Mountain Biking - what kind of drivetrain lube should i use????

im needing to know what type of lube i should use on my mtn bike chain/drivetrain brake levers etc... as i ride alot of off-road now and get pretty dirty i wash the bike alot now. ive heard some people saying store bottle stuff is expensive and other stuff is just as good. im in canada and im not sure what a good type of lube would be. either a brand or a type of lubricant. thanks.

ProLink

Ummm...maybe ask the lbs. The guys in the area will know the terrain and will be able to recommend appropriate lube for the time of year and area.

I just switched to ProLink from TriFlow, and it's much better in dry, dusty conditions. Much cleaner, and I can relube once or twice without degreasing.

Probably have to go back to TriFlow in winter, though.

Pro-link and tri-flow are the two that dominate all threads like this... cant go wrong with either I guess...

How about chain scrubbers? Do youall have a favorite one or success with a particular one?? Is there a spray on/wipe off degreaser that will do the same thing??

thanks
~Steve

a secondary question..........about the bottom bracket and other things.ive been told not to use a hose to clean the crud from a messy ride. if the seals cant hold up to a garden hose how can they hold up to the elements? ie: mud dirt sand etc... i just want to minimize the damage but i also dont want to spend 3 hrs cleaning the thing. i find it hard to belive that you have to clean it by hand in this day and age. if you properly lube things afterward can you not use a normal garden hose with a spray knozzle to clean the bike??

For good weather prolink. Wet weather or muddy, triflow or similar stuff at the hardware store. Also still using promotional bottle of Pedro's synlube for nasty conditions.


How about chain scrubbers? Do youall have a favorite one or success with a particular one?? Is there a spray on/wipe off degreaser that will do the same thing??

Assuming you mean the inline chain cleaning machines, I have the Park one. It works pretty good with Simple Green. Just be carefull to seat the chain all the way into the cog in the wheel part that brushes the chain from the side. I didn't and broke it trying to move the chain thru. Had to get the $7 replacement kit. I heard Finish Line's cleaner works good, perhaps better. Not sure about spray on/wipe off, I would rather put the effort in to brush the chain than to have stronger chemicals around.

Dave

i understand the lbs should be able to help me. unfortunately im having second thoughts about who i bought my bike from. it used to be a reputable shop but i think the old man retired. when i bought the bike he didnt even set it up ( positioning everything) the way some other shops have said is the first thing they do. the 2 shops ive been buying smaller things from and are much more atune to the tech side of things do not sell my brand of bike, so i cant just slip in. i have noticed lbs' being snotty towards people that didnt purchase the same brands that they sell. so until i upgrade i'm embarking on trying to do things on my own as much as i can........and i really appreciate this forum as its given me a ton of info.

a secondary question..........about the bottom bracket and other things.ive been told not to use a hose to clean the crud from a messy ride. if the seals cant hold up to a garden hose how can they hold up to the elements? ie: mud dirt sand etc... i just want to minimize the damage but i also dont want to spend 3 hrs cleaning the thing. i find it hard to belive that you have to clean it by hand in this day and age. if you properly lube things afterward can you not use a normal garden hose with a spray knozzle to clean the bike??

i dunno - i think when they say not to use a hose on the bike they meant "not on your drivetrain". i know that BB, hubs etc should be sealed enough to avoid water getting in (if not your bike is cr@p), but that's not to say NO water will get in (like submerging it or subjecting it to constant high-pressure water sprays). I avoid hosing b/c cogs, chainrings and chain are more susceptible to rust - i know the cogs and chain on my former trek 4300 did rust a bit. arent most drivetrain components made of steel?

personally i like boeshield its a parifin wax that doesnt pick up dirt it just takes two hours to dry