Re-lubing a chain

I've bought a (lightly) used DID chain from Phil_the_power_taylor on ebay and while it seems to be in very good nick it does sound a bit dry.

I suspect it has been cleaned by submersing/scrubbing with some type of solvent.

Anyone got some wisdom to impart regarding relubing it? Just fit it dry and lube is as normal once on the bike?

Submersion in oil?

Hmmm, this is your best (and only realistic) solution:

http://sheldonbrown.com/chainclean.html

You'll need to follow the cleaning steps once again, the lubricate as per the instruction given before reassembly.

Good luck, it's a big job but will be worth the effort.

if it were mine i would submerge in warm oil give it a long soak with lots of agitation.

then hang to dry and wipe excess off before fitting..

Armourtex once submersed a chain of mine in degreaser over night which left it feeling dry. I've been regularly oiling/lubing with this and it's been fine.

Stock chainlube seems a bit more like grease than lube. Think I have some thin gearbox grease so might try that.

I know this may be a controversial statement, but I don't think packing the innards of the chain with lube is particularly important or useful. A (clean) unoiled chain drive is just as efficient as an oiled one (Bicycling Science), so what does the lube actually do?

1. It stops the chain from rusting (good)
   
2. It carries dirt and grit (bad)
   
   

So long as your chain is clean and rust-free, it's all good. I think it's far better for your chain to just have a very thin coating of light oil to prevent rust than it is to have that thick grit-trapping 'new chain' grease on it.

I regularly soak my chains in washing up liquid, or with WD40 or diesel, and then re-lube (with light machine oil) as sparingly as possible to stop rust - since I've been doing this my chains have been noticeably cleaner on both my road bike and my mountain bike.

I follow this "little and often" routine.

Whilst not quite as spartan as lae, it is in a similar vein.

US magazine Velo did a chain lube lab test in their latest issue and the most efficient turned out to be paraffin wax. Utter pain to re-wax your chain regularly though.

Best off the shelf lube was Rock and Roll Gold.

http://barndoorcycling.wordpress.com/2013/02/16/paraffin-wax-chain-lube/

Kinda makes you wonder how the do it in the factory.

Put this into ebay.

"Putoline Chain Wax Boiling lube 1 kg motorbike motorcycle"

you can also google linklife

I've become a massive fan of Prolink Progold.

Get the big 16oz bottle, it works out cheaper. It looks like a really light oil but it lasts a surprisingly long time, certainly enough for a 600k audax. It seems to withstand rain fairly well and doesn't turn into a nasty grey paste like White Lightening. Above all, you don't need to apply much. It doesn't need to be slathered all over the side plates, just on the rollers so it soaks into the joints.

+1 for Prolink Progold.

A (clean) unoiled chain drive is just as efficient as an oiled one (Bicycling Science), so what does the lube actually do?

1. It stops the chain from rusting (good)
   
2. It carries dirt and grit (bad)
   
   

So long as your chain is clean and rust-free, it's all good. I think it's far better for your chain to just have a very thin coating of light oil to prevent rust than it is to have that thick grit-trapping 'new chain' grease on it.

I regularly soak my chains in washing up liquid, or with WD40 or diesel, and then re-lube (with light machine oil) as sparingly as possible to stop rust - since I've been doing this my chains have been noticeably cleaner on both my road bike and my mountain bike.

The only part of this I dont follow/agree with is soaking chain but it might be Lae's way of saying he cleans his chains. I maintain an unspecific number of my own bikes and 4 which belong to my GF. My routine is to degrease, wash, relube. Lube (I use GT85) is applied lightly to cassette and jockey wheels. Result is clean chains and little crud build up.

Recently a friend lubed my bike and there was so much crap on the chain after one ride I had to tell him about overuse of grease

Yeah, I submerge them and slosh them around in hot soapy water (or diesel) simply because it's an expedient way of removing grit from the innards of the chain - moreso on the mountain bike than the road bike. Then I wipe through a towel until I can't see/feel/hear any grit left in it.

I may start lubing with paraffin wax - if the link is correct, it seems that you merely need to rinse the chain rather than actually cleaning it. This would significantly reduce the time it takes to clean my MTB.

Well I went with some 'Stealth' lube from Fenwicks.

Comes with a pipette for dispensing onto the chain but it's rather thick stuff so takes a while, not convinced the pipette is the best method.

