Chain greasing

[Skexis]

What's the simplest way to grease a chain properly? Bought a 2nd hand bike yesterday and there is no trace of any lubricant on the chain or any of the sprockets. It doesn't squeak or rattle but I'm guessing a bit of lube wouldn't go amiss.

[Mikka]

Lots of different opinions on lubrication.... so pick whatever suits you. The easiest is probably some engine oil. The cheapest too .. expecially if it's used... It was my favorite until I bought a quality chain. Now I use Inox Chain Lube.... available from industrial suppliers. It costs more than engine oil ... and that makes me feel superior.

[Max]

BicycleTutor.com's take on cleaning and lubing a chain. I'm sure YouTube has many videos on the topic as well.

Max

[Mulger bill]

A good clean then apply the lube of your choice.

I was a good fan of Rock n Roll until I got onto Purple Extreme.

Shaun

[Skexis]

Doh! Never thought of checking You Tube

[Nate]

you typically "oil" a chain & not grease it...

Search for "chain lube" and there will be thousands of threads here on it

[Colin_T]

I use vegetable oil (canola or whatever is cheap). It is thin and washes off easily but also stops the squeaks and helps things move smoothly. And it's cheap

*NB* used engine oil is carcinogenic and you should try not to come in contact with it.

[pwbike]

I use vegetable oil (canola or whatever is cheap). It is thin and washes off easily but also stops the squeaks and helps things move smoothly.

Vegetable oils dry (oxidise), they are not a good choice for lubrication of mechanical parts.
3-in-1 household oil, singer sewing machine oil, etc would be a better choice if you like to use light oil and not pay too much.

[ValleyForge]

you typically "oil" a chain & not grease it...

Search for "chain lube" and there will be thousands of threads here on it

As a precis of the thousands of posts so far on chain lube - huge amounts of personal preference, small amount of science.

Vegetable oils oxidise and don't have any longevity - commercial products suffer this to a far less degree. If it's for cyclocross/extreme weather, a lithium or molybdenum viscous compound will resist washing off. If it's road or high RPM stuff, then a thinner lube is better but suffers in heavy weather.

Then choose your poison! Clean well then apply. And use regularly, cleaning before reapplying.

[dodgiebros]

My favourite is a good soak and clean in kero then heat in a pot of diff/gear oil (not transmission & don't burn it) for a few minutes stirring the chain to work oil in, leave in oil over night then hang to dry for a day. Wipe dry thoroughly. Ya won't have to lube it again for ages

[SeanB]

I found this video by a fellow forum member (coffsgal) to be very clear and helpful.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p3z_RZgMtnE

[Aushiker]

I found this video by a fellow forum member (coffsgal) to be very clear and helpful.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p3z_RZgMtnE

Hi

As I commute this seems to much to me hassle to me. With the Look 555 I just clean the chain with a chain cleaner/degreaser every 1,000 km (Summer/Autumn) or 500 km (winter/spring) and then apply Rock N Roll Gold. Got over 9,000 km out of the Ultegra chain on him; other chains not so long but.

Andrew

[blokeinamoke]

I use vegetable oil (canola or whatever is cheap). It is thin and washes off easily but also stops the squeaks and helps things move smoothly. And it's cheap

*NB* used engine oil is carcinogenic and you should try not to come in contact with it.

Not yet proven.

I use motorbike chain oil (saves me having to buy a different oil just for my pushie) works well, keeps clean and doesnt pick up crap like some heavier oils

[alex]

buy whatever lube floats your boat

apply said lube

run the chain through a rag until you think you have removed all the lube from the outer plates

job done

[blokeinamoke]

just dont use WD40....

[ValleyForge]

just dont use WD40....

AHHHH He spaketh the name that shall never be!

The Antichrist has been awoken

[rkelsen]

Not yet proven.

I think it's a safe bet considering the blend of metal & gas particles in it, some of which are known carcinogens (e.g. benzene).

That aside, I dunno why anyone would use sump oil, since it's already contaminated.

Hey MB, how you finding the Purple Extreme? Worth the price?

[blokeinamoke]

Not yet proven.

That aside, I dunno why anyone would use sump oil, since it's already contaminated.

THAT i will agree on.... i have a couple of minis and a moke.... it gets nice and black after 1000km's.... why you would want to subject your poor ol' bike to that is beyond me....

[Nobody]

Hey MB, how you finding the Purple Extreme? Worth the price?

