Wax or Oil based Lube. Which is best?

[dirtrider]

Wax oil on anything that got a chain in my garage !! If you gonna use normal oil might as well add the grinding paste before applying .

[DirtyFrank]

Don't you find oil based lubricantd attract dirt/dust? I tried a few and pretty much needed to clean my drivetrain after every ride (some people say you should anyway!).

 

With Wax (and specifically Squirt) I only lube my road bike every 6 or 7th ride and it stays clean. MTB every second ride.

 

Wet is, of course, a different case.

 

You`re right they do tend to attract dust, but I think most of this dirt is superficial as the oil should seal dirt out of the rollers which is where it really matters. I only use this on my mountainbike which gets washed after every dirty ride and probably after every 4th ride anyway.

On my roadbike i use a wax based dry lube ( RocknRoll ) which i only apply after every 200km`s. I also wipe off all the excess lube to keep it as clean as possible.

[Caerus]

Do people swop between lubes based on conditions, or does one lube suffice,irrespective of conditions.

[Eldron]

Do people swop between lubes based on conditions, or does one lube suffice,irrespective of conditions.

 

 

They have to be different - in the dry you want something waxy that "dries" and doesn't attract dirt/dust. In the wet you want something that doesn't get washed off by water.

 

Typically dry lubes are thin and watery - wet lubes are tacky and thick.

[Paulst12]

I've also been experimenting with various lubes and oils. So far the best I have found is a Motul product called chain paste - it's pretty much a mixture between wax and oil, but you brush it on (has its own applicator). Best part is there is no overspray on your rim and minimal waste.....

where do u get it from?

[Caerus]

They have to be different - in the dry you want something waxy that "dries" and doesn't attract dirt/dust. In the wet you want something that doesn't get washed off by water.

 

Typically dry lubes are thin and watery - wet lubes are tacky and thick.

So what If I generally ride in the dry, and I have dry lube on my chain(Squirt) and the conditions are very wet, should I have a spare chain that has a lube on it suited to the conditions you are about to ride? Can you use one lube on top of another?

[davetapson]

I think the main things with wax 'lubricant' are:

1. it coats the chain and stops it rusting

2. it's clean

3. can't really lubricate (unless you call un-rusted and wax-coated better lubricated than rusty, which it is, but which I suspect is not the same as well lubricated.)

 

I'm putting my money where my mouth is and have changed to using motocross oil based lubricants. I don't clean my chain - if I wash my bike (not completely frequently - normally when it's really dirty/muddy).

 

Will see what effect it will have on longevity of my chains. Plus chain suck on Sani2C where is the only place I ever get it.

[Eldron]

So what If I generally ride in the dry, and I have dry lube on my chain(Squirt) and the conditions are very wet, should I have a spare chain that has a lube on it suited to the conditions you are about to ride? Can you use one lube on top of another?

 

I'm in a similar position - I use Squirt most of the time.

 

If it looks like a wet race/ride I just give the chain as good a wipe as I can with a clean cloth then add the wet lube over. So far so good. I use Finishline wet lube - nice and sticky.

[Pants Boy]

I use squirt on my commuter - clean it off when it gets too bad, and re-apply. Maybe once a month / every 500km's or so.

[Cassie]

I used to be "anti-Squirt"...for reasons unbeknown to me....{from looong time ago!!}

 

For the past 18months i've seen the light...since I ride mostly in dry conditions with the occasional muddy patch and water crossing... (i.e. not an entire 50km mudfest...)

For that - squirt is tops!! I especially like the dust repelling factor of Squirt...

 

When a wet ride (winter time here inthe W cape) comes along...I simply add Finishline wet lube on top of the squirt and bob's your auntie...

[Caerus]

I'm in a similar position - I use Squirt most of the time.

 

If it looks like a wet race/ride I just give the chain as good a wipe as I can with a clean cloth then add the wet lube over. So far so good. I use Finishline wet lube - nice and sticky.

I use the same combo, will give that a try, thanks

[Eldron]

3. can't really lubricate (unless you call un-rusted and wax-coated better lubricated than rusty, which it is, but which I suspect is not the same as well lubricated.)

 

Squirt's marketing material says it has a variety of tiny wax particles that are small enough to fit between links/plates in the chain - the suspension carries it into the gaps then dries. That is how it is supposed to lubricate...

 

Don't ask me to find that marketing babble - I read it once when I first bought the product...

 

I have no idea if the "tiny wax into gaps" thing is technically possible but it works for me!

[Eldron]

I use the same combo, will give that a try, thanks

 

Cassie uses the same combo - we must be on to a good thing! As Cassie said - I find Squirt only gets washed off in severe rain or multiple river crossing. I use the wet finishlikne maybe 3 or 4 times/year.

[rouxtjie]

I use the same combo, will give that a try, thanks

Also look at Boeshield t-9, pricey but I find its a good mix of wet and wax lube...actually not sure what type of lube it is to be honest. Only downs are its pricey and the applicator or teet isn't the best, once you tip the bottle its starts spewing out so you need to ready chain spinning and teet on the rollers

[davetapson]

Squirt's marketing material says it has a variety of tiny wax particles that are small enough to fit between links/plates in the chain - the suspension carries it into the gaps then dries. That is how it is supposed to lubricate...

 

Don't ask me to find that marketing babble - I read it once when I first bought the product...

 

I have no idea if the "tiny wax into gaps" thing is technically possible but it works for me!

 

Yeh - problem for me with that is that tiny wax particles are still wax. I'm sorry, but a candle ain't gonna lubricate the same as oil.

 

I suspect the fact that it is clean is actually what everyone likes (me too), but if you want lube, you need oil.

[Caerus]

Squirt's marketing material says it has a variety of tiny wax particles that are small enough to fit between links/plates in the chain - the suspension carries it into the gaps then dries. That is how it is supposed to lubricate...

 

Don't ask me to find that marketing babble - I read it once when I first bought the product...

 

I have no idea if the "tiny wax into gaps" thing is technically possible but it works for me!

Sounds good, and I read it on the hub, its fact now.