Originally Posted by
walterz54
for years I've used sram chains and have enjoyed not having to lube the chain for many miles
because of the grease that is already on the chain. does kmc chains come brand new out of the
box with a similar grease or would I have to degrease and then lube it?
I've spoken to the folks at KMC and yes, they pre-lube their chains with what they feel is an appropriate chain lube, though I believe it's different than what SRAM uses. You can ride the chain as is, and re-lube when needed later on. Or, if cleanliness is an issue you can use a bit of mineral spirits on a rag to wipe excess of the outer surface before riding.
What you shouldn't do is soak the chain in solvent and try to wash the original lube from the inside, and this is also true of chains from Shimano, Campagnolo, Sram, Wippermann and most others.