Yeah, those guys on the Internet are sumthin'! Some will tout high end weight wienie bikes as the minimum necessary to ride anywhere. And some gullible cyclists buy into it.

...And some just can't seem to escape the crushing weight of that chip on their shoulder. Too many funnies.

To the OP, as others have mentioned, there are a variety of synthetic lubes that are available in bike shops and hardware stores that will do the job for you and are relatively economical.

I used some chapstick on a sticky link when I was out in the sticks.
Worked great.

I think he does have a bit of a point. How many cyclists have access to a lbs where they can buy specialist lube and replacment chains at a low cost relative to their income? The idea that the only satisfactory way to lube a chain is a $10 bottle of lube from an lbs is absurd. There is nothing magic about two pieces of steel rubbing against each other just because they are in a bicycle chain.

Please! The appropriate lube can be bought just about anywhere (Walmart, sporting goods store and online).

No there is nothing magic about two pieces of steel rubbing together because it is a bicycle but there is such a thing about using the right lubricant for the job. Vegetable oil makes a pretty decent lubricant but I would never dump it in my engine.

A small bottle of lubricant does not have to cost $10. I purchased a huge can for less than $10 and it last a very long time.

He would have a point if he were discussing lubes, but he was injecting his typical whining about bikes in a thread about lubes.

No one in this thread said the OP had to go to an LBS and drop $10 for lube. In fact, here's the part of my quote that you conveniently omitted:
Apparently there is some magic involved in reading comprehension.

I always used motor oil or WD_40 or whatever was handy when I was an ig'nint kid and cleaned my chain with a toothbrush and pipecleaners in a pie tin of gasoline in the middle of my dads garage floor. I also drank from the garden hose and never wore a seatbelt. How I ever survived to adulthood I'll never know. My, how bicycle drive train technology has come along. What I'd like to know is what is the stuff new chains come packed in. Some kind of grease I think, stiffer than oil. I've worked in a bike shop and I've installed hundreds of chains. The factory lube seems to be the ideal. Stays clean for quite some time.

No comrade, The OP was whininng about following the advice of some unnamed poster on some unnamed Internet site. So the point is, Mr Moderator-Nanny WannaBe, the Internet is full of hot air advice about bicycles and bicycling. And being gullible can lead to disappointment. Comprehend?

And of course there is a certain contingent that resorts to defending their "official wisdom" through ad hominem arguments .

Helmet Head suggested motor oil, because he wants to always think that he's a motor car.

Ha, the last thing I want is to become a moderator. Then I'd have to deal with people like you that resort to using forums to foist their little agenda on everyone because they apparently have nothing else to contribute.
Interesting that you always bring comrade into your little tirades. It's cute.
You are correct that there is all sorts of hot air advice on the internet; you certainly like to do your part to add to it.
This ends my hijacking of the thread, and I hope you'll be smart enough to end yours.

Goodbye and learn to read and comprehend, (Hi)Jack. You are not the chosen one to determine who contibutes to the conventional wisdom.

whats wrong with lubricant?

The SRAM tech guy was at the shop a week or two ago; his statements surrounding lube were 'thinner is better.'

that is all i've got, except in the rainy season, thicker has staying power.

phils tenacious, isnt' that just like, 90W motor oil?.

Maxima Chain Wax, at any motocycle shop.

+1 - Benzene exposure alone from the gasoline is horrid. Keep gasoline in sealed containers and never get it on any part of you OR your bike.

Hello. Please don't flame me. I did not write the following text to be found at:

https://www.execulink.com/~dtierney/w...Chain%20Lubing

I want only to ascertain a consensus here as to the viability of this fellow's lubricant formula. I am interested in saving money. Please don't flame me. I don't post this as an affront to anyone's personal aesthetic. I merely seek information. Thank you for any and all insightful comments.

Please don't flame me.

Thank You.

Hi RobCat!

No flame from me. Here's my take on the situation: If I were using chain lube by the gallon, cost would be a factor. Since I use chain lube at the rate of about an ounce (or less) per year, why should I give a darn about cost?

What makes chain lube a bargain or not for me is the applicator - not the substance. I don't want to have to soak my chain nor spray anything. I like the "less is more" approach of a pinpoint applicator so I can wick a half-droplet of lube into each pin's plates. A pinpoint applicator (with its syringe-like tip) costs me less than $10 and lasts for several years.

Obviously, others have different preferences. Your money - your choice.

Thanks, FarHorizon.

Sorry to others in this thread, I just couldn't leave your ridiculous statement alone. First, you're the one that interjected your usual nonsense that didn't have anything to do with the OP's misfortune nor did you make any attempt whatsover to offer any constructive advice. If you don't want to be called on stupid stuff like that, maybe you shouldn't be on the internet. Nothing to do with reading ability nor comprehension. Now you're calling me hijack because of what I said in my last post? Too funny again.
Seeing as I actually provided some pertinent advice for the OP in this thread and you have provided nothing of substance, per usual, I find it quite funny that you persist. Perhaps you should PM me if you want to continue the fun.

I guess that I just don't understand the OP's rant.

He made the choice to follow somebody's recommendation that, in retro sight, turned out to be ill-advised. So who among us has never done that?

Now he's venting at the person who gave him the advice. What he should be thinking is: "I need to be more careful about whose advice I follow."

Even better, there is another poster ranting/venting because he wants the thread to be about one more lube job discussion, and can't comprehend the basis of the OP's problem - free advice from strangers on the Internet sometimes isn't always golden.

Motor oil? LOL - everyone knows you should use chainsaw bar oil - it's made for chains, right? Ever see a gunky chainsaw chain?

(note: please take preceeding recommendation with a large grain of salt.)

I don't know. They can leave a much nastier mark on your leg than any bicycle chain.

This is not advice but a tale of a solution found through necessity. When Ice riding in the winter back in the 80's, our Rear derailleurs would often freeze up and refuse to move when asked to. We found urine freshly applied from the source to be an effective de-icer. Note- Urine is not a lubricant. But it will unfreeze your derailleur. Works at below 0'F temps BTW. I should mention that immdeiately following a frigid ride where urine has been introduced to the drive train, a quick rinse post ride with fresh water always seemed a good idea.

As to chain lube. I agree with the SRAM tech mentioned somewhere earlier. I find thinner to be generally better. And good lube need not be expensive or bought from a bike shop necessarily. Although I do appreciate the customers who rely on me to supply their lubrication needs.

Do you ask the customers before you pee on their bikes?

That particular procedure is usually a self-serve operation. I waste my precious bodily fluids on my own steed, thank you very much. I will advise as to what part of the Derailleur to aim for. Free of charge of course.