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Can someone explain chain lubes

1812 Views 16 Replies 11 Participants Last post by themanmonkey, Jan 13, 2010

[email protected]

Discussion Starter · Dec 31, 2009

Hey there,
Sorry if this sounds stupid....

What does wet lube mean.... and what conditions is it suited for?
What does dry lube mean.... and what conditions is it suited for?

Apologies, but i'm not sure if thats the weather conitions theyre suited for or the properties of the lubricant itself.

What about wax? Used on its own or with lubes?

I've been using pedro's ice wax, which seems nice but dosnt last long, so I usually have to re-lube after every ride. (I soak the chain in degreaser and clean any grit out, then lube it, leave it to soak, and clean off excess)
The KMC X9 chain I use came prelubed with something that seemed very nice at first, but picked up a ridiculous amount of grit very quickly- not what I want.

Most of my rides are in very rainy, muddy conditions at night with a lot of dirt reaching the chain.
I'd like something with the main emphasis on keeping the drivetrain clean so it dosnt attract dirt and grit, and hence wont take that long to clean. Do i want wet, dry, or wax?

Thanks in advance for any help

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archer

· #2 · Dec 31, 2009

In general wet lubes are just that lubricants that have a persistant wetness or liquid quality to them.

Dry lubes are lubricants that are more or less dry to the touch at some point after application. Dry lube can be mixed with a carrier that evaporates or potentially in industry applied in some other manner like dipping for example.

I've been told that wet lubricants are best suited for wet conditions. In dry dust/sand conditions some of them tend to attract particles and can become a grinding compound.

Most of my riding is in the dust and sand so I tend to use dry lube and clean the chain every couple rides or so. My wrench uses a wet lubricant that doesn't seem to attract too much dirt.

jbsmith

· #3 · Dec 31, 2009

i have always used tri-flow no matter the condition. Yeah it is a wet lube and yeah if your riding in a dust bowl it does collect on things. But I found that if you only put a small amount (not drenching wet) it does its job and doesn't collect that much dirt.

moishlashen

· #4 · Jan 1, 2010

I use wet lubes in wet conditions-spring-winter usually
Dry lube in dry conditions-summer-fall usually

Dry lubes will contain heavier hydrocarbons-waxes or flourinated compounds-like teflon. They go on wet usually but dry over time.

Wet lubes are your traditional oils etc go on wet and stay wet.

Havent used waxes so don't know anything about them.

Sounds like you have a good chain routine going right now.

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4JawChuck

· #5 · Jan 1, 2010

Its really quite simple,

Wet lubes and dry lubes are the way lubricant mfg's have decided to charge ridiculous amounts of money for a miniscule amount of hydrocarbon based liquid and create neverending posts on biking websites devoted to which lube is better than another under specific conditions.

The reality is there is no perfect lube for any condition and chains get dirty so they must be cleaned regularly and lubed with precious $100 per gallon chain juice.

After you have come to this realization after years of trying them all you will realize you either buy the cheapest stuff out there and clean the chain often or use the only lube on the planet that actually doesn't wash off with water and still clean and lube regularly...low viscosity silicone oil.

This is the best one I have found commercially available for the least amount of money...works great wet or dry and does not attract dust, wife likes it too.:thumbsup:

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Mike T.

· #6 · Jan 2, 2010

4JawChuck said:
The reality is there is no perfect lube for any condition and chains get dirty so they must be cleaned regularly and lubed with precious $100 per gallon chain juice.

And this is why some of us refuse to get sucked into the marvels of marketing by the people who make a good living out of it. We simply make our own - Homebrew - and get two litres of if for under $10. Applied and cared for properly (in maybe two minutes time) it's damn near perfect.

jbsmith

· #7 · Jan 2, 2010

Mike T. said:
Homebrew

Care to share? I assume you are talking about chain lube and not beer. But either way sharing would be nice!

Mike T.

