i'm only happy when it rains (chain lube thread)

CramCycle · 06-05-2021 12:22am

dinneenp wrote: »

After that you need to let the solvent evaporate,

For the more concerned about the environment, do it in a clear bottle and let it settle, you can then decant the solvent into a clean bottle to use again.

cletus · 06-05-2021 9:56am

CramCycle wrote: »

For the more concerned about the environment, do it in a clear bottle and let it settle, you can then decant the solvent into a clean bottle to use again.

I presumed he meant let whatever solvent that remained on the chain evaporate before reapplying lubricant, rather than let the whole bottle of solvent evaporate

CramCycle · 06-05-2021 10:21am

cletus wrote: »

I presumed he meant let whatever solvent that remained on the chain evaporate before reapplying lubricant, rather than let the whole bottle of solvent evaporate

Must remember to drink coffee before replying to people in future.

magicbastarder · 06-05-2021 10:49am

dinneenp wrote: »

Thanks. Which brings me to my next question. Regardless of diesel or some specific chain cleaner product, any recommendations for what to apply after cleaning?

i know lots of people don't like it, but i use muc-off wet as a 'base' lube as it's gloopy. you really just want to make sure it only wets the links and not the plates. i top up with a lighter lube then.

07-05-2021 1:05pm

CramCycle wrote: »

Maybe, I used White Lightening dry lube and found it lasted a good while. This said, in all my years cycling only once has a chain run completely dry. I ended up in a community centre in Wales pouring sunflower oil on the chain just to get it moving again after f*ck knows how many hours of torrential rain. I have ridden out in torrents for hours in the past with wet or dry lube and no one shower bar that one caused my chain to go dry, but I would relube quite often.

I spent a lot of my late teens lubricated on white lightening.

I use nothing but this from Halfords and so far I have not had any reason to complain.

I too would give a quick clean and relube quite often, especially in the winter months.

doozerie · 13-05-2021 10:48pm

Alek wrote: »

I had low quality wet lubes (Shimano Wet Lube, Lidl's MucOff Wet to name the worst) disappear within a few hours of light/medium rain.

Maybe it's my wider tyres > more spray to the drivetrain? But still, wax-based lubes (tried one or two) failed me much quicker.

If you use melted wax for your chain it adheres to the metal. That's "real" dry lube, and rain alone won't wash it out.

Rain can carry contaminants inside the chain though, depending on volume of rain and conditions generally, which is exactly the thing you are looking to avoid if using a dry lube. So the general advice is to re-wax your chain, after cleaning it first, if that happens. Cleaning it is easy, boil the kettle, pour the water into container, remove chain and swish it round in the water to get rid of contaminants plus old wax (the wax melts at approx 120C), dry fully before re-waxing.

Dry lubes that you buy as a liquid probably don't adhere to the chain as well, at least that's my guess. But still shouldn't wash out easily as they won't be water soluble once dry. They require the appropriate application process though - for the ones I've seen that means applying to the chain and then leaving it overnight for the solvent to dissolve and leave the lubricant behind. I suspect that a common mistake is to use the chain too soon after application and then it's far more likely that rain will wash the lube away in its wet form.

doozerie · 13-05-2021 10:52pm

dinneenp wrote: »

Any difference in using diesel or petrol? (I have petrol in a Jerry can for the lawn mower).
Read this on Road.cc, similar to above-
used white spirit and an old apple juice bottle: add the chain and the solvent, leave it for half an hour and give it a good old shake. For a new chain one cycle is enough, but for a dirty chain it's best to continue the process until the white spirit is staying mostly clear. After that you need to let the solvent evaporate,

White spirits leaves behind a residue, which is a problem if you plan to wax the chain as wax needs bare metal to adhere to. Might not pose a problem for wet lubes, though personally I'd prefer to avoid anything that might interact with the lube.

Rinsing a chain in methylated spirits will clear it of the white spirits residue, and leaves nothing behind on the chain.

magicbastarder · 13-05-2021 11:57pm

doozerie wrote: »

Cleaning it is easy, boil the kettle, pour the water into container, remove chain and swish it round in the water to get rid of contaminants plus old wax (the wax melts at approx 120C), dry fully before re-waxing.

what wax do you use? most candlewax, etc., will melt a good bit below that, and at 120C boiling water wouldn't melt it.

doozerie · 14-05-2021 9:39am

magicbastarder wrote: »

what wax do you use? most candlewax, etc., will melt a good bit below that, and at 120C boiling water wouldn't melt it.

I use paraffin wax. My figure of 120C there is wrong, not sure where I plucked that figure from, the real figure is lower.

My kettle's claimed max temperature is 100C and that easily melted the wax on my chain.

Seaswimmer · 14-05-2021 4:10pm

dinneenp wrote: »

Thanks. Which brings me to my next question. Regardless of diesel or some specific chain cleaner product, any recommendations for what to apply after cleaning?

That is the whole point of diesel. It cleans and lubricates.. If you chain is very dirty then use 2 lots of diesel. 1 to clean and one to lubricate but one application does me 99% of the time..
As someone pointed out petrol will leave your chain spotless but dry..

magicbastarder · 15-05-2021 11:05am

i just watched the GCN+ documentary on WWI and bikes.
sperm whale oil, there's one i hadn't thought of before.

i'm only happy when it rains (chain lube thread)

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