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]

Originally Posted by likebikes

Is this your first new chain?

ouch. That could be construed as snarky

[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]

Originally Posted by marciero

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

[mcteague]

Originally Posted by Lionel

anyone seriously doing this

Just classic Sheldon Brown humor.

Tim

[oldpotatoe]

Originally Posted by Tihsepa

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]

Originally Posted by oldpotatoe

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]

Originally Posted by marciero

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

http://sheldonbrown.com/chainclean.html

Awesome link!

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]

Originally Posted by 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.

This ^