When we bought our tandem the salesman, who was very helpful btw, insisted we NOT ever use oil on the chain and also insisted we use Pedros Ice Wax.

To keep from offending anyone, Ill simply state that I hate the stuff and leave it at that. Theres no need to go into the detials, I simply dont like it and am not using it from this point out.

But...why did the guy tell me not to use oil?
was it because oil attracts dirt to the chain or is oil now NOT any good for lubrication (has the order of the cosmos been altered without me knowing it?)

I dont mind cleaning the chain so using oil seems to not be that big an issue.
I dont like having to REapply Ice wax when it starts to give out....and yes, I am following the directions to the letter.

Can I use oil or what?
Id like to simply use a lightweigth oil and keep the chain clean like I always did in younger days.

Is there something UNLIKE this Ice Wax that will last longer ?


Thanks for any help

Chain lubrication is a frequently discussed topic here. You might want to search for some old threads.

You have to reapply any chain lube from time to time. "Dry" lubes will generally need to be applied more often than "wet" lubes. Wet lubes will generally accumulate more "crud". Wet lubes are supposed to be better in wet weather than dry lubes. Oil would be a wet lube. Ice Wax is a dry lube.

What kind of oil were you planning on using?

Wow,what a salesman.Is he going to void the warranty on the $30 chain if he finds oil on it?
Just do what you want;nothing has changed,oil is a lub.
I hate oiling chains-bicycle,mc etc because I am always fooling with them,and I absolutely hate getting that black grunge on my hands-pants-shirt,Really strange phobia for someone who likes to fool with bikes-cars-mc's.
I'm going to try something a bit different soon.I have a new SS chain.I plan to strip it of all oil and completelty clean the cassette.I'll then run it and see just how much wear I get on the chain-cassette etc.I probably should try one of the Teflon chains also.
Use what you like.It is a safe bet that the bike salesman isn't a lub engineer.Luck,Charlie

thanks for the help

Well, I was hoping someone could point me out to a 'wet' lube if possible.

Im definitely not opposed to just using a good oil if someone has a better namebrand they can point me to.
I dont like asking salesmen about this sort of stuff, they always seem to go with what makes them the most money.

Is there a simple lightweight oil I can use?

Well, he was very insistant on no oil....to the point of sounding a bit abrupt.

Ok, so if I use oil my new bike wont self-destruct then ?

Is there a certian type that is better for bike chains than others?

I've always had great luck with Finish Line Cross Country lube (green cap). It's an oil, and it's possable for the chain to gunk up if it's over applied. The key is to apply one drop per link, rotate the chain through a few revolutions, then wipe the exterior of the chain with a rag. Lube does nothing on the outside of the chain but collect dirt. Very little is required per link for good results.

You'll still see some gunk buildup after several rides, but a quick wipedown will keep things reasonably clean.

My guess is that the shop guy doesn't want to deal with an oily/dirty/nasty drivetrain when/if the bike is brought in for service. Many people use the "if a little is good, then more is better" way of thinking when oiling a chain and end up with a terrible mess.

As pointed out above, chain lube is a common topic on the forum. I've been using Prolink for about 5 years on a mountain bike and it works best for me. It's oil based, and goes on wet, but dries so it doesn't accumulate much crud and cleaning is as simple as running a stiff brush over the chain.

I use a dry lube most of the time because the weather is mostly dry here, but when I do use a wet lube I use Pedro's SynLube. It is very unlike Ice Wax, and does withstand wet weather better. I was assuming that you were planning to use a non bike specific oil for lube.

Please be sure to keep us updated on your experiment.

ahh...that makes sense.

Im going to be doing most of the simplier maintenaince...adjusting gear and break cables and replacing easy parts when needed, but I can see him not wanting to have to deal with a dirty bike when I take it in for work.

thanks for the info...

oh, not at all.
I want to use the best stuff I can get...we paid a lot for the bike (well, for us anyway) and I dont want to cheap out on anything especially lubrication....I just dont like that Ice Wax....I can literally hear the links hitting the sprocket fairly loudly after a bit of a ride and the chain almost seems 'stiffer', if that makes sense, once we've ridden a while. Not to mention it makes me very nervous knowing this stuff is a two in one product.....Ive run machinery alll my life and these wonder 2-in-1 products normally have a price to pay for their convienience later on. (no offense to those who use it)

I plan on getting the best oil I can find, and keeping the chain very clean (Im cleaning it now even when we arent riding due to the cold just to have an excuse to mess with the bike )

When I was using Ice Wax, I found that if I applied it the night before, then rode 13 miles to work, that my chain would start squeaking on the way home. I don't mind applying lube between every ride. But stopping every 20 miles to lube my chain (and wait 2 hours for it to dry) seems a bit excessive.

I've mentioned this before, but never got any response - anyone see a problem with using a quality spray silicone lube? I hose the chain down with it and it seems to rinse any buildup out, then lightly wipe it down. Chain never rusts, and is always quite and limber. No muss no fuss.

The synthetics, as mentioned above, work well. If it didn't, then how come Pedro's makes this.

