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Top Ten Bicycle Lube Myths
March 27th, 2007 by Guitar Ted- “Dry” Lube. If it’s “dry” it’s NOT lube!!!
- “Self Cleaning” lube. See #1 above. It’s not lube!”
- “Easy” Application. Again, no such thing.
- High mileage claims. Not a good idea.
- “No Mess” Lube. Uh…Right!
- Stays on even when it’s wet. NOT!
- Will Make Your Bike Shift Better. Well…maybe!
- Reduces Friction. Did you clean the chain?
- Motor Oil is Good Enough. What?
- I only need one kind of lube! No! No! No!
This is a list I came up with for a previous maintenance classes I was doing at the bike shop. I thought I would flesh it out a little bit here…
1. These lubes are always based on wax, or a wax equivalent. I ask you, would you put wax in the crankcase of your car, in your wheel bearings, or your bottom bracket bearings? No? Neither would I. Also, consider that unless you clean off old lube and residue COMPLETELY before each application, you are actually doing more harm than good. Waxy build up likes to attract grit, which in turn, grinds your drive train parts to a worn out status faster than you can blink an eye. Look, wax is not lube, okay?
2. Pretty self explanatory after reading the above point.
3. Once again, no lube is going to do much good unless you fully prepare your chain, cassette, and chain rings for it. That means cleaning. That means work. Whoops! There went the “easy application”!
4. Well, this almost always becomes an invitation to overlook maintenance. NOT a good idea, if you want the longest lifespan from your components. Regularly scheduled maintenance is always best. The more you ride, the more often you need to do it. Once a week is a good idea for most regularly ridden bikes.
5. There really is no such thing. “Real” lube always contains some sort of oil, and oil gets messy, so…….
6. I’ve never met a lube that doesn’t get diluted, or washed off in rain or snow. Well, at least one that’s good on a bicycle chain!
7. Lube will help only if your drive train parts are within spec, your cables operate properly, and the derailleur is in alignment. If not, then lube won’t make a difference.
8. Obvious one there. Add in jockey wheels to that, as well.
9. Motor oil is not designed to work outside the confines of an internal combustion engine. Got one of those on your bike? Didn’t think so.
10. Ahh! Here is a commonly held belief. I almost always use a Teflon based lube for cables, and a thicker oil type lube for chains. Teflon for derailleur pivot points and jockey wheels, too. Of course, heavier grease goes into the wheel bearings, headset, and bottom bracket.
Not that you’ve shown what not to do/use, perhaps you could list some favorites? Perhaps one of each, a favorite chain lube, cables, pivot points and jockey wheels oil? Maybe even your favorite grease. Thanks!
hey ted, do you ever use silicon spray lubes? i’ve been using it because the dissolving agent in it seems to fre up old grease, particularly in ratchet & cam shifters which tend to get a thicker & slower feeling action as the grease gets dirtier and such. a healthy dose of silicon spray lightens things up, but i’m not sure what the disadvantages are yet.
my dad uses wax lubes, and i used a wax lube in the beginning. i think they’re an easy way to indoctrinate people into the idea of drivetrain maintenance, but wax lubed drivetrains definitely underperform a kept-up oil lubed chain.
Although concerned, I am not convinced. I think the author of this article needs to back up his statements a little more. For example, he should include some sort of technical citation that states that wax-based lubes do not perform well. Much of the evidence used in this article is anecdotal or opinion. I am not saying that what the author says is untrue. Rather, I state that he should present more convincing evidence. The word of a single wrench is not enough. Furthermore, comparing the stresses on a crankcase in a car to the stresses on a bicycle drive train is a bit silly. A wimpy car engine puts out 80,000 watts of power. A stud cyclist only puts out 600.
Marc
Nick: I am currently testing out several new, (to me mostly) lubes to see what I like and don’t like on my chains. For cables, pivot points, and jockey wheels, a Teflon based lubricant like Boesheild, Finish Line, or Tri Flow seem to do the trick. Tri Flow has the added bonus of being a really great rust dissolver.
nathan: Oh yeah, baby! I do exactly the same thing you are doing. Works a charm, doesn’t it? I found that in a pinch, WD-40 can do a similar job, but obviously won’t be a “lube” in the long run.
