Tom A. wrote:
One "pro" tip a teammate gave me for keeping a clean drivetrain, no matter what lube (besides wax, of course)...after each ride, take a rag a spray a good amount of WD-40 on it and then wrap that portion of the rag around the chain and run the chain through. That will clean off the road grime residue and leave a silicone film, while not disturbing the oil that's in the pin/bushing interfaces. Works like a charm and takes literally 10s.
Yep - that's a beauty. Especially valuable if riding in crappy Winter/Spring conditions, or on the mtb. But useful in all climes, really...
The other key is to remember to wipe down after lubing with whatever you choose. Excess lube will attract dirt & grit like a mofo. You need the lube inside the rollers/pins, not coating the outside plates of the chain. Clean the chain, apply 1 drop/link, run through the gears, let it sit for a while, then wipe off the excess.
Most of the time I use ProGold because it's relatively cheap and easy to find. I splashed out for touring and went with Royal Purple, which I found had excellent tenacity - and I almost never cleaned the chain when I was touring (unless I was re-applying lube, but that was typically every couple of weeks so maybe every 2000km with a combined rider/bike weight of ~300lbs)
<If you're gonna be dumb, you gotta be tough>
Get Fitter!
Proud member of the Smartasscrew, MONSTER CLUB
Get your FIX today?