Author Topic: Chain Lub  (Read 34877 times)

JWestland

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Re: Chain Lub
« Reply #45 on: April 12, 2012, 09:48:34 am »
Finish Line Extreme Riding Conditions is my preferred one...not too expensive and does the job on my work commute and the road there is FILTHY after just one day I already feel the urge to get a bucket and soapy water out. Also, Northern Ireland, rain... ;)

So it's based on a grubby road with lots of damp, it might not suit best in arid conditions.

BTW salt in the air (we are near the sea here) really eats up your chains/metal so extra applying/cleaning is required. But no doubt that's common knowledge here... ;)
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Danneaux

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Re: Chain Lub
« Reply #46 on: June 27, 2012, 01:04:27 am »
Hi All!

Traveling Two ( http://travellingtwo.com/resources/chain-l-bike-lube-review ) have just posted their test results for Chain-L bike lube. It has now edged out their previous favorite, Finish Line.

Chief among Chain-L's virtues they found are quiet running of the chain and longevity in use. Noted downsides are the potent smell and a flip-top cover that could open in a bag. Their experience so far covers only 3,0000km, but it has gone that distance without reapplication. They also mention a 10-minute soak-in period before use and suggest covering the floor beneath a newly-lubed chain to catch any drips.

Jags asked about this oil earlier in the thread, and this is a nice followup, based as it is on practical use by the testers. A bit light on substance , but still useful.

Best,

Dan.

NZPeterG

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Re: Chain Lub
« Reply #47 on: June 30, 2012, 09:12:45 am »
Hi All!

Traveling Two ( http://travellingtwo.com/resources/chain-l-bike-lube-review ) have just posted their test results for Chain-L bike lube. It has now edged out their previous favorite, Finish Line.

Chief among Chain-L's virtues they found are quiet running of the chain and longevity in use. Noted downsides are the potent smell and a flip-top cover that could open in a bag. Their experience so far covers only 3,0000km, but it has gone that distance without reapplication. They also mention a 10-minute soak-in period before use and suggest covering the floor beneath a newly-lubed chain to catch any drips.

Jags asked about this oil earlier in the thread, and this is a nice followup, based as it is on practical use by the testers. A bit light on substance , but still useful.

Best,

Dan.

Hi Dan thanks thats a good write up ...

Pete...
 :)
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il padrone

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Re: Chain Lub
« Reply #48 on: June 30, 2012, 09:29:26 am »
I think they said 300kms on that review page.

I'll stick with the Purple Extreme myself. It keeps my chain so nicely clean, does not attract junk, does not wash off in rain, and stays running smoothly for 600+kms. I used to use Finish Line Cross Country but Purple Extreme lasts so much longer between reapplications and keeps the chain far, far cleaner that it is not likely I'd ever go back to Finish Line.

Danneaux

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Re: Chain Lub
« Reply #49 on: June 30, 2012, 06:25:36 pm »
Hi All!

I don't think the Travelling Two have used Chain-L long enough to draw a truly definitive conclusion, though their experience and results are helpful. I'm still mulling over some other reports about this lube.

An interim data point wrt Purple Extreme...

I'm trying Purple Extreme at Pete's urging and endorsement, and it is working out well so far, though I have yet to collect enough data to make any truly valid conclusions compared to what I've been using.

I do have some observations that square nicely with Pete's:

1) I applied it to a chain that had been soaked clean of prior lubricants using mineral spirits, then blown dry with filtered compressed air (and a line-drier). Found little mess or dirt collection on the chain itself, despite riding in dusty conditions and rain.

2) Seems to lube well in practice, making for a quiet chain.

3) the connecting link's pins when I removed the chain to check it for stretch as an interim measure.

4) There is some soak-in time require for the stuff to work effectively. At least 10 minutes is helpful, Though overnight seemed to help the oil better penetrate all the little nooks and crannies of the chain.

5) There seems to be a temporal element -- Purple Extreme appears to evaporate to a degree over time. I've lubed three chains with it, and the chains on bike that were mostly sitting for the same period needed re-lubrication as much as the "working" chains. I'm watching this, but it seems reasonable for there to be some carrier dispersion and evaporation. The carrier is bound to provide some lubricity as well as the core elements after evaporation and out-gassing, if any. I've got a little dish with some PE on it simmering on the shop hotplate at a very low temperature to see what happens over time and if there is an evaporative effect.

As I say, not enough use for me to draw any definitive conclusions, except it surely makes the chain nice and quiet when applied and for some time thereafter. Though I haven't tried the Chain-L, I'm a bit put off by reports of the strong odor. My previous preferred chain lubes consisted of frequent spray re-applications of WD-40s no longer available TAL-5, which was a completely different product than WD-40, which I am strongly prejudiced against, or a mix of 10W-40 petroleum motor oil or 15W synthetic motor oil, fortified with a bit of Phil Wood Tenacious Oil and applied carefully to each pin joit and allowed to soak in. In my use, Purple Extreme has far less sling and attracts far less dirt, and would be worth using for those reasons even if it did end up requiring more frequent application.

Still early days for me.


Best,

Dan.
« Last Edit: June 30, 2012, 06:35:34 pm by Danneaux »

NZPeterG

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Re: Chain Lub
« Reply #50 on: June 30, 2012, 11:42:26 pm »
Well for me it's been "Rock-n-Roll" Extreme I have been running with it for the last 7+ year's.
I have run Rohloff for wet (over 25mm of rain an hour) MTB race's
At the end of the day any lube is good as long as it's not dry the chain will last...................

