Bicycle Mechanics - Lube....who switched then went back?

Lube seems to be a hot topic for debate. I was once on the side of motor oil but switched to bike specific lube and realized how much time I was wasting maintaining my drive.

So here is my question:

Have any of you motor oil users ever tried Pro-link, white lightning, etc and decided it was not for you and switched back to motor oil.

If I would have to guess (which is why I'm asking) I would think that those who use motor oil never tried the other stuff. Kind of like my dear old grandmother who still uses her wringer washer (a clothes washing machine that has rollers to get the water out of clothes after the rinse cycle) just because it works.

Just wondering, not trying to start another argumentative thread,

ehenz

So here is my question:

Have any of you motor oil users ever tried Pro-link, white lightning, etc and decided it was not for you and switched back to motor oil.

ehenz

Yep. Probably since I'm a little more anal on drivetrain maintenance, motor oil mixed with mineral spirits is just as effective and cost considerably less.

I also use Powerlinks or just shoot the pin out on some of the less exotic chains (KMC's), so more frequent off the bike cleanings are the norm.

Special lubes are fine for off road where oil will be a dust magnet , but for road use a normal oil , and the thinner the better , is a far better bet as you can clean with out problems and be sure that the oil penetrates to the bits inside that might otherwise run dry .

I prefer WhiteLightning / RaceDay, but I live in a dry climate. If I did alot of cycling in the rain, I would want something more enduring.

The only switch I make is for the season.

I try and go with White Lightning in the good weather but find Finish Line Cross Country way easier to maintain in the winter.

I've tried them all from living and riding in th frigid northeast to the hot humid and sandy shores of Florida. The best I have found is Pro Link. No gunk, easy cleanup,and its not a magnet for grit. The only one I have not tries is Boeshield which a lot of Europeans swear by.
Ingles, do they have Pro Link in Spain?

Has anyone ever used "breakfree", I've used it for guns and I think it would be good for chains.

I have one of those chain cleaning things and find it very easy to just use it frequently before everything gets too gunked up. I just went back to triflow after trying WL. I like the WL on my petals but I'm undecided on the chain.

I'll bet chainsaw oil with mineral spirits would work good! Or gear oil. I'm going to try that also. I have too much time on my hands.

I use Dumonde for both my road bike and mountain bike. If I'm in a hurry, I'll grab the bottle of Rock-N-Roll which is a cleaner and lube in one.

I used Breakfree on my guns also and carried them everyday. I found that Breakfree is a dust/grit magnet. Hell of a lubricant but I'm not sure a drivetrain is the proper place for it.
Where Breakfree is a PTFE lubricant (teflon particles) more modern lubes such as Pro Link are metal "treatments" where the lube actually goes into the metal versus sitting on top.

Has anyone ever used "breakfree", I've used it for guns and I think it would be good for chains.

I have one of those chain cleaning things and find it very easy to just use it frequently before everything gets too gunked up. I just went back to triflow after trying WL. I like the WL on my petals but I'm undecided on the chain.

I'll bet chainsaw oil with mineral spirits would work good! Or gear oil. I'm going to try that also. I have too much time on my hands.

I've used Breakfree for years 'cause it does some cleaning and has Teflon for residual lubrication. I usually clean/lube every 2 or 3 rides (10-30mi each, sometimes more). When my chain's dirty I spray it with breakfree and wipe it down a few times. Seems to do a decent job of clearing out the gunk (may take 3 or 4 applications/wipedowns). When the wiping cloth seems clean (or rather not TOO dirty!), I wipe any excess lube off the chain with a clean cloth. Most seem to leave way too much of any liquid lube on their chains. I've tried a few wax-based lubes but they don't seem to penetrate the links as well as liquids (especially in cold weather).

BTW- I know the best cleaning is obtained by removing the chain, but I've always thought that regularly breaking the chain for removal weakens it more than any grit remaining after multiple wipe-downs with Breakfree.

