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Wax lubes or Dry lubes... ??

20160 Views 175 Replies 36 Participants Last post by Lombard, 11 d ago

fastfed

Discussion Starter · Mar 13, 2011

I've been using my homebrew since day 1 with my bike.. Thanks to you guys for the formula..

OMS and motor oil..

It seems to work pretty good.. Honestly I wouldn't know what bad lube would do or wouldn't do..

That being said.. I wipe my chain after every ride with a clean towel.. and keep doing it till the dirt/grease is gone.. Then every 60-100 miles I spray with my homebrew all over my chain, I douse it.. Then clean with a towel over and over.. then spray again.. Let it sit for a while.. Wipe again..

But I was thinking tomorrow I was going to do a full clean job on my chain this time with a brush.. To get down and deep..I take pride in the way my bike looks and operates.. Even though I have Sora and other entry level components, my bike shifts gears perfectly! and I have no chain noise at all..

But I was thinking.. I was at walmart today and once again White Lightning got in my face.. They sell this stuff at high end bike shops too.. I like the fact it uses a wax in it.. you can see you need to shake the bottle before hand..

Whats the deal with these types of lubes?? I understand how mine works.. my homebrew.. The OMS allows for a thiner solution which allows to penetrate deep into the chain rollers.. But when the OMS I'm left with motor oil.. which if its good for my car, its gonna be good for my bike..

Now with these wax lubes that white lightning has and others.. I understand the wax has a small build up around the chain.. which does two things.. protects the chain from dirt and will also push out dirt that does get in there.. Is this correct to think this?

Does anyone use this type of lube?? Any comments on the good or the bad?

Thanks

1 - 20 of 176 Posts

MarshallH1987

· #2 · Mar 13, 2011

i have no idea which one performs better or why, but i don't like wax lubes. I've used a couple and just didn't like how i seemed to get a nice buildup of wax in my cassette, chain and derailleurs.

heathb

· #3 · Mar 13, 2011

I've used wax lubes in the past and wouldn't recommend them either. The dirt shedding properties are way over stated and eventually lead to a build up that is hard to clean up without using a degreaser which I don't like to use.

That said wax lubes work wonders for lubing up stuck windows around the home and preventing your car doors from getting stuck during a harsh winter. That's how I used up all the rest of my white lightning.

Reactions: 1

cyclesport45

· #4 · Mar 13, 2011

Pro Link. I'm lazy. Drip it on every 100 to 200 miles, wipe, ride.

Elfstone

· #5 · Mar 13, 2011

Here a link to a good lube that I've used for the last five years and it's work excellent on my chain and drive-train. I lube it on every 100 miles or so depending on the conditions of the routes I train on. I've sometimes waited closer to 150 miles between lube but, closer to 100 mile is more common. No wax in Rock N Roll lubes Products.

Peace

http://www.rocklube.com/gold.htm

http://www.amazon.com/Rock-N-Roll-Gold-Chain-Lube-4oz/dp/B000QU8CGI

zombiebiker

· #6 · Mar 13, 2011

Ive used many types of chain lube, all seem to turn black after a 100 miles. is this normal?

FrenchNago

· #7 · Mar 13, 2011

hassle

zombiebiker said:
Ive used many types of chain lube, all seem to turn black after a 100 miles. is this normal?

must have to do with oxidizing of the oil base and aluminium scraped of the drivechain+ road dust/grime......best is to relube before and wipe it off, you'll notice your lube usually drains it off the chain.

If you really want to be "anal" about it take your chain off, shake it in a can with a little degreaser, rinse it out and blow dry it or wip it around, clean the cogs clean the chainrings in the same way, relube the chain laid out flat, let sit for a while, wipe off and reinstall everything.......you should have a spanking new, shiny drive train!!!!:thumbsup:

(I do this about once every two months, it makes the bike look and perform well)

robdamanii

· #8 · Mar 13, 2011

Chain-L is the best lube out there. Stuff lasts forever and just plain works. Expensive, but definitely worth it.

PlatyPius

· #9 · Mar 13, 2011

robdamanii said:
Chain-L is the best lube out there. Stuff lasts forever and just plain works. Expensive, but definitely worth it.

This. ^

As a mechanic, I hate working on my own bike.
Apply Chain-L, wipe off, ride. Wipe chain down occasionally when it's dirty. Reapply Chain-L after 1000-2000 miles. Chain stays lubricated, is silent, and doesn't require much from me.

I use it in the shop, and I've been using the same bottle for several months now.

