smd4

Maelochs, So suppose you have a super squeaky dry chain. You put the bike in the stand, lube the chain with oil, run the chain backwards through a rag, and go through the gears once. Now the chain is silent. Three questions;

1) What do you think just happened?

2) What do you think would happen if you rode the bike immediately thereafter? And

3) What do you think waiting an hour would accomplish?

Maelochs

Funniest thing when people are so totally clueless that they don't realize their questions have all been answered and the answers were not favorable ......

smd4

Not funnier than not being able to answer simple questions. None of which have been answered previously, contrary to your assertion.

Maelochs

Nor funnier than not being able to understand when a simple question was answered ...... before it was even asked.

Look up! Nah, too late .....

PeteHski

With oil based lubes, how long to wait (ideally) before riding depends on what (if any) additives are in the lube. For example some bike lubes include thinners to reduce viscosity to make the lube easier to apply and penetrate. It takes time for these thinners to evaporate and the lube to reach its intended operating viscosity. If just using pure oil then this extra wait time doesn’t apply.

Camilo

I might suggest that as a newby, you check out the search function. This topic has been discussed and debated at length for many years, especially in the past year or so. It's only polite to do a little work on your own.

bbbean 

I'm not Maleochs, but:
1) You just described what happened. Question asked and answered.
2) You'd be riding a bike that was more lubricated than it was before you oiled the chain.
3) You'd have given the oil enough time to spread further into the spaces between parts and you'd be somewhat more efficient and would wear teh drivetrai a little slower.

Your plan certainly does a "good enough" job of lubricating a chain. Giving the lube enough time to get further into the various crevices and more fully cover surfaces is better. If good enough is good enough for you, then ride in good health.

FWIW, in another post you mentioned that you'd been wrenching for 10 years and felt no need to Google for more info on the topic. It occurred to me that 10 years ago, most of us were still riding 23mm tires at 110 psi on the lightest wheels and round tube frames we could find, and we were pretty sure we were at the cutting edge of technology. Today, we understand more about rolling resistance and aerodynamics and we take a different strategy. In the past decade we've made similar advances in our understanding of drive train maintenance. It is always worth reviewing what others have learned, particularly when those sources are rooted in sound science.

smd4

You're right. I am definitely not riding around on 23 mm tires at 110 psi. That would be pure silliness!

Mine are at 140.

And there are plenty of sites found by the "Google" that certainly don't advise that it's necessary to let a bike sit for "several hours" after lubing the chain for the oil to penetrate. Besides, I was using an extreme example. I don't ever let my chain get that dry. But if I did, a few squirts on the chain, a few circuits through the gears, a few backwards revolutions through a rag, and I'm gone with no qualms whatsoever.

So, my statement stands. It's BS to think you need to let your chain sit for "several hours" in order to allow oil to penetrate.

Eric F 

Who are you responding to? The amount of activity on this thread kind of proves that this discussion topic still has plenty of life, even if some/most of it is a duplication of previous discussions.

smd4

I should have my Silca Super Secret drip wax this Thursday, so I'll try cleaning and applying this weekend, hopefully.

bbbean 

OK, you knocked down the straw man. Sorry for suggesting you could still learn something. Have a great day.

smd4

Thanks man, you too!

Lombard

That was more like 20 years ago. Some road bikes in the late 2000 aughts were already being fitted with 25mm tires. Now 32mm isn't uncommon.

MooneyBloke

For people who like that sort of thing, that is the sort of thing they like.

MooneyBloke

Some of us still are, though I've dropped my tires to 90/100 rather than 100/110 for my 140# (human) frame.

Lombard

That is still way too high a pressure for someone your weight.

smd4

Not if it feels good for him.

Metieval

Best century ride of my life was a chain I dipped in heated melted liquid wax.

Most effort ever spent on chain maintenance, was re waxing that chain often!

Only you can weigh the better ride vs the investment.

I no longer wax my chains, but if I raced. I'd definitely be waxing my chains.

Metieval

I ride my 40c tubeless tires at like 38 psi. (30 on gravel) I think my tubed protite pasela ties i ran around 60 psi.
My 28c tires were like 70 psi and I'm 170 lbs.

I think I need a steel frame now.... and belt drive.

rsbob 

As an apparent Luddite, I am using this:


Besides one sparing drop per link, back peddling 15 times and then running over the cogs, wiping any excess and letting it dry over night, I’m relatively happy. If I had to wax my chain every 300 miles, it would be every week, which is nu bueno for a lazy person.

MooneyBloke

I don't think that sort of pressure would work with the 23mm Veloflex sew-ups I'm riding.

MooneyBloke

I'd agree, but if you have multiple chains, and used them in turn only rewaxing when you run out of fresh, you wax every 300×N miles where N is the number of chains you put in rotation.

SpedFast

Absolutely, Since reducing the number of bikes in the stable I've got 4 in rotation for my main rider and it feels like a long time between waxing events, I average 150 miles/week.

PeteHski

That’s what I use on most of my bikes. Very little effort and works well.

One Wheel

FWIW: I had a chain that I thought was worn out this spring after a particularly nasty gravel ride. I went to the bike shop, they measured it at 0.6% wear (9sp) and suggested I see if I could get a little more use out of it. I figured I wouldn't be out much to put some canning wax in a jar and give wax a shot. I recall joking with the mechanic that I would see if I could get 2,000 more miles out of the chain before replacing it. I'm at 1,226 miles since then, still working at least as well as it was in April. I think I'll get the 2,000 miles that the mechanic laughed at.