Marc Chimonas: You “numbers/ science guys” crack me up! Okay, first of all, this was originally a “Top Ten” list, and as such I wouldn’t expect a “technical citation”, footnotes, or elaborate explanations. It’s my opinion, yes exactly, and I stand behind it 100%.
You see, any lab, or scientific study, by definition is not “the real world”, since science cannot duplicate real world conditions that would satisfy everyone. Too many variables and too complex.
I see about 15-20 repairs a day from April through mid-September, five days a week. I culled my opinions from working on real peoples bikes that made their own decisions and rode their bikes in vastly differing ways, using several different lube strategies. Try duplicating that in a lab.
If you don’t agree, fine, no sweat. I’m just trying to get people to think a little bit when it comes to maintaining today’s complex nine and ten speed drivetrains. There’s a “right way” and a “careless way” to do drivetrain maintenance. That’s the point.
Addendum:
I agree that there is no single lube for all conditions.
Anecdotally, I found dry lube to lead to longer drive chain longevity then wet lube when riding in the desert where fine, abasive silca and silcate dust would stick to wet lube almost instantly. Granted we would have to relube and clean our chains after every ride.
Don’t knock the science guys. Science doesn’t just occur in the laboratory. You can design a study in the field to evaluate “real world” conditions as you call it.
Marc
I agree with Marc. With wet lube my chain practically needed to be decreased after every ride (in Orange County). My chain is lasting longer with wax (Finish line Krytech) although wax tends to wear off after a single ride. I’m curious to try ProLink Chain Lube. Supposedly it’s a wet lube that does not attract dust? Is that possible?
Well, since your using teflon in your cable housings, I guess that makes it lube. The thing is that it is a “dry lube”. Yes, they go on VERY wet. Dry lubes are suspended in a solvent that cuts into old lubricants and then evaporates leaving the dry lube coating whatever is left.
Graphite is dry … it’s a lubricant. Teflon is dry … it’s a lubricant. Do you play billiards? Do you slather oil between your fingers or talc? And speaking of talc, are we not supposed to coat our tubes with it so they don’t stick to the tire.
Now I would agree that “clean and lube” claims are dubious. The biggest threat to a chain is grit which has the same effect of sand paper on the rollers. You have to wash that stuff out. A solvent will help break the slurry goop free from the chain, but it will not remove it from in between the rollers.
ted, what do you use to clean drivetrains at the shop?
BearSquirrel: Depends on the type of Teflon based lube you use. TriFlow stays wet, so doesn’t fall under the category you describe. That’s what I put in the housings. Of course, over time weather and heat will dry it out, but reapplications are also necessary for chains, so………
jeremiah: If the customer calls for a drivetrain clean up, we use parts washer solvent from a company called Northland Oil. Nasty stuff! Must use gloves because it can suck the moisture right out of your skin upon contact. This will get the chain about 98% clean, even in the rollers. If I wanted to get it 100%, I then rinse in water, and shake the chain in a waterbottle about half full of dish soap and water, and repeat the rinse cycle. Then I use compressed air to dry it out quickly. After these steps I re-apply lubrication and re-install the chain on the bike.
For an “on the bike” quick clean up, I use WD-40 to soak the chain. Then I blow it out with compressed air. (Make sure you use eye protection. Stuff flies all over! I also hold a rag around the area I’m blowing to cut down on the “shrapnel”) Then I apply luberication. You can get a chain pretty clean that way, but down in the rollers, you will still have some old residue.
European mechanics use diesel fuel! Cuts the grime off super quick, but obviosly there are several reasons you may not want to use that in your maintenance.
Guitar Ted:
According to [url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teflon"]Wikipedia, Teflon is a solid at room temperature[/url]. So your Triflow must be a light oil with suspended teflon particles in it.
Whether it dries or whether it is suspended, Teflong is SLIPPERY stuff. But the whole original point is that dry lube is in fact actually a lube.
Guitar Ted:
According to [url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teflon"]Wikipedia, Teflon is a solid at room temperature[/url]. So your Triflow must be a light oil with suspended teflon particles in it.
Whether it dries or whether it is suspended, Teflong is SLIPPERY stuff. But the whole original point is that dry lube is in fact actually a lube. If it’s Extreme Purple, it’s a really EXCELLENT lube.
