Originally Posted by
skilsaw
Chain lubes and cleaners have to be the biggest ripoff of the bike industry. What magical ingredients do they use that makes a 2 oz bottle of lube worth $8.00 ? Nothing! Then they make it real thin and instruct you to apply it to the chain and wipe it off, effectively using it as a cleaner / lubricant. The said 2 oz $8.00 bottle doesn't last very long if you are using enough to rinse the chain as you lubricate it.
If you've figured that out and don't want to waste lube, you buy the 16 oz bottle of biodegradable cleaner for $12.00. They've got you coming and going.
The world price of oil right now is somewhere around $85.00 per barrel. There's enough money floating between $85.00 per barrel and $4.00 per ounce to pay for some processing, and a lot of sales reps, advertising and sponsored athletes.
Tell me I'm wrong.
Honestly - designer lubricants are no more an industry conspiracy than the latest consumer obcession with corbon fiber frames and low spoke count wheels! Manufacturers and retailers are simply trying to meet (and profit from) a market demand. I don,t blame the industry - personally I blame the consumer for insisting on their right to decide for themselves regardless of how uninformed they are!
Seriously - I figure people like my brother-in-law could have improved his biking more by losing that beer gut and doing some regular intensive training, but to him - a carbon fiber frame and Zipp wheels gave him more `instant credability` as being a serious cyclist. So where does gear lust and brand recognition become an industry conspiracy?
And as far as chain lubes and cleaners go - the real problem is that most consumers simply refuse to read owners manuals and / or instruction guides. Chain manufacturers pretty consistantly recommend simple lubricants like SAE20/30/40/50/80W oil and companies like Shimano continue to recommend cleaning their chains with a brush and a mild solution of soap and water before lubing- but honestly - what do they know? LOL They only make the stuff!
By the way - have you tried that German nano-technology based chain cleaner and lube yet? It available in two convenient arasol sizes an is $30 a can!