Deacon Blues
Well-Known Member
I found this video very informative. Well worth watching.
Best bike chain lube video
- Thread starter Deacon Blues
- Start date
RunForTheHills
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
Great video. Hopefully, this thread won't go the direction of most discussions on religion, politics, and chain lube. I would have liked to see him test melted wax (paraffin). However, wax dip is too much work for me anyway and I would rather replace the chain more often than go to that trouble.
Deacon Blues
Well-Known Member
I've considered going the wax route too, but having to really clean everything before a waxed chain can be installed has put me off.
smorgasbord
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
Unfortunately, non-real-world tests won't usually mirror real world results.
fooferdoggie
Well-Known Member
plus if you ride in the cold it can flake off.
reed scott
Well-Known Member
This guy is a genius. A true scientist. This is without a doubt the most informative information I know of on the subject of bike chain lubrication. I'm going straight to you tube or wherever else the man contributes and support him.
(five thumbs. My highest recommendation ! )
DaveMatthews
Well-Known Member
YoulubeThis guy is a genius. A true scientist. This is without a doubt the most informative information I know of on the subject of bike chain lubrication. I'm going straight to you tube or wherever else the man contributes and support him.
reed scott
Well-Known Member
Did you watch the video?
He lost me halfway between
" I use wd40"
and
" I apply lube minutes before going out on the trail"
Now , can someone follow manufacturers instructions on application, run a simulater wear test using a chain / sprocket (and mud....) . Change gears frequently so the torsion on a worn chain lets more mud in and we can interpret the data with something vaguely resembling the real world. Perhaps with a simulated wash and rust cycle
" I use wd40"
and
" I apply lube minutes before going out on the trail"
Now , can someone follow manufacturers instructions on application, run a simulater wear test using a chain / sprocket (and mud....) . Change gears frequently so the torsion on a worn chain lets more mud in and we can interpret the data with something vaguely resembling the real world. Perhaps with a simulated wash and rust cycle
smorgasbord
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
Might want to check out Bicycle chain lubricants – explained and Comparative overview of bicycle chain lubricants as well as this: https://zerofrictioncycling.com.au/...etail-review-Silca-super-secret-drip-v1.1.pdf
My problems with the review in this thread are many:
1) The lubes tested were not selected for a particular application (road bike versus mountain bike versus grave, etc.). A lube that is best for commuting may be different than is best for off road riding. Even his favorite brand comes in different flavors (Muc Off Nano versus Hydrodynamic for instance).
2) The wear measurement does not replicate any actual chain/sprocket interaction.
3) The wear measurement does not include anything related to chain articulation.
4) The wear measurement does not include any chain tension related stress.
5) The stickiness measurement seems particularly useless. OK to spin the chain (but not at 3X any achievable bike speed), but then the measurement needs to be taken on how the effectiveness of the lube is actually decreased, or not.
6) The spray test doesn't replicate any real world bicycle riding in the rain, or through mud, etc.
I could go on and on.
I would also suggest reading this prior The Ultimate Mid-Drive Chain Care Thread.
DaveMatthews
Well-Known Member
I use a wax spray so far.
reed scott
Well-Known Member
How is that stuff Timpo? See it in Home Depot all the time.I use WD40 actually
Deacon Blues
Well-Known Member
Waiting to watch your comprehensive chain lube testing.......
fooferdoggie
Well-Known Member
,my goal is to get at least weeks riding at last 100 miles out of an application and not to have to chain the chain. sometimes twice a week if I do over 120 miles. rock and roll works well but in rain you may get 20 miles or so or one ride between lubes. but I shut apply out wipe the chain and once every two or three weeks clean the jockey wheels I don't get buildup anywhere else. thats road riding. I doubt it lube any better or worse but its less work to keep the drivetrain clean but you have apply it often.
smorgasbord
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
Did you read the tests in the links I provided? No video, just text and photos. Old school, I know.Waiting to watch your comprehensive chain lube testing.......
Waiting to watch your comprehensive chain lube testing.......
I actually tried quite a few of those lubes and wrote my experience in this thread Ebike chain lubes.
To my experience mucoff dry was simply not durable(less than 50 miles between applications). Dumonde is much more durable(100-120miles between applications). None of them was good at prolonging chain life.
None of them are remotely close to waxing. Waxing is on another level...
Still I liked his experiment. I really like that he measured film strength with that tool, I was always curious about that.
On the other hand the rest of the test has flaws. Major flaw is that bicycle chains are exposed to outer elements and they can not replenish or filter the lube in between applications hence film strength test is misleading. Film strength is usually not the major factor in chain wear, it is the grinding paste that accumulates in between the rollers.
Also these lubes change their composition while they are ridden. For example dumonde claims that its lube gets "rubberized" after several rides. I can somehow agree with their statement since if you rode dumonde immediately after application in a dusty environment it is like a dust magnet. If you wait overnight and ride a bit before hitting dusty trails it is fine, after a couple of rides the black gunk also stops coming out.
smorgasbord
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
Uh, yeah.
MartsEbike
Well-Known Member
- Region
- United Kingdom
- City
- Dunstable
I've found Finish Line Cross Country Wet Lubricant to be pretty good, they also do a Teflon version which works well in all conditions.
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