Road Bike Lubricant ? ?

[Solirossi]

Ok, so I need some advice with cleaning my chain.

WHen I clean it I spray it with a foaming degreaser and get a tooth brush onto it to scrub away at the links, then rinse.

I can get the chain looking nice and clean but then when i ride a bit the chain dirtys up really quick. Im assuming my cleaning method is not removing the stuff from inside the rollers. Can anyone suggest an improved technique for cleaning my chain, ideally without having to remove the chain as I have no tool for doing so.

The bike is only about 500km's old and Iv only re lubed it once using White Lightning. I just want it to run cleaner and yeah any help would be great.

[philip]

I don't know why so many people think their chain should look sparkly clean all the time. I very rarely degrease my chain, I just go over it with an old rag and use prolink on it every couple of weeks. It doesn't get shiny clean but it's pretty good, runs very smoothly and one chain lasts me over 8000km.

[rkelsen]

It doesn't get shiny clean but it's pretty good, runs very smoothly and one chain lasts me over 8000km.

What brand of chain do you use?

[Solirossi]

I just like the look of it when its nice and clean. ALso gets my white frame less dirty as well.

[philip]

It doesn't get shiny clean but it's pretty good, runs very smoothly and one chain lasts me over 8000km.

What brand of chain do you use?

shimano 10sp, first couple of chains were 105, using ultegra now, seems like it'll last just as long I think

[eeksll]

Ok, so I need some advice with cleaning my chain.

WHen I clean it I spray it with a foaming degreaser and get a tooth brush onto it to scrub away at the links, then rinse.

I can get the chain looking nice and clean but then when i ride a bit the chain dirtys up really quick. Im assuming my cleaning method is not removing the stuff from inside the rollers. Can anyone suggest an improved technique for cleaning my chain, ideally without having to remove the chain as I have no tool for doing so.

The bike is only about 500km's old and Iv only re lubed it once using White Lightning. I just want it to run cleaner and yeah any help would be great.

I am fairly sure white lightning was one of those wax lubes which do the cleaning when you apply it ... i.e. you dont need to degrease, just keep applying it on top and then I think the wax is supposed to build up and flake off with all the gunk. I am not sure you can ever keep your chain sparkling clean .... unless you don't ride it. I don't know, maybe its like engine oil, its there to carry the gunk away.

I don't know why so many people think their chain should look sparkly clean all the time. I very rarely degrease my chain, I just go over it with an old rag and use prolink on it every couple of weeks. It doesn't get shiny clean but it's pretty good, runs very smoothly and one chain lasts me over 8000km.

for me its more not getting black grease all over myself if i have to touch the chain whether it be accidently on the leg or if the chain falls off. Rock'n'roll gold keeps it this clean for me. However, if a wet greasy lube is proven to give the chain a much longer life or I have to apply it considerably less often, then I'd have to re-consider my options. I have only just switched to prolink and been using RnR gold since new and my chain is not far off going to the 1.00% stretch measurement, approx 3000 km.

[Mulger bill]

I clean between uses. Always.
The gunk on the plates looks yuck and splatters yer frame but it's the crap you can't see that wears the chain. Some lubes will do a good job of removing it for you, mainly the wax types but others will just wash the gunk deeper into the rollers where it turns into a nice grinding paste.

[open roader]

I use ProLink "PRO GOLD" which appears (smells) like a paraffin based mineral lubricant. Given my roadie chain is lubed every 300km (approx) the Pro Gold lube combined with plenty of fluffy old toweling material does a suberb job of both lubricating to near silence and cleaning to a shine my chain.

The MTB chain is another matter and needs more attention / more lube to maintain at the same level as the road bike chain.

I simply do what the bottle says which is essentially to clean the chain off after every ride, re-apply lube and wipe away excessive lube once run through all the rollers. With practice and evidentiary black spatter all about the place one learns quickly how much excess lube to wipe off post application.

I wish I had this ProLink lube when I was riding multiple motorcycles, it's really good stuff.

[wqlava1]

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.

Super Lube spray cans and tubes of the synthetic grease with PTFE (teflon) are cheap at Bunnings (only recently started to see it there). the spray cans are just a different delivery mechanism for the PTFE - good for locks, STI shifters, derailleurs, etc. I use a couple of pea-sized bits of grease from the tube every couple of or few hundred km smeared on the inside of the chain after a quick cloth wipe, and get about as much life out of each chain as anyone else. The chain looks good, too - if you start with a nickel plated chain it still looks silvery after you wipe it and apply the grease, for well over 100km. It's a very cheap option. It does not create very much flung-off mess. i used to use Pro-link Gold which is not too bad but this is better.

[Parrott]

I don't know why so many people think their chain should look sparkly clean all the time. I very rarely degrease my chain, I just go over it with an old rag and use prolink on it every couple of weeks. It doesn't get shiny clean but it's pretty good, runs very smoothly and one chain lasts me over 8000km.

Ditto. I never degrease my chain just wipe with a rag and apply prolink. I don't ride on dirt at all however so I get less abrasive grit on the rollers.

[Christine Tham]

Okay I am running out of prolink. Where is a cheap place for buying this (you wouldn't believe how much I paid for it at an LBS - highway robbery!)

