Bicycle Mechanics - white lightning in the winter

any problems with it stiffining or freezing in cold weather?

I've used it steadily throughout the year for the last 4 or 5 years. It is a little stiff when cold, but after a mile or so the chain runs smoothly. The only problem I've found is you must apply it to a warm chain. If the bike's been outdoors, you'll have to bring it inside for a while to warm up. I tend to apply it pretty heavily in the winter to try to compensate for the salty road spray.

i only use wax in summer, it doesnt provide the rust protection like tri flow so thats where i stand

any problems with it stiffining or freezing in cold weather?I wouldn't use WL any time any place any where. It blows.

lol yep that it does. I use pedros ice wax in summer but im thinking about just saying srew it, wax is such a pain in the arse becuase you cant just put it on and go. Tri flow is magic to the chain :D

I use WL as a part of a system in winter. Use the WL to clean it all off, let it dry, then run some Pedros or FInish Line XC/Wet over it. The problem with a lot of the "wet lubes" is they collect water and turn sludgy.

wet lubes dont get washed away and protect against rust, a must with salty new england road gunk

Same here in 'Old' England. Finish Line wet or die :).

Yep, england it definantly rains a lot. Plus here becuase of the snow and ice these trucks dump so much crap on the road with no considering to my chain. Yesterday i tried ice wax and i woke up with a chain that had quite a bit more rust than last night.

I cant get WL to last for more than about 50 miles on my road bike in the winter, have given up. I have much better luck with any of the wet lubes- Pedros, ProLink, Triflow - all seem better to me.

OTOH- still use WL on my MTB - since I don't seem to ride as far, and it doesnt attract the dirt. Works well for that application

Perhaps its all aobut finding the right tool for the job.....

It definantly is, with weather here in new england so unpredictable its good to have both on hand. In summer i use ice wax a lot for everything, the roads try up fast and theres lots of stuff on the roads that it does not pick up and a wet lube could but come witner it just gives no protection my chain would be eaten away by rust in a week

I listen to all you guys talk about ice, snow, salt- boy I sure can't complain about a little rain in NorCal. If I moved East, I would have to probably learn about which lube works best sub freezing...

you NorEast folks have all my respect for the riding you do between October and March!

I really dislike the wax lubes because I get to clean them off and it is a pain. They don't lube well, they are not quiet, they have to be applied often and they do not protect against rust. They are not even that clean, at least triflow wipes off with a little Windex.

Not to mention they are a pain to put on becuse you cant just put it on and go. You've gotta wait for it to set in.

I wouldn't use WL any time any place any where. It blows.

Not even on a boat, with a goat?

If you live in a place where conditions are right, what's not to like. Goes on easy, doesn't attract dirt that then acts like a lapping compound, is clean, and last very well indeed in a dry climate.

Besides which, it drips more than it blows.

I used to be a big Pedro's fan but it really was only good for about the first 5 miles. And of course when it rains, it washes right off. I tried White Lightning and wasn't happy with it either. I don't mind wet lubes if they didn't get so damn black and gooey.

I've since converted to Boeshield. If you apply it according to the label instructions, it's a great all-purpose lube and protectant.

thanks for the input y'all.

I use Pedros Ice Wax from April to October here in Upstate NY, but only on the road bike. For the MTB and winter road riding it's Tri Flo. Wax based lubes are worthless when wet. When the temps start to drop below 50 degrees the wax gets too hard and flakes off too fast, again leaving the chain dry.

White Lightning and wax based lubes should not be used in the winter...for that matter anytime! The wax based lubes do not last long on the chain and require reapplying it at least every 60 miles of chain noise will start shortly after that, and where there is chain noise there is chain and gear wear going on.

I second the Finish Line Cross Country Wet for winter use. This is the lube preferred by off road cyclist who know their chains will get crapped out. But the wet lube will not last as long in normal weather as their Teflon Dry will, and will require more chain cleaning and reapplying the lube. Teflon Dry is probably the best chain lube on the market, and will stand up to mild wet conditions very well. Finish Line also makes a wax lube if you prefer wax called KryTech; but unlike it's competitors, KryTech adds another Dupont chemical that bonds to metal called Krytox and combining that with Molybdenum for durability, then adds specialized (whatever that means) waxes for a clean chain. Finish Line is now the worlds leader in bicycle lubes and specialized lubes.