shimano puts on their new chains? This tacky stuff is lasting way longer than
any other lube I've ever used (it's on a new mountain bike chain). Yes the chain is a bit dusty,
but not too bad.

Maybe this is it:

bike.shimano.comslippery spitt.aspOpen ↗

I haven't tried it, so I don't know.

Funny, it says it is also cable lube, but I thought we weren't supposed to lube cables these days?

SteveC

cosmolen!!!!!!great furry rodents!!Fossilville. extrémité bouillie de food.the d'empire!!

"ajames54" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
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Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I've been using ATF for close to 12 years now... and far prefer it to anything packaged for
bikes...

You have made this comment before - many times. You have never justified it and do not do so now. On
18 June 2002 you wrote:

"after a ride all you will have to do is spray off the [censored] with a hose... this includes your cranks
/ chain / derailleur... if the ride was really gross add a LOT of ATF and run the chain up and down
the rings a few times."

Many participants on this discussion group would feel that this is very poor advice. Embed the grit,
then add lubricant to complete the grinding paste. The FAQ makes good reading on this topic.

The ATF made to GM specifications (the stuff you recommend in some of your writings) is described by
Castrol as "Friction modified to provide improved durability and to ensure smooth transmission
operation over the life of the vehicle" The "friction modification" is a degradation of lubricity to
make the clutches work properly. Why pay extra for a chain oil with poorer lubricating properties?

The conventional recipe for good chain life is to keep the chain clean by proper washing (see FAQ),
then oil it with something designed to lubricate. Cheapskates like me use motor car engine oil.
Others use snake oil from a bicycle shop. Take your pick - I don't think the lubricant has a very
demanding job in a bicycle chain - the important thing is that there is some. It is grit that does
the damage. But I do wish you would stop pushing ATF (I count six plugs in the last year) as though
it has some magical property that proper (and cheaper) lubricants lack.

John Retchford

John Retchford said:

"ajames54" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I've been using ATF for close to 12 years now... and far prefer it to anything packaged for
bikes...

You have made this comment before - many times. You have never justified it and do not do so now.
On 18 June 2002 you wrote:

Very true I've made it many more times under other nyms as well probably going back as far as '94,
in the past I have indeed justified my belief. In short ATF and other light hydraulic type oils
contain additives designed to improve..

volatility - they do not evaporate as quickly as unmodified oil of similar viscosity. dispersancy
(sp?) - the ability to move material in suspension away from sensitive areas. detergency (sp?) - the
ability to keep parts clean.

But as I said this is a religion for most people around here.. Ask a wax user who first recommended
canning wax and why.

Quoted message said:

"after a ride all you will have to do is spray off the [censored] with a hose... this includes your
cranks / chain / derailleur... if the ride was really gross add a LOT of ATF and run the chain up
and down the rings a few times."

I post that because that is what I do .. it is what my wife does... it is what most of my friends
do.. and what a large number of people I ride with do... should everyone do it? Personally I don't
care, if however anyone asks I tell them what I do and why ... (that religion thing again, at least
I don't knock on your door)

Quoted message said:

Many participants on this discussion group would feel that this is very poor advice. Embed the
grit, then add lubricant to complete the grinding paste. The FAQ makes good reading on this topic.

Many participants in this group believe linear spoke lacing to be a good idea, or say for example
using canning wax on your chain. But to address you point.. Do you remove and clean your chain as
per the FAQ after every ride? No? Adding new oil of any sort will dilute the existing scack allowing
some of it to be removed simply by wiping it away ... if there is a lot of scack adding a lot of oil
will dilute it even more and when the excess is wiped (or washed) away. ATF is very easy to clean up
and does not make the excess oil mess to the same extent as other oils. I don't believe I ever
suggested that this was a replacement method to "proper" chain maintenance.

Quoted message said:

The ATF made to GM specifications (the stuff you recommend in some of your writings) is described
by Castrol as "Friction modified to provide improved durability and to ensure smooth transmission
operation over the life of the vehicle"

what they also do is add chemicals to improve the characteristics outlined above ...

Quoted message said:

The conventional recipe for good chain life is to keep the chain clean by proper washing (see FAQ),
then oil it with something designed to lubricate. Cheapskates like me use motor car engine oil.

Go wild... ATF is lighter and easier to clean up than Mobil 1.

Quoted message said:

Others use snake oil from a bicycle shop. Take your pick - I don't think the lubricant has a very
demanding job in a bicycle chain - the important thing is that there is some. It is grit that does
the damage.

On this I agree

Quoted message said:

But I do wish you would stop pushing ATF (I count six plugs in the last year)

well ya caught me I guess ... the international oil cartels actually send me 1/2 of a cent for every
liter of ATF sold.

Quoted message said:

as though it has some magical property that proper (and cheaper) lubricants lack.

I don't know about magical but It does have some engineered properties that are superior to many
other lubricants ... (and probably some that are inferior depending on POV) .. and as I've said...
it's like a religion... you use what you want and I'll use what I want. But if someone asks I'll
tell them.

HAND

Steve Collier' may have said:

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

Quoted message said:

Mike DeMicco may have said:

Anyone know what Shimano puts on their new chains? This tacky stuff is lasting way longer than
any other lube I've ever used (it's on a new mountain bike chain). Yes the chain is a bit dusty,
but not too bad.

Maybe this is it:

bike.shimano.comslippery spitt.aspOpen ↗

I haven't tried it, so I don't know.

Funny, it says it is also cable lube, but I thought we weren't supposed to lube cables these days?

Some people haven't heard, and others may still be riding something with an old gotta-lube-it cable
or two. For the latter group, the Shimano chain oil's probably no worse than most choices.

(In my continuing garage excavation project, I ran across a spray can of Justice Brothers chain lube
from the 1970s this past week, still holding pressure. It was, as I recall, not terribly good as
chain lube even by the standards of that day.)

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Steve Collier said:

Funny, it says it is also cable lube, but I thought we weren't supposed to lube cables these days?

Well, no reason not to as long as you do it with a lube that doesn't hurt the plastic bits of the
cable -- but that's a fairly major qualification, given that petrochemicals are pretty good at
dissolving plastics.

Jasper