Road Bike Lubricant ? ?

[eeksll]

aushiker and blue151, can you comment on the differences between cleaning with kero first vs not cleaning with kero?

I thought the whole idea with rok'n'roll gold lube is no cleaning required ...

i find i need to apply about 3 times before the stuff stops turning coming out black. I dont quite squirt it on, i more drench the chain, back pedal a bit, wipe, repeat ... Is this what everyone else does? I seem to go through the stuff like water, probably used just short of 1 oz (1/4 small bottle) to clean/lube.

rock and roll is kero based (i think?) so it does clean it pretty good given that its a quick clean... but if i want to get all the grit out particularly between the links then i take off my chain and soak it a little... its definetely not necessary but only if u want a really good clean...

90% of the time when i clean my chain.. i just rock & roll it once.... unless its really gritty then i mite use R&R twice... but if it looks like ur chain is covered in black mud then i'll degrease it first (either with kero or degreaser)

hmmm well the chain never looks too dirty when i decide to clean it, I could grab it and not get black marks all over my hands. But once i saturate the chain in the rock'n'roll lube and back pedal it goes all black ... It usually takes me till the 3rd time when saturating the chain does not result in a huge black mess on the chain.

[Quinns Rocks Roadie]

I use EP90 gear oil with graphite powder mixed in....cheap, easily available and very effective.

Each week, I remove the rear wheel and fit a dummy axle (a tube of plastic pipe 130mm long) clamped in place with a QR skewer, and then suspend the bike off the ground.

1 - Spray standard $2.00 degreaser onto the chain whilst rotating the cranks until most of the junk is washed out.
2 - Use a garden hose with nozzle turned down to fine high power jet and continue rotating cranks until chain is rinsed.
3 - With a sponge soaked with a strong detergent solution wash the chain whilst rotating the cranks.
4 - Repeat rinse.
5 - Repeat detergent wash.
6 - Repeat rinse.
7 - Spin cranks at high speed to fling all water out of the chain.

When the chain has dried, lube each side of each link using a small oil bottle filled with EP90/graphite mixture, going around the whole chain twice.

This method ensures a spotlessly clean chain internally, and the oil penetrates fully into the links (high surface tension) and stays there and never dries unlike lighter weight oils/lubricants.
This is a ten minute procedure and ensures extremely long life of both chain and sprockets, really smooth operation and virtually zero drive train losses.

Eric 'grease monkey' Mc.

[Aushiker]

My question did not come over the way it meant to. I meant to ask the difference between cleaning the chain first with degreaser then lubing vs not degreasing first (and using the rock'n'roll lube as the cleaner).

Hi

I don't do the not degreasing/lube approach but IIRC Sogood or maybe Twizzle have tried this approach and seem happy with the outcomes. I think they commented on this in this thread or one of the threads on chain cleaning.

Regards
Andrew

[blue151]

aushiker and blue151, can you comment on the differences between cleaning with kero first vs not cleaning with kero?

Hi

I don't clean with kero so can't help sorry. Also I always clean my chain before reapplying the lube. Given my experience I see no reason to change that mode of operandi or test not cleaning, unless of course you are happy to pay for the chain and cassette

Regards
Andrew

My question did not come over the way it meant to. I meant to ask the difference between cleaning the chain first with degreaser then lubing vs not degreasing first (and using the rock'n'roll lube as the cleaner).

my bad... ummm well i find if u have the time to use degreaser (and can be bothered.. most of the time i can't ahha).. you get a much better clean

but it really depends on how gritty your bike is to begin with.. i generally find that i get copius amounts of sand in my chain.. prob from riding too much close to wind swept beaches???

[m@]

I believe someone (Twizzle?) stopped doing the full degrease after finding it made no significant difference to chain life over simply wiping with a rag and lightly relubing regularly..? I'm sure it does depend on individual circumstances though.

I've moved to Purple Extreme which needs a full degrease between applications - with mixed results so far. Very clean but squeaky chain. Guessing I didn't apply enough - treated it similarly to Rock'n'Roll extreme ie wiped the chain very clean; I'll try leaving it wet overnight with the next application. TBH given the additional effort I'm tempted to go back to a wet lube or Rock'n'roll.

[Aushiker]

I've moved to Purple Extreme which needs a full degrease between applications - with mixed results so far. Very clean but squeaky chain. Guessing I didn't apply enough - treated it similarly to Rock'n'Roll extreme ie wiped the chain very clean; I'll try leaving it wet overnight with the next application. TBH given the additional effort I'm tempted to go back to a wet lube or Rock'n'roll.

Hi

Thanks for this ... being waiting for some constructive commentary on Purple Extreme. Please do come back and report in on your overnight soaking experience. It does but sound like a lot of hassle.

Andrew

[Anakist]

I use Purple Extreme. Full degrease then leave it on overnight. I used it on our two MTBs for Cycle Qld and it was magic! Silent drive train and crisp shifting. Didn't last as long as I wanted it to (only about 3 days / 150km in pelting rain and slushy mud!), and I went to Rock and Roll Extreme because I couldn't degrease the chains. Found it to be noisier, and couldn't seem to adjust the gears to be nice. I thought I had bent a derailleur or possibly wrecked a brand new chain. Got hom, full degrease and PE, and with nothing else changed the bikes were back to shifting nicely.

James

[Fresh]

Anywhere else to get Purple Extreme on the cheap?

[open roader]

I'm requiring a tub of light grease for seat post sealing, pedals, etc, any recommendations on some light grease for DIY maintainance?

