I assume it is a protectant, but probably not the best thing to be riding with. (it seems to pick up dirt really easily) What do you do about it? Clean that off and put on your own stuff before you ride?
Clean that off and put on your own stuff before you ride?
yes
Clean that off and put on your own stuff before you ride?
yes
No 
Yup… clean it off and put your choice of product back on. That stuff is designed for storage in a variety of areas (warehouses) that may be very damp… don’t want any rust on a ‘new’ chain!!
JB
Feels kind of like what we used to call cosmolene.
Clean that off and put on your own stuff before you ride?
yes
No
Do what you want… but Wipperman and SRAM (Sachs) recommend removing it and lubricating the chain
Next question, how best to remove it? Boiling water? Simple green? Goo be gone?
Pedros citrus degreaser is my fav - cuts through anything and smells great!
Yup… clean it off and put your choice of product back on. That stuff is designed for storage in a variety of areas (warehouses) that may be very damp… don’t want any rust on a ‘new’ chain!!
JB
Aren’t chains normally sealed in plastic bags anyway?
I’m in the degrease camp. I’ve done a lot of dusty riding recently and experimented with a few different lubricants. I found that degreasing thoroughly with Pedro’s and then throwing on a coat or two of Pro-link worked great.
The prolink doesn’t seem to soak-up road grit like some of the other lubes I tried - especially the water-based ones which appeared to be worthless.
Both pedro’s stuff and prolink are avaible at nashbar.com
TK
I used to clean new chains with citrus degreaser and re-lube with various stuff. Recently, I’ve changed my mind. Now, I just wipe the outside of the chain leaving the factory applied lube in place. Later, if the chain gets noisy, I’ll wipe it down again and drip on additional lube - aiming for the edge of the chain so that the lube gets inside to the pins. I think my chains last longer now.
“Aren’t chains normally sealed in plastic bags anyway?”
Sealed as in airtight?? I think the wrapper is more to keep dust and debris from sticking to the chain… similar to the issues if you install it without cleaning it. Even if the wrapper/packaging was airtight, there still would be moisture issues with temperature change and condensation.
JB
The lube that is on the chain can certainly be used for riding. However, my guess is that it is formulated to keep the chain lubed for the longest amount of time possible to minimize complaints and call-backs to the LBS. It is very thick and sticky, and I find dirt sticks to it much more readily than a lighter lube. Personally, I prefer a lighter lube that needs to be reapplied more frequently but doesn’t hold the dirt so much.
The chain needs a good soaking in a solvent that won’t scorch your lungs or burn your house down. I use odorless mineral spirits. I soak it overnight, making sure to swish it around from time to time. I then hang it to dry for a few hours before installing. I use a homemade brew of 5 parts mineral spirits to 1 part motor oil, I have a quart of Mobil 1 I keep for this but I suspect any old motor oil might work just as well.
LBS told me that Ultegra chains are pre-lubed and you are not supposed to to degrease them. Just use chain wax to wipe off and lubricate. He told me that after I had already doused everything with simple green. I have not noted any ill effects from that.
reggiedog,
Monk is right. Its cosmolene.
It is intended to protect the chain from rusting while in transit and while on shelf at bike store until sold. It is a petroleum based product, but that is where it ends. It is not a lubricant. It is a rust preventative. One of its properties is that it will not run off the chain while it is sitting in the same position for long periods of time as an oil would. If it ran off, then the exposed part of the chain would/could begin to rust even before the package was opened.
The chain is sealed in a plastic bag so that sticky “gunk” (cosmolene) wont get all over the inside of the package and get soaked up by the paper/cardboard package the chain comes in.
Have you ever handled those chains before that “gunk” was cleaned off? Its sticky as hell and you get it on everything. What do you think goes on when you put the chain on your bike and go for a ride without cleaning that stuff off first? It picks up dist and debris that works great at speeding up drivetrain wear.
Why do so many recommend dry lubes? Because they don’t pick up anywhere near as much dirt as wet or sticky lubes do.
The last issue, after you have spent a thosand dollars or more on aero wheels and 2-6 grand on your “race” bike, maybe custom built, and whatever else you have spent money on to make yourself go faster is why are you going to use a chain with a gummy lube that is way less supple and much more resistant to running over the gears and the jockey pulleys? While your at it, why don’t you adjust your brakes so they drag just a little bit as well?
Now you figure out what the best thing to do is. Clean it off and then lube the chain or leave it on? Duh.
I use a water soluable degreaser and a chain cleaner for the normal cleaning, then apply the dry lube. For the more serious cleaning I take the chain off and use an old tooth brush and a bucket with the same degreaser, then the same dry lube.
Don’t go crazy with the lube, more isn’t really better, it just attracts more dirt and then also ends up dripping or flying off.
I think Tom D. had a tutorial on his website on general maintenance you may want to check out.