I recently went to using finish line's wax-based oil. It's a lot better at keeping a clean drivetrain than tri-flow was. Given I like the feel a well tri-flowed drivetrain has, but having to de-crud it about every week was starting to get old.

Hey, a flash from the past.

I have since finished my bottle of White Lightning, and was talked into finish Line Cross Country, messy stuff just like motor oil. I'll go back to the waxed base stuff when this runs out. Which is going to be quick as often as I feel I have to clean it.

I use Slick 50.

Dumonde is good but it does get messy. so far it has been the best for daily rainy rides. I like voodew better for when it is dry (have not tried it in winter yet) purple extreme may be good but I think it needs to dry for a day before use and that does not work for me.
right now I am using a mix of Dumonde purple extreme and voodew. only had it on since monday but so far so good.

Dumonde is good but it does get messy. so far it has been the best for daily rainy rides. I like voodew better for when it is dry (have not tried it in winter yet) purple extreme may be good but I think it needs to dry for a day before use and that does not work for me.
right now I am using a mix of Dumonde purple extreme and voodew. only had it on since monday but so far so good.
You shouldn't realy mix lubes they may not play well together. and if your dumond gets messy your over applying it the chain should have a fairly dry look after you get done. I usualy do the drop per link routine spin the crank a few times then wipe offf the extra lube with a rag, even after a thirty mile cross country ride it still looks and feels clean and well lubed. The D.tech company is quite adament that it should not be over applied and relubing should not occur untill the chain 'sounds' like it needs it, the rep. I talked to said that the reason they have a light version for roadbikes is that over application is less likely, but it is the same basic lube thinned down a bit.

Dumond gets messy after you apply it more then a couple of times. they reccomend cleaning the chain with warmwith soppy water but I don't have any availyble in my shop.
during winter when I used it after the third application it was a bit messy but it lasted a long time.

1.Wipe off chain with a rag.
2.Apply Prolink to all links and back pedal for 30 seconds.
3.Wipe off 99.9% of prolink and let dry overnight.
4.Ride.

Nothing beats this for an easy effective way to clean and maintain a chain.

Dumond gets messy after you apply it more then a couple of times. they reccomend cleaning the chain with warmwith soppy water but I don't have any availyble in my shop.
during winter when I used it after the third application it was a bit messy but it lasted a long time.

I guess I never had that problem as I always took the chain off, soaked it in Simple Green in a tuperware container while set on top of the washing machine to shake things loose. You just have to remember to rinse really well to get all the Simple Green out as it's a detergent. Then I lube as directed and the chain and drivetrain stays cleans for around 500 miles. I use the regular on my MTB and just started using the Lite on the RB. BTW, how hard can it be to get warm soapy water? :)

Hi,
I use Prolink and Finish Line oil. Mostly I alternate. Using the two together gives a smoothness I haven't been able to get any other way. Pure teflon is a little smoother, but it doesn't last. And they stopped selling those little syringes of teflon. Anyway, I followed the directions to start with the Prolink.Next time I clean I lube with Finish Line. I clean my chain a lot, every 50 miles or so.
I just wet a folded shop paper towel with degreaser and run the chain through that, folding and refolding to keep exposing clean paper towel to the chain. Takes longer to type than to do.

I guess I never had that problem as I always took the chain off, soaked it in Simple Green in a tuperware container while set on top of the washing machine to shake things loose. You just have to remember to rinse really well to get all the Simple Green out as it's a detergent. Then I lube as directed and the chain and drivetrain stays cleans for around 500 miles. I use the regular on my MTB and just started using the Lite on the RB. BTW, how hard can it be to get warm soapy water? :)

if you ride in the rain the repeat applications make it work far better. the first application i would get one rain ride the next a couple and after that maybe 6 of them. but that does get thigns a bit messy then when you clean th chain between applications.
my shop where I work as cold water only and the sink is a ways away (G)

1.Wipe off chain with a rag.
2.Apply Prolink to all links and back pedal for 30 seconds.
3.Wipe off 99.9% of prolink and let dry overnight.
4.Ride.

