new chain is very sticky: lube or leave it

[pinkshogun]

my new 9 speed sram 991 chain seems unusually sticky/tacky from the factory.

should i immediately lube it, leave it be and ride it, or remove the factory lube and then re-lube. zero miles presently

[Ken Robb]

many old threads on this topic in the archives. Many differing opinions--gee, what else is new?

[Louis]

+1 on what Ken said. But just the same -

I keep it simple: I wipe the chain down to remove some the excess stuff and ride. When it starts to be noisy I re-lube. (Pro Link)

Here you go, a trip into the past:

http://forums.thepaceline.net/showthread.php?t=47444

[likebikes]

Is this your first new chain?

[rustychisel]

Is this your first new chain?

ouch. That could be construed as snarky :rolleyes:

[marciero]

Sheldon Brown's protocol for new chains may not have been mentioned in the old thread:

http://sheldonbrown.com/chainclean.html

[Cicli]

That factory lube is as good as it can get. That said, just do whatever. Leave it, clean it or lube over it. By the time its worn out, you wont remember what you did and it wont matter. Wash, rinse, repeat.

[Lionel]

Sheldon Brown's protocol for new chains may not have been mentioned in the old thread:

http://sheldonbrown.com/chainclean.html

anyone seriously doing this :eek:

[mcteague]

anyone seriously doing this :eek:

Just classic Sheldon Brown humor.

Tim

[oldpotatoe]

That factory lube is as good as it can get. That said, just do whatever. Leave it, clean it or lube over it. By the time its worn out, you wont remember what you did and it wont matter. Wash, rinse, repeat.

It's mostly a rust inhibitor since chains 'get here' on a boat. It is a petroleum product, very sticky, does lube and does get dirty. I wouldn't say it's as 'good as it gets', re: chain lube.

I wipe off a new chain with a bit of WD-40..then lube, then sit overnight. YMMV.

[Cicli]

It's mostly a rust inhibitor since chains 'get here' on a boat. It is a petroleum product, very sticky, does lube and does get dirty. I wouldn't say it's as 'good as it gets', re: chain lube.

I wipe off a new chain with a bit of WD-40..then lube, then sit overnight. YMMV.

I was speaking mostly about the lube that is in the rollers from assembly. I thought it was common knowledge that lube on the outside of a chain doesn't do anything but attract dirt.

I personally wash all new chains in OMS. Some may be surprised at the amount of metal crap that can come out of a new chain.

[milkbaby]

Sheldon Brown's protocol for new chains may not have been mentioned in the old thread:

http://sheldonbrown.com/chainclean.html
Awesome link! :D

I'm running a new chain experiment myself, I think it's been a hundred or two hundred miles since I installed it and I've ridden through one rainstorm so far. No cleaning or lube yet, still very quiet and shifting great. I just wipe down the outside with a rag now and then, not too carefully, just enough to knock off some of the dirt. It's definitely quieter than the two other bikes I'm riding that have been lubed with "self-cleaning" lube (either ProGold ProLink or Rock'n'Roll Gold).

[Seramount]

I just wipe a new chain with an old t-shirt and then lube with Chain-L.

produces the smoothest, quietest service of the chain's entire life.

[thwart]

Seems a lot of folks do the easy thing, use the factory lube/rust inhibitor alone until there are signs that you need to lube: increased chain noise, etc.

I've adopted this approach as well, as I'm lazy and there doesn't seem to be any good evidence that more work here makes any real difference.

SRAM's formula for their chain preservative stuff is a little stickier and messier than Campy's, IIRC. So wiping it down really well before use seems wise. And probably after every ride, unless you don't mind some black spatters on your lovely bike.

[Black Dog]

I just wipe a new chain with an old t-shirt and then lube with Chain-L.

produces the smoothest, quietest service of the chain's entire life.

This ^

[biker72]

I did a little "study" on new chains. Campy 11sp and Shimano 11sp on different bikes. The lead mechanic where I work recommended I give them 100 miles as is then lube as normal.

After 100 miles the Campy chain looked pretty good. Very little debris clinging to it.

The Shimano chain looked like I had run it through a pile of sand and dirt. Looked awful. Actually I only got to 75 miles and cleaned the chain.

No problems shifting or noise with either chain.

Initially both chains did feel a little sticky. No idea what the difference is.

[Black Dog]

I did a little "study" on new chains. Campy 11sp and Shimano 11sp on different bikes. The lead mechanic where I work recommended I give them 100 miles as is then lube as normal.

After 100 miles the Campy chain looked pretty good. Very little debris clinging to it.

The Shimano chain looked like I had run it through a pile of sand and dirt. Looked awful. Actually I only got to 75 miles and cleaned the chain.

No problems shifting or noise with either chain.

Initially both chains did feel a little sticky. No idea what the difference is.

Campy lubes their chains with a viscous oil and Shimano uses grease or a much more viscous at the factory. The grease is simply more sticky.

[OtayBW]

I run my (Campy) chains with the factory lube until it needs something. Doesn't pick up dirt, so then I clean and lube with my favorite lube du jour: either Rock 'n Roll Gold, or this NSF from across the hall is also very good and lives up to the hype, IMO.

[GRAVELBIKE]

Whatever KMC uses on their chains attracts dirt like crazy. It's like they were dipped in a vat of Astroglide. I wipe them down with a rag and light solvent otherwise they end up looking like fuzzy caterpillars after the first ride.