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Chain lube
I was out recently looking in a sporting goods store and found a chain lube with teflon, which is supposed to coat the chain and protect it. Has anyone used this kind of lube? Is it any good?
Michael in Georgia |
Oh, good! A chain lube thread!
I think you'll find that there's not enough Teflon in the lube to really make a difference. I have some spray lube that's wax-based and contains Teflon. It's no better or no worse than other lubes I have. |
Chain L, and you won't have to worry....................
I often give friends this advice, or give them some of mine if they want it. (I concoct a mixture of chain saw bar oil, synthetic motor oil, gear lube, and mineral spirits to make it flow) Bicycle specific - Chain L Other - any commercial chain saw bar oil. |
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Can't stand Chain L- too thick and gooey. You can get a quart of 90W gear lube for a lot less. Did make it noticeably harder to pedal.:notamused:
Thin stuff- there's a bunch of brands, use often, works great. |
Finish Line - Bicycle Lubricants and Care Products - DRY Lube with TeflonŽ fluoropolymer
On my Mountain bike and my Tour Easy and my Delta Trike, No mess,,, |
Full Disclosure: I ride a DF.
I have used everything I could find at REI and Sportsbasement and my various LBS options. My results were meh - ok. Then I read about what Bill Strickland had to say about Nix-Frix-Shun. http://cdn3.bigcommerce.com/s-dtb5fy...g?t=1416323792 I have been using it for all fall and into the winter now. 9 drops lasts 500 or 600 miles before I break down and re-apply. Not a typo, 9 drops. Cleanest drive train ever. Quite too. The long chains on bents will need more, but use sparingly. A little dab 'll do ya with this amazing stuff. When it gets to a point where I can hear it at all, re-apply. Online only, at least where I live nobody carries it. Link to online store: NixFrixShun http://cdn3.bigcommerce.com/s-dtb5fy...g?t=1416656160 |
Originally Posted by Lanceoldstrong
(Post 17411993)
Full Disclosure: I ride a DF.
I have used everything I could find at REI and Sportsbasement and my various LBS options. My results were meh - ok. Then I read about what Bill Strickland had to say about Nix-Frix-Shun.http://cdn3.bigcommerce.com/s-dtb5fy...g?t=1416323792 I have been using it for all fall and into the winter now. 9 drops lasts 500 or 600 miles before I break down and re-apply. Not a typo, 9 drops. Cleanest drive train ever. Quite too. The long chains on bents will need more, but use sparingly. A little dab 'll do ya with this amazing stuff. When it gets to a point where I can hear it at all, re-apply. Online only, at least where I live nobody carries it. Link to online store: NixFrixShun http://cdn3.bigcommerce.com/s-dtb5fy...g?t=1416656160 |
I'll bring the popcorn if someone brings the beer.
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Originally Posted by FBinNY
(Post 17412022)
I'll bring the popcorn if someone brings the beer.
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Originally Posted by bicyclelove
(Post 17412013)
how do you cover the chain with only 9 drops? If this stuff works I could be interested
Drop 6, skip a few links, Drop 7, skip a few links, Drop 8, skip a few links, and Drop 9. Rotate cranks about 20 turns and done. Wipe side plates of the chain after every ride for the clean polished silver look your friends will envy. |
Originally Posted by Lanceoldstrong
(Post 17412086)
Drop 1, skip a few links, Drop 2, skip a few links, Drop 3, skip a few links, Drop 4, skip a few links, Drop 5, skip a few links,
Drop 6, skip a few links, Drop 7, skip a few links, Drop 8, skip a few links, and Drop 9. Rotate cranks about 20 turns and done. Wipe side plates of the chain after every ride for the clean polished silver look your friends will envy. |
The ShelBroCo Bicycle Chain Cleaning System
When I was a kid, we'd oil the chain about every other year whether it needed it or not. Worked fine, as best I could tell. But really, go to a bike shop, say "I need me some lube!" and they'll fix you up, and it'll probably be as good as what anyone else is using. |
The motivation for this thread is that, through some unfortunate circumstances, my Rans lwb was left out in the weather for about a year, rusting the chain pretty solid. I used some 3 in one oil to loosen it up and actually had to use pliers to loosen the joints up enough to get the oil inside. Well, it worked! But I was looking for a better lube. I have a shed now I keep the bike in, so this won't happen again. I am also riding again-Dr's orders. 8-)
Michael in Georgia |
New chain, and then Chain-L, when it needs it! MHO
A chain that bad, can not be resuscitated...... |
Yes, if the chain was rusted that badly, replace it or it'll ruin your gears too.
