Australian Cycling Forums - Bicycles Network Australia

Thoughts on chain care boys.

What do you prefer and why?

I'm still working on the first bottle I bought a month or so back and can't remember the name. It's just oil though. Nothing flash. I remember back in the eighties, they were experimenting with spray on waxes and some of them were brilliant. Some were horrid. There were thick oils and thin oils and oils that crawled out the bottle, lovingly caressed every link and roller in the chain then fought to repel every piece of grit that dared approach the chain.

The absolutely most wonderful product I found was in a 2 dollar shop back in the eighties. Spray can. Purported to clean and lubricate your chain. Yeah. Right. It was darned near all solvent but by cripes it did a good job cleaning your chain (the pressure helped), wipe with a rag and then a squirt of oil. Great during a very wet winter (I was cleaning the chain every couple of days that year). Sadly, being the sort of shop it was, once I'd bought all their stock they stopped stocking it

But that was then and this is now.

Chain care and protection.
What do you use and how?

(at the moment, I'm using the 'think about it during the ride, forget about it at home' method )

Richard

I got one of these http://www.torpedo7.com/page/australia/ ... UB-BIO-SET a while back. I used the chain cleaner when I rebuilt my project bikes and it seemed to do a good job. I can't really comment on the lube yet because I haven't ridden them much.
I've never cleaned the chain on my regular bike. But then ,it's only 4 months old and has only got wet twice. I use Pro-link lube - see http://www.australiancyclist.com.au/sho ... s=9&a=1382 regularly. It takes a bit of mucking about to get started - the instructions take you through a process to get rid of any old lubricant, but it's more time than anything else. My chain seems to like it, I haven't heard it 'say' a thing!

$5 for 5 litres engine oil at KMart. Put it into an old chain oil container. Keeps the chain well lubricated. I tried wax but in summer it dries out too fast and 2 hours down the road I have to rewax the chain.

I tried using machine oil first, but sand flicks up and sticks to it, and it makes your hands really dirty if you have to touch the chain.

Now I use "Finish Line" wax based lubricant, which sets up dry and stops sand and grit sticking to the chain & parts. Basically you put it on (it's liquid from the bottle) then leave it over night, next day you're good to go. Supposedly it builds up a protective coat with each application too.

I've heard someone swear by a teflon based lubricant that also sets dry, but don't know what it's called.

Go and get a chain cleaning system http://www.parktool.com/products/detail ... tem=CM%2D5 Then go and get some Rock n Roll gold lube its the best I have found and is OOOO so good http://rocklube.com/chainlubes.html

I'm guessing that like on motorbikes, the best time to oil a chain is AFTER your ride, the theory being that the chain is hot from the ride allowing the oil to thin and seep in, but also to set (if using a wax) before you go riding next.

Chain cleaners eh? That sounds like doing the job properly. Not sure I'm into doing things properly - it can become a bad habit

Richard

I doubt there's much heat that'll hang around on bicycle chains.

I am still learning at present, the last time I used chain oil was Singer's sewing machine oil.

The on bike chain cleaner definitely works. I got mine off eBay for a good price. Citrus degreaser cleaned the chain pretty well, although it's not as perfect as taking it off an hand scrub it with a toothbrush.

As for lubrication I tried recently, Tri-flow worked well but it is wet and sand particle and dirt sticks to it very well. Right now I am trying this spray on thing Weldtite TF2. It has a low viscosity but dries soon after leaving a coating of something on the chain. The chain seemed to shift with a little more noise than Tri-flow, but there's very little dirt on the chain after a ride. I also understand from others that this is not very durable ie. More regular applications required, which = $$$.

That's all I know for the time being...

You'd be surprised how much heat is there but to melt the sorts of waxes used in lubes, you don't need much. It's more along the lines of 'anything that helps' here I'd say. Besides, it's been my experience that you're more likely to do something to the bike when you get home than before you leave, though I seem to be good at forgetting maintenance at anytime (finally oiled that squeaking rear deraileur - it's only taken two weeks to remember )

europa wrote:I'm guessing that like on motorbikes, the best time to oil a chain is AFTER your ride, the theory being that the chain is hot from the ride allowing the oil to thin and seep in, but also to set (if using a wax) before you go riding next.

Chain cleaners eh? That sounds like doing the job properly. Not sure I'm into doing things properly - it can become a bad habit

Richard

I had wondered about using motorbike chain oil, as motorbike chains move consideribly faster and therefor are designed not to flick, so from that viewpoint would be fine for a bike. AND its a lot cheaper to buy.

Harley owners have chain driven bikes and are very picky about how clean the bike is. I wonder exactly what product they use.

In the meantime I'll stick to wet lube, as it is the most effective even though it provides the uglist result.

I remember doing this back in the eighties and nineties. The motorcycle waxy oils are thicker than those used for pushbikes, possibly too thick. Certainly the bike waxs available back then were a lot lighter than the m/c version. I have used the same on both but seem to remember going back to oily oil for the pushie. But then again, with my memory

We use Castrol motorcycle chain oil - the nice thing about it is that it comes in a spray can with a long plastic nozzle so you can apply evenly to the chain.

