ggbo951a

I was carrying my bike behind my car a lot and rained last few days. After I noticed the gears and chains started to rust with brown color I just applied some motorcycle lube to it. The lube was clearly for motorcycle chain so I am wondering how it fares??
Is there a dedicated lube sold at sports store for bicycle chains.
Thanks.,

HillRider

Motorcycle chain lubes are typically much thicker than bike chain lubes since the drag is of no consequence to a motorcycle and the chain speeds are much higher.

Are their dedicated bike chain lubes? Oh my yes and the question of which one is the best has filled page after argumentative page on this forum. It is one of the most contentious issues among riders. A search for "chain lube" will keep you up all night reading the results. Short answer; bike shops do have many dedicated commercial bike chain lubes and which is best for you depends on your type of riding and riding conditions. Ask locally.

hueyhoolihan

i've been using 90w motorcycle rear end oil on my bike chains for the last four or five years. absolutely no problem.

ggbo951a

Thanks guys for info. yes i do imagine since motorcycle chains are much tougher and robust (has to be!) than bicycle ones however the lube i am using I expect to be less viscuous but actually did not feel that way upon spraying. I hope it will not create too much strain on the bicycle chain, may be I will start using dedicated bicycle lube down the road. !!

Crankycrank

The problem with many MC lubes is that they are designed for sealed O-ring chain links and are made to dry quickly and cling to the surface without flinging off at high speeds. This makes them less likely to penetrate into the inside of a bike chain. Two very different requirements for each type of chain. Of course not all MC lubes are the same and some will work fine on a bike but you need to know which ones are the penetrating type.

GravelMN

There are dozens of bike chain lubes on the market and about as many opinions as to which is best. In reality, there are two basic types of lube, wet and dry. Wet lubes work well in wet conditions as they do a good job of repelling water and keeping water out of the chain pivot points. Their downfall is that they collect dust and tend to leave dark marks on your calves (chain tatoos) or pants legs. Dry lubes are wax based with a solvent that dries quickly leaving behind a protective film. They perform best in dry, dusty conditions where you don't what grit collecting on the chain but aren't going to be encountering a lot of water. I find that dry lubes tend to require more frequent reapplication to keep the drive train quiet, but they are a lot cleaner.

To add to the mix are the synthetic lubes that can be silicone based and may contain teflon or other additives. I like synthetics for extreme cold conditions as they don't thicken and do a good job of protecting your chain from wet and salt.

The two lubes I am currently using are Dupont Multi-Purpose Synthetic with Teflon (PTFE) as my wet lube and WD40 Bike Dry Lube (not the same as the regular WD40 penetrating lubricant in a spray can). Both of which perform well under their intended conditions but I don't claim they are "the best" as that will surely start an argument. I also have the Dupont Synthetic Penetrating Lube and Liquid Wrench Penetrating Lube for use on rusted parts. Once the parts are free moving and cleaned up, I switch back to my regular lubricants.

Far more important than which lube you use, is that you reapply lube at appropriate intervals, don't overlubricate (just builds up gunk), and keep your chain reasonably clean.

BTW, I personally don't like spray lubes as you don't get much lube for your money and 2/3 of it never ends up on the chain but gets all over the frame and possibly even on rims or disc brake surfaces.

Wilfred Laurier

My experience with motorcycle chain lube is that it works fine, but is so thick and sticky that it will result in your chain being an very filthy mess much faster than if you used a lighter lube. But riding with the lube on the chain will not damage your chain. Try to clean off as much of the excess motorcycle lube as you can from the outside to keep it from getting too dirty. And periodically wipe off the dirt, too.

fietsbob

Sew a cover over the drive train so its less out in the elements.

Duo

For casual riding, i find a thick automotive gear oil works fine soaking on the chain over nite and wiped in the morning. This should last 500 to 1000 miles, at least for me. The stuff is cheap and will last for years in the quart bottle. Some say the lighter oils don't last long, so i use this heavy oil and the chain lube hassles are mostly eliminated.

Also good to wipe your chain off occassionally depending on how dirty your area is.