Pro-Link or White Lightning?
05-31-04 | 05:21 PM
#26
(Grouchy)
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 3,643
Likes: 1
Originally Posted by Retro Grouch
Personally, I'm not too sold on White Lightning because it seems so variable from bottle to bottle. One bottle looks like water and the next is almost all solids.
I'm sure that you will get lots and lots of advice on this subject. Everytime it comes up (and it comes up a lot), I learn of the existence of some wonderful new chain lube product that I'd never heard of before. I think that it would be cool if Bicycling Magazine or somebody would do a controlled research study on chain lubes. Trouble is, if they tested 10 products, they'd make a friend of one advertiser and nine enemies.
I'm sure that you will get lots and lots of advice on this subject. Everytime it comes up (and it comes up a lot), I learn of the existence of some wonderful new chain lube product that I'd never heard of before. I think that it would be cool if Bicycling Magazine or somebody would do a controlled research study on chain lubes. Trouble is, if they tested 10 products, they'd make a friend of one advertiser and nine enemies.
my point is, i'm sure someone out there has given this a ton of thought and done the research, and it's probably out there if you look in the right places. but i bet the results are going to be pretty inconclusive for something like chain lube. it seems like a lot of what people think is "the absolute best" chain lube has to do with personal preference.
i use pro-link, because it's what i have...it doesn't seem to do a whole lot unless i use it on a bike that has a really nasty chain that's never been lubed, or hasn't been in a long time... the shop i work for uses phils tenacious oil, which doesn't make a lot of sense to me, but the owner told me to use it, so i use it. another shop i know of uses pedro's...
my only complaint about pro-link is that it's smelly...and phil's seems too thick to be a good chain lube. i've never used pedro's.
this all reminds me that i should clean and lube my drivetrains...maybe later.
06-02-04 | 02:00 PM
#29
Senior Member
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 566
Likes: 0
From: San Jose, CA
Bikes: Vision R40 - recumbent, Gunnar Crosshairs
Originally Posted by brokenrobot
So, I've been using White Lightning chain lube since I started riding again roughly a year ago. It's time for a new bottle... but I remember resolving to buy Pro-Link the next time around - I just can't remember why!
I transitioned from White Lightning to ProLink last month. I'm very satisfied with the ProLink.
At first, I wasn't. The chain was still very noisy, and the whole drivetrain seemed to be sluggish. I thought I had cleaned the chain properly, but White Lightning is tenacious. I cracked the chain off of the bike, and soaked it in mineral spirits. The WL fell off, along with all the gunk that was still on the chain. I decided to also clean off the rollers and cassette. I'm glad I did.
My chain is much quieter, and the drivetrain is easier to spin. If you decide to change over, make sure you clean out the chain, the cassette, and the front chainrings, as the White Lightning will be a problem if you don't.
-- Sean
