Wet vs. Dry Lube

I personally prefer a dry lube as it keeps a cleaner drivetrain and doesnt need to be cleaned as often, although it does need to be applied a little more often than your standard wet lube. I personally am using the original white lightning as i had heard good things about it and got a large bottle at a decent price a while back. The bottle is about to run out and (although i have had no problems) i am tempted to try something else, probably another dry lube. BTW i use the same lube on road, track and MTB. i was told by an old legend in our club a while back that for your chain u should use 10w-30 engine oil.......now i have tried engine oil and it tends to be very "wet" and quite often dirty but does run extremely smoothly (as does chain and bar oil designed for chainsaws). I am thinking it would be the go for the track bike instead of using my precious bike specific dry lube.

I've been using White Lightening without problems for about 2 years. For dry lubes you do have to apply it more frequently (about every 100 or so miles) but it's much cleaner than the wet lubes. I understand that wet lubes are best if riding in wet conditions but since I generally try to not ride in bad weather it's not much of a concern. If it does happen to rain on a day I'm riding I just apply another lub when I get home, no big deal for me. You may also want to check out Pedro's Ice Wax, I hear it's pretty good too.

Dan.

Dry lube is very good in dry conditions. It will wear off on long rides and does not stay put in the rain. But, yes your chain will stay cleaner.

Wet Lube is great in wet, okay in dry. It will stay on your chain for many, many miles, but will attract all kinds of grit. For this you will need to get a good cleaning tool and use often.

I personally change my lubes by the season or conditions. I also clean my chain at least once a week, sometimes more if I am using the wet lube. I use Finish Line products and a Park chain cleaners.

Ron

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by dwj444
We're talking about chain lube here . . . sorry if I disappoint!:p

I ride two bikes -- a Trek 2300 and a Bianchi Pista (fixie). The Pista is my commuter bike; the 2300 is for the weekend road rides. I have the same bottle of "Finish Line Cross Country" (synthetic) Wet lube for the drive-trains of both bikes.

The bottle claims it's suited for "extreme weather and long distance riding." The last mechanic to look at my bike mentioned that there was a lot of dirt and grit in my drive-train and that I might think about changing to a dry lube.

I don't know what "extreme weather" means to Finish Line, or what they consider "long distance" riding. I put 30-50 miles a week on the 2300 and probably 10-15 on the Pista.

Does anyone have any experience with lubes (bicyle related please), or any particular advice about the pro's and con's of wet vs. dry lube?

Thanks!

I use chain saw bar and chain oil.

More illumination on the subject:

<http://sheldonbrown.com/chains.html>

Wet lubes retain grit and other contaminents, so you need to wipe off the lubricant that flows outside the working area of the chain. Flow is a good thing as well was a bad thing. Sheldon's article will help you understand the mechanisms involved.

I switched from TriFlow to DeMond on one bike and Pro Link on the other. The difference is shocking. I used to have a perpetually dirty drivetrain. Now it stays darn clean, and only needs a re-lubing every couple hundred miles. Both are excellent. I suppose if I had to choose, the DeMond is a bit better (quieter, stays on longer, stays a bit cleaner).

i use Pro Link and am very satisfired. i swithched from theWhite Lightning. more importantly, i put on an SRAM Powerlink that allows me to easily remove the chain for better and more thorough cleaning of the drive train.

Sorry, it's spelled DU MOND.

I’ve been using Triflow’s wet lube for years, and although it has great friction reducing properties in both dry and wet conditions, it does attract a fair amount of dirt (even after wiping the excess off). After around 50 miles (here in SoCal), it turns completely black....always managing to mess up my drive side pristine white cycling sock.

Actually, it’s Dumonde Tech: hgnr.comDT bicycle chain lube.htmlOpen ↗

I use the 'Finish Line Cross Country' oil. My mileage varies fro 50 to 200 miles per week. I clean my chain every week with a orange based bio-degradeable sleaner and a mechanical chain scrubber. One of my cycling buddies has tried using a scot-oiller but has gone back to a dry lube. The oil does go black very quickly but I find it kind of theroputic cleaning each week! So far, my chain set (a 105 triple) has gone over 2000 miles and I'm half way through my second chain. I don't think I can expect more really.

A couple of the guys that work at Matthews' Bike Shop in Indianapolis have a unique approach to keeping their drive trains in tip top shape. They use a new chain until the factory grease wears off then they toss it and put on a new one. They claim that their cassetts and sprockets will last virtually forever by doing this. I don't know how many miles they are getting between changes though.

I'm currently using Shimano Spit Lube. It seems to do a decent job and pedaling feels very smooth compared to a couple of the dry lubes I've tried. With the dry lubes my chain squeaked and just didn't have that smooth feeling to it as with a wet lube. Could be the ubiquitous user error I've heard so much about. 😄

I only clean my chains about every 500 miles and am going to start tossing them at 1000. Chains are pretty cheap these days (just stocked up on SRAM PC59 chains on ebay for $10 each). I'd rather replace them frequently as to try and squeeze 2,000 to 3,000 miles out of them. I'm not that good about cleaning the bike. I just wanna ride the damned thing!

Yes, this is a religious question.
I have converted to Dry Lube.
And yes, it takes a little more attention and regular care.
But it has its merits.
To find a good product is a matter of hit and miss.
My final suggestion is White Lightning Clean Ride.
It is really dry and clean.
In winter, however, you have to take your bike into a warm room for two hours before lubricating (sorry: waxing) the chain. Otherwise the wax liquid makes whitish drops on the cold surface and does not get into the gaps where it should do its job.
Well, that's it.
There is also a White Lightning Spray with the same formula. It is easier to use, but also needs a warm chain when applied.
Your chain will always stay clean. You can comfortably replace it in your living room when its time has come...

Has anyone ever tried using antipersperant vs deodorant, which one is better?

I use Chain-L. I take the chain off and apply it to a new or clean chain and wipe it off after each ride. It lasts 100's of miles before I need to reapply.