Lubricants

Use whatever wax based lube your LBS has in stock. There's not as much variation between brands as they'll have you believe. Just be sure to match either a wet film or dry film to the conditions you ride in, wet or dusty respectively.

I used to use Boeshield T-9 but have switched over to plain old 3in1 oil. It's light and doesn't attract very much dirt. My chains are all fairly clean. I lube my chains every few rides and wipe the excess off the next day before I begin a ride giving it a chance to soak in.

I've used white lightning for a year (wax based lube) and have put about 3,000km on the bike. My drivetrain looks brand new. It's not all about the lube though, as posted above said wiping down each ride, re-applying and wiping off excess are all part of the process.

Rock-N-Roll! The best! It even smells good.

oooooh da' lightenen' that's the stuff - or anything like it. Works like magic.

HR

Hookyrider said:

oooooh da' lightenen' that's the stuff - or anything like it. Works like magic.

HR

lubes are important. I only use Purple Extreme! Works great, lasts a long time and doesn't attract dirt or wash off in the rain. They have a great degreeser as well!!

ProLink Chain Lube

http://www.progoldmfr.com/products/prolink.html

Postie said:

ProLink Chain Lube

http://www.progoldmfr.com/products/prolink.html

Two votes for ProLink.

I also use White Lightning, but you need to reapply it so often it becomes a PITA.

Postie said:

ProLink Chain Lube

http://www.progoldmfr.com/products/prolink.html

I converted to prolink. I use to use white lightning but it builds up more and is hard to remove. Prolink gold is the way to go. And I also agree with other posts wipe and apply new lube with each or at least every other ride.

I have the Park chain cleaner and I use mineral spirits to clean the grunge off the chain (also using a toothbrush as well). I then re-oil the chain and rub it dry with a shop towel. From what I understand, what you should use depends on the environmental factors where your ride. For flinty types of grime and dirt that are highly abrasive, a dry, waxy lubricant is best as it does not attract dirt that much. For cleaner environments the superior lubricating properties of a light oil work best. For a chain, a very lightweight oil penetrates the small links and pins. A heavier oil won't penetrate. That said, I have read that some studies show a totally unlubricated chain will last as long as a lubricated one. In a wet environment the lubrication also protects against rust. So if you live in a desert environment where the dust is not flinty you might be best served by not lubricating, but cleaning the chain regularly and applying a very light lubricant just to prevent rust.

Insight Driver said:

I have the Park chain cleaner

I tried the Park Cleaner but did not like it. It leaves a oil on the chain and it did not clean very well. I like a citrius degreaser. I too use a toothbrush and clean the chain every couple of hundred miles.

Thanks for all the replies

Think what i should really have done was to set up a poll but sure it's done now. Started off thinking of using the White Lightning and now i'm moving more towards this Progold stuff. Just wondering though has anyone used any of the Finish Line products ?

vascdoc said:

I tried the Park Cleaner but did not like it. It leaves a oil on the chain and it did not clean very well. I like a citrius degreaser. I too use a toothbrush and clean the chain every couple of hundred miles.

Note that I said I used mineral spirits in the cleaner, not the stuff Park puts in a bottle and sells for an arm and a leg. When I am done, the chain is dry to touch. Lately, because I got a free bottle and then bought another bottle, I've been using Dumonde Tech Lite to oil the chain with. From the odor it smells like a light oil with a citrus-based solvent. I suspect it's similar to DW-40, though different, in that it uses a solvent to help the oil penetrate, then the solvent evaporates.

In my experience, looking into the grunge left in the bottom of the Park chain cleaner, most of the grunge was left in there, rather than ending up on my patio deck. I leave shop towels under the chain as I work, to catch drips. An old toobrush works great for getting the spots the Park cleaner doesn't reach. The Park, in my case, continues to suspend the chain in mineral spirits, washing off anything that was loosened either by it's brushes or by my use of a toothbrush on the section of chain before entering into the Park cleaner.

One other lubricant I use on my bike is Tri-Flo. I like the tiny tube applicator because I can get it right on the pivot points of brakes and levers and such.

vascdoc said:

I converted to prolink. I use to use white lightning but it builds up more and is hard to remove. Prolink gold is the way to go. And I also agree with other posts wipe and apply new lube with each or at least every other ride.

I've used both and prolink always attracted more dirt for me. That's why I use white lightening. Both are good though.

I use Rock n Roll. It lasts a long time, which means less hassle and work, and also results in lower cost. I wipe the chain after every use, and after a month (which is two applications) I have a chain so clean I didn 't feel the need to use the citrus cleaner. I used White Lightening up until this year and had to apply weekly and citrus clean the chain monthly. The Rock n Roll is much easier, cleaner and longer lasting.

been using Pedro's bio degreaser lately and I have to say it's been the most effective product of it's kind I think have used to date.

HR

I use finish line teflon. Seems to be give a very clean chain, doesn't attract much dirt.

I switched from White Lightning to Rock N Roll last year because the former would gunk up my drive train after a time, whereas the latter doesn't seem to.

I use a Park chain cleaner with a mix of Simple Green and water. Since that concoction is non-toxic and biodegradable, you can pour it out on your lawn with no bad effects.

Just repacked some hubs today with Wally World's marine grease. Tip courtesy of Sydney/Bordeaux (a.k.a. John Price).