Hey I've been riding almost 50 miles per day and I've noticed my bike is getting louder and louder. I'm assuming it's normal wear but I'm not sure what to lube and when or with what. So I'm asking what a good all around lubricant I can pick up at the LBS?

Is it worth it to just pay the 50 bucks and get a tune up? Ive put around 1k miles on the bike since I bought it used. The bike grinds in really high and really low gears. Looks like the chain hits the front metal peice when ****ed too high or low. I've been riding in med gears and that works fine.

Whether or not you decided to pay the shop to do a tune up or you do it yourself comes down to how mechanically inclined you are and how you feel about working on your bike. Me, I do all of my work myself--but I love to work on my bike!

As far as chain lube goes (you're going to want to lube your chain...I wipe mine down and oil them every 150-200 miles), I'd grab whatever your shop normally carries. If you want to overhaul the wheel bearings and such, pick up some marine grease (for boat trailer axles) to lubricate those.

The chain rub on your front derailleur is probably caused by cable stretch. Park Tool has a great how-to on their website for adjusting your derailleurs, but note that adjusting them can be frustrating. For the longest time, I simply brought my bikes into the shop for derailleur adjustments because I didn't have the patience. Now I do it myself with good success.

IMO if you think you might like working on your bike, ask quesitions and post pictures here on BF, along with reading Sheldon Brown and Park Tool websites. There is so much information available, just takes time to sift through it. Cleaning, lubing chains, adjusting deraileurs all take some patience but the reward down the road (so to speak) is a bike that is always in good shape. I've learned more since joining BF that I ever knew about bikes.

I've not had good luck with a general tune-up, but specific things I can't do yet like trueing my wheels I let a good mech do. If you are lucky you will find one that spends time talking to you and helping you understand your bike so you can work on it more yourself. That's the mech that will probably do a better job for you too. And besides, if you screw it up a little, there's always the bike shop to fall back on.

In our case, we use a teflon lube from the local LBS, made a noisy chain quiet. And non-greasy. Later I'll try one of those thick sticky lubes just for fun. They all work.

Do a google search for bike forums topics, like this: site:bikeforums.net chain lube
You will get a ton of great hits and threads to read.

Be sure you are not riding "cross chained".

If you are on the smallest chain ring (the front "sprocket" then you need to stay out of the smallest rear gears. The opposite is also true--if you are on the largest chain ring you need to stay out of the largest rear gears (cogs). You want the chain to run in the straightest line possible. If you are in the largest front ring AND the largest rear cog (gear/sprocket) the chain is going to be traveling at a sever angle. That will cause lots of premature wear on the chain and the gears.
That could be why you are hearing grinding in the most extreme gears and not the middle.

That was my first thought as well. If not, at the very least it sounds like it's time for a derailleur adjustment.

did you buy the bike new? most lbs will give a free tune up once you have ridden 500-1000 miles.

if not i would pay to have the derailers adjusted they are good, know what they are doing, and are fast.

If you have not been using chain oil, GET SOME! I personally like ProLink ProGold, and White Lightening but there are many options, depending on use.

As far as tune up, Unless you have the proper tools and knowledge (or want to invest time/money into both) I would recommend a bike shop. I do my own work, but it came out of necessity, I was too poor to pay a bike shop! Now I just don't want to. I have probably $300+ in tools and I still don't have the best quality or all that I should. I also have 3 bikes, both brothers have bikes, and my dad has a bike, so it paid for itself a while ago.

But if you do have the time/money to learn, by all means, get some tools and learn! It will eventually pay for itself, and if your mechanically inclined, its pretty easy to learn. Buy quality tools (Park) and you will have tools for life I have two torque wrenches, both harbor freight specials, but better than guessing.