MAK

I recently took a bike shop class and the chief mechanic from the shop recommended Rock 'n Roll Gold Lube saying that it cleans and lubes and is long lasting. I've been a long time Tri-Flow user and never heard of Rock 'n Roll. He suggested using Tri-Flow on screw heads and cables to prevent rust but not on chains. Almost everyone I know uses Tri-Flow. What are your expert opinions?

noglider 

Anything you can use will work. The difference between them is the service interval.

gearbasher

Over the past 40+ years, I've probably used every lube known to man. Some of them were great and a lot were dogs. I just started using Rock 'n Roll Gold. It stays clean and does last a long time. I've used some lubes that lasted only a few days before I got the squeaking chain sound. In dry weather the R 'n R Gold has gone over a month without a squeak. I would recommend it.

ljsense

As its name suggests, Tri-Flow is a mix of ingredients, and I think it's something like a paraffin wax, a petroleum based oil, and PTFE, with solvents to make it all liquid. Some mechanics might not like its tendency, from the oil, to pick up all the stuff that makes it turn black, but it works to lubricate and protect metal from oxidation. I've used the Rock'n'Roll blue, and I think it's more of a wax/PTFE suspension in a solvent, maybe with some binders and other secret stuff to help it stay on longer. It strips the old stuff off as you apply it and wipe the chain, and stays cleaner than Tri-Flow and other oil based lubricants. The exact compositions are trade secrets; someone else might have better insights into what their components are. Either one is much better than nothing, but I've had good experience with Rock'n'Roll too.

pdlamb

Ditto for dry weather. If it gets wet, though, my experience is that it's stripped all the other oil or grease that may have been on a chain, and if water touches the R&R lubed chain, it'll rust right quick.

AnkleWork

The manufacturer calls it "ceramic anti-seize lubricant" and according to the MSDS it's just grease in a solvent with titanium dioxide pigment, which is abrasive. Don't use anti-seize where lube is needed, don't use lube contaminated with ground ceramic, and don't buy marketing jive.

davidad

I have used chain saw bar diluted with mineral spirits on my cleaned chains for over a decade. I clean and relube every 800 miles or so. Since I started using an ultrasonic cleaner my chains have lasted over 15k miles. (old 7 and 8sp drive trains.)

https://www.sheldonbrown.com/brandt/chain-care.html

rccardr 

fietsbob 

Its a Crowded chain lube market place..... claims compete..

wipe off excess .... your wear surfaces are under the rollers..

squirtdad

after playing with a bunch I have returned to R&R Gold as my gold standard for chains. (Phil's waterproof for bearings, R&R red devil for threads (cause I have a tub), Phil's Tenacious oil for freewheels, and tri-flow for most everything else)

Glenn6870

Was using R&R Gold and was happy with its performance. however, i didn’t like how dirty the chain got. Picked up all sorts of dirt and grime. I switched to White Lightning Clean Ride and won’t go back. Thinking of moving on to wax, waiting to pick up a cheap crockpot in order to go full on wax.

cyccommute 

MAK

Thank you all for your responses. Actual experience is the best kind of reference. I appreciate your insights.

srode1

I've use it, works very well, just kind of messy. I use Chain-L now, lasts a very very long time.

kcblair

^^^^^^^^Ditto on this. KB

Le Mechanic

Tri Flow is a good lube for cables, shifter internals and ok for chains. I've been racing and riding bikes since 1979 and working in the bike industry since 1983. In my opinion, Rock n Roll gold is the best lube overall. Sure, there's cleaner lubes, and lubes that work better in wet weather, but bang for the buck mileage wise and ease of application (Too many things to do in a day for waxing), R&R Gold is my favorite. I made a torture test video about it a couple months ago if anyone is interested...

Slaninar

Bang for the buck wise, I find it hard to beat chainsaw oil dilluted with diesel.

WizardOfBoz

Bar oil and diesel may be cheap, but how much oil does one use? I mean if one rides 40 miles/day and lube every month, how many bottles of ANY lube does one use? It seems to me that we're talking a difference of hundredths of cents per mile. This reminds me of the old home economics classes talking about how many pennies per drop dish soap costs. Squash that! Use the soap that works best, use less, and even if it costs more, it's pennies per month.

I'd suggest that cost is not the best metric. Its the 6th best metric in my view. IMHO the best metric is a mix of the following:

The chain lube should
1) lubricate the chain for good riding, smooth shifting, and good chain life (good performance)
2) be persistent enough so that required chain lubrication frequency is low (lower maintenance effort, fewer applications for lower cost)
3) not attract and retain dirt and grime (ties in with both 1 and 2)
4) be easily cleaned off (when you do have to do maintenance, it should be easy)
5) not degrade (rules out stuff like olive oil, which appear in some lube comparisons)

Cost of lubricant is probably the last metric I use. Any petroleum-based oil, including bar oil cut with diesel, is going to attract dirt, too.