Road Rage
Great new lighter weight synthetic lube won't let you down half way through a ride. Road Rage contains an EP (Extreme Pressure) additive to greatly reduce friction. Remains tenacious under heavy loads. Contains deep penetrants to reach all points of a chain. Lightweight and long lasting formula is very corrosion resistant for high performance even in severe conditions.

For best results apply to a clean chain, apply one drop to each link, work through gears. Then take a rag, wipe off excess and ride, ride, ride!

If you want to keep your hands, and clothes clean, just buy a box of thin rubber gloves at your local x-mart, or Sam's club. They come with something like 200 gloves in a box. I carry a few with me when out riding, in case a fix is needed. When the repair is done, try to roll them off inside out, and take them home for disposal.

This stuff-roughly WD40 with tiny particles of molybdenum disulfide suspended in it seems to work pretty well.The thin oil carrier should carry the particles between metal to metal contacts and then evaporate so it doesn't collect grunge-as much.Of course the moly is dark,and it isn't 100% grunge proof,but it is cheap and readily available.
When I think of it,I spray this on,let it sit 5-10 minutes-and then wipe all the surface stuff off.
I suspose that having some oil on the sprocket teeth might decrease wear,but it attracts abrasive crap,and that certainly increases wear.
I'm going to try the no lubrication route with new chain-cassette.
I don't think I have ever worn out a chain or cassette.I have always had multiple bikes,and was always chainging stuff-freewheels,chains-it just never happened.I would guess that the most miles I ever put on a chin-freewheel is maybe 7000 and I didn't notice any excessive wear.Of course,I usually spin,low torque high RPMS-that probably stresses everything less.
I will let you know how the no lube experiment-with frequent simple green cleaning-hosings to keep the grit down-works.Thanks.Charlie
PS -Yes,there will be higher friction losses with a dry chain-no way around that-but since I'm riding for fun-exercise-so what.I burn a few more calories.

I have tried alot of lubes(not all ) through the years & my favorites come out to be #1 Purple Extreme
#2 Prolink. 1st costs abit more but lasts quite abit longer per application. Both are clean. but PE is a tad cleaner & holds up a tad better in wet conditions.

Prolink works very well, best I have used.
In winter I use straight motor oil, that ******* the rust. Dirt collecting is not a problem, because I end up going through snow anyways so my drivetrain stays relatively clean.
I've tried ice wax though, I find it awful. I think it is good for road biking only, certainly not for the trails. THe slightest bit of water and its no lube. It does not last long anyways, I feel like a bottle of the stuff does not get me very far...

So I pay 1 dollar extra for prolink, and I think this bottle will last me 2 years.

My dad uses whatever motorcycle chain oil he's got laying around.
I use prolink. Is one better than the other? Hard to say. Use what you like and what fits your maintainence needs.

thanks again folks.

Ill probably try the prolink and this finish line cross country stuff and see which I like better.
Till then I just got a bottle of lightweight machine oil....we took her out today with this on the chain and it held up really well so far.

I see no problem with using silicone lube on your chain.

The oil based lubes sold for bikes are WAY OVERPRICED. I use a good quality chainsaw chain oil (Stihl). You can get a lifetime supply (a gallon!) for just a bit more than what a bike shop will charge for a tiny bottle from Pedro or Phil. It's very sticky/viscous and is designed to lubricate chains under extreme loads. After applying and working the oil in wipe it down with a old cloth to remove any excess that will attract dirt, you just need to get it into the rollers.

I don't use it on my MTBs as it will attract dirt as will any wet lube, for them I use Dumonde Tech a polymer based (PTFE) lube that forms a dry protective coating (https://www.hgnr.com/). The exception being winter use on salty roads then you can't beat the oils for rust protection.

Prolink, Prolink, Prolink.............Prolink. And please disregard any suggestions from above posters who have not tried Prolink, because they do not know what they are missing.

"It's not a lubricant, it's a metal treatment"!

Sounds like contrived marketing jargon but it works so damn well I don't care.

Note: If you are running a chainguide with plastic components, DO NOT use Prolink. Or Boeshield T-9. This comes from the friendly folks at E-13. And would also lead me to believe that Boeshield is as good as Prolink.

Andrew

I've worked in shops since I was 14, and used every lube under the sun. For the past 4 years I used White lightning, but recently switched to prolink. Wow.

It has everything you described you wanted. It has a very lightweight consistencey, is amazingly smooth, and despite being a wet lube, doesn't collect a ton of dirt or gum up your drivetrain.

White lightning was good for me, clean, and I only applied it about 2x a week, a little more if it was wet. Prolink doesn't flake off gunk chunks like white lightning, applies similarly easily, and is much much smooooooooother.

Depends!

Mostly on the quality of the Silicone, the percentage per volume and any other lubrication adjuncts that may be added to it. Generally, the silicone spray you use may not be the same quality as the silicone spray the other guy reading this post has on his shop shelf.

Typically, the Silicone molecule is not shear stable nor durable. It is seldom used in industrial areas that demands heavy duty or extreme pressure applications. Silicones are generally considered to be clean. Their real forte is use in high and low temperature applications, super clean, food grade and chemical hostile environments due to its inert chemical composition. However, it has superior slip characteristics and low torque resistance values. That's not to say that you can't use it on your bike chain.

Frequency is the key here. The more often you reapply, the better the overall long term performance.