Best Chain lube for MTB

[Dirtbreath]

 

Oh really, run your engine without oil and see how long it lasts.....cannot believe you actually made this comment

 

I think the sarcasm went over your head.

[GoLefty!!]

Normal engine oil like 20W30 is too thin and will spray ove your back wheel depending on how much you put on.

Chainsaw oil is too thick and will create spider webs.

 

 

I respectfully disagree. 0W30 may be too thin but its good enough for a tubro charged engine with overhead cams shafts? I think the pressure on a cam lobe far exceeds that which a cyclist can exert on the drive train of their bike (drug free)

 

Mix the 2 together, currently using 1/3 chain saw oil (bar oil) and 2/3 motor oil which seems to be the answer.

 

it would certainly marry the best of two worlds

 

As a mechanical Engineer i'd like to think i know a bit about lubrication, especially on chain drives. and I cannot believe that people still believe dry lubes work, it's absolute rubbish. Lube nees to push out and into the rollers while the chain is running, Wax and PTFE is not fluid enough once the carrier fluid has evaporated and the wax and ptfe squeezes out of the rollers within the first 5 minutes of riding but does not flow back so efffectivly it is not lubricating.

 

You need to accpet that using oil lube will attract dust and your chainn will get dirty, you will need to clean it so rather invest in proper chain cleaing equipment than expensive rubbish to lube with.

 

Yip, I'll 2nd that.

[schizo]

So seems from two guys that have experience in the field we have an agreement on 1/3 chain saw oil (bar oil) and 2/3 motor oil How does this compare to motorcycle chain lube?

Which would you recommend of the two?

[scuzzy]

I think if you clean your chain and lube it regularly it does not matter what you use, the all do the job.

[Bat-ass]

Motor oil for me..... Tried everything and ended up on a Castrol oil for diesel engines. Had a can of the stuff given to me at an auto show... used it in desperation and never looked back. Its thin enought that it gets right into the chain. its not thick that it gets all goopy and black,, infact after a long mtb the chain isnt gunged up and still running without squeecks

 

Oh, and im definetly getting the best life out of my chains and cassettes...

Edited August 5, 2013 by Bat-ass

[NicoBoshoff]

Normal engine oil like 20W30 is too thin and will spray ove your back wheel depending on how much you put on.

Chainsaw oil is too thick and will create spider webs.

 

Mix the 2 together, currently using 1/3 chain saw oil (bar oil) and 2/3 motor oil which seems to be the answer.

 

As a mechanical Engineer i'd like to think i know a bit about lubrication, especially on chain drives. and I cannot believe that people still believe dry lubes work, it's absolute rubbish. Lube nees to push out and into the rollers while the chain is running, Wax and PTFE is not fluid enough once the carrier fluid has evaporated and the wax and ptfe squeezes out of the rollers within the first 5 minutes of riding but does not flow back so efffectivly it is not lubricating.

 

You need to accpet that using oil lube will attract dust and your chainn will get dirty, you will need to clean it so rather invest in proper chain cleaing equipment than expensive rubbish to lube with.

 

I use a hard brush and brush off my chain after every ride, wipe it off with a cloth, blow it out with air compreesor and relube it. I take a small bottle of lube with me and if it gets very noisy i stop and lube on the trail 2 minutes of my time.

 

once a month i remove my chain and clean it in in my parts washer rince it in clean thinners, untill the thinners stays clean, blow it out with air and relube it on the bike.

 

I invest in a small parts washer for 699 ronds and use it to clean all my bike parts

a 10 speed quicklink removal pliers for 100 ronds. Yes they say you can't reuse a 10 spd link but thats also bull**** i reuse mine up to 10 times and keep 2 spare on my rides just in case.

A small home compressor from Builders will set you back under 1000 ronds and can be used for lots of things at home especially tubeless conversions and blowing out water from your components after a bike wash.

 

My chains last for over a year with riding trails 2 - 3 times a week

 

What motor oil do you use?

[GoLefty!!]

SNake Oil 20W 50 probably

[Skylark]

Castrol magnatec good for fork lowers service too!!

