[rideSATX]

there comes a time in every cyclists life when he has to stop mooching off his roomate for chain grease and get his own. for me, that time is now. I ride on roads only, though these roads are questionable at best, they are still paved and I don't usually get off them lol.

my question is what chain grease do you use? what should I stay away from? is there anything out there that is just far superior to everything else? you guys know best, guide me! haha

[Industry_Hack]

Depends on where you ride, what kind of bike you have and the riding you do, and how religious you are about maintenance.

Currently, I use Tri Flow with Teflon. And White Lightning dry lube. And Finish Line Cross Country wet lube. And Yelo Velo. I also have some Dumonde Tech I am going to try. Oh, I also have Chain Oil No5.

The Finish Line is my general purpose, since I bought a case for $10, and I use it when building bikes. A few drops in the cable housing works wonders too. In Utah, I see a lot of kids bikes being left outdoors, so an "extreme weather" lube is a good choice. Yelo Velo is on my 29er, and it really works well. I like that it's plant based too. The Cannondale gets Tri Flow for everything but the chain, and that gets White Lightning, just because I've always used it. If I'm working on a bike that isn't going to be left in the weather, and is kept clean, Chain Oil No5 goes on.

I'll stop now. There is no single product that everyone swears by. I think Steak Sauce tried Gnar Lube, but don't recall how that went.

[davereo]

I use finish line ceramic wet lube on my chains and Shimano Hypo spit on my components. The reason for the Hypo Spit use is the applicator only. It has a very nice long thin needle that reaches in nicely and allows very small droplets to be applied at a time. Once the applicator is empty I refill it with 30 weight non detergtent oil.

I use mobil lythium grease on my head set bearings and bottom bracket.

Any lube is better than no lube.

[Industry_Hack]

The one I really want to try is WD40.

[HillDancer]

I've used this product for about 30 years http://www.belray.com/bel-ray-super-clean-chain-lube. It's great.

I tried Chain-L for a year, it lasts a long time, but it is very tacky. That means it attracts dirt and will blacken everything it touches. Chain gets noisy in cold weather.

Used Ice Wax for a while, it's the kind of lube best suited for wet weather, but since we've been in a drought for three years, I don't ride through low water crossings with water over them anymore.

I've started using Purple Extreme http://www.purpleextreme.com/ on my Houston bike (it was developed in Houston BTW), it's amazing how much it has quieted the chain. The chain needs to be completely degreased before applying for best results, and it is applied the day before the ride. The chain no longer attracts dog fur, sand, or sling gunk.

My Hill Country bike has begun a diet of Park Tool CL-1 http://www.parktool.com/product/synthetic-blend-chain-lube-with-ptfe-cl-1 on a new chain. It is another day-before lube. Like Purple Extreme, it keeps the chain relatively clean, despite occasional rides on bare road base (crushed rock & caliche), and the usual gravel jaunt. The rear spokes and rim are lube splatter free now. The rear skin walls are indelibly Chain-L tattooed.

So in summary, for San Antonio, my recommendation is Park CL-1 for its simplicity, and Purple Extreme if you're willing to do the prep.

[rynoman03]

Is there a sticky somewhere of what a person should do for bike maintenance. I googled some and everything i find says to use wd40 on the chain and things to clean the apply some sort of grease. WD40 is a solvent I would that that would be bad to bearings and such.

[davereo]

Up until recent released products WD40 was a four letter word in cycling. Check out the link in Industry Hacks post for new product reviews.

[rola643]

Originally Posted by rynoman03

Is there a sticky somewhere of what a person should do for bike maintenance. I googled some and everything i find says to use wd40 on the chain and things to clean the apply some sort of grease. WD40 is a solvent I would that that would be bad to bearings and such.

Did you click Hacks link? WD has a new line out.

[rola643]

I've been satisfied with White lightening Epic Ride

http://www.whitelightningco.com/products/epic.htm

I tried Chain-L as well, very messy.

[rynoman03]

Ya I clicked it. Maybe I should give it a whirl i'm just asking in general. I know i'm asking alot of noob questions but i'm relatively curious. I guess i'll do some more reading.