Cycle specific chain lube? no thanks!
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Yesterday I popped the power link off my chain and coiled it up falt and put it in a square container then filled it to the top of the chain with a penertating oil we use ( I'm an industrial service tech). It's just mostly a kerosene based product. I shook the container back and forth for about a couple minutes and watched the gold liquid turn black! Poured it out, wiped the chain off with a cloth and repeated ; the color didnt get as dark. Cleaned it off again and let it hang outside while I did yard work. Put the chain back on and lubed each pivit with Mobile 1 motor oil. If it's good enough for a twin turbo charged Evo it's good enough for a frekin chain for God's sake! Wiped off the excess thoroughly. Just got back from a 35 mile ride and my cain is not any different than when I use that hyped up teflon/wax $5.00 per ounce junk. It shifted like silk the for the entire ride! I think the cycling industry figures a guy that will drop $2,000+ on an average road bike will probably spend whatever amount to enhance the experience and is banking on the probability that that type of person is not mechanically oriented! They blend up a crock of reasons why we need their type of product, even though no other lube application on Earth needs it! They are taking advantage of our love for the sport. It's synthetic oil for me from now on; I feel really stupid for not thinking for myself earilier! Gee, I bet a this 1/2 of a quart will last me a few years!
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Originally Posted by VeganRider
Yesterday I popped the power link off my chain and coiled it up falt and put it in a square container then filled it to the top of the chain with a penertating oil we use ( I'm an industrial service tech). It's just mostly a kerosene based product. I shook the container back and forth for about a couple minutes and watched the gold liquid turn black! Poured it out, wiped the chain off with a cloth and repeated ; the color didnt get as dark. Cleaned it off again and let it hang outside while I did yard work. Put the chain back on and lubed each pivit with Mobile 1 motor oil. If it's good enough for a twin turbo charged Evo it's good enough for a frekin chain for God's sake! Wiped off the excess thoroughly. Just got back from a 35 mile ride and my cain is not any different than when I use that hyped up teflon/wax $5.00 per ounce junk. It shifted like silk the for the entire ride! I think the cycling industry figures a guy that will drop $2,000+ on an average road bike will probably spend whatever amount to enhance the experience and is banking on the probability that that type of person is not mechanically oriented! They blend up a crock of reasons why we need their type of product, even though no other lube application on Earth needs it! They are taking advantage of our love for the sport. It's synthetic oil for me from now on; I feel really stupid for not thinking for myself earilier! Gee, I bet a this 1/2 of a quart will last me a few years!
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Originally Posted by shokhead
Is the inside of you Evo exposed to dirt like the outside of a chain? Prolink works fine and its made for the chain as Mobil 1 is made for the inside of an engine. I'll save my engine oil for my engine. If it works for you{in the long run} great. A bottle of prolink last me well over a year.
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We are trying to be helpful to. Maybe you overlube. My chain is still clean after about 300 miles since the last cleaning. You dont figure the oil industry loves that you speed 4 bucks a can or more for M1? M1 or 99 cent Mobil oil,as long as you change it before 5000 miles,nothing will tell the difference,imo. Dont ask what i use.
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Originally Posted by VeganRider
"it's made for the chain" , says who? Prolink maybe? Yeah I've used that too, tri Flow, White Lightening, Pedro's stuff, used them all. Same old same old, they all got dirty and after about 50 miles sounded dry. I see this is taking a negative turn; was just trying to be helpfull. I should have known better!
You're certainly entitled to your choice in lubes, but some vegans who ride, myself included, prefer other things. I used TriFlow for 10+ years and other than a propensity to attract dirt more than some, was very happy with it for all weather commuting. I currently use ProLink and find that I have to reapply it about every 300-400 miles of fair weather riding and 100-250 miles of foul weather cycling.
Paul
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Originally Posted by shokhead
We are trying to be helpful to. Maybe you overlube. My chain is still clean after about 300 miles since the last cleaning. You dont figure the oil industry loves that you speed 4 bucks a can or more for M1? M1 or 99 cent Mobil oil,as long as you change it before 5000 miles,nothing will tell the difference,imo. Dont ask what i use.
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Originally Posted by Leviathan
Dude quit arguing and answer my question. How do you apply the motor oil to your chain? Thanks.
Last edited by VeganRider; 07-25-04 at 06:06 PM.
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Originally Posted by Leviathan
Dude quit arguing and answer my question. How do you apply the motor oil to your chain? Thanks.
Originally Posted by seely
The problem with motor oil is it attracts dirt like glue...
Here's my routine:
-Remove chain (Powerlink'd)
-Dunk chain in can of kerosene
-Agitate and remove
-Dunk chain into Big Slam Mountain Dew bottle with Simple Green added
-Agitate chain
-Dump fluid out
-Fill with very hot water
-Agitate
-Dump and fill again
-Agitate
-Remove chain
-Dry on paper towels
-Remount chain
-Oil using dropper
-Wipe exterior of chain with rag wetted with WD40
-Ride briefly
-Repeat wipe
Works for me, might not be your cup of tea though.
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Hoppes gun oil, here. Wipe the chain when finished. It works. Of course, I didnt have to go out and buy a bottle to try it.....just opened the gun cabinet. The idea of spending huge (relatively speaking) amounts on a small bottle of suspectedly repackaged lube just doesnt make sense when you can use something else. If you are using a dry lube than that's different.
