Heavy Coating on New HG701 11s Chain

[Lovetoclimb]

It's been an age since I unpacked a new chain and installed at home, don't recall the immense amount of lubrication on it. Very pungent, but I can't place my nose exactly on the smell. I wiped much of it off from the outside of the chain, but does anyone go further than that? Say diluted simple green on a rag, run the chain around several revolutions... Stuff like this seems like a dirt magnet for a bike that gets ridden on dirt and gravel roads.

[Cicli]

Just wipe it off Nd run it. Its good lube.
Diluted simple green is not a good cleaner unless you can rinse it off. I would not wipe brown a new chain and leave it there. Simple green is corrosive and water is not a good lubricant.

[Bob Ross]

What ^^^he said. Leave the goo, don't remove it. Ride it for a few hundred miles (wiping down the chain with a soft rag after every ride) and then apply your favorite chain lube du jour.

[oldpotatoe]

It's been an age since I unpacked a new chain and installed at home, don't recall the immense amount of lubrication on it. Very pungent, but I can't place my nose exactly on the smell. I wiped much of it off from the outside of the chain, but does anyone go further than that? Say diluted simple green on a rag, run the chain around several revolutions... Stuff like this seems like a dirt magnet for a bike that gets ridden on dirt and gravel roads.

It's mostly preservative and protection against rust as most come to US via ship...I WD40 and rag it a bit, then install. It IS a lube, BTW..

BTW2, Simple Green is water based and can rust a chain..

[Mikej]

It’s lube that is applied to assist with high speed assembly. During assembly it also places lube between the plates and pins which can be hard to do with bike lubes. As said above don’t remove it it’s good stuff and your bike will shift great! Also I think KMC makes pretty much all of the chains.

[zap]

Part One: The Chain Manufacturers: Campagnolo, Shimano, and SRAM

RoadBikeReview: Should a new chain be degreased before use?

Campagnolo North America’s Dan Large: We suggest to never remove the Campagnolo chain lube that is applied during the manufacturing process. Once this lube is removed from the inner surfaces of the moving parts it is very difficult to replace it. You will greatly reduce the life of the chain in normal use. Unchecked wear of the chain can cause premature wear of sprockets and chainrings, especially titanium and aluminum alloy.

Shimano’s Nick Murdick: It depends on what kind of chain lube you plan to use on the chain. Our general recommendation is to leave the factory lubrication in place. We use very durable grease on each individual piece before the chain is assembled. It does a great job of protecting the inner parts of the chain against wear and it lasts a long time. As that factory grease does start to wear out, wet style chain lubes can be added to keep the chain running smooth. Most dry lubes don’t mix so well with the factory grease though, and you might just end up with a messy chain if you apply it without removing the factory lubricant first.

SRAM’s Nate Newton: No. Our factory lube is the highest quality chain lube available, not just a coating for shipping. Because it is applied with a sophisticated industrial process, it does not come with the inherent compromises of chain lubes in a bottle that have to balance performance properties with ease of application.

[Clancy]

SRAM chains come packed with what appears to be much heavier grease than Shimano chains. Shimano recommends NOT cleaning their chains and as mentioned the process ensures that the inner rollers and plates are greased as the chains are assembled.

SRAM though, I’m not so sure. If one is super picky about a clean chain then clean it and lube it. On a side note, my personal experience is SRAM chains don’t last as long as Shimano.

And another side note. There are those here that equate Simple Green with radioactive waste. I’ve used it for 20+ years with great results. The key is to completely rinse it off as you would do with any cleaner then throughly dry and apply lube. Yes it is true the military does not use it for certain applications due to its corrosive properties but used properly it’s effective and cheap.

[Mikej]

On a side note, I still don’t understand why people use simple green on chains when there are so many better options. I understand that some people like it, but it doesn’t clean a chain like wd40 Bike degreaser finish line etc.

[oldpotatoe]

On a side note, I still don’t understand why people use simple green on chains when there are so many better options. I understand that some people like it, but it doesn’t clean a chain like wd40 Bike degreaser finish line etc.

Or petrol, or diesel, or....:)

[shortwaveradio]

On a side note, I still don’t understand why people use simple green on chains when there are so many better options. I understand that some people like it, but it doesn’t clean a chain like wd40 Bike degreaser finish line etc.

I still don't understand why people use WD-40 like a lube. It's a solvent, people.

[Mikej]

I still don't understand why people use WD-40 like a lube. It's a solvent, people.

