bezzer

so, which is best? I have heard that wet lube is best used when it's wet, dry lube for when it's dry, is this true? I am looking for chain lube for my road bike (mainly used in dry weather) and my mountain bikes (mainly used in wet weather) I am currently using GT85 on both chains which was recommended to me by a friend.
is this OK or would I be better using an actual chain lube?

thanks for your help in advance.

Paul

bikeman715

you can use anything you want. the wet lubes are for wet weather like rain,snow , it is thicker and will leave the "tattoo mark " on your leg. It get direr faster and pick up the crap off the road. and you don't have to apply as often. the dry lube is thinner and sometime a wax base , it good in dry areas where it rain less often but you do need to apply it more. it is cleaner and in many cases dry to the touch. you will get different answer from different people for what they like and don't like ,it all up to you want you want to use.

reptilezs

wet and thick lube, use it for all conditions

bezzer

thanks a lot.
I am new to the forums so I am sorry if I am asking questions that have been answered before.
I guess it is each to their own, but apart from being told that wet lube is best used when it's wet, dry lube for when it's dry, I know nothing about chain lube.

Al1943

Try the search function, this has been discussed recently and many other times.

I prefer a thin wet lube for this humid climate. I use a home brew of 1 part synthetic motor oil and 4 parts mineral spirits. I keep these ingredients in my garage for multiple uses.

davidad

I use 4 parts mineral spirits to 1 part chainsaw bar oil. If it's good enough for the environment of a chainsaw chain it's great for a bike chain.

JonathanGennick 

Neither do most of us, when you get right down to it. I can tell you what I use that I happen to like, but your mileage may vary. There's no harm in just trying a few different brands to see what works for you, in your typical riding conditions.

Right now I'm using Chain-L #5. It's thick. It's a wet lube. It has staying power, which I like. It wipes easily enough from the outside of my chain. Does it make my chain last longer than some other brand of wet lube? I have no idea, to be honest.

fietsbob

dry wont attract grit, as fast as wet will , when its raining then the grit is carried in water,
then a dry lube may still be OK, apply the wet type often,
so using a cheap oil and lots of it often,
then wiping off the excess.. Motorbike chain lube perhaps..

xizangstan

I'm using the White Lightning dry lube. But I've been wondering what's going on deep inside my chain - is it really getting the lubricant it really needs to minimize wear? It would be great if we had a real expert from Shimano or one of the big brands give us the real low-down. Maybe a link to a video posted somewhere?

bezzer

thanks to all for your help and advice, because of the wet weather I have decided to go for a muc off chain degreaser and a synthetic wet lube, which after cleaing my chain and then applying the lube to my chain and riding today, it seems to be working fine right now, only time will tell I guess.

TurbineBlade

I do chainsaw bar-oil cut with odorless mineral spirits. Mix is about 1/5 ratio for me, as the bar oil is super thick and picks up a lot of crap if I don't cut it down enough.

AEO

don't buy into the expensive chainlubes for bikes.
make your own out of mineral spirits and 10W30 engine oil.

IMO, it might be better to use something other than 10W30, since it's carcinogenic. Then again, almost all synthetic lubricants containing some sort of rust inhibitor is carcinogenic.



One thing you might want to try is dipping your chain in hot paraffin wax after you've degreased and dried it off.
mineral spirits, the good kind you can buy at pharmacies, is also not toxic.

USAF1C1X1

+1

depleted

Here's what's been eluding me: the difference between lubing and oiling the chain or parts? I still have the factory coating on the my chain. What would be the process for after-ride, and after a cleaning?

AEO

lubing and oiling are pretty much the same thing. It's just semantics, like "engine oil" as opposed to "engine lube".

you only have to lube the chain before it starts squeaking, but that can be guess work.
I just do every other week or after a particularly wet day.