I’m a bike mechanic in Colorado, and I’m a firm believer in wax lubes. I live in a dry area where dirt and dust are huge problems. Most bikes come into my shop with triflow on the chain, and they’re a mess. When the dirt mixes with the triflow, or other oil lubes, it turns into sandpaper and wears down the parts from the inside, and generally makes a mess of the whole drivetrain.
The way wax lubes work (or so it was explained to me by mechanics I trust) is that the wax is a solid when it’s just sitting on the chain, but as it passes over the cassette and chainrings, the friction between the pins and rollers and plates is enough to melt the wax, temporarily creating a liquid layer on which the system slides. Then it cools off and becomes solid again.
It’s the same way a snowboard or ski works; the wax is solid when just hanging out, but when it encounters friction (the snow), the wax melts a little bit and briefly makes a very slippery surface.
The only problem I’ve seen with the wax lubes is needing to reapply more often. When dirt mixes with the wax, it flakes off, instead of holding it and grinding down your parts like oil lube does.
When I first started wrenching I used triflow, and I went through chains pretty fast, and broke chains occasionally. Now, even in the summers when I’m in the moutains, climbing 300 miles per week, I have yet to break a chain, and my drivetrain parts last a lot longer than they used to.
Nate O: Hey, I think your success is great, but in my neck of the woods, almost everyone that uses “wax” lubes uses them incorrectly and end up doing what you say Tri Flow does.
My experience with wax “lubes” was much like yours. I have actually had better luck so far with things like Dumonde Tech and Pro Lube which I have ridden in rocky, dusty conditions too. I’m not sold on either one yet, as I am still in the process of testing them.
I find your comments on how the wax flakes off with the dirt being better than other types of lube which hold it in rather curious. This is what I mean when I say that “wax lubes” are not lubes, especially when they flake off leaving behind…………nothing! No lube = faster wearing parts.
There’s no “free lunch” in chain lube. A regular regimen of maintanence is necessary no matter what lube you use. If you must clean more often than others do because of your dusty, dirty conditions, than you either choose to do that and extend the lifetime of your drive train parts, or not.
I still say wax isn’t a proper lube due to the way it works, especially off road, but hey! If you like it and you believe in it, good on ya!
yo ted, a guy i work with says to use wd-40 to remove grips, and also to install them. he claims the wd-40 melts the rubber a bit but dries up after a while leaving the grip firmly bonded to the bar. have you ever heard of this? it smells poopy to me.
No need for WD-40 to remove grips. Just squirt some water under there with a syringe. I’ve always put on grips with rubbing alcohol, which I’m pretty sure dries up without melting anything (which may make them easier to replace?).
OK, this is beginning to sound like a bunch of economic theorists, arguing their theories. As far as I can tell, wax lubes suck and are fantastic. “Oil” based lubes suck and are fantastic. etc. So, I’m now convinced that nobody knows anything, and it’s just a matter of what type of speculation, innuendo and hearsay you agree with the most, concerning any particular type of lube. I’ve been using Purple Extreme; but, I’ve been curious about other lubes. Now, I’m convinced that Purple Extreme both sucks and is fantastic. Thanks for all of the help. ;O) Sigh.
John: You might be onto something here if you added that it depends on how you use your wax/oil/Purple Extreme. That’s part of my point here. If you are not willing to do the proper procedures when using any particular lube, then yes: it sucks no matter what it is. If you do it properly, then it works a charm.
That said, I still don’t buy into “awx lubes” claims at all.
Uhh……that last line was supposed to read “wax lubes”….sorry!
Guitar Ted:
I was … for the most part ;O) … kidding in my previous post. I think [as you've already stated] that it’s all a matter of how you maintain the chain, regardless of what you use. That is sound reasoning in my book. I’ve found your site to be helpful and, for no other reason than an ongoing accumulation of wax buildup, I decided not to use any wax lubes. The theory sounds cool … but theory doesn’t clean a chain, does it? I like your site, and will be reading as much as I can about chain, etc., maintenance.
Thanks for your comments.