It is also a fraction of the price of the stuff they sell in tiny plastic bottles at the bike shop.

I'm all for the motorbike chain oil as well, however I was advised today from a cycling friend that I should try Mr SHEEN.

Apparently it's wax based and he swears by it. Has anyone tried Mr Sheen and can elaborate? This might turn out to be the cheapest and best alternative ever!

Not a hell of a lot of wax or lubricant in Mr Sheen. It cleans oil beautifully - I used to use it on model aeroplanes, but the finish, although waxed, isn't heavily waxed - you can paint over it without worrying about too much cleaning (though it pays).

Use Mr Sheen as a cleaner, not as a lubricant.

Richard

Actually, All Harley Davidsons are now belt drive, using a big rubber belt with kevlar inserts for strength, meaning no oiling and virtually no adjustment needed. I have always used tri-flow for my road bike and found it very good. A friend who has a fleet of mountain bikes as part of his tour business uses finish line. I'm not exactly sure which one, (but it was noticably thinner than tri-flow) which while lubricating the chain, wasn't thick enough for dirt to build up on the chain and sprockets to any real degree.

I've now had a bit more experience with this Weldtite TF2 spray on chain lubricant and have to say that I am now a convert. Shifts are quiet and there's hardly any dirt attached after long rides. The trick seemed to be to leave overnight for the solvents to evaporate after each application and apply twice.

sogood wrote:I've now had a bit more experience with this Weldtite TF2 spray on chain lubricant and have to say that I am now a convert. Shifts are quiet and there's hardly any dirt attached after long rides. The trick seemed to be to leave overnight for the solvents to evaporate after each application and apply twice.

I went to Supercheap Autos today and enquired about TF2 and other teflon based sprays, they tell me they've never heard of it. Where do you get it?

I stuck to the good old silicon spray and Castrol's Chain Oil.

Mr888 wrote:I went to Supercheap Autos today and enquired about TF2 and other teflon based sprays, they tell me they've never heard of it. Where do you get it?

I stuck to the good old silicon spray and Castrol's Chain Oil.

My first small can was bought as a trial at a LBS but also seen in a number of other LBSs. Then I found a large can with bonus of 25% extra quantity at Rebel Sports (in the city). The pricing at Rebel was quite a few dollars cheaper than the LBS's markup. So now I have two cans.

I am sure there are better as well as worse options out there. But I am settled on this one for the time being.

I went back to Tri-flow for that wet Gong ride a few weeks back and has just had a chance to do the full degrease job on the chain and drive train components. The running gear is now lubricated with this spray on thing again, although I still use Tri-flow on the bearings of those jockey wheels.

Thanks sogood.

I wouldn't have guessed Rebel of all places. I'll try the Parramatta store tomorrow.

There's got to be a product that not only works as good as all the other products mentioned, but also non dirty/grimey/black????

It's so far like a catch 22. You can't ahve your cake and eat it too...

Yes, I was quite surprised by my find at Rebels too, hence the quick snatch. Fingers crossed that they'll continue to stock it at the discounted price.

This one is definitely cleaner, but can still be helped by a simple wipe of the outside of the chain every so often before a re-spray.

Hey, after washing out this morning's planned ride, the rain has finally stopped. I am outa here to stretch my legs.

sogood wrote:Hey, after washing out this morning's planned ride, the rain has finally stopped. I am outa here to stretch my legs.

Rain - what's that?

I don't enjoy cleaning my bike after it has been in the rain/mud, nor do I like the risks of riding with cars on a rainy day. So...

is that the broadway rebel sports? thats one is right next to my uni so if it is i'd love to check it out

sbra9635 wrote:is that the broadway rebel sports? thats one is right next to my uni so if it is i'd love to check it out

I found it in the one in Mid City Centre (I think), the one b/n George St and Pitt St and next door to Hobbyco. I don't remember seeing this product at the Broadway store. The city one seemed to be better stocked for bike equipments.

sogood wrote:

sbra9635 wrote:is that the broadway rebel sports? thats one is right next to my uni so if it is i'd love to check it out

I found it in the one in Mid City Centre (I think), the one b/n George St and Pitt St and next door to Hobbyco. I don't remember seeing this product at the Broadway store. The city one seemed to be better stocked for bike equipments.

Ah yep I know the one. Thanks. I'll be sure to check it out.

G'day bikers
I ride a Trek Fuel twin suspension mountain bike and I used to live at Byron Bay where chain maintenance was a nightmare with so much sand flicking around. I tried a number of products and settled on Rock n Roll to lube the chain.
Cleaning was a huge problem and even one of the 'on chain' solvent based chain cleaner wasn't working so I resorted to a pressure cleaner which cleaned the cluster as well ( I had to keep the angle dead square to protect the seals)
See ya
Robert
I now live at Melbourne so cleaning is not a problem.