· #8 · Jan 2, 2010

jbsmith said:
Care to share? I assume you are talking about chain lube and not beer. But either way sharing would be nice!

Sure. Check my chains page.

[email protected]

Discussion Starter · #9 · Jan 3, 2010

So wet lubes are designed for wet conditions because they dont get washed away? But they pick up more dirt than dry lube... which seems a bit stupid considering theres usually more dirt in the wet?
Any suggestions of wet lubes that pick up the least dirt?

Mike T.

· #10 · Jan 3, 2010

[email protected] said:
So wet lubes are designed for wet conditions because they dont get washed away? But they pick up more dirt than dry lube... which seems a bit stupid considering theres usually more dirt in the wet?
Any suggestions of wet lubes that pick up the least dirt?

Everything gets washed away Joe. I doubt the definitive test for which lasts longer in the wet has ever been done. But anecdotal "evidence" will be prolific. As I said on my Chains page linked to above, the easier and cheaper it is to maintain a chain, the more likely you're going to do it more often which is probably more important than using the latest magic lube formula.

mtnbiker72

· #11 · Jan 4, 2010

Since Dihydrogen Monoxide is such a powerful solvent, I too have come to the conclusion that lubing and cleaning often is the best method of chain lubrication. I used to use the same homebrew as Mike T but have decided that I want my lube to be a little more planet friendly so I have switched to a biodegradable lubrication that costs $6 a quart at Home Depot. So far initial tests have returned positive results.

BTW-I also use ZEP Citrus Degreaser at $10 a gallon from Home Depot for cleaning

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Mike T.

· #12 · Jan 4, 2010

mtnbiker72 said:
Since Dihydrogen Monoxide is such a powerful solvent,

I think that water, more then being a solvent, just plain washes the lube away.

I want my lube to be a little more planet friendly so I have switched to a biodegradable lubrication that costs $6 a quart at Home Depot.

If you go to that step for minuscule amounts of bike chain lube just what kind of oil do you use in your motor vehicle?

AZ

· #13 · Jan 4, 2010

mtnbiker72 said:
Since Dihydrogen Monoxide is such a powerful solvent, I too have come to the conclusion that lubing and cleaning often is the best method of chain lubrication. I used to use the same homebrew as Mike T but have decided that I want my lube to be a little more planet friendly so I have switched to a biodegradable lubrication that costs $6 a quart at Home Depot. So far initial tests have returned positive results.

BTW-I also use ZEP Citrus Degreaser at $10 a gallon from Home Depot for cleaning

X2....

reptilezs

· #14 · Jan 4, 2010

water is a universal solvent so yes it does wash stuff away

mtnbiker72

· #15 · Jan 4, 2010

Mike T. said:
If you go to that step for minuscule amounts of bike chain lube just what kind of oil do you use in your motor vehicle?

The difference is that my oil in my vehicle gets recycled, not washed onto the ground (my engine does not leak)...but I use Mobil 1 is that is of any consequence.:thumbsup:

CoreyBiker

· #16 · Jan 13, 2010

Take a look at this video, it explains what you need if you're still stuck http://bicycletutor.com/lubricants/

themanmonkey

· #17 · Jan 13, 2010

Mike T. said:
I doubt the definitive test for which lasts longer in the wet has ever been done.

1994 we did the wet test using most of the available lubes on the market at the time and a few home mixes and machine and motor oil. We took a much of old chains cleaned and lubed them and strung them between some 2x4s and hung it all outside in Seattle in the spring. The wet lubes do survive longer on the chains. It was a long time ago, but I believe that Phil's Tenacious oil and 90-wt gear oil lasted the longest.

There are also lots folks that have done extensive experimentation trying to control all the variables. They recorded mileage, amount of lube used, type and kind, longevity of chain, weather conditions, etc. Generally it boils down to a simple rule wet lubes in the wet and dry lubes in the dry. All lubes work the same really within a very small parameter, but what is best for your personal conditions is an issue for each individual rider.

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