Mountain Biking - Chain Lube

After cleaning my bike, what kind of lube should I use for my chain and other parts of the bike that need oiling/lubing after cleaning?

its controversial. The best oil I have used is tri flow

Ok, I just didnt know if there was a kind to stay away from or anything. We have some generic chain lube at the house that you get at Autozone and such and wasnt sure if that was a bad idea.

What about WD-40? Maybe he could use that? Might not work very well, I don't know. A heck of a lot cheaper than real lube though.

WD40 doesnt last.
like trio flow, im not fond of the spray can because its a pain but i believe it comes in drip bottles which i plan to get next. they have these waxes out there but i seem to need to relube every 50 miles so its rather pathetic. Not to mention it comes off just by riding in humid air, and never mind stream crossings because your chain will rust by the end of the ride

although wd40 does have some lubrication properties its mostly a penetrating oil which meeans it breaks down other oils so mabey ok for a chain but not for anything else.

Tri-flo synthetic or Phil's Tenacious Oil. Oil (or synthetic oil) is typically better for wetter climates, as oil and water don't mix -> repel. For dustier climates, though, I preferred a teflon based lube (again tri-flow).

Sheldon Brown has some words of wisdom (http://www.sheldonbrown.com/chains.html).

i actually have a wax based lube for dry and it works really well

I use White Lightning wax lube and it seems to work pretty well. I think the wax type lubes are more suitable for primarily dry conditions and the oil type lubes are aimed more towards wet conditions. This is a subject where there are a ton of different opinions as to which type of lube and which brand is best. Good luck!

Whitle Lightning wax is great. Pedro's stuff (all of it) is also exceptional.

As for WD40 are you people friggin nuts? That crap is not made to be used with dirt and grime and will screw up your drivetrain quick, fast and in a hurry.

I'm not sure why some people feel the need to give advice when they literally have absolutely no idea what they're talking about.

Pedros ice wax could be better. But you have to reapply it constantly for any positive effect!! Stick with oil

I use tri flow. Cheap easy to get and it does the job.

I have been using white lightning for a long time now. I clean my chain on a regular basis, and when I lube the chain, I wipe it down. The lube needs to be IN the chain not necessarily on the outside.

I have been considering trying out Hippie Slick on my commuter first, and then trying it on my MTB.

My suggestion is to consider your climate, i.e. wet, dry, snow, etc. then decide on a chain lube. I used to have two boxes, one winter and one summer. Winter had the Pedro's lube, and my cold water boardwax (used to surf), and the summer had a thinner chain lube and my warm water boardwax.

I use tri flow and wet Syn lube made by Pedros it works good.

syn lube is great stuff for its application. I give it a 5/5 for rain/snow. I know people complain it picks up dirt but folks on the bottle it says "for extreme conditions". If its a wet oil who woulda guessed it picks up dirt. And after it rains or whatnot your chains clean anyways

Try Bosheilds T-9 it is da best. Lubes without collecting dirt, sand etc. I use it as a cleaner and lube. Spray it on wipe then respray, wait about two hours or overnight and wipe again and ride it. I'm a professional mechanic and shop owner and I have used it all and this is the best chain lube I have ever used. I use it on my MTB, road and commuter bikes as well as in my shop.

Try Bosheilds T-9 it is da best. Lubes without collecting dirt, sand etc. I use it as a cleaner and lube. Spray it on wipe then respray, wait about two hours or overnight and wipe again and ride it. I'm a professional mechanic and shop owner and I have used it all and this is the best chain lube I have ever used. I use it on my MTB, road and commuter bikes as well as in my shop.
Ive heard good things about the stuff. my LBS doesnt sell it, well at least the closest one. So i never bothered

I've used everything from Liquid Wrench, WD-40, Dry Spray Lube, Quaker State 10W40, to the high $$$ stuff....

Bottom line is it don't matter after the 2nd mud hole.... That's why I choose whatever.

Boeshield T9 works great for me.

I use a motorcycle spray on chain lube, but it collects sand like flies on sh*t when its dry, though it really hangs on when its wet. I'm still looking for a real good one size fits all system.

What about WD-40? Maybe he could use that? Might not work very well, I don't know. A heck of a lot cheaper than real lube though.
Must you troll? You're supposedly a lot more intelligent than this (or so I'm told) why not act like it?

