Live2Die

So I've been using Phil's tenacious oil for the last few months and I can't seem to decide what I think of it. It's way thick and I think my bike runs the quietest with it so that is nice. But it collects dirt and grime pretty bad. It stands up to the rain pretty good which is nice since I live in oregon but as much as I like it some times I wonder if it is still as nice as I think. What are your thoughts on it and other lubes?

dirtyphotons

wipe off your chain after you lube it.

Live2Die

Yeah I do. I know how to lube I just want your opinion on the product.

dirtyphotons

it works fine. so does just about any other lube on the market. i'm not a big fan of waxes but they're better than nothing.

based on the people who come into my shop i think just remembering to lube and clean your drivetrain regularly puts you in the top two percent of bike owners. i wouldn't sweat brand differences too much.

chase.

not leaving your bike outside for an entire season puts you in the top fifteen percent, also.

shapelike

True. I feel so proud of Random Commuter Lady every time she asks about how to properly maintain her drivetrain.

TimArchy

I used phil oil for a while but got tired of staining EVERY pair of pants I owned. On the plus side, I'm pretty sure the streets I rode on were cleaner after I passed.

It's always come down to tri-flow, pro link, and the finish line with the red cap. If it rained, I applied it every other day (or whenever I thought about it). I could actually leave it for a week where it rained on and off and it never got too noisy. Don't let people prejudice you against dry lube just because you live where it rains. Didn't get too dirty, still easy to clean off.

I tried wax for a bit when I was putting my bike in the back of a car fairly often. I ended up buying a new chain after spending 30 min trying to clean all the crap off the old one.

Can't deny that Phil oil makes your bike run like the Red October, but there's definately a price.

jgedwa

I would think that a thiner wet lube (reapplied frequently) would be better than Phil's. That stuff is a wonder for a lot of applications, but this is not one of the ideal ones.

But, like everyone else, I think that we tend to overthink chain lube. Simple fact is that the chain is out in the elements and so it will get dirty quickly. So cleaning it and lubing it, and expecting to replace it every so often is in order. There is no magic way to overcome the design limitations of a chain.

jim

skinnyland

Hahaha
stained pants and lube


I use Tenacious Oil and it works fine. If I didn't have that, I'd use whatever was at hand. It's just oil, and it's just a bike chain.

chase.

every now and then a full degreaser bath and subsequent liberal application of chain lube works nicely for me, as an intermediate step to maintenance.

BrooklynMachine

We've dipped into our samples of Dumonde tech and have found it to be really good stuff. Just as good as Phil's in the rain and its consistency is more "plasticky" instead of a flimsy wax or messy oil.

Igneous Faction

I use tri-flow. I ride until I start to get drive-train noise and clean and re-lube or right after I ride in heavy rain or slush/snow.

riderx

Used up my sample bottle of the Dumonde stuff and moved on to purchasing the large one. After several months I'm still using it, so that must mean I like it. Lube each link individually (takes an extra 30 seconds) and wipe down afterwards and it's pretty clean.

For the townie bike I use White Lightening wax for the clean factor. Trips on that bike are frequent but short so the relube interval is pretty long.

blickblocks

I like Tenacious Oil too. Just keep the sideplates of your chain clean and you won't ruin your pants.

StabsAll

I use spit.






Or Tri-Flow. If your into that sort of thing.

hockeyteeth

Lubrication is only necessary if you don't engage in foreplay.

GG.

DID YOU GUYS JUST MAKE A REFERENCE TO SEX?


you should all go into yourselves and keep in mind that 90% of active posters here ain't getting any.

pinkrobe

I find Phil's is way too gooey for anything chain-related. It picks up so much dirt and grit that it turns into a nasty abrasive adhesive after about a week. Finish Line Wet works for me, summer and winter, both on the road bikes and the mountain bikes.

stevesurf

I never used Phil's, but I swear by Dumonde Tech Lite. It dries pretty quickly, is not a wax and even quieted down my drive train when it was really out of adjustment.

For wet weather, they've now come out with a more water resistant lube that Bicycling reviewed positively this month.

thurstonboise

I swore by pro-link for a long time but Rock Lube started handing out free samples at local alleycats and I have converted to their gold option. I do think the red "hardcore road" version is unimpressive, but a lot of people here swear by the gold or blue options.

TimArchy

Lube companies are present at alleycats in Idaho?
We were clearly doing something wrong in Atlanta.

East Hill

Isn't that part and parcel?

East Hill

thurstonboise

Rock"n"roll lube is a local company. They've provided swag and prizes for a few events here.

TimArchy

Ah. Maxxis and Blue are local to us but so far, nothing. Guess Blue isn't going to start handing out sample carbon frames anytime soon.

marqueemoon

I like T9.