Chain lubes for the ADHD generation

[Rayne_in_Spokes]

Yep, another chain lube thread! This one, as you can guess by the title, may be different! Yes I know I need to do more consistent chain maintenance, but executive dysfunction and a bad memory (except for vintage bike facts lol) mean my chains always end up greasy and dirty (wet) or dirty and too dry (dry). I don't always remember to clean my chain after it gets soaked, i probably let the bike start squeaking at me before I remember to relube occasionally. Help me choose a lube to fit my weird brain?

I live in Portland where it's wet half of the year. I'm a long time mechanic/shop owner and have used a wide variety of dry lubes and the old standby Dumonde Tech. Nothing seems to leave me with a smooth drivetrain for long. I haven't researched lubes in years and it seems like there's a lot of new tech. Quick waxes from Silca, ceramicSpeed's science lube, etc. The full wet crock pot waxing after cleaning in six solvents seems like a lot but if it's actually that much better and lasts forever I might be tempted to try.....But getting me to strip and re-wax eventually

What is the low maintenance lube of choice? I'm okay spending more money to make my drivetrain feel smoother, stay cleaner, last longer.

Thanks for humoring this absurd thread

[jimoots]

I don't believe there is a truely non-greasy low-maintenance lube option that leaves your drivetrain super clean without some sort of compromise.

I wrote a thread on this that somehow (and inadvertently) generated about 50 pages of posts and pops up now again... and maybe I haven't learnt my lesson about keeping chain lube with religion and politics... but as a brief synopsis I use Silca Super secret, which is a drip wax lube and is sustainable in terms of not being too hard to live with while keeping everything clean.

Applying it is pretty straight forward. Get your chain uber clean (turps - i think you guys call it paint thinner and some methylated spirts does the trick) then apply.

In terms of reapplication my steps are:

1. Prepare bucket of water at 80-100 degrees.
2. Drop chain into small/small gearing, then drop chain off the small chainring
3. Drop chain into the bucket of water. Agitate. Run the chain through the bucket of water.
4. Once you have gone around the chain 2 times or so, shift back onto large chainring.
5. Run a microfibrecloth with hot water over the chain just to clean off the chain links.
6. Dry chain with a microfibre cloth
7. Wait 2-3 hours
8. Apply super secret lube to chain. Cross chain it as much as you can (this opens up the links). After you have appox 1 drop per link, spin backwards 10-15 revolutions. Let dry for 12 hours.

There are a few steps in that process but it only takes a few minutes and your drivetrain is literally sparkling once completed.

I do the above once a week or after any wet ride. Wet rides being the real challenge with keeping a drivetrain clean.

[jtakeda]

Pro link for life

[SlowPokePete]

NixFrixShun

https://nixfrixshun.com

SPP

[merckx]

NFS for me too.

[Blown Reek]

NixFrixShun not only smells bad, but leaves the chain black as sin. I don't see how others have beneficial results, and it seems the selling point is that "you just need a few drops" and it stays on there forever (based on the blackness). However, if no maintenance is your thing, I guess it works.

Then again, I use either ProGold ProLink when I'm in my lube ebb and Silca Super Secret Chain Lube when I'm in my flow. NFS. Yuck.

[oldpotatoe]

About once a month..AFTER the ride that day.
Chain off, pulleys off, cogset, CRs off..scrub, scrub in pan with degreaser and hot water. Brass brush for metal bits...'normal' for pulleys.

Rinse with clean water..let dry.
Grease into pulleys.
Reassemble.
Prolink or WD-40 lube on chain, not much..wipe off..go ride the next day.

If chain gets squeaky..wee bit of lube after the ride..wipe off..

Repeat.

[pgrizzwald]

Silca Synergetic

[zap]

Originally Posted by Blown Reek

NixFrixShun not only smells bad, but leaves the chain black as sin. I don't see how others have beneficial results, and it seems the selling point is that "you just need a few drops" and it stays on there forever (based on the blackness). However, if no maintenance is your thing, I guess it works.

