What is the best lube to use for Road bikes ?
Assuming that I do not do much riding that gets muck/dirt but the most I get is gritty sand on my components ( Central Florida ) , should I go with Silicone based lub such as tri-flo ?
Are waxed based lubes( white lightning ) better for mtb where you get more muck ?
Thanks in advance .
I think it’s a preference thing.
I used to cook my chain in a wax soup for 15min or so but now I got lazy and use white lightening. It won’t hold as long as the cooking aproach but it’s a good compromize. You need to clean your chain frequently, no matter what you use, I think wax stuff can take a little longer without cleaning but not much.
On the other hand a good oil, like rohloff will make your chain work with less noise and shifting might seem a little smoother but that’s all based on feeling. And, although I think the rohloff lube is the best you can find, it also need most cleaning…
The best chain lube is a relative question. I had been using Triflow until recently and it has never been a clean lube, but seemed to work just OK overall. My chains would get really dirty AND SANDY quick. So when my LBS had a sale that included 20% off all lubes, I bought Rock 'n Roll Absolute Dry Chain Lube and BoShield. MTBR gave the RnR Extreme variety a high rating, so I figured the brand was worth a shot. I didn’t buy White Lightning because my friend uses it and it MUST be applied constantly, like every ride, even during a long ride. It has limited staying power. Her chain squeeking just bugs me. And people here have mentioned BoShield.
I’ve cleaned and lubed two chains with the RnR and so far it seems pretty good. It’s not oil nor a wax. I guess it’s silicone as it does contain petro distillates. Haven’t tried the BoShield yet.
There is a new one coming out based on soybean oil. They say it will stay and not gunk up. We will see. Sounds like a good for the Earth effort. G
Phil tenacious oil. I could tell a differance from my old lube. Better shifting and even better, quiet drive train.
I’ve never tried this, but just might be the next big thing in environmentally friendly chain lube technology. JOJOBA OIL!
In my personal research I’ve found that Jojoba oil isn’t really an oil, but a “natural polyunsaturated liquid wax. It is made of fatty acids as well as esters composed entirely of straight chain alcohols. Both the acid and alcohol portions of jojoba oil have 20 or 22 carbon atoms, and each has one unsaturated bond. Waxes of this type are difficult to synthesize. As a wax, jojoba oil is especially useful for applications that require moisture control, protection, and emolliency. Jojoba oil is liquid at room temperature because of its unsaturated fatty acids. It does not oxidize or become rancid and does not break down under high temperatures and pressures. Jojoba oil can be heated to 370°F (188°C) for 96 hours without exhibiting degradation in general composition and carbon chain length. The stability shown by jojoba oil makes it especially useful for cosmetic applications”.
Jojoba oil is used as an oil additive by race car teams because of its ability to stand up to the extreme pressures of these types of engines.
So, if any scientificly inclined triathletes want to team up and make a fortune in the chain lube business, contact me.