[GoLefty!!]

any good quality 15W 40, 10W40 or 5W 40 for the fork lubrication.

 

Just be careful with selecting the hydraulic oil for the damping. The viscosity at 40DegreesC and at 100C is very important

[Wimmas]

I recently started using Q-in-one (the liquid form of Q20) and it shuts the chain up for quite a while, much longer than the white lighting wax I used.

 

The chain does get dirtier but cleans off easy.

 

I guess there are trade-offs with lubing.

[SURFER]

I had this gripe with Squirt, love their product but its a pain in the ass to have to buy tiny little bottles (and for those who recycle, if you take each empty bottle leave it upside down overnight and decant the remaining liquid into an old bottle, after about 7 bottles you will have a full one again!). When I asked them why they did not offer larger bottles they had no comment really other than to advise me not to use so much!!!

However a LBS said they could order me a larger bottle as Squirt makes bigger bottles for workshop use and not for retail. Makes no sense to me why they do this.

 

I hasten to add I use Squirt in predominantly dry and dusty conditions.

 

Melkbosstrand Hardware sells bigger bottles

[reactor_sa]

I degrease and relube after each ride, rnr extreme works great, I'm sure most dry lubes will work in winter, and most wet lubes in summer.

As for q20 and other non fit for purpose lubes, they seem to be worse off than a dry chain on dusty trails.

[madmarc]

What motor oil do you use?

 

any 20W50 motor oil. I got Trimtech chainsaw oil from Builders wharehouse. I mix 1/3 chainsaw with 2/3 motor oil. You can still see a small amount of strings coming off the rear der. pulleys when you spin the cranks backwards, but certianly not enough to be flicked over the back wheel. so play around a bit with the mixture. Its the chainsaw oil which forms the strings or spiders web, so if you experiencing too much and look like spiderman on the trails then mix less chainsaw oil.

[orsum]

Chain.

 

Wash in an ultrasonic bath to clean then use Genlex EP 42 mixed with a carrier spirit and heated to form a liquid, soak the chain until the mixture has completely penitrated.

 

Take the chain out of the mixture using a hook and wipe the exterior of the chain dry. Allow the carrier spirit time to evaporate off thus leaving the grease behind.

 

Engen Genlex Series. Industrial Lithium Complex Grease. DESCRIPTION. Genlex EP 42 is a polymer based lithium complex

 

orsum

 

Sorrry link error

 

http://www.engen.co.za/downloads/products_and_services/lubricants/engen_lubricants/greases/Engen%20Genlex%20Series.pdf

Edited September 13, 2013 by orsum

[BosRot]

The German magazine Bike did a comprehensive test based on facts not personal opinion. The overall winner is Dynamic.

 

I used to use the other 'sewing machine' oil on my Dura Ace and XTR chains but changed to Dynamic after I read this test and paid the price.

 

As a mechanical engineer myself and bike fanatic there is nothing else I will use on my expensive equipment.

 

http://tausendkilometer.files.wordpress.com/2010/12/tour_tests_kettenschmiermittel.pdf

 

See test - unfortunately only available in German. I have been using the stuff for 5 years and have supplied samples to various bike shops in Cape Town.

 

Some of the top shops use it on their personal bikes only and sell the affordable stuff in the shop.

 

I have plenty stock available so anyone that is interested in a quality product feel free to contact me.

 

 

[madmarc]

The German magazine Bike did a comprehensive test based on facts not personal opinion. The overall winner is Dynamic.

 

I used to use the other 'sewing machine' oil on my Dura Ace and XTR chains but changed to Dynamic after I read this test and paid the price.

 

As a mechanical engineer myself and bike fanatic there is nothing else I will use on my expensive equipment.

 

http://tausendkilome...hmiermittel.pdf

 

See test - unfortunately only available in German. I have been using the stuff for 5 years and have supplied samples to various bike shops in Cape Town.

 

Some of the top shops use it on their personal bikes only and sell the affordable stuff in the shop.

 

I have plenty stock available so anyone that is interested in a quality product feel free to contact me.

 

price and what size bottle