Dhorn33

I picked up a bottle of Finish Line Ceramic Lube for my chain today after a recommendation from the shop. I just rebuilt an old Bianchi and soaked the chain in Kerosine to clean it thoroughly - but I didn't want to put Triflow on because it seemed to attact lots of dirt in short time. Anyway - has anyone used this stuff? Is it decent or should I try something else?

Panthers007

Never tried that one. But I do use Boeshield T-9 for chains - one drop-one link. It deposits paraffin(wax) deep into the chain. Just let it sit for an hour or two, then wipe off the excess. It doesn't attract dirt and grime like some others. And it lasts a long time.

carpediemracing 

I bought it because the shop I was patronizing had more of that on the shelf than anything else, and I was trying to buy down some of his inventory.

It's just as dirty as TriFlow, if not more so. It's one of my last resort lubes.

I like the Boeshield, White Lightning (excellent for cables), err some little clear bottle with a yellow cap and green lettering (I want to say Duo-Something, but it'll take me 10 minutes to get downstairs, look at it, and get back upstairs again, so I'll do it on my next trip downstairs).

I also like TriFlow. Heck, I even have a gallon jug of WD40.

Really, I like any lube. It's a matter of keeping up with the cleaning of the drivetrain (which this year I really didn't do). It's like car engine oil - clean oil is better than dirty oil.

If it's hard to clean your drivetrain regularly, White Lightning is the cleanest I've dealt with. As far as lubing properties, that's a different debate. It also freezes in lower temperatures.

cdr

Cadfael

That says it all really for me as well. I clean my chain every week and apply new lube so I don't have to worry to much about the lube picking up dirt... just so long as it is not to severe. Thus I don't need a super high end dry lube, I just use Halford's own brand. If I was going to leave the cleaning longer than maybe I would look at something else.

That is the open secret regarding this... keep your chain clean regularly, and as long as the lube you are using is actually lubing (and not degreasing... WD40! Ugh!) any lube will do, even 3in1 at a pinch.

z415

Really? While I love WL for my road bike, I always thought of it as a trade off between clean vs. reduction of friction with WL being on the clean side and always assumed that since cable/housing systems stay mostly clean WL would be overkill on the clean side and not enough on the slippery side.

I will have to try it when I rebuild my crapped up hardtail.

carpediemracing 

WL works well with the teflon whatever lining in the housing. In bare housing, forget it.

In the lined housing though the wax doesn't go anywhere, so you get a pretty high "wax to surface area" ratio. I'm just guessing there, I have no idea why it works well.

One of my good friends has a high end classic car restoration business. He keeps WL on hand for throttle cables and such because it makes such a difference. He used to work with me in the shop, and he started using WL at that time, brought it to the shop, and his dad really liked the stuff - this was probably 12-14 years ago. I went there maybe earlier this summer and he had a big bottle of the stuff on the shelf.

cdr

froze

Your first thoughts are correct. Wax based lubes is only good on a chain if you don't want to play with your chain and end up with dirty greasy fingers, use an oil based lube if you want your chain to have less friction and thus less wear on the chain which means your chain will last longer.

See: https://www.sheldonbrown.com/chains.html Scan down about half way and you will find the comments on using wax and down a wee bit further on oil.

I seriously think that LBS's telling their clients to use any wax based lube simply wants to sell them chains!! Or somehow they thing a clean chain means no dirt and thus no wear. And they seem to being a good job at doing that these days with a lot of folk here on this forum that have reported in previous posts that they only average 3,000 miles on their chains; I average 15,000 and my gears average 60,000 and I use oil based lubes. I did try, like an idiot, Pedros Ice wax lube and that chain lasted about 5,000 miles and I had to relube it about every 60 miles or chain would sound off, this meant I had to carry a bottle of this crap with me on long rides.

Good lubes like TriFlow, FinishLine Teflon Dry (not familar with the Ceramic mentioned), or Pro Link or similar lubes. These lubes have a carrier so they go on wet but will dry to the touch after about 8 to 12 hours thus preventing dirt from sticking to the chain. Using just plain motor oil will not become dry to the touch and your chain will become a dirt magnet, but it's ok to use in an emergency.

bagel007

I'm using Finish Line Pro Road -- my LBS recommended it after replacing my chain.

I believe that the "Pro Road" has been replaced by "Ceramic Wet Lube" - https://www.finishlineusa.com/product...c_wet_lube.htm.

CCrew

I'm with Panthers007. I've experimented with a bunch of different lubes, I stopped looking when I found Boeshield. I clean my chains in mineral spirits, blow them dry, let them sit a bit to evap any remaining solvent and then spray the T9 on. I try to do that at a time when the bike can sit overnight after applying the T9.

Panthers007

Overnight is best to make sure it penetrates every link fully. Then run the chain through a rag to remove any excess and you're good to go.

bagel007

I'm not sure the following only applies to "ceramic" lube:

https://www.finishlineusa.com/product...c_wet_lube.htm

Application tips: Apply generously to clean chain (Degrease, rinse with water and then dry.) Work in, wipe excess. Reapply after 1st ride to complete ceramic coating process. NOTE: The white ceramic particles may turn grey or black over time. This discoloration is normal and will not compromise performance. After several applications this will lessen.

froze

Rinse the chain with water? FinishLine is the foremost research and development lube company in the world, so I would follow their instruction to the letter even though it goes against every grain of my being not to rinse a chain in water. The act of rinsing of the chain in water must do something to set up the Ceramic lube?

HillRider

**********

bagel007

I believe that what they mean is to rinse the chain with water after degreasing it. You don't want to leave degreasing agent on the chain before lubing it. However, degreasing the chain before each lube? That doesn't make sense.

Captain Jake

Anyone have any experience with the Phil Wood lube?

Panthers007

Phil Wood grease? Or Phil Tenacious Oil?

Used on a chain, this would make an utter mess. One which would attract every bit of dirt and muck within a 5-mile area.

Phil Tenacious Oil would certainly work on a chain - but this would also pull micro-meteors out of orbit to accumulate on the chain.

In my book - it's best to use a 'dry' lube. Emergencies? Use a stick of butter if you have to, but clean your chain as soon as possible.

Captain Jake

How about the Bio-Lube, that one I was curious about moreso than the tenacious oil or grease. Is it just another tenacious oil?

carpediemracing 

I was ordering a bunch of stuff for the shop. I asked for Tenacious Oil for the shop (we used it in freewheels, I forget what else, and on rainy day bikes). Rep looks at me.

"You don't know that this is such and such 2 cycle oil?"
"Um... no."
"You think Phil Wood is an oil company? That they have a refinery? That they can spec exactly what kind of lube they want?"
"Um..."
"I'll get you a few bottles if you want, but if I were you I'd just get the 2 cycle oil."

I ordered the bottles.

I don't know about the truth of what the rep told me, but it's obvious that much of the stuff out there is produced by one company, bought/marketed/sold by another. Just look at all the similar aluminum-frame-with-carbon-stays, or the variety of Far East Taiwan cranksets.

I know that the rust proof stuff sold by a small frame builder is the same stuff you buy when you rust proof cars (it's a brownish spray, sticky, and "self seals"). I believe you could get the same spray can size in the car or bike market. I know that the energy drink mix that was sold by a now defunct company is simply a geriatric meal supplement mix with different packaging (and folks swore by it). The mix came from Canada, if I recall correctly.

Any biodegradeable lube (typically using vegetable oil) will be a different story, because I don't know how that industry works.

cdr

froze

SEE: https://www.finishlineusa.com/company-info.htm scan down to "Current Status".

Granted that's their opinion. But read that site I gave you and you'll find that they dabble in other stuff as well.`They also bought out White Lightening by the way.

Metaluna

I've been working my way through a bottle of Pro Road (I assume the ceramic lube is the same gold-colored stuff, just renamed?). I'm not sure if I'll buy another bottle when this is done, but for now I don't hate it. It can be pretty messy unless you wipe the chain down really thoroughly. Also, it doesn't hurt to take a bit of rag with you and wipe it again after the first 20 miles or so, but the same goes for homebrew, Prolink, or other wet lubes I've tried. But it does seem to keep the chain quieter longer than homebrew or Prolink, and doesn't seem to attract quite as much grit (the stuff gets just as black as the other two, but the chain doesn't seem to feel as gritty if you squeeze and flex it between your fingers).

The consistency is very thick and gooey, somewhat like Phil Tenacious. Also it's not a self-cleaning solvent-carrier based lube like Prolink, White Lightning, etc. (not sure if Boeshield is or not). I've been applying it right after I clean my chain with mineral spirits. I wipe down the excess spirits off the chain but don't let it dry. Then, I get the Pro Road bottle and squeeze it a bit so there's just a drop bulging out of the tip (it won't spill out if you invert the bottle, it's too thick). Then just touch it to each roller, keeping light pressure on the bottle. The stuff is so thick it sticks to the roller easily, but doesn't flood out of the bottle like thin lubes will, and the mineral spirit residue helps thin it and get it into the links. So it's easy and fast to apply without getting it all over everything. I have a bottle of Phil Tenacious around somewhere, so maybe I'll try this technique with it once the Pro Road runs out.

bagel007

Pro Road is wet lube, but thick, which seems to me a bit unusual. What makes it thick, as I understand it, is the ceramic element.

I lube the chain with Pro Road exactly the way you do it -- touching each roller with a bulging drop.

Before Pro Road I was using WURTH Rost Off, which is similar to WD-40. It collected dirt very quickly unless I let it dry for long-long hours before riding the bike. Also, I had to relube the chain frequently. With Pro Road, the chain looks dry, but on touch isn't.