Chain lube

Si said:

My new bike has a lovely shiny silver chain, and a lovely shiny silver
block.

What lube could I use to keep it like this?

It /will/ get dirty, whatever lube you use. You just need to clean
the chain properly - search Google Groups for past posts about
the "Sheldon Shake"...

--
jc

Remove the -not from email

I submit that on or about Sat, 13 Aug 2005 13:11:29 +0100, the person
known to the court as "Si" <[email hidden]> made a
statement (<[email hidden]> in Your Honour's bundle)
to the following effect:

Quoted message said:

My new bike has a lovely shiny silver chain, and a lovely shiny silver
block. What lube could I use to keep it like this?

Lube won't do it. To keep them shiny you should clean them thoroughly
and varnish them, before hanging the bike on the wall.

If you were intending to use the bike, however, they will get dirty
and you will be too busy enjoying the ride to notice or care...

Guy
--
http://www.chapmancentral.co.uk

"To every complex problem there is a solution which is
simple, neat and wrong" - HL Mencken

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

My new bike has a lovely shiny silver chain, and a lovely shiny silver
block.

What lube could I use to keep it like this?

Thanks in advance!

It should be lubed already. If you like the shiny look never lube it and
just by a new chain every couple of months.

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

Quoted message said:

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

Quoted message said:

My new bike has a lovely shiny silver chain, and a lovely shiny silver
block.

What lube could I use to keep it like this?

Thanks in advance!

It should be lubed already. If you like the shiny look never lube it and
just by a new chain every couple of months.

Fair enough then- thanks for your help!

Retirement here I come!

Simon

well don't know what anyone else thinks of it but I recently bought
some of that Purple Extreme chain lube - EBC do it, I got some cheapish
off ebay, and althought the chain seems a bit noisier, its certainly a
lot, lot cleaner. C+ liked the stuff. see
http://www.purpleextreme.com/. I've no connection etc, etc, just think
its fine so far...

Emma

Si said:

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

Quoted message said:

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

Quoted message said:

My new bike has a lovely shiny silver chain, and a lovely shiny silver
block.

What lube could I use to keep it like this?

Thanks in advance!

It should be lubed already. If you like the shiny look never lube it and
just by a new chain every couple of months.

Fair enough then- thanks for your help!

Retirement here I come!

Simon

Sorry to bust the bubble, so to speak, but in based on my
experience, the responders so far have been talking [censored].

I too have a plated (silver) chain & a plated block, used for
daily commuting, 15 miles round trip + weekend jaunts.

I give the block a wipe down once a month with a citrus
degreaser soaked rag & then with a moistened rag. Takes 10 mins.
(I say "wipe", but what's actually going on is "sawing" a
ripped-off & twisted bit of rag over & between the cogs)

The chain gets a weekly wipe with a rag moistened with WD-40,
and a drizzle of some lube after, with the excess being wiped off.

The chain and blocks still glint, and the chain stretch after
six months of use is so far below the replacement point to be
un-measurable.

The good thing about a plated chain & block is that it gives
an obvious indication when it's filthy & a good clean is in order.

Just one man's experience, of course...

Quoted message said:

I too have a plated (silver) chain & a plated block, used for
daily commuting, 15 miles round trip + weekend jaunts.

I give the block a wipe down once a month with a citrus
degreaser soaked rag & then with a moistened rag. Takes 10 mins.
(I say "wipe", but what's actually going on is "sawing" a
ripped-off & twisted bit of rag over & between the cogs)

The chain gets a weekly wipe with a rag moistened with WD-40,
and a drizzle of some lube after, with the excess being wiped off.

The chain and blocks still glint, and the chain stretch after
six months of use is so far below the replacement point to be
un-measurable.

The good thing about a plated chain & block is that it gives
an obvious indication when it's filthy & a good clean is in order.

What you are doing is cleaning the outside. The [censored] that really
matters, what causes chain elongation then in turn sprocket wear, is
INSIDE the chain and can only be cleaned by immersing the chain in solvent
or degreaser.

However, I reckon it's best to use the original lube the chain is supplied
with for as long as you can get away with before the first clean and
relube.

