sabado225

1.What is the best 'overall' lubrication I can use on a bike, whether it be a chain, my pedal screws that have gotten mucky (like grease+mucky)


2.At an LBS they told me to get a 'swatbox' can someone link this ? I basically want a place to put a repair toolkit, what is the best storage positioning on a bike, under the seat on the handlebars , where the top tube and seat tube meet? I want it to not affect my ridign at all.

dabac

1) there isn't one. To be a good chain lube it needs to be fairly runny.
To have good staying powers on threads, ball bearings etc it needs to be fairly thick.
2) I have no idea what a "swatbox" is.
There are saddle bags of various sizes. Some good enough to reliably hold tools.
Or you can get a tool kit packed in a fake water bottle to go wherever the bike goes. You'll still need to carry some spares on the side though.

Mobile 155

For a road bike in dry areas a dry lube tends to work best and will keep the chain cleaner.

Damp or dirty a wet lube may work better. Doesn’t last as long but you are cleaning the chain more anyway.

I use a Teflon lube for cables. If you use cleats sprey wax like pledge works on the cleats.

I use a seat bag for tubes and repair tools.

DJH8098

https://moltenspeedwax.com/ I put this on every chain I put on my bikes well worth it. As far as bags go, a seat bag works great I would think a Medium or Large one would be ideal for most applications.

noglider 

I don't know what pedal screws are. Are they the threads where your pedals go into your cranks? Use grease there.

I disagree that @dabac that you can't use the same oil on the chain as on the rest of the bike. In fact, my preference is the opposite of his. I like a heavy oil for the chain and a light oil for everything else, but if I have only one, light or heavy, I'll use it. These choices aren't that important. They all work. If you use a light oil on the chain, you'll have to refresh it more often, but it works.

I really like this bag for tools. On my bike, the rear face ends up being vertical, and I hang a tail light on the fabric loop. In the bag, I keep a spare tube, a very small pump, a patch kit, some small tools, and sometimes my keys and wallet. The bag moves from bike to bike easily.

Walter S

When I'm camping and packing light (but cooking etc) I'll lube my chain with olive oil.

79pmooney

I like that. I used to bring one cleaner, Dr Bronners, for everything. Dishes, showers, poison ivy exposure, you name it.

dabac

I don't think you're reading quite what I meant.
What I mean is that there's no good do-it-ALL bike lube.
Some places, like repacking a cup & cone bearing really benefit from a grease instead on an oil.
Pretty much anything good for a chain will look runny compared to anything that's good for a ball bearing.
Likewise, I really prefer grease over oil as anti-seize on pedal threads, seat posts, quill stems etc.
Greases do tend to hang around longer.

But sure, a decent chain lube will do OK on more than the chain. I wouldn't hesitate to use it on a brake pivot, brake lever, external cam q/r etc

And of course SOMETHING is better than nothing. Even a dose of WD-40 on a seatpost would be better than an entirely dry assembly.

steve-in-kville 

1- I just use a general household oil. No reason to do otherwise.

2- n/a for me. I commute with a Osprey backpack.

wipekitty

1 - I'm a fan of T9 lube. It's not good for all jobs, but a few drops here and there will help out.

2 - Google seemed to suggest that a "swatbox" may be a product from Specialized - if your LBS is a Specialized dealer, that's probably why they have it. I just use a large seat pack for tubes, CO2 and repair tools - not loyal to any particular brand.