My main goal is to lube as seldom as possible. I can't be bothered to wipe down my chain after every ride, or even every week - sometimes not every month.
I share the same goal. I don't wipe my chain down after every ride nor ever. I have no need. I also don't have chain tattoos from dirty chains nor dirty rings. Nor do I have to clean my bike every week. I can put my bike in a car without getting black oil all over everything. Basically, I like to smart up front so that I can be lazy down the road.
This is typical of a winter bike in the depths of winter
I assure you that the chain has been cleaned once and hasn't been cleaned since it was installed. The chain there has about 4000 miles on it.
I realize that the Northwest makes different demands on chain lube but I have ridden all over the nation in all kinds of weather with wax based lubricants...including Portland to Astoria...and never had to apply lube much more often than I do here in Colorado. My daughter used White Lightning in Seattle during two years of grad school as well. She never had a problem with it not working there nor did she use anything else. "Daddy" didn't tell her to use it but it was the only thing she had ever used and it did just fine.
Originally Posted by
ThermionicScott
I wipe my chain down about three times per lubrication: once right after reinstalling on the bike, once after the first ride, and then again after a couple rides. That's about all it takes to be all it takes to keep it reasonably clean until it needs cleaning/relubing 500-1000 miles later.
Right there is what I'm talking about. I
never wipe my chain. Not even after application of the lubricant. And I don't need to clean after 500 miles. I never clean the chain at all. During dry weather, I go a whole lot longer than 500 to 1000 miles between application as well. Even in winter, I don't think I apply every 500 miles