Chain lube
12-23-14 | 09:25 AM
#1
Thread Starter
Registered User
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 11
Likes: 0
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
Michael in Georgia
12-23-14 | 09:56 AM
#2
Senior Member
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 12,547
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From: Middle of da Mitten
Bikes: Trek 7500, RANS V-Rex, Optima Baron, Velokraft NoCom, M-5 Carbon Highracer, Catrike Speed
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.
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.
12-23-14 | 09:58 AM
#3
aka Phil Jungels
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 8,234
Likes: 91
From: North Aurora, IL
Bikes: 08 Specialized Crosstrail Sport, 05 Sirrus Comp
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.
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.
Last edited by Wanderer; 12-23-14 at 10:02 AM.
12-23-14 | 03:00 PM
#4
Full Member
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 303
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12-23-14 | 05:50 PM
#6
Old Fart In Training
Joined: Oct 2012
Posts: 2,268
Likes: 23
Finish Line - Bicycle Lubricants and Care Products - DRY Lube with Teflon® fluoropolymer
On my Mountain bike and my Tour Easy and my Delta Trike,
No mess,,,
On my Mountain bike and my Tour Easy and my Delta Trike,
No mess,,,
12-23-14 | 06:34 PM
#7
Family, Health, Cycling
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 1,590
Likes: 5
From: Concord, CA
Bikes: Roubaix S-Works, Univega Gran Turismo
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. https://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
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. https://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
12-23-14 | 06:42 PM
#8
Senior Member
Joined: Sep 2014
Posts: 199
Likes: 0
From: St. Cloud Minnesota
Bikes: 1981 Miyata 210, 1987 Miyata 615GT, 1990 Miyata CT3000, 1993 Cannondale M300, 1994 Cannondale Killer V, 1995 Cannondale R500, 2010 Cannondale F4, 2015 Framed Minnesota 3.0
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.https://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
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.https://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
12-23-14 | 06:46 PM
#9
Senior Member
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 39,897
Likes: 3,865
From: New Rochelle, NY
Bikes: too many bikes from 1967 10s (5x2)Frejus to a Sumitomo Ti/Chorus aluminum 10s (10x2), plus one non-susp mtn bike I use as my commuter
I'll bring the popcorn if someone brings the beer.
__________________
FB
Chain-L site
An ounce of diagnosis is worth a pound of cure.
Just because I'm tired of arguing, doesn't mean you're right.
“One accurate measurement is worth a thousand expert opinions” - Adm Grace Murray Hopper - USN
WARNING, I'm from New York. Thin skinned people should maintain safe distance.
FB
Chain-L site
An ounce of diagnosis is worth a pound of cure.
Just because I'm tired of arguing, doesn't mean you're right.
“One accurate measurement is worth a thousand expert opinions” - Adm Grace Murray Hopper - USN
WARNING, I'm from New York. Thin skinned people should maintain safe distance.
12-23-14 | 07:19 PM
#11
Family, Health, Cycling
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 1,590
Likes: 5
From: Concord, CA
Bikes: Roubaix S-Works, Univega Gran Turismo
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.
12-23-14 | 07:41 PM
#12
Senior Member
Joined: Sep 2014
Posts: 199
Likes: 0
From: St. Cloud Minnesota
Bikes: 1981 Miyata 210, 1987 Miyata 615GT, 1990 Miyata CT3000, 1993 Cannondale M300, 1994 Cannondale Killer V, 1995 Cannondale R500, 2010 Cannondale F4, 2015 Framed Minnesota 3.0
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.
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.
12-24-14 | 05:55 PM
#13
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.
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.
__________________
"be careful this rando stuff is addictive and dan's the 'pusher'."
"be careful this rando stuff is addictive and dan's the 'pusher'."
12-25-14 | 09:42 AM
#14
Thread Starter
Registered User
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 11
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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
Michael in Georgia
12-25-14 | 04:37 PM
#17
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.
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.
__________________
"be careful this rando stuff is addictive and dan's the 'pusher'."
"be careful this rando stuff is addictive and dan's the 'pusher'."
12-25-14 | 04:50 PM
#18
Senior Member
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 39,897
Likes: 3,865
From: New Rochelle, NY
Bikes: too many bikes from 1967 10s (5x2)Frejus to a Sumitomo Ti/Chorus aluminum 10s (10x2), plus one non-susp mtn bike I use as my commuter
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.
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.
__________________
FB
Chain-L site
An ounce of diagnosis is worth a pound of cure.
Just because I'm tired of arguing, doesn't mean you're right.
“One accurate measurement is worth a thousand expert opinions” - Adm Grace Murray Hopper - USN
WARNING, I'm from New York. Thin skinned people should maintain safe distance.
FB
Chain-L site
An ounce of diagnosis is worth a pound of cure.
Just because I'm tired of arguing, doesn't mean you're right.
“One accurate measurement is worth a thousand expert opinions” - Adm Grace Murray Hopper - USN
WARNING, I'm from New York. Thin skinned people should maintain safe distance.
12-25-14 | 04:50 PM
#19
Banned
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 43,586
Likes: 1,380
From: NW,Oregon Coast
Bikes: 8
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.
Go thru pints of* it, Or others, in the LBS over the Year, ... repairs and just letting people apply some when needed.
Last edited by fietsbob; 12-25-14 at 04:57 PM.
12-26-14 | 09:55 AM
#20
Thread Starter
Registered User
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 11
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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.
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.
12-26-14 | 10:13 AM
#21
Senior Member
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 9,102
Likes: 6,009
From: Zang's Spur, CO