FrenchNago

· #10 · Mar 13, 2011

Morgan blue racing oil...every 400Km.....lighter than Chain-L and IMHO better suited for racing bikes, chainL is like 75w90 or LSD oil, sticky gummy tranny oil yuck.........

UnivegaRVR

· #11 · Mar 13, 2011 (Edited)

I use my own blend of wax, parrafin and bees wax in an 8:1 ratio. I bathe the whole chain in melted max to allow for good penetration. Wax works well in dry climates (Arizona for me). The chain stays pretty clean doesn't leave and marks on my pants or legs and I don't have to re-wax for a long time. From experience they don't last in the rain and have been told there not too good in wet climates. I haven't used stuff like white lightning though.

Reactions: 1

unobtainium

· #12 · Mar 13, 2011

I use homebrew on my road bike and I recently applied DuPont'd Teflon Multi-Use, a dry wax lubricant on my city bike. I heard about it from a motorcycle site. I would of preferred to have tried DuPont's Chain-Saver, said to be a thicker version of Multi-Use but I could not find it in my area. Its a spray lube that seems to work well, so far. I'm sure most cyclists are not aware of this product. I would think the motocycle chains are under more stress than bike chains so I think what is available for them may apply to us, at a lower price. I have tried all the major lubs and they all have some pros and cons.

Reactions: 1

siclmn

· #13 · Mar 14, 2011

Wax does not flow like oil. It flakes and falls off. Why do people think it can lubricate a cold chain? When I used it for a while I noticed it didn't last more then a ride and then the chain would get noisy again. It's wax not oil. I would say the chain L stuff lasts the longest.

Kerry Irons

· #14 · Mar 14, 2011

Black gunk

FrenchNago said:
must have to do with oxidizing of the oil base and aluminium scraped of the drivechain+ road dust/grime.

It is the dust. If you ride the rollers all winter your chain stays clean. One week outside and it's time for the standard home brew procedure to slurry up all that gunk and wipe the chain clean with a rag.

IME wax lubes are only useful if you ride in REALLY dusty enviroments where the slightest bit of oil on the chain will have the dust sticking to it.. My daughter and I were on rented mountain bikes where we had personally lubed the chains well with White Lightning. We got caught in a rain shower, and the chains started squeaking loudly as soon as the rain stopped. That is NOT the sign of a good lube.

unobtainium

· #15 · Mar 14, 2011

DuPont's Multi-Use does not flake off or sling off like White Lightning or Dry Ice, 2 of the many products I have tried. I waxed the chain on one of my bikes over 20 years ago. You can do a Google on either Chain-Saver or Multi-Use by Dupont to read about it.

RickB.

· #16 · Mar 14, 2011

I use Dumonde Tech Lite, no particular reason other than it's what the shop likes to sell, (they say it's what they use).

But the banner at the top of the page is making me wonder if Miracle Whip would be any good?

fast ferd

· #17 · Mar 14, 2011

fastfed said:
Now with these wax lubes that white lightning has and others.. I understand the wax has a small build up around the chain.. which does two things.. protects the chain from dirt and will also push out dirt that does get in there.. Is this correct to think this?

Does anyone use this type of lube?? Any comments on the good or the bad?

Thanks

I've used White Lightning Clean Ride for over ten years. I will NEVER go back to the dirt-attracting petroleum-based chain lube. Wax chain lube is the best stuff ever.
- it does not "push out" dirt, but it seems to shed it or does not allow it to stick.
- good chains come lubed inside their rollers. Clean Ride prevents grit from penetrating. (I think that's how it works.)
- I've seen plenty of my buddy's bikes with their sticky lube with grit on their rings, cogs, and pulleys. Looks like sandpaper to me.
- True, I need to apply my wax lube more often (I try to between 60 and 100 miles). But I rarely, if ever, see any grit on my drivetrain. Definitely not on my chain! it's weird how it works.

FWIW, when my chain starts squeaking before my next lubing interval, it's close to replacement time. Sure enough...I look at my log and it's almost time. With the sticky lube, you may be vulnerable to running a chain longer than necessary (i.e., stretched).

It's funny how a lot of your responses here did not address whether they experienced success or failure. All they did was put forth their own testimonial for some other sticky product. You all are missing the boat.

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PlatyPius

· #18 · Mar 14, 2011

fast ferd said:
I've used White Lightning Clean Ride for over ten years. I will NEVER go back to the dirt-attracting petroleum-based chain lube. Wax chain lube is the best stuff ever.
- it does not "push out" dirt, but it seems to shed it or does not allow it to stick.
- good chains come lubed inside their rollers. Clean Ride prevents grit from penetrating. (I think that's how it works.)
- I've seen plