Originally Posted by
pdxtex
ooo boy, prepare for a big can of worms. uncle sheldon would disagree stripping the factory lube on new chains though....
"New chains come pre-lubricated with a grease-type lubricant which has been installed at the factory. This is an excellent lubricant, and has been made to permeate all of the internal interstices in the chain. This factory lube is superior to any lube that you can apply after the fact. Some people make the bad mistake of deliberately removing this superior lubricant. Don't do this!"
but hey, read it for yourself if you like...
http://sheldonbrown.com/chains.html
personally, ive had marginal success with wax lubicants, and in the winter they are worthless. i have the best success with a liberal dose of wd-40, let it soak, wipe it down with a rag and then just a few drops of tri-flow. as far as new chains, i just leave them be until the factory stuff wears off.
As right as Sheldon Brown may be, I find that the ugliness and tacky sticky feel of a brand new chain that attracts dirt at an insane rate is totally not worth it. In all my 3 chains, within 2 rides, those stock new chains got so ugly even in good conditions, that I didn't want to look at my bike anymore as the whole Cervelo would be looking great and the drivetrain was this black, unevenly colored mess where dirt stuck onto parts of the chain. Worst part - once the dirt's on that tacky stuff, it's EXTRA hard to get off. SimpleGreen doesn't touch it, for real. WD40 seemed to work better, but I was still rubbing it like crazy just to get the outside schmear off. I hate that stuff and will never use a stock chain as is again despite the increased wear theoretically.