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Note that regular chain lubes aren't intended for corrosion protection, and aren't intended to free up "stuck" chains. They assume you apply them regularly and keep the bike out of the weather when not riding.
One tip I learned from my bike mechanic: Use terrycloth to wipe the chain down. At the big Walmart, I can get a package of 18 wash cloths for about $4, so roughly 30 cents each. I'll put lube on the chain while running it backwards, rotate it a few extra times, then go along with the washcloth and rub down a section about 8" long at a time until I've gotten all the way around. Then just throw the dirty washcloth away. |
Originally Posted by StephenH
(Post 17415802)
Note that regular chain lubes aren't intended for corrosion protection, and aren't intended to free up "stuck" chains. They assume you apply them regularly and keep the bike out of the weather when not riding.
One tip I learned from my bike mechanic: Use terrycloth to wipe the chain down. At the big Walmart, I can get a package of 18 wash cloths for about $4, so roughly 30 cents each. I'll put lube on the chain while running it backwards, rotate it a few extra times, then go along with the washcloth and rub down a section about 8" long at a time until I've gotten all the way around. Then just throw the dirty washcloth away. As for freeing frozen links, oil alone (any oil) will not do anything, but if the chain isn't rusted solid, frozen links can often be broken loose with brute force. Once they are freed to the point that they can move (though stiffly) a decent lube can help them loosen up nicely simply by riding. This woks well with SS or IGH drives where the chain is a closed loop and must flex as it wraps the sprockets. With derailleurs, the stiff sections will skip, but if the bicycle is at all rideable the chain can loosen up and run freely simply by riding around the block a few laps. So, no miracles are promised, but there's hope of raising chains from the dead, if they're not too dead. |
Teflon containing Tri Flow* is one of the many chain lubes competing for market share in lubing Bike chains .. something used regularly, is better than Nothing.
Go thru pints of* it, Or others, in the LBS over the Year, ... repairs and just letting people apply some when needed. |
Originally Posted by FBinNY
(Post 17415821)
I don't know about "regular" chain lubes, but a good oil based lube (naming no names) will leave a film on the outside which will effectively prevent rust unless wiped or washed off. If the bike was under an overhang and sheltered from the rain, a decent lube could have prevented rust for a year and more.
I was using a brand called "Pedro's" or something like that. It is a very light oil with some kind of solvent. Unfortunately, after a while the solvent broke down the idler wheel and I had to get another. My guess is that I was using too much. I also used to oil my chain only when it squeeked. However, with 27 gears and the amount the chain needs to flex (and the expense of a 'bent), I decided to be more regular. I cut a plastic guard for the new idler wheel and haven't run it much. As for freeing frozen links, oil alone (any oil) will not do anything, but if the chain isn't rusted solid, frozen links can often be broken loose with brute force. Once they are freed to the point that they can move (though stiffly) a decent lube can help them loosen up nicely simply by riding. This woks well with SS or IGH drives where the chain is a closed loop and must flex as it wraps the sprockets. With derailleurs, the stiff sections will skip, but if the bicycle is at all rideable the chain can loosen up and run freely simply by riding around the block a few laps. This has been exactly my experience. The bike was under cover (so not in direct rain), but I'm in Georgia and it is humid. I guess Pedro's didn't keep it from rusting, though it did keep it lubed. Brute force and 3 in one oil did allow it to work again. I have only ridden it to work once since, but allowing the oil to seep in after breaking the joints free seemed to allow it to work again. There was some "skipping" while in some gears (that's the only way I can describe it, the pedals drop slightly and irregularly), but seemed to smooth out as I rode it. So, no miracles are promised, but there's hope of raising chains from the dead, if they're not too dead. |
Originally Posted by delcrossv
(Post 17411586)
Can't stand Chain L- too thick and gooey. You can get a quart of 90W gear lube for a lot less. Did make it noticeably harder to pedal.:notamused:
I tried 90W once, and the only downside was that dirt stuck to it like flypaper. |
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