|   dry VS wet lube | zed
Jul 14, 2002 12:00 PM | | Does the dry stuff for dry conditions really work?
I am used to the finish line wet lube. I have tried a few different dry lubes and noticed they keep things s lot cleaner. |
| I dunno, but... | GP
Jul 14, 2002 1:42 PM | | ...I can tell you that Prolink Gold really let me down at my last race. Big Bear, pretty hot, dusty conditions. Prolink is supposed to be a long lasting dry lube. Yeah, right. My chain started squealing like a stuck pig after just half of a ten-mile lap. Metal Friction Reducer, my ass! That was after a thorough cleaning and careful lube application the night before. That's the last time I buy THAT $2 an ounce crap.
IMO, chains get just as dirty and dusty with dry lube as they do with wet. I'm going back to wet lubes, the thicker the better. The best lube I've used so far was a Wrench Force/Castrol synthetic lube that Supergo used to have in little sample tubes on the counter in their walk-in shop. Never been able to find it in a full size bottle though.
I'm going to try that Finish Line wet/extreme conditions lube (the red cap bottle) - it has the same thick consistency, plus it's synthetic, so hopefully it's as good as that Castrol stuff. If that doesn't work, I'm going straight to motor oil... |
| I used............. | pa rider
Jul 15, 2002 9:04 AM | | the prolink and found the same results as GP. I bought wrench force this weekend and found it worked great in the dusty ride I was on at this mtb festival.
I thought it looked like a wet lube and expected alot of gunk, but saw that most of the lube did it's job. I just wiped it down with a rag and relubed.
Gp I wouldn't recommend the motor oil. We had an expert race, who moved to lake tahoe in 1996, who used motor oil at a race. He raced induro on his dirt bike and figured what the hell. Boy was his chain gunked up and dirty. Didn't get much life out of the chain, but hell he raced for a shop anyways. He throws on a new chain every two hundred miles, so he didn't really cared. |
| I dunno, but... | zed
Jul 15, 2002 12:22 PM | | I think Finish line green cap is wet.
THe red cap is a dry lube. |
| You're right, my bad... | GP
Jul 15, 2002 1:18 PM | | The thick Finish Line wet lube is in the green cap bottle.
I looked at the Finish Line red cap stuff, which is claimed for dry conditions, and it seemed too thin. That's the same problem I have with all the other dry conditions lubes, and what I'm trying to get away from. |
| No go for Pedro... | woodyak
Jul 14, 2002 2:17 PM | | I tried Pedro's Ice Wax for a couple of months here in New England. No dice. It did keep the chain nice and clean but if you go through one mud puddle it's all gone and you're riding a bare chain. Even if you are carefull and avoid all water it will still wear off after a couple of hours. I've moved over to Rock-n-Roll Gold. It's a wet lube that cleans as well. I've been using it for a week and it's really nice. |
| here is the real secret.... | mtnbiker
Jul 14, 2002 2:41 PM | | I use tri-flow. It is a light wet lube, so it isn't as dirty as the finishline green cap. Unlike the wax stuff Tri-flow goes on easy. It has a good durability, as a opposed to any dry or wax lube. If you want a chain so clean you can eat from it, you can:
A)never use your bike
or
B) get a SRAM chain with the power link disconnnector. When the chain is too dirty, take it off and let soak in your favorite cleaner. I use a simple green knock-off called gator green. put your chain on the bike, re-oil and time to eat. |
| here is the real secret.... | Rich M
Jul 14, 2002 3:03 PM | | I used the dry lube on a coast bike tour. It rained hard and my chain turned to rust. I used tri-flow from that point on with very good results. |
| here is the real secret....Rock and Roll. | Buzz
Jul 14, 2002 5:47 PM | | I got the Rock and Roll Gold couple of months ago. I used White Lighting G3 before that and can honestly say the Gold stuff lasts longer than WL. Tri-Flo will last and last, but dirty's my drivtrain way to much for my liking. |
| I second that....Rock and Roll. nm. | Locoman
Jul 14, 2002 7:19 PM | | . |
| secret formula | cowsinus
Jul 15, 2002 8:05 AM | | I mix triflow with ice wax one to one and then water the whole shebang with mineral spirits by 25 percent. i apply it to my chain, the m.s. allows for fast penetration to the links. a lot of people think that lube should be all over your chain, cassette and rings when all that needs to stay wet is the link pins and the round bushings on them. so i take a sturdy rag and hold my chain tight with the pedals and rub in both directions on the top portion between the wheels and cranks to totally clean the chain. this helps keep dust off the chain by removing any extra lube. this usually lasts for two or three 10 mile rides in the very dusty cnditions here in auburn california. I think a lot of people also over apply and under clean their chain which causes a lot of buildup on the chain, cassette and rings. how unsightly! |
| I've used Tri-Flow extensively... | GP
Jul 15, 2002 1:25 PM | | ...in the past, and been generally happy with it.
But at the Sagebrush Safari here in San Diego this year, it gave out on me too, halfway through the single 18 mile lap. Real hot, super-dusty course. I had to borrow a tube of lube from a friend who just happened to be passing by, and re-lube my chain. That's when I discovered that Castrol/WrenchForce synlube - that's what he gave me. That stuff was great.
I was surprised that a wet-lube like Tri-Flow dried up on me, but it's probably too thin for conditions like that. |
| pedros and white lightening | nh dude
Jul 15, 2002 4:50 PM | | best lubes out there for a hard used off road, drive chain. tri flow works just as good,mostly in dry conditions, if water/mud are introduced in large volumes, whigt lightening will or pedros will do the trick, must be applied consistantly every two or three rides, depending on conditions. |
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