Put a drop (or rather, blob) on each pin, spin the cranks for a wee while (chain got noticeably quieter so I presume it worked it's way into where it needed to be) then wiped off excess.

Wasn't convinced the outer surfaces would be protected from rust though so dripped some light machine oil onto a clean rag and wiped over the chain.

It should be noted, I'm not unaccustomed to lubing chains, just not from this point of cleanliness/dryness.

I've become a massive fan of Prolink Progold.
....
Get the big 16oz bottle, it works out cheaper.

Cheaper is any of a number of DIY solutions. 1 part synthetic motor oil + 3-4 Parts solvent (mineral spirits).

Was reminded of a post from a Rapha-Condor mechanic on their club website that recommended Auto-Glym car engine cleaner as an alternative to bike specific biodegradable degreasers which are double/triple the price for drivetrain cleaning.

Swarfega Jizer also got an honorable mention and a snigger.

US magazine Velo did a chain lube lab test in their latest issue and the most efficient turned out to be paraffin wax. Utter pain to re-wax your chain regularly though.

Don't get VeloNews but also not quite sure of the test.. I've found lubrication effects tend to be highly dependent upon chain construction. Roller chains--- such as those we have in our 1/8" drivetrains--- I've found to demand different care than modern multigear chains. My experience with paraffin were OK but In dry dirty conditions I found Teflon spray to be more effective to keep grit out of the drivetrain.

Best off the shelf lube was Rock and Roll Gold.

http://barndoorcycling.wordpress.com/2013/02/16/paraffin-wax-chain-lube/

The DIY chain treatment is: Friction Facts

I still have a can of Performance Wax which seems quite similar...

Was reminded of a post from a Rapha-Condor mechanic on their club website that recommended Auto-Glym car engine cleaner as an alternative to bike specific biodegradable degreasers which are double/triple the price for drivetrain cleaning.

Swarfega Jizer also got an honorable mention and a snigger.

Completely degreasing the drivetrain is generally viewed as a bad thing. Biodegrabable and citrus degreasers probably cause more damage than help. Pro-Team mechanics have tended to use Diesel fuel for ages.. The idea behind mineral-spirits+oil is quite similar except that the oil content is high enough that it provides the lubrication. Prolink and the other products are really no different.. The key is just selecting a suitable oil (modern synthetic motor oil is pretty advanced stuff), a suitable solvent (there are a number to choose from) and getting the oil to solvent ratio right...

Paging Rene

Tester says Friction Facts are a bunch of sheisters. Tester says = true fax.

Fenwicks Stealth lube = shoit.

Was out on the bike last night and chain sounded like a bag or rusty spanners. I reckon it's too viscous to make its way into the bits of the chain where it's really needed.

Diesel is undoubtedly the best thing I have used, but I now live in a flat and I've nowhere to keep any. Diesel doesn't ignite under 'normal' pressure and temperature so it's perfectly safe to keep in a shed or in the garden. Incidentally, the lubricating property of diesel is one factor in the incredible longevity of diesel engines.

Gearbox oil is a cheap alternative to chain lube - it is also designed to film under high pressure (as you might find between the sprocket teeth and chain rollers).

Diesel is undoubtedly the best thing I have used, but I now live in a flat and I've nowhere to keep any. Diesel doesn't ignite under 'normal' pressure and temperature so it's perfectly safe to keep in a shed or in the garden. Incidentally, the lubricating property of diesel is one factor in the incredible longevity of diesel engines.

Gearbox oil is a cheap alternative to chain lube - it is also designed to film under high pressure (as you might find between the sprocket teeth and chain rollers).

Supposedly it'salso pretty carcinogenic.

But what isny these days?!

What, diesel or gearbox oil? Probably both, actually. Burnt diesel emissions are carcinogenic, at least, but you'd have to be pedalling pretty quickly to burn it off.

The worst thing about mechanicking is the state your hands get into after years of exposure to harsh chemicals and degreasers - look at the cracked, painful hands of an old mechanic. Wear gloves.

Diesel.

Neighbour is a motor mechanic and puts his bowel cancer, his father's lung cancer and his son's something else cancer down to handling diesel.

I thought I had gearbox oil but just had a look and it's actually Silkoline EP00 gearbox grease, probably not much use for a chain.

As for gloves, know I should wear em but hate em. Luckily my job now has minimal exposure to degreaser, lubes etc.