Nothing beats this for an easy effective way to clean and maintain a chain.

this will not clean your chain and it forces dirt deeper into it. one thing I have found that is frustration with most lubes I have tried si the more you wipe off the less time it lasts. like I would wipe the chain after I applied it then ride the bike once or twice and wipe the cain again. but if I hit it a third time most of the lube would fail in a couple three days.
this was my goal in trying new lubes to be able to have a chain with no black on it at all. voodew came the closest so far.

You shouldn't realy mix lubes they may not play well together. and if your dumond gets messy your over applying it the chain should have a fairly dry look after you get done. I usualy do the drop per link routine spin the crank a few times then wipe offf the extra lube with a rag, even after a thirty mile cross country ride it still looks and feels clean and well lubed. The D.tech company is quite adament that it should not be over applied and relubing should not occur untill the chain 'sounds' like it needs it, the rep. I talked to said that the reason they have a light version for roadbikes is that over application is less likely, but it is the same basic lube thinned down a bit.

well they won't blow up (G) but so far it is working well. just something to play around with.

this will not clean your chain and it forces dirt deeper into it. one thing I have found that is frustration with most lubes I have tried si the more you wipe off the less time it lasts. like I would wipe the chain after I applied it then ride the bike once or twice and wipe the cain again. but if I hit it a third time most of the lube would fail in a couple three days.
this was my goal in trying new lubes to be able to have a chain with no black on it at all. voodew came the closest so far.

If you do it as decribed it will clean your chain and keep it running smooth. Industry experts swear by this method and so do I. I repeat.... it is the easiest, most effective system you can do to keep your chain clean and running smooth.

well according to most people doing this will jsut force the dirt into the chain. it's not the dirt on the outside thats the problem it is the dirt on the inside that is the issue. thats what wears out the pins and makes your chain longer.
don't belive me just post a question about it here and see the replies you get.

I first use TriFlow for many years, but then switched to various waxed base crap lubes and in about a year decided they were all junk, so switched away from the wax to Finish Line Teflon Dri. I like the Finish line about as well as the TriFlow. Will I ever go back to TriFlow? I don't know, but I do know I want to give Prolink a try after this bottle of Finish Line stuff is gone.

Best lube I've found to date is a graphite based locksmith's oil. Very thin, so it penetrates. It's a little bit messy when first putting it on, as it's a black oil, but the graphite does not attract dirt the way most thicker oils will.

I take the chain off a couple of times a year and give it an hour in an ultrasonic cleaner. The road bike chain stays fairly clean, but you should see the crud that drops out of a MTB chain after an hour in an ultrasonic cleaner.

I go through 2 1/2 chains a year tight now. I get about 2000 miles out of one. I clean the chain every time I lube it. so I hope I iwll get a bit more life out of it.

Wow, 2000 miles and your replacing a chain! Thank God I ride an older bike that used the wider chains because those wide chains last an average of 13,000 miles for the same cost as a 2000 mile thin chain if not less.

Hi Froze,
I am also disturbed at the way so much of the new bike kit
wears so quickly. I clean the chains in the family, and we have a 7, a 8, and a 9 speed drivetrain. The quality of the drivetrains, by coincidence, goes up with the number. So my 9 speed is Ultegra, the 8 speed is Sram and the 7 speed is old entry level Suntour.
The 7 speed seems to turn more freely than the others. If I give the cranks a good spin, it spins backwards longer. I guess the narrower chains provide a small increase in friction. I can imagine how long 10 speed drivetrains will last.

not sure if it is all the rain or my weight (about 240 and going down. it is only a 8 speed chain. but I ride twice a day 5 days a week. I am testing to see if keeping it really clean will help.