Pete..

The trouble with common sense is it is no longer common[

http://kiwipetesadventures.tumblr.com/

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JWestland

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Re: Chain Lub
« Reply #51 on: July 04, 2012, 10:41:46 am »
I had tried the green oil, but found it doesn't stay on the chain as long and needs more frequent application to keep the chain "wet" and greasy. Hmmmm....greasy chain. #homer simpson face.

However, as Teflon does seem to have some nasty environmental side-effects maybe I should just put in the effort.
And go to cotton Duck as Gore Tex is also Teflon, change my pots...argh the stuff IS everywhere.

(Can't we like not buy Teflon with guaranteed no dumping left-overs in environment as a higher price?)
Pedal to the metal! Wind, rain, hills, braking power permitting ;)

Danneaux

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Re: Chain Lub
« Reply #52 on: January 08, 2013, 11:26:17 pm »
Hi All!

Time to rev up this evergreen topic with a recent study conducted by our Dutch friends.

Original Dutch: http://www.motorstophelder.nl/anti-corrosie/index.htm
Google English-translated version: http://translate.google.com/translate?sl=nl&tl=en&js=n&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&eotf=1&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.motorstophelder.nl%2Fanti-corrosie%2Findex.htm&act=url
TinyUrl in case your browser breaks the long link: http://tinyurl.com/agfdnzk

Thanks to a Dutch friend, here's the translation of what's on that page...
Quote
Following a discussion on a motorbike forum about rust protection, the writer of this page decided to do a simple test; buying seven identical steel tools (putty knives), treating them with seven different surface protectants, hanging them outside and spraying them with saline solution (1 teaspoon of salt in 1 l. water) once a week.

No. 1 is untreated.
No. 2 is treated with normal butter (of the cow variety, not some kind of vegetable product)
No. 3 is treated with WD-40
No. 4 is ACF-50
No. 5 is Tectyl Superwax
No. 6 is Vaseline Spray
No. 7 is S100.

Noteworthy in the text: after 7 weeks, due to warm weather the butter has melted off the surface, hence the decline of its protection. The text with the end result, after 11 weeks, says that Vaseline has become somewhat dirty but that doesn't take anything away from its protective quality - apparently, what you see in the last picture of no. 6 is dirt, not rust.

As mentioned previously on this Forum, while in grad school at uni, a friend from Taiwan lubed his bike chain with butter; always had, back home. Things took a sad turn when he bought American vegetable margarine, thinking it was the same. The salt in it flash-rusted the chain overnight. At the time, I had no idea genuine butter might have any merit as an anti-corrosive or lubricant, no matter how weak. Some Indian friends used ghee (clarified butter) as oil for door hinges and also for chains.

Best,

Dan. (...who could have been using butter all this time! :D)

Andre Jute

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Re: Chain Lub
« Reply #53 on: January 09, 2013, 12:57:35 am »
Mmm. For years I used Vaseline as my all-purpose assembly and anti-rust grease. I went over to Finish Line White Teflon (and briefly their Ceramic Grease) mainly because it remained cleaner for longer, not because it gave better protection. Then Jags gave me a tube of Phil's ever-sticky, which smells nicer...

Andre Jute

JWestland

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Re: Chain Lub
« Reply #54 on: January 09, 2013, 10:54:20 am »
Tectyl superwax it is then for protecting frames or Vaseline

(I actually pondered a few weeks ago that my tub of vaseline is probably good protecting my bottom bracket, frame hangers..but now I can't find the tub!!! Butter a bit hard to get on when it's cold ;)

pisbakplamuurmessen
I see Google struggles there lol

Pisbakstaal or pissoir steel is a common mechanics term for low grade poor quality steel. So pisbakplamuurmess is basically a filling knife made of very poor steel.
Pedal to the metal! Wind, rain, hills, braking power permitting ;)

sg37409

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Re: Chain Lub
« Reply #55 on: January 09, 2013, 03:29:06 pm »
Yes it is. Prefer sudacrem though.

(I actually pondered a few weeks ago that my tub of vaseline is probably good protecting my bottom

jags

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Re: Chain Lub
« Reply #56 on: January 09, 2013, 03:36:43 pm »
Yes it is. Prefer sudacrem though.

i'm heavy on tha auld sudacrem meself after my ride today  ;D ;D

as for lube i'm still using pro gold and tri flow on everything else .
hasn't failed me yet ;)

JWestland

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Re: Chain Lub
« Reply #57 on: January 09, 2013, 03:55:42 pm »
LOL  ;D

Sudacreme better though for human bottom brackets  ;D
Pedal to the metal! Wind, rain, hills, braking power permitting ;)

jags

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Re: Chain Lub
« Reply #58 on: January 09, 2013, 04:19:02 pm »
tis great stuff but the shower was a tester. ;D ;D

Andybg

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Re: Chain Lub
« Reply #59 on: January 09, 2013, 05:52:34 pm »
Re vasaline it is quite normal practice for rowers to put it between their bum cheeks to stop friction burns from the repeated backwards and forwards action. Not the most polite thing to do in public and something they don't show on the annual boat race.

Andy