I'm using DuPont ChainSaver lubricant and cleaner right now. I have some Rock and Roll lube. Not sure if I like one better than the other. They both work. I will say this, though: Rock and Roll does lubricate old slide rules pretty well.

Le Mechanic

What I meant by "Bang for the buck" was not only cost, but how easy it is to use, apply, how long it lasts and things like: Do I have to have a spotless chain to apply? How long after I put it on and the carrier evaporates and I can ride it without it feeling like junk? Is it going to stink up my apartment (diesel fuel)?
I don't really have time to do a full drivetrain cleaning between lubing my chain nor the space or patience to mix up a home brew. I just like to put it on, wipe it off and go ride.

WizardOfBoz

Le Mechanic (Le Mécanicien ,non?), I agree. The R&R stuff looks nice in that it's not sticky. So I think it would score well wrt my metrics. Its just that the last stuff I put on my chain was the DuPont stuff and it seemed to work well.

KLiNCK

Chain-L for me...

srode1

Personally I wouldn't use Rock-N-Roll lube inside a home, it's way to messy if you apply it correctly, slinging excess off the chain. I didn't even like using it in my garage which has an epoxy coated floor because of the mess.

Lemond1985

I don't really understand the search for some magical holy grail chain lube that's both wet and dry at the same time, lasts forever, isn't messy, cleans, lubricates, is cheap, but not too cheap, has just the right smell texture and bouquet, has a colour that is pleasing to the eye (but not too pleasing!) folds your laundry, cooks you dinner, and never complains. Is there something else going on here?

I used olive oil on my fixie chain the other day and I thought it worked great, quieted my chain right down. Was it messy? Sure it was messy, but it's a foregone conclusion that my hands are gonna get dirty whenever I touch a chain. So I avoid touching chains whenever possible.

I guess I should be more picky, and not use just any chain lube, lest I develop a reputation as "that guy" who is just hopelessly uninformed about chain lubrication. I shall endeavour to educate myself by re-reading this thread several times, and memorizing a few key quotes.

greatscott

There is nothing wrong with using TriFlow, it was the first bike specific chain lube and it's still good to this day. Is Rock N Roll good lube? yes it is, I use the Gold myself. Your not going to go wrong with either, the only "issue" with TriFlow is that you have to clean your chain a lot more frequently than you do with Rock N Roll because R N R is a self cleaning lube and TriFlow is not. If cleaning your chain regularly is not a big deal then stick with TriFlow, it is cheaper to use, even after calculating the cost to clean the chain then R N R. A cheap and extremely effective way to clean your chain is to use regular Dawn for Dishes on a damp sponge then rinse with a gentle spray of water.

Another good lubricant is Finish Line, they have been bought out by Dupont who is putting in their patented Teflon into some of the Finish Line products, Dupont Teflon is the best teflon in the world, just because a lube may say it has teflon doesn't mean it's Dupont teflon, if it doesn't say Dupont Teflon it's substandard teflon.

There is another lube that I've read about that not only has low friction but it also makes the chain last longer than any other lube (supposedly) and that is NixFrixShun, see: NixFrixShun Ultimate Bicycle Chainlube - NixFrixShun® This use to marketed under the Silca name but Silca no longer sells it so it went back to this company that created it in the first place. It is a wet lube, more so then R N R Gold, but either a semi wet like R N R Gold or a wet lube like the NFS stuff will make chains last longer then a dry lube will but it will need constant cleaning and relubing like TriFlow especially after a wet ride. I haven't use the NFS lube yet so I don't have any personal results to share nor will I be buying it because it cost $75 for small 2 oz bottle! My wife would think I've lost my mind and have me committed!

Whatever lube you use make sure you follow the directions to the letter, and most, if not all, will require an overnight period to dry and settle into the chain before using it.

There is a cheap lube that gets rave reviews on Amazon, its Dupont Chain Saver which is a self cleaning wax based lube with Teflon in it that is a spray on lube that cost under $7, I did find out it also comes in a drip bottle, this stuff I haven't tried either but it's on my list to try when I run out of R N R just to see how good it really is. The concept of this is similar to what I did many years ago with melting wax chain treatments, I added (I forget the amount) some Slick 50 when they use to use Dupont Teflon, into the wax mixture and let my chain soak in that, so I'm almost obligated to try this stuff, and the cost won't kill me like NFS would.

By the way, TriFlow is the most commonly used lube by bike mechanics in bike shops, but that may be due to overall cost to profit ratio then it is due to quality of the lube, bike shops aren't going to use $75 bottle of NSF!!! Nor will they spend the time to wax your chain.

Crankycrank

The link you provided shows it sells for $15. Maybe under the Silca label it was $75 but since this is the company that sells one of their track pumps for close to $500 I can understand the markup.