Hi,
Sounds good this list. Although, I do agree with the first comment “Nick” made, asking for a list. Because, going into a bike shop and asking for one around here is like giving them a blank check. You’ll end up forking over $100 for a long list of brushes and specified lubes for every single screw and pivot on your bike. Which ends up being discouraging in the long run.
-Mike
I was wondering if there is a difference in the type of grease that you put on bolts and the type you put on bearings? also automotive grease and degreaser is a lot cheaper, but does it work the same? I am planing on re greasing everything on my bike very soon so any suggestions will be helpful.
i think that for the most part grease is grease and you’ll be fine using auto products. i’ve been using a tub of high-temp wheel bearing grease for years and i haven’t discerned any performance difference between it and park grease or phil grease.
Grease is grease, but there are different viscosities of grease. Shimano factory bearing grease and Manitou fork grease is not the same at all. One is very heavy, one is very light. Use some common sense when using auto grease, and if you re-grease it with a similar weight you should be fine.
Lads. for all practical purposes on low stress, low temperature, low friction surfaces i.e. the ones found on ALL parts of a bicycle, the type of lubricant used is not going to make much difference. Do yourselves a favour and buy a tub of Castrol LM lithium based grease for your bearings, a gallon of paraffin ( to use as a degreaser) and some light oil ( 3 in 1) for your cables and chain.
I use engine oil to oil my GSXR chain and sometimes, when I’m feeling flash, I spray the outside with cheap chain wax. On my mountain bike I put whatever I have to hand because I know as soon as I ride through a muddy puddle or down a dusty track I’m going to have to clean and re-lube anyhow.
Nate is right. Use a similar weight ( oil, fork oil or grease) and you will be fine.
I’m sure you are all aware that bicycle manufacturers and branded bicycle lube firms do not produce their own lubricants. They buy them from multi-national Oil companies and stick a brand label on them. Chances are that you can nip down to the Garage and buy the exact same thing for a fraction of the cost. If you are feeling especially cheeky go to a car mechanics work-shop and ask him for a wee bit - mechanics buy lubricants in huge barrels. Have a look and see how many types of lube they use - I’ll bet it’s not as many as your bike shop!!!
Regads
UK chap
P.S. Bet half of you don’t even know what Tribology means.
Yes it’s the study of drums and spears!
Wikipedia is your friend!
Tribology is the study of friction. I knew it alredy.
Hi All -
I’m reading some of this stuff - I design gyro’s for aerospace applications, spinning mass and other, but I am trying to find grease and oil types that I can purchase at the bike shop - the things I use at work are not available outside for the most part.
Grease is oil suspended in either wax, clay (yes - check out the gargoyle/Mobil 28 stuff - real standard in aircraft wheel bearing usage), or other stiffeners (I like straight teflon - krytox or a number of Nye lubes are excellent here), and the base oil should be used as a like combination for re-lube if required.
Oils are basically characterized by viscosity (Stokes), temperature range, and outgassing, as well as material content.
A good oil will not “wash off” in the rain, but is driven out by gravity or displacement. Grease is a method of denying gravity with oil, but may not be good under displacement - just leaves less oil at the contact point.
I would like to know what you are using for your chains at this point in time - I need something that will last better than the Phil stuff I get put on at my LBS.
Thanks
I renounce wax and dry lubes.
I went through a season on dry stuff and went through double the usual number of chains. I read the John’s Hopkin’s study closer. They speculated that a primary function of lube in an exposed drivetrain is to form a barrier against contaminants infiltrating the rollers.
I’m back to just plain oil and the occasional black chainring mark on my calf that goes along with it. Actually, I think it’s a badge of honor and I’m thinking about having the mark tatooed exactly where a 42T mountain ring would put it.
Hi all, you need to get a life, put what ever you like on the chain (ie fanny fat i think is the bests) regards rob
That is a great, thanks a lot to post this.
Good article for newbies, however I most certainly recommend dry lube and wax lube to racers. I clean my drivetrain everytime it gets the slightest bit dirty, so I don’t mind having using wax. And true dry lube doesn’t attract as much grit as medium or wet lube — you just have to apply it very regularly.
So they put wax so that you will buy parts when it’s busted. One of the greatest epic of selling.
I really enjoyed reading this. Thanks!
Would it be ok to use it on my blog?
thanks for clarify all these silly myths! Indeed what a great article!!