Back to the topic. Prolink Gold

Pro Link Gold would will suit most conditions, it's pretty wet here in Australia and Pro Link works well in wet and dry! Like with anything that moves on your bike it has a "sell by" date. Cleaning then lubing youe chain will only increase its longevity. Wipe off the excess when lubed up to avoid mud from clinging to it.

Whitle Lightning wax is great. Pedro's stuff (all of it) is also exceptional.

As for WD40 are you people friggin nuts? That crap is not made to be used with dirt and grime and will screw up your drivetrain quick, fast and in a hurry.

I'm not sure why some people feel the need to give advice when they literally have absolutely no idea what they're talking about.

WD40 is NOT a lubricant. WD stands for Water Displacement. It's original purpose is to drive water out of places where it shouldn't be. WD40 can be used to keep something from rusting after you've gotten it wet (like after you wash it).

When it comes to lubes, there are different types.

Dry:
Goes on wet through a medium, but the wet dries leaving teflon behind. This stuff attracts less dirt. But it also is easier to wash away.

Wet:
Goes on wet, stays wet. Attracts dirt.

Wax:
Goes on wet and leaves a wax residue. It is water resistant and does not readily attract dirt. The downside is it doesn't work so well in the cold.

Extreme Purple:
This stuff is used in drilling rigs. It goes on SUPER wet and smells a bit like wine. It's resilient to wet and doesn't attract dirt. It bonds to the metal and is hard to displace. The downside is you can't just add it. You need to get rid of any other lubricant before you apply it, otherwise it will simply roll off.

The MOST important thing is to clean the chain regularly and make sure you lube it on THE ROLLERS.

DO NOT use spray lubes for chain. The get lube in places it's not supposed to be (like disc rotors and rims).

Must you troll? You're supposedly a lot more intelligent than this (or so I'm told) why not act like it?

Back to the topic. Prolink Gold

Can you go away? Seriously. You're like an ear infection.

My post seems pretty troll to me seeing as how my post was in the form of a question. Explain to me how my post is a trolling post. Please. Do it.

Or better yet, put me on your ignore list if you find my posts to be "trolling." In general, your posts about me are unwanted. Grow up.

Whitle Lightning wax is great. Pedro's stuff (all of it) is also exceptional.

As for WD40 are you people friggin nuts? That crap is not made to be used with dirt and grime and will screw up your drivetrain quick, fast and in a hurry.

I'm not sure why some people feel the need to give advice when they literally have absolutely no idea what they're talking about.

I was not giving advice. My post was formed into a question. I was asking both for him and for me (more for me) as I was cleaning the garage and saw a can of WD-40.

There's no need to generalize your posts so as to seem less offensive. I was the only one in the thread who mentioned using WD-40.
Thanks

I gotta say Prolink works best for me. Great for chains and pivot points. It doesn't attract dust/dirt.

Hey Swifferman, just for the record, I've used WD-40, Liquid Wrench, and just about anyother spray lube made. They all serve the purpose, but after the first couple of mudholes it really don't matter what you originally had on the chain.... Period.

That's why I said that I use "whatever", because it honestly DON'T matter, if you get down & dirty....

If people want to spray $$$ on their $9.00 chain, let 'em.... I don't.

I use Pedro's Ice Wax for the chain. Can't ask for more. I used to use triflow for that, but I like some more substance in my chain lube. I do use triflow for pretty much everything else on the bike though.

As for WD40 are you people friggin nuts? That crap is not made to be used with dirt and grime and will screw up your drivetrain quick, fast and in a hurry.

I'm not sure why some people feel the need to give advice when they literally have absolutely no idea what they're talking about.

I've been using WD-40 on my ATV chains for years and it's the best stuff out there. Everything else attracts the dirt and grime not WD-40, so in all seriousness you don't know what your talking about. I've raced in locations all over the US in EVERY possible environment, from Red dirt in Texas to the black coal hills in PA so I have truly tested chains in all conditions only using WD-40. I also never wear out my drive trains nor have I ever broke a chain in a race or ride. Most chain lube is all BS hype and just plain over priced to the general public.

That's me coming up thru the middle... :D