Degrease, wet lube, dry lube - how often?
 

I have a CX bike that I mostly use for commuting, so about 500km per month. The bike has SRAM Rival 1x11 and has up to now been very quiet with smooth gear changes.

I don't ride in the rain or on very wet roads, and have so far limited my maintenance to to squirting on some some "Rock 'n Roll" wet lube on the cassette & chain every 3-4 weeks.

I've started to noticed that the drive chain is no longer as quiet as it was and there is just the slightest hesitation in shifting to the next rear cog on some gear changes.

It this a sign that I should completely degrease and clean the chain, cassette & RD cogs and re-lube?

Once clean, what is a reasonable frequency for applying wet or dry lube for my average usage (up to 500km per month)?

Another possibility is shifter cable wear, but the bike is only 5 months old, so I would hope this isn't the case!


Thanks for any advice!

Check out the recent ongoing thread on wax/paraffin. So far it's been great for dry conditions. Quiet, smooth, low maintenance after initial setup. I just wipe it down occasionally with a used napkin -- barely leaves a smudge.

And it's lasting longer than I'd expected. I got around 500 miles on a treatment and the chain really didn't need to be cleaned and retreated -- I just removed it out of curiosity to compare with a brand new identical chain.

I already had an unused Little Dipper crock pot that came with my big crock pot, so I already had what I needed. I just melted three or four bars of Gulf wax and dunked a fresh chain after using mineral spirits and isopropyl alcohol to remove as much factory lube as possible. I let the chain soak in the melted paraffin overnight to be sure it penetrates. That may be longer than needed, but it's working for me.

But there are other techniques, including adding PTFE, moly, liquid paraffin/lamp oil. And some folks are satisfied with the ready-made wax based lubes in solvents that evaporate cleanly.

One of my three bikes is still running a chain with Tri-Flow, which I also like. But when I replace that chain later this year I'm switching it to paraffin as well. My bikes are stored in the living room and I'd rather avoid the greasy chain marks on my legs, furniture and cats.

And the cassette/freewheel and chain rings stay clean too! Those are always a PITA to clean but no more. Just wipe 'em with a used napkin or whatever I have handy.

Shift cables tend to "stretch" or more correctly bed-in when new. A minor indexing (barrel adjuster) adjustment might clear up the hesitant shifting and noise. Shops often offer this tune-up service free on bikes they sell. Probably something you should consider learning to do yourself. Here are good guides: Rear Derailleur Adjustment | Park Tool Front Derailleur Adjustment | Park Tool

Before you do any chain maintenance, check for chain wear. Even though you only have about 2,500 km (~1,500 miles) on the bike, it could be worn enough to affect your shifting and cause noise. The easiest way to do this is to get a good chain wear gauge. These don't cost too much and give you a more precise way to monitor chain wear. You can also measure wear with a ruler, but it's a bit more difficult.
If your chain has worn (or "elongated") 1% or more, you will be wearing out your cogs and chainrings even if your chain is clean.
Steve

EDIT: See this: https://www.sheldonbrown.com/chain-wear.html#wear

Don't lube the cassette

^^

Agreed.

Don't squirt lube on the cassette or all over the chain.

Learn how to properly lube. There are videos which show how.

There is also no need to use wet lube if you don't ride in the wet.


-Tim-

Thanks for this advice! It sounds like I can save some wastage in my lube by only applying it to the necessary places, rather than my "carpet bombing" strategy....

Carpet bombing :lol:

That's probably the issue. All that lube attracts dirt and gunks up the machine.


-Tim

After you check chain elongation and adjust the derailer cable for possible stretch, you might want to make sure your chain and derailer haven't accumulated gunk from the lube. Wipe the chain and derailer pulleys off with a rag, wetting the rag with fresh lube if you need it.

I'm Gonna Get Fussed At
 

Hey Folks,

I live in Florida,,, Lots of sand and salt on the roads. I've tried lots of different lub's. I've settled on, don't laugh, my wife's Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

I clean the chain and properly apply the EVOO. Let it soak in and then use a paper towel wipe the excess off while cranking chain backwards.

It seems not to collect as much sand etc. Plus if I breakdown in the swamp I can always eat my chain.

I'm happy with the results after using the oil for over 700 miles.

Olive oil has some characteristics that could make a good bike chain lube.

Anyone who's overheated olive oil for cooking has encountered that persistent residue that's hard to clean up. The polymerization is fairly stable and might add some water resistant protective properties for bike chains.

Could be interesting to experiment with a bottle of old stale olive oil that's lost its fresh zingy flavor and become fusty. Or just buy some low grade olive oil. Pour it into a small crock pot, heat it up, let the cleaned and stripped chain soak overnight in the hot oil. Wipe it down thoroughly after cooling.

Cheaper than throwing away a potentially useful bottle of oil.

I imagine it initially works just the same as a normal weight bike chain oil. I somewhat doubt it is 'better' in any way though. Olive oil can go rancid due to some chemical properties it has. Vegetable oil would be more stable, lubricating oil even more so. In a pinch though...all will do basically the same thing.

Novel idea! Does rubbing the chain with garlic also help? :-) This thread is making me hungry.....

I remove my chains every 800 miles and clean them in an ultrasonic cleaner and lube with a chainsaw bar oil, mineral spirits solution.


Chain care, wear and skipping by Jobst Brandt

I used Wet Lube on my new chain/gears, rode through the woods (sandy) and then for the rest of the ride had to put up with grinding on my new gears! No more for me, as I threw it in the trash (the Wet Lube that is). I used Tri-Flow when I returned (after a thorough cleaning) and much better - no sand attraction through the woods near my home.