For cleaning, in my opinion, it's best to just run the chain through a chain scrubber while applying lube. Apply lube, run scrubber and repeat until chain looks clean, then wipe off excess.

most chain scrubbers can be used with a degreasing agent like citrus degreaser, if the chain is particularly dirty.

eliisadick

dude , mineral spirits is toxic . What is available from pharmacies is mineral oil . Two different things . Big mistake to mix-up either . Careful about the lingo AEO

reptilezs

i opt out of the mineral spirits or other solvent. just use straight oil and let the capillary action do the work. apply let it sit for a few mins then wipe off the outside

cyccommute 

Incorrect. Not according to any number of organizations listed below according to the MSDS for Chevron 10W30 as well as other oils. The relevant passage below:

Used oil is a different matter but you should be using used oil for anything

The MSDS for numerous motor oils, including synthetic oils, contains similar statements. None contain any warnings about rust inhibitors that are carcinogenic.

cyccommute 

No, mineral spirits aren't particularly toxic. Odorless mineral spirits is slightly better because it's got a lower aromatic content and thus a higher flash point, i.e. safer to use. Odorless mineral spirits can be considered to be 'thin' mineral oil. Motor oil...both synthetic and 'natural'...are just thicker mineral oil. All three materials are just straight chain hydrocarbons of various lengths. The thickness of the material is a clue to the length of the hydrocarbons. Mineral spirits are the shortest, motor oil the thickest. Paraffin wax is just really long hydrocarbon chains.

cyccommute 

...if you want to attach enough rocks and crap to create a singularity Won't do any good for the chain but if your plans include destroying the world well....

"Wet and thick" only attracts dirt and grit that destroy drivetrains. It doesn't provide more protection in "all conditions", it just requires more maintenance. Thick lubes have their place, e.g. in rain and very wet conditions where rust is the major problem, but they aren't the best choice in dry dusty conditions nor in wet dirty conditions. One size seldom fits all conditions.

bezzer

what is the best way deal with a bike after a ride then? here is a scenario, you have been out for a ride on a wet muddy trail in the rain, your bike isn't covered in mud and grit but it's far from clean, do you hose your bike down to remove any mud and grit (including cleaning/degreasing the chain if needs be) leave the bike to dry and then re lube your chain and put the bike away ready for your next ride, or do you hose the bike down and clean the chain if it needs it, leave the bike to dry, leave the chain free of lube and then re lube the chain just before your next ride?

I always worry that I am going a bit over board with the cleaning (if there is such a thing) my road bike doesn't really get that dirty as I only ride it in good weather, my mountain bike on the other hand is used in all weathers and usually ends up caked in mud.
I usually wash it down after each ride just to get all the dirt off and also cleaning and re lubing the chain if it needs it, and then maybe once a month I will give it a full clean with hot soapy water, de grease the whole crank set, then using a wet synthetic lube for the chain and the after wash spray from muc off which I have found works very well as it puts a thin none sticky coating on the bike which means dirt either doesn't stick to it or is easy to wash off, any tips on ways I can improve this or do it better or anything I may have missed?

reptilezs

whatever id rather not put lube on my chain every other day on my commuter. i have used boshield t9 and it lasts about 2-3 commutes before it gets noisy. if i wipe the outside of the chain real good after lubing the chain doesnt get any dirtier than when i used boshield t9

edit: my only real priority in lubing chains is providing lubricant. wet and thick lubes does just that and lasts a long time

Capecodder

White Lightning (Clean Ride)........ It's all I use and have zero issues as some will lead you to believe.

cyccommute 

I use dry lubes and I don't lubricate after every ride nor every other day nor even once a week. I ride primarily in dry conditions and I apply chain lube less than once every 6 weeks. That's roughly the same frequency that I applied wet lubes when I used them. Even in the winter, when I might ride in sloppier conditions, I seldom have to apply dry chain lubricant much more often than once a month. The drive train runs smooth and strong and lasts a reasonably long time. The chain certainly last longer then when I was using Phil Wood's Tenacious Oil on a mountain bike. That's about as 'wet and thick' as you can get. When I used that I had enough grit on the chain to rival the weight of Mt Evans.

sknhgy 

It sure is nice not having a grungy drivetrain.