Somebody ate their Snarky's this morning. You can clean and polish and buff your bike as much as you like but it doesn't matter how clean your bike is in terms of how long your drivetrain will last. Drivetrains are meant to be used and they get dirty quickly in my experience. The drivetrain will wear out unless you spend all your time cleaning and polishing them and never get around to riding the bike so I'm willing to risk a bit of drivetrain wear to actually ride the bike.

I find that mileage very hard to believe. It's almost 3 times what most people report for chains no matter what chain lubricant they use.

But he's on a recumbent with a chain like 12 feet long. I have no idea what their chain life is like, but I reckon it's longer.

Yes: that if you're using Yak lard to lube your chain and you bonk on a long ride, you can lick the chain to get the needed protein and fat to finish the ride refreshed. (Or, if you have a KMC or similar link on your chain, you can easily take the chain off and suck on it so as to garner the most nourishment.) Also: when cleaning a yak lard lubed chain, the recommended method is to take the chain off and drop it into a bottle of vodka. Shake the bottle well, remove the chain and enjoy the traditional before-ride Siberian cocktail known as "твоя мама"!

:roflmao2:

Nobody liked my idea of lubing half the chain with one lube, and the other half with the other one, so I abandoned that one. Everyone was worried about cross-contamination of the oils

However, a C&V mechanic type like yourself could rig up a fixed gear bike with chainring, cog and chain on both sides for an A-B test. Try a different lube on each chain, so you'd be comparing the lubes in exactly the same conditions.

Good idea!:thumb:

Based on the wildly varying responses have seen on both sides of the fence, I think a fair assessment would be "it's all oil" when talking about wet lubes.

Brillant!

You can also take a dollop of yak lard in a ziplock bag as an energy gel. Squeeze it on the chain for lube, Yak lard is SPF50 so use it liberally on the skin, and you can also use it as a sealant for flats. Lots of uses for yak lard.

Don't forget that if you leave it on the chain and lick it as needed, you never have to clean the drive train. Just reapply yak oil

Perhaps for those that would like a domestic & vegetarian product:

https://encrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com/i...T44BqvIn7zpGme

It's a good thing winter came just in time for this discussion. As for me, I regret buying that extra jersey (on sale) a few years back. I should have use that money to buy a life time supply of Chain-L instead.

Hmmm. Build a special dual drive bike just for testing chain lubes. I like it.

If Mrs. Grouch agrees by this time next year I'll be arguing chain lubes with cyccommute.

Good stuff but I prefer organic and farm-to-bike products like yak fat

just replace the crankset with cogs. You can run 10 chains at once to quickly test all kinds of lubes.

True, but then again that's a long bike ride to Tibet with a few modest hills and some degree of moisture along the way :lol:.

And we can all just guess why no healthcare professionals are currently treating the condition/affliction you describe.

I use both a wet.... and a semi-dry lube.

http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=499448
I originally purchased that lube for my wall-hanger bikes because the lube is so clean. But I was so impressed with it I use it on most of my bikes. It is very cheap to buy... and lasts well. It doesn't attract dust/dirt and it doesn't wash off too quickly.

I'll be looking forward to that. Just tell the Mrs that you can't disappoint the fans.

In other words, a damp lube.

I like that. Something not dry, not wet... moist.

Moist lubes... again, the yak fat idea brought up here is a brilliant choice. I think that guy needs to sell it to White Lightning.
WL Yak Fat...damp chain lube. I like that.

Yes yes...wet...but not wet.
It's more zen. It's like Bruce Lee's art of fighting without fighting. Be water my friend. Or wait? Am I thinking of Yoda? Yeah, that's it...Has anyone tried using The Force on their chain?

Lots of divine wisdom floating around in this thread

Added to the list of things I never knew I needed: moist chain lube. But now I feel like I must have it. I'll take genuine yak or synthetic, I'm not picky (yet.)

I wouldn't be surprised if I get that out of the chain on my Gazelle TP....but the chain is enclosed in a case keeping it clean and dry. ;)

What's your take on Boeshield? I often see it compared to WL. I find it works great for most conditions, but it seems to have a limited effective span when exposed to the endlessly wet winter riding condition of the PNW.

Some of my favorite things are moist :p

Haven't tried it. I've tried some dry lube from Finish Line and a supposedly "dry" lube from WD40. Neither was that dry and the WD50 stuff smells like Hai Karate.

For some reason, I heard the word, "again" in that sentence. :(

get the real stuff.
Organic, free range, non-pasturized Yak fat. The best yak fat has Tibetan provenance, back to when Ghengis Khan used yak fat to lube his bicycle chains.