[rjl3175]

I'm requiring a tub of light grease for seat post sealing, pedals, etc, any recommendations on some light grease for DIY maintainance?

Go to a locksmith or fishing shop and ask for a tube of Super Lube, wonderful stuff.

[the grid]

Hi does anyone use Inox products?

[Quinns Rocks Roadie]

I'm requiring a tub of light grease for seat post sealing, pedals, etc, any recommendations on some light grease for DIY maintainance?

Trailer wheel bearing grease - waterproof..ish.

Eric.

[mateyboi]

+1 to purple extreme.

[m@]

I've moved to Purple Extreme which needs a full degrease between applications - with mixed results so far. Very clean but squeaky chain. Guessing I didn't apply enough - treated it similarly to Rock'n'Roll extreme ie wiped the chain very clean; I'll try leaving it wet overnight with the next application. TBH given the additional effort I'm tempted to go back to a wet lube or Rock'n'roll.

Hi

Thanks for this ... being waiting for some constructive commentary on Purple Extreme. Please do come back and report in on your overnight soaking experience. It does but sound like a lot of hassle.

Andrew

An update on my relationship with PE - it's on the rocks

After a thorough kero degrease, two days air drying, careful application of PE to each link and roller and overnight 'resting' - the chain was noisy within 50Km riding in completely dry conditions. Back to Tri-Flow for me.

[Aushiker]

I've moved to Purple Extreme which needs a full degrease between applications - with mixed results so far. Very clean but squeaky chain. Guessing I didn't apply enough - treated it similarly to Rock'n'Roll extreme ie wiped the chain very clean; I'll try leaving it wet overnight with the next application. TBH given the additional effort I'm tempted to go back to a wet lube or Rock'n'roll.

Hi

Thanks for this ... being waiting for some constructive commentary on Purple Extreme. Please do come back and report in on your overnight soaking experience. It does but sound like a lot of hassle.

Andrew

An update on my relationship with PE - it's on the rocks

After a thorough kero degrease, two days air drying, careful application of PE to each link and roller and overnight 'resting' - the chain was noisy within 50Km riding in completely dry conditions. Back to Tri-Flow for me.

Thanks for the update. I will stick to Rock n' Gold for now then.

Andrew

[mylesau]

Hi does anyone use Inox products?

Yes There isn't just one :p

When I've got some real miles up using it, I'll be sure to post about it. 5,000+ km and it's looking very good, but that's not with a derailleur.

[TheSkyMovesSideways]

I'm ressurecting this thread instead of creating yet another thread about lubrication.

I've been using Pro-Link and have found that it developed a layer of black grime over the chain which is very difficult to remove (using citrus degreaser). Now, to simplify cleaning, I'm thinking of trying Purple Extreme. So can anyone who uses Purple extreme tell me how easy is it to clean the chain after a few 100 km of use? Does it get covered in black grease that resistes removal with degreaser, or is it cleaner than that?

Thanks.

[m@]

I'm ressurecting this thread instead of creating yet another thread about lubrication.

I've been using Pro-Link and have found that it developed a layer of black grime over the chain which is very difficult to remove (using citrus degreaser). Now, to simplify cleaning, I'm thinking of trying Purple Extreme. So can anyone who uses Purple extreme tell me how easy is it to clean the chain after a few 100 km of use? Does it get covered in black grease that resistes removal with degreaser, or is it cleaner than that?

Thanks.

It runs super clean (some would say too clean), but does require a complete degrease before re-lubing. If you're already soaking the chain or using a chain scrubber you'll be fine.

[Mulger bill]

Agree with m@. Great stuff. I use the old kero and toothbrush trick for the win, the scrubber machine hasn't had a run since I saw the P-E light.

[TheSkyMovesSideways]

Great, thanks guys. Now I just need to find some! Tried BSC today but they said they've stopped stocking it. Apparently iRide Bikes* on King St carry it.


* who should perhaps instead be called "iAm waiting for a lawsuit from Apple"

[TimW]

I got 3 bottles of it from CRC not so long ago $13 bucks per bottle as opposed to 25 here
reason i got 3 was to make the most of the postage
link
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Sear ... le+extreme

Tim

[eeksll]

does that mean if I am not a chain scrubber user I should not bother with Purple extreme?

tried both rock'n'roll gold and pro-link, not particularly happy with either. I have found they both start making a dry chain sound less than 40 km after application. I found pro-link to be so bad that I tried not wiping it as dry as I could (like i did with RnR Gold) and its lasting much longer. Drawback to this is the chain goes filthy black. Depending on the answer to my original question, I might try RnR gold again and not wiping it quite so dry.

[Mulger bill]

No. My chainscrubber has gathered dust since I went PurpEx. Goes on easy, works clean, comes off easy. I'd suggest for your first use that you go nuts with cleaning to remove all traces of lesser lubes.

Pics of my commuters chain after hundreds of kms of all weather work.

[eeksll]

thanks for the reply, so clean chain thoroughly on initial application. Then every time after that its just wipe with cloth and apply like most the other ones (at least thats all I have been doing).

now I just have to source some.

[m@]

does that mean if I am not a chain scrubber user I should not bother with Purple extreme?

tried both rock'n'roll gold and pro-link, not particularly happy with either. I have found they both start making a dry chain sound less than 40 km after application.

At the risk of labouring the point, this has been exactly my experience with PE. Used to use R'N'R Extreme on the MTB and never had a problem.

I thought the instructions on the PE bottle recommended a full degrease between each application, but could be wrong.