Olds
Olds
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Originally Posted by dobber
I use a dropper. My mix is 25% oil and 75% mineral spirits.
Take the time to wipe the chain down after oiling and you won't have this problem.
Take the time to wipe the chain down after oiling and you won't have this problem.
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Originally Posted by seely
I thought about that when I posted, actually. I'm not talking about the amount of lube... use any lube excessively and it will attract diry, but I've experimented with various lubes, including Mobil-1 (always had an bit left from my VW) and it was the worst stuff I've used, aside from WD40 (I was 12, ok?). Its too thick and is GLUE for dirt. So far GT85, 3M, and Volvo spray are the only lubes I've foudn worth using--they are all very light, and contain PTFE... on my roadbike I *maybe* clean my chain once a month, and even then its not necessary. On our group rides people often remark how my drivetrain looks new, when in reality it hadn't even been cleaned in weeks.
Is it the "lighter" weight oil that seems to work best in regard to attracting dirt?
Olds
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Originally Posted by OldsCOOL
Is it the "lighter" weight oil that seems to work best in regard to attracting dirt?
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Originally Posted by dobber
I use a dropper. My mix is 25% oil and 75% mineral spirits.
Take the time to wipe the chain down after oiling and you won't have this problem.
Here's my routine:
-Remove chain (Powerlink'd)
-Dunk chain in can of kerosene
-Agitate and remove
-Dunk chain into Big Slam Mountain Dew bottle with Simple Green added
-Agitate chain
-Dump fluid out
-Fill with very hot water
-Agitate
-Dump and fill again
-Agitate
-Remove chain
-Dry on paper towels
-Remount chain
-Oil using dropper
-Wipe exterior of chain with rag wetted with WD40
-Ride briefly
-Repeat wipe
Works for me, might not be your cup of tea though.
Take the time to wipe the chain down after oiling and you won't have this problem.
Here's my routine:
-Remove chain (Powerlink'd)
-Dunk chain in can of kerosene
-Agitate and remove
-Dunk chain into Big Slam Mountain Dew bottle with Simple Green added
-Agitate chain
-Dump fluid out
-Fill with very hot water
-Agitate
-Dump and fill again
-Agitate
-Remove chain
-Dry on paper towels
-Remount chain
-Oil using dropper
-Wipe exterior of chain with rag wetted with WD40
-Ride briefly
-Repeat wipe
Works for me, might not be your cup of tea though.
Overkill,imo.
#21
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Originally Posted by VeganRider
Yesterday I popped the power link off my chain and coiled it up falt and put it in a square container then filled it to the top of the chain with a penertating oil we use ( I'm an industrial service tech). It's just mostly a kerosene based product. I shook the container back and forth for about a couple minutes and watched the gold liquid turn black! Poured it out, wiped the chain off with a cloth and repeated ; the color didnt get as dark. Cleaned it off again and let it hang outside while I did yard work. Put the chain back on and lubed each pivit with Mobile 1 motor oil. If it's good enough for a twin turbo charged Evo it's good enough for a frekin chain for God's sake! Wiped off the excess thoroughly. Just got back from a 35 mile ride and my cain is not any different than when I use that hyped up teflon/wax $5.00 per ounce junk. It shifted like silk the for the entire ride! I think the cycling industry figures a guy that will drop $2,000+ on an average road bike will probably spend whatever amount to enhance the experience and is banking on the probability that that type of person is not mechanically oriented! They blend up a crock of reasons why we need their type of product, even though no other lube application on Earth needs it! They are taking advantage of our love for the sport. It's synthetic oil for me from now on; I feel really stupid for not thinking for myself earilier! Gee, I bet a this 1/2 of a quart will last me a few years!
The reason for this is because it was more....tenacious or it stuck better for the winter conditions and, of course, I needed alot more of it and it was cheap. Worked great.
However, for my road bike I use White Lightening (it never sees rain). For my touring bike I use TriFlow (which sees rain). White Lightening, IMO, is hopeless for wet conditions, but it does not attract dirt as much as a wet lube like TriFlow.
I can't agree that the motor oil will not attract as much dirt as White Lightening tho, I think that you'll be cleaning your drivetrain more often using motor oil than I would using White Lightening.
I do agree that it works better in wet conditions and is alot cheaper.
It comes down to what you want to live with - cheaper, but dirtier chain and more cleaning, more expensive but cleaner chain and less cleaning.
At the end of the day, I'm sure it does a very good job of lubing a bicycle chain.
IMO, if you want to use it, well...then use it. If noone likes it, so what?
Digger
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Originally Posted by OldsCOOL
The idea of spending huge (relatively speaking) amounts on a small bottle of suspectedly repackaged lube just doesnt make sense when you can use something else.
Olds
Olds
I use Shooter's Choice!
I've now run the gammit with bike lubes. Wax based stuff is very clean but does not protect as well (rust), imo.
#23
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I spray mine with WD-40, wipe it down, add a thin coat of prolink, wipe it down. Especially after it rains. I found that if you use the little red tube on the WD-40, you can blast a lot of crap out of the chain into the cloth you hold below it.