If you fail to wipe ALL the dirt off the outside (not easy) then adding
oil will flush some of that dirt into the innards.

~PB

Si said:

My new bike has a lovely shiny silver chain, and a lovely shiny silver
block.

What lube could I use to keep it like this?

You could try one of the teflon lubes e.g. Rock and Roll.
They tend to wash the [censored] out of the chain and leave teflon in the
chain to lubricate it. This means there is no oil or grease in the
chain to catch the dirt and metal grindings.

Or White Lighening is a waxed base lube, though it leaves a waxy
buildup.

If you use an oil based lube then your chain is going to get dirty.
The only way to get it really clean is either by taking it off the
bike and throughly cleaning it or using one those on-chain cleaning
machines, then making sure you remove all the degreaser before
lubricating it, otherwise the degreaser can break the lubricant down.
My LBS uses a compressor to blow all the degreaser out of the chain.

dewatf.

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

Si said:

My new bike has a lovely shiny silver chain, and a lovely shiny silver
block.

What lube could I use to keep it like this?

You could try one of the teflon lubes e.g. Rock and Roll.
They tend to wash the [censored] out of the chain and leave teflon in the
chain to lubricate it. This means there is no oil or grease in the
chain to catch the dirt and metal grindings.

If you use Rock and Roll to wash the chain, that's a darned expensive way to
do it. Assuming you're washing out ALL the dirt out properly that is. I
think you'd be better using the Sheldon shake and then applying just enough
Rock and Roll to get into the chain.

And Rock and Roll does pick up dirt, perhaps not as much as oil, but the
chain defo gets black with road dirt.

Quoted message said:

Or White Lighening is a waxed base lube, though it leaves a waxy
buildup.

If you use an oil based lube then your chain is going to get dirty.
The only way to get it really clean is either by taking it off the
bike and throughly cleaning it or using one those on-chain cleaning
machines, then making sure you remove all the degreaser before
lubricating it, otherwise the degreaser can break the lubricant down.
My LBS uses a compressor to blow all the degreaser out of the chain.

LSMike said:

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

Si said:

My new bike has a lovely shiny silver chain, and a lovely shiny silver
block.

What lube could I use to keep it like this?

You could try one of the teflon lubes e.g. Rock and Roll.
They tend to wash the [censored] out of the chain and leave teflon in the
chain to lubricate it. This means there is no oil or grease in the
chain to catch the dirt and metal grindings.

If you use Rock and Roll to wash the chain, that's a darned expensive way to
do it. Assuming you're washing out ALL the dirt out properly that is. I
think you'd be better using the Sheldon shake and then applying just enough
Rock and Roll to get into the chain.

You only use the Rock and Roll to flush out the brushings then clean
the chain with a rag, but you are right it is expensive.

The Sheldon shake requires a chain that can be broken though.
And trying to break a shimano chain is likely to be more expensive
than the chainwear on it (compated to just keeping it well lubed and
reasonably clean), unless you are sure of what you are doing.

dewatf.

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

You only use the Rock and Roll to flush out the brushings then clean
the chain with a rag, but you are right it is expensive.

The Sheldon shake requires a chain that can be broken though.
And trying to break a shimano chain is likely to be more expensive
than the chainwear on it (compated to just keeping it well lubed and
reasonably clean), unless you are sure of what you are doing.

dewatf.

Just buy an SRAM powerlink. Problem solved. You'll never get the chain
anywhere near as clean without breaking the chain and doing the Shake
anyway.

in message <[email hidden]>, dewatf

(') said:

The Sheldon shake requires a chain that can be broken though.
And trying to break a shimano chain is likely to be more expensive
than the chainwear on it (compated to just keeping it well lubed and
reasonably clean), unless you are sure of what you are doing.

So don't use Shimano chains.

--
[email hidden] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/

Tony Blair's epitaph, #1: Tony Blair lies here.
Tony Blair's epitaph, #2: Trust me.

LSMike said:

Just buy an SRAM powerlink. Problem solved. You'll never get the chain
anywhere near as clean without breaking the chain and doing the Shake
anyway.

Or I can just use this chain, keeping it well lubed and reasonably
clean, keeping a close eye on the wear. Then just replace it with an
SRAM chain.

dewatf.