Nothing beats factory chain lubricant () but NFS comes close. Yes, the chain does get dirty. Yes, it costs you 1.089765* watts for the first 50 miles but NFS is good for 300+ dryish squeak free road miles. Yes, refresh with 16 drops, spin the cranks, let it soak overnight and wipe excess before your ride.

2 minutes twice a month.

*maybe more, probably less.

[tellyho]

I use WPL wet lube year round, but that's mostly because I got a giant bottle of it on sale.

For me, the lube regimen makes more of a difference than the lube. I follow NFS' instructions: wipe for 12 crank spins, lube for 12, wipe again for 12. Leaves the lube only where you need it. My chains stay reasonably clean, even commuting through the northeast winter.

[weiwentg]

I actually have ADHD and I am on the full molten wax thing. So, ADHD does not preclude getting on molten wax. However, task initiation is a problem for those of us with ADHD, and there are a lot of small steps in the wax process to master.

Regardless of whether you have ADHD or not, if you want to wax, you should actually just consider buying a pre-treated chain. Molten Speed Wax, Silca, and probably some other folks (can't remember names right now) sell them in the US. Then you can use any drip wax, or you can use melt wax. You're trading the $$ for the trouble of stripping the chain and waxing it. Wax chains last a lot longer than non-wax if you keep up with the waxing routine. So, I think the added costs at least partially offset, plus you don't have to maintain a bunch of solvents and jars. I think you're taking $120-150 for a treated chain, FYI.

(Also, ultrasonic cleaner NOT necessary in my experience.)

If you're willing to treat a new chain yourself but you're agahst at the number of solvents, you could consider either Ceramicspeed's UFO chain cleaning solution, or Silca's equivalent. They're both billed as one-step solvents. Just soak, agitate, and rinse clean.

If you have a waxed chain and you want to simplify the waxing routine, then I think drip wax is probably a bit simpler. The issue is that you ideally should clean the chain in boiling water after every wet ride. With drip wax, you don't have to disconnect the quick link if you are just applying more wax.

You mentioned you're in frequent wet weather. Wax still works, you just have to do the boiling water thing more often. Ceramicspeed is releasing a wet conditions lube that is advertised to do a lot better in wet weather. The thing is, a couple of the Escape Collective guys mentioned on a podcast that they had bad experiences with their samples. They're not sure if the sample lubes are the same as the final retail version, and Ceramicspeed might continue to make iterative changes to their formulation. You could watch this lube if you want wax.

If unwilling to do all this and you want a wet lube, I believe Silca Synergetic would be a good choice. Adam Kerin says from his wear testing that he thinks it's the best wet lube. You could use that and just clean the chain (e.g. with an on-bike chain cleaner) as frequently as practical, definitely try to do it after a wet ride, otherwise aim for once a month or more often if you can.

If you don't actually have ADHD, I would personally rather people not say "the ADHD generation" - ADHD is really a thing, and a lot of people trivialize it in insulting ways. While we now do have a lot more distractions going on in our lives, not everyone has ADHD.

[steelbikerider]

I would apply Rock n Roll gold weekly and run the chain through a rag until until the black greasy stuff is gone. Replace chain every 3000 miles and clean the cassette. Replace cassette every 3 chains.

[deluz]

I don’t like to remove the chain or spend a lot of time on lubing.
Rock n Roll Gold about once a month, I put 2-3 drops on each roller And wipe off using a blue paper towel takes about 5 minutes. I have used DuMonde in the past and it’s a good lube but seems stickier.

[MikeD]

Silca Synergetic tests better (zero friction cycling) than NFS (that 3 drops or whatever thing is BS too).

[Charles M]

Originally Posted by pgrizzwald

Silca Synergetic

Loads of testing... This is the best one-step on the market.

Love it