[philip]

One bottle of prolink lasts me years! The cheapest I've seen it is at cellbikes, they occasionally have the big 473ml bottle on special for $20 or so.

[Christine Tham]

Is it this one?

Thanks. I'll wait for the next special.

[chippa1968]

Cell bikes seem to have some pretty good pricing considering they're in Australia - do they charge excessively on delivery?
Getting back to the original question - I use Rock & Roll Extreme (blue) every other ride. It cleans and lubes and seems to work a treat in all conditions

[mitzikatzi]

Cell bikes seem to have some pretty good pricing considering they're in Australia - do they charge excessively on delivery?
Getting back to the original question - I use Rock & Roll Extreme (blue) every other ride. It cleans and lubes and seems to work a treat in all conditions

and on sale at Cell Rock-N-Roll-Extreme-16oz free post on the east coast on orders over $125 and about $10 to Perth

[D_ess]

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.

thanks for this specific tip...tho some purple extreme might be on the shopping list for next time it seems...

[CommuRider]

When that ran out a couple of months ago I grabbed a bottle of Green Oil to try. chucked it in with a bunch of other stuff I'd ordered from wiggle. Its biodegradable all natural oils and even the bottle is able to be recycled. It is a bit messier than wax lube but lasts better in the wet and is not really sticky like some of the wet weather lubes[which are great in the wet but dust/grit magnets in the dry]

Good to hear. Green Oil seems to have expanded their range now:

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/green-oil/

Any veracity on how "green" they are? If I'm going to buy into the "green" marketing of theirs, I wish there were more independent testing available (carbon miles and all that)

This is what they have currently:

http://www.green-oil.net/Technology.html

Green Oil's formula is a trade secret, a patent application currently being completed.

Green Oil is manufactured from naturally occurring plant extracts, a blend of which produces a high performance lubricant. Green Oil contains no animal derivatives.

Green Oil's components are balanced to give a high-performance lubricant that stays on the chain.

Green Oil protects from rust and gives a smooth, low friction ride.

Our other products also use natural ingredients. Green Clean and Clean Chain use citrus and cocnut [sic] oil extracts to clean powerful, yet naturally.

[ohshift]

CHAIN-L No. 5

+1

[gururug]

I don't know why so many people think their chain should look sparkly clean all the time. I very rarely degrease my chain, I just go over it with an old rag and use prolink on it every couple of weeks. It doesn't get shiny clean but it's pretty good, runs very smoothly and one chain lasts me over 8000km.

Ditto. I never degrease my chain just wipe with a rag and apply prolink. I don't ride on dirt at all however so I get less abrasive grit on the rollers.

+1 30% of the effort for 90% of the clean Maybe a full degrease every 50 ( non-rain ) rides.

[Oxford]

I don't know why so many people think their chain should look sparkly clean all the time. I very rarely degrease my chain, I just go over it with an old rag and use prolink on it every couple of weeks. It doesn't get shiny clean but it's pretty good, runs very smoothly and one chain lasts me over 8000km.

Ditto. I never degrease my chain just wipe with a rag and apply prolink. I don't ride on dirt at all however so I get less abrasive grit on the rollers.

+1 30% of the effort for 90% of the clean Maybe a full degrease every 50 ( non-rain ) rides.

people think it should be sparkly shiny because that's what they see on the pros bikes. I wonder if these same people do the same to the inside of their motor engines? when you get over the basic fact that a chain is part of a drivetrain, which if exposed to the elememts by its very nature will get dirty, you will save yourself a lot of heartache and time. simlar to the quotes above I just wipe/brush excess dirt/debris, apply new lube, wipe excess lube away and ride.

[bosvit]

I've got squirt lubricant on my commuter which I am pretty happy with, quiet smooth and just brush it with a stiff toothbrush or nail brush and reapply. Easy

I've got Purple Extreme on the road bike. After re reading the instructions it only says 1. Degrease and clean chain etc as to re-application it says 5. Clean chain before re-applying. It does not mention degreasing. So I guess that means a wipe off with a rag would do the job. I will give it a quick degrease with a brush dipped in degreaser against the chain while I rotate it, when the chain looks a bit gunky.

So since both my bikes do similar types of rides on similar roads it will be interesting to see if there is much difference between the lubricants.

At this stage the squirt is quieter and has lasted longer but it is early days for Purple Extreme and I have had a little bit of wet weather.

The other problem which makes this experiment non publishable in Science Mag is that the commuter has a YBN chain and the roadie has a 105 chain. Will change both to Ultegra when they wear out and keep the squirt V PE experiment going for a couple of chains unless there is a clear winner.

[bosvit]

whoops pretty aggressive lettering there sorry about that!

Can you hear me at the back?

[Oxford]

sorry did you say clean the chain before applying. not sure I understand can you be a little clearer next time.

[mitzikatzi]

Ok, so I need some advice with cleaning my chain.

...snip...I just want it to run cleaner and yeah any help would be great.

This seems like the best way I have come across.
method here

One swipe around is all it takes to make the chain look like new


Want proof? Here it is -- the acids in the pickle (dill only) quickly remove any sludge from the chain.




Thats a motor bike chain but it should work just as well on a bike chain.

[Mustang]

Rock & Roll is so easy, no degreasing, just apply a couple of times wipe off.