As one that generally doesn't shy away from controversy, I'll link the following review I found on c r c as I thought it was interesting:

Im a mechanic in a bike store and have access to very clever ways of cleaning chains so that they are left without a single grain of grit - the way any chain should be prepared before lubrication . Having used purple extreme on a large number of clean chains i have found out that after drying up the chains behave as if they had no lube on them at all making them squeak like nothing i have heard before. You wouldn't expect this kind of sound, even from a chain that came of a scally's bike. For those of you haven't had any problems of this sort i suggest cleaning your chain properly so that any left-overs from previous lubes and hidden dirt don't interfere with what purple extreme really has to offer. Im not saying that this lube doesnt do its job which would be reducing friction between the chain and parts of the drive train because it does seem to create a really slippery layer on the chain but Im sure it shouldn't sound like that. The bottom line: unless you're a scally, or just ride through Salford to get to wherever it is that you're going to DONT BUY/USE THIS LUBE. STICK TO THE "WET" LUBE FROM FINISH LINE (GREEN) WHATEVER THE WEATHER, OR GO FOR WHITE LIGHTNING FROM EPIC - GOOD STUFF.

http://www.this link is broken/Revi ... delID=8756

I've had good experiences with Finish Line Wet. The Muck Off Wet Lube I'm trying now seems a bit thin, so I may go back to Finish Line Wet depending on how the Muck Off fares in the mud this winter.

[Aushiker]

Hey MB, how you finding the Purple Extreme? Worth the price?

As one that generally doesn't shy away from controversy, I'll link the following review I found on c r c as I thought it was interesting:
.

Hi

Only problem with this that we well at least me, really has no idea if the reviewer is really a mechanic or is a sales person for the other products or just someone having fun, but looking at the reviews overall the "rating" is 4/5 and there seems to a lot of happy customers. I would probably go with the majority but keep in mind the "mechanics" comments.

I would also be interested in all knowing what those "very clever ways of cleaning chains" are that the person refers to. Interesting no specifics provided.

Regards
Andrew

[Baalzamon]

Well lets see. My first apply of Purple Extreme was to a not very clean chain. I had dunked it into kerosene just once and got the kerosene off it. Put Purple Extreme onto each roller on the chain and it has been working very well. But I am on a new chain now due do a different cassette. I am cleaning it this weekend and will be apply Purple Extreme onto it. I will find out how well it goes over the next few weeks due to about 700-1000km before my tour with Aushiker.

[Mulger bill]

I dunno where that bloke gets his squeaking from

It's been on me commuter for close to 300kms now and is still quiet, I took it thru the crap weather we've had in Melb over the last week and a bit and there's buggerall stuff sticking to the sideplates. A bit of black gunk on me hands during a flat change but no worse than anything else I've run short of aerosol molybond I experimented with years back. THAT stuff stayed clean and didn't wear badly over a few 'ooo kms but it made for a way too noisy chain.

The MTB and roadie have copped the treatment over the past few days but haven't been ridden yet, we'll see.

I got the stuff on the recommendation of Il Padrone, he does a lot more and harder kms than me, and spoke very highly of it. C'Mon Pete, let's hear your story.

Shaun
Ex RnR devotee.

[Aushiker]

Hi Shaun

So you rate it better than Rock n Roll Gold?

Andrew

[Baalzamon]

With my limited use of it I am. I'll be applying it to my Masi again tonight. With RnR Gold I find it will either dry out on me, or I go on a long ride and I start to get a noisy chain after 130km. That hasn't happened with Purple Extreme.

[il padrone]

Hey MB, how you finding the Purple Extreme? Worth the price?

As one that generally doesn't shy away from controversy, I'll link the following review I found on c r c as I thought it was interesting:

Im a mechanic in a bike store and have access to very clever ways of cleaning chains so that they are left without a single grain of grit - the way any chain should be prepared before lubrication . Having used purple extreme on a large number of clean chains i have found out that after drying up the chains behave as if they had no lube on them at all making them squeak like nothing i have heard before. You wouldn't expect this kind of sound, even from a chain that came of a scally's bike. For those of you haven't had any problems of this sort i suggest cleaning your chain properly so that any left-overs from previous lubes and hidden dirt don't interfere with what purple extreme really has to offer. Im not saying that this lube doesnt do its job which would be reducing friction between the chain and parts of the drive train because it does seem to create a really slippery layer on the chain but Im sure it shouldn't sound like that. The bottom line: unless you're a scally, or just ride through Salford to get to wherever it is that you're going to DONT BUY/USE THIS LUBE. STICK TO THE "WET" LUBE FROM FINISH LINE (GREEN) WHATEVER THE WEATHER, OR GO FOR WHITE LIGHTNING FROM EPIC - GOOD STUFF.

http://www.this link is broken/Revi ... delID=8756

I bought Purple Extreme late last year. $28 from Phantom Cycles was a good deal more expensive than the other lubes I've been using, but I was sick of the continual crud build up on the chain. I cleaned the chain with kero and lubed it with Purple Extreme just before Christmas. Since then I've done ~1500kms on the Sedona and ~400kms on my road bike with this lube.

The chain has been relubed twice on the Sedona, not at all yet on the road bike. The chain has stayed clear of crud, only a bit of dust was attracted on our summer tour to Dargo. There is none of these squeaks that the reviewer above speaks of The chain runs smooth and has just a light film of lube, it almost looks dry to the eye but a rub of the hand will show the lube. 600+kms between re-applications is excellent in my book. This sort of life between applications will make it a much more economical lube than Prolink and it keeps the chain much cleaner than Finish Line XC or Triflow. Dry wax lubes.... just no comparison.

Glad I bought myself two bottles. Did I say it clearly enough?

Purple Extreme- the best lube I've ever used!