Wd40 has a specific bike line sold in bike stores, not the same as the spray can. But yeah it’s WD = water displacement 40= 40th recipe. Not lube.

[avalonracing]

I put the chain on and lube it with my favorite lube (Finishline Ceramic Road Lube- the stuff feels like invisible bearings if you rub it between your index finger and thumb). Then I wipe it. I repeat this a few times and wipe it at the end. By then, some of the thick, factory grease has come off but the chain is now well lubed and won't pick up all the dirt and dust that the factory grease does.

[Clancy]

Wd40 has a specific bike line sold in bike stores, not the same as the spray can. But yeah it’s WD = water displacement 40= 40th recipe. Not lube.

And their bike lube is surprisingly good. I’ve used it and it’s pretty good. Their bike polish is about the best I’ve used but is a PIA to apply. Resembles a liquid wax, but good stuff.

I’ve always found Simple Green pretty effective but I use it in a Parks chain cleaner. Quick, cheap, easy to find. I buy a gallon at a time and a gallon lasts a long time. I’m not too keen on immersing my hands in either diesel or kerosene and chain specific cleaners are ridiculously expensive.

I do have a gallon of Kerosene I use in my Aladdin lamps so I may give that a try.

But to the OP’s question, Old P has it right, wipe it down with WD-40, apply a little lube and off you go.

And as far as WD-40 goes, it’s one of the best “quick and dirty “ chain cleaners to be found. Spray a bunch on a clean rag and wipe off the chain. Doesn’t do squat for the interior of the plates/rollers but gets the outside clean in a hurry. Just reapply your favorite lube.

[smokersteve]

That factory grease is real good at picking up dust and dirt in SoCal. Then that dirt gets on the cassette, chain rings, jockey wheels...No Thanks!

For a new chain I completely degrease it using paint thinner. Then I apply Dumonde Tech Lite chain lube. No problems at all and I get 5000+ miles from the chain.

[Dave]

WD-40 is both a solvent and a lubricant. If you don't believe that, spray some in a small container and let it sit for as long as you want. The solvent will evaporate, but not the light weight oil that it contains.

Lube on the ouside of a chain only attracts dirt. It makes sense to wipe off as much of it as possible, before use. I use mineral spirits or naptha on a paper shop towel, that's disposable.

After a few rides, I start applying the lube of my choice.

[C40_guy]

BTW2, Simple Green is water based and can rust a chain..

Learned that the hard way!

[NHAero]

I've started to try to wipe off the factory lube because it is totally a dirt magnet, then re-lube. But I would try to get the lube out of the inner parts.

[Seramount]

I simply wipe a new KMC with a rag, install it, wipe after every ride, and when it becomes noisy (typically ~200-300 miles), then apply my favorite lube.

works well, usually don't even bother measuring wear for the first 5K miles. chain doesn't come off the bike until it's time for a new one.

seems entirely counter-productive to immerse a brand-new chain in solvent.

[Jaybee]

I simply wipe a new KMC with a rag, install it, wipe after every ride, and when it becomes noisy (typically ~200-300 miles), then apply my favorite lube.

works well, usually don't even bother measuring wear for the first 5K miles. chain doesn't come off the bike until it's time for a new one.

seems entirely counter-productive to immerse a brand-new chain in solvent.

This. I believe the engineers when they say they are putting a high quality lube in parts of the chain I'll never be able to reach with anything other than a thin, volatile oil. Wipe the outside to keep the grit and dust down, ride it until it becomes an issue.

[johnniecakes]

Just did a new chain this weekend in my usual way. Took it out of the package and installed on the bike. Put a small drop of NFX on each link and let is sit and soak while I wrapped bars, finished the cables etc. Then gave the chain a wipe down with a clean rag and went for a ride. Smooth and quiet. Re apply when needed.

[Dave]

If you want maximum life from you cassette, don't run a single chain for 5000 miles, then put a new one on. That's a recipe for new chain skip. Buy three chains and alternate their use. You'll never get chain skip and the cassette should work fine for the life of the chains.

[Bob Ross]

Put a small drop of NFX on each link and let is sit and soak while I wrapped bars, finished the cables etc. Then gave the chain a wipe down with a clean rag and went for a ride.

Presuming you mean NFS (http://www.nixfrixshun.com/nixfrixshun-ultimate-bicycle-chainlube/) ...You put a drop on every single link!?!?!

Good god man, at that rate you'll use up an entire bottle in, geez, three or four years!!!

:banana: