mountainwalker

Does Diesel fuel work any differently than Odorless Mineral Spirits or is it any cheaper?

How does the DuPont Teflon Chain Saver perform compared with Progold Prolink lube? Is there any advantage to using Teflon lube on a road bike?

mountainwalker

Happy Independence Day!

When is best to use ceramic, Teflon or traditional oil lubes like Progold Prolink? I'd love to understand the advantages/disadvantages for different uses and conditions. Anyone know?

I was told, and used to use, Teflon-based chain lube on my mountain bike, because supposedly it attracted less dirt and would perform better in an environment with lot of dirt and dust. True?

Is there an advantage to traditional lube, ceramic lube or Teflon lube for regular road use for everyday commuting and weekend fitness riding?

cruiserhead

I hate triflow and prolink for chains. Way too messy and dirty. drivetrain seems to get instantly dirty after

I'ave had great results with White Lightning cleaner spray and then the dry lube
the dirt clumps and is easy to clean
drivetrain stays clean

have a good 4th everyone

loimpact

Just a note on mineral spirits (aka Odorless Mineral Spirits). I went to Lowe's the other day & they didn't have any. I asked another person & they said they now have what's called "Brush Cleaner". I found it, inspected the can and wasn't sure if it was still a true mineral spirit.

Anybody else know??

Or should I just check the Depot? (Of course they may be next to follow if they're getting pressure from some beaurocracy to change)

mountainwalker

There's very good info in this thread, from which I listed some of the best quotes below:

lubricant - Is a self cleaning lube enough for chain maintenance? - Bicycles Stack Exchange

It seems like the drier lubes can have advantages in drier weather, but for wetter and winter riding the heavier oil-based lubes would be more protective against rust.

Given that we live in a coastal area with dry day weather almost 7-8 months per year, however with a regular moist fog that rolls in every night and rolls out in the morning, and that we store some around-town bikes outside in our yard, it would seem to be a good idea to have a lube that's both protective of rust and doesn't attract too much dirt - perhaps Teflon-based motorcycle chain lube 7-8 months a year, and Progold Prolink for our wetter winter season? What do you think?

"Basically, the "very dry" lubes contain tiny particles of a wax-like substance suspended in a "vehicle" that quickly evaporates once applied. Slightly "wetter" oils (still in the "dry" category) contain Teflon or some such in a "vehicle" that contains a touch of heavier oil (just enough to make the Teflon adhere and provide a thin oily coating to help resist rust). Then you go through the range of "medium" oils until you get to your extra-"wet" (& heavy) oils which are designed to withstand being nearly continuously wet. As you go down the range the dirt-catching tendency of the oil grows. – Daniel R Hicks Aug 27 '12 at 18:51"

As far as when to use each, Daniel continues: "It depends -- on the lube you use, the type of riding you do, and how much of a maintenance nut you are.

The "drier" the lube you use, the cleaner the chain will stay (though "dry" lube does not protect as well against moisture).
If you ride on roads, and rarely ride in the rain or slop, you need less chain maintenance.
Some people have to have their chains spotless, others can tolerate a bit of grime. Keeping the chain spotless probably adds 5-10% (over "moderate" maintenance) to chain and sprocket life (though you can overdo it and actually make things worse). But that extra 5-10% life is not that significant.
One important thing to do, after lubing, is to use a rag to wipe the outside of the chain. This removes a lot of grime and also removes excess lube that will attract more grime.

I generally use a chain washer system about once a season (and when I was commuting regularly I'd use it about once a month). Others do more, less, or none at all.

(FWIT, I also generally use a Teflon or wax-based "dry" lube, though I used to switch to something heavier when I did winter riding.)

shareimprove this answer
edited Aug 27 '12 at 18:56

answered Aug 27 '12 at 15:28

Daniel R Hicks"

Apparently White lightning is a waxy lube, with the supposed advantage being that when dirt gets embedded, the wax flakes off instead of trapping dirt in between the plates of the chain.

Another commenter: "I never use oil based lubes now - they're just too messy and you end up paying double because you need to first buy the oil and then also buy expensive degreaser to wash them off again.

I do get through wax based lubes faster than oil - you have to reapply more often. Compared to the faff of oil based lubes though, it seems worth it.

You do have to still clean your chain and cogs off every so often. How often depends on the weather, distance and type of terrain you've been cycling through. But, it seems like far less mess and time is required than oil based lubes. To clean I soak the chain in a mix of hot water, washing up liquid and something like kitchen/hob surface cleaner.

Scott Langham Aug 28 '12 at 20:59"

XXLHardrock

While WD40 may be expensive for what you get in terms of quantity, the convenience of the spray can, smart straw and being able to buy it almost anywhere makes it a bargain unless you buy it a convenience store. Either way it's still a bargain compared to the boutique oils sold at the LBS. Talk about "Big Oil" sheesh.

After winter riding through slush and salty standing water I spray the entire drive train with the stuff to displace water. I find it also keeps the exposed cables around the bottom bracket free of ice build up and moving freely.

In fact, I use WD40 and 3 in 1 year round, but like Dr. Sheldon Brown said, talking chain lube is like talking religion....


Its kind of like Ralphy said about his father in "A Christmas Story" - some men are Protestant others Catholic, my father was an Oldsmobile man.


edit: to the poster that wants to use Diesel, have you worked with it previously? FYI: The stuff STINKS and if you get any on your clothes, it won't just wash out, and trying to do so will stink up your washing machine. You'll ruin your gloves and anything else you get it on.

cruiserhead

yeah WD40 is great for all kinds of stuff
you can get big jugs of it to make it more cost effective too.

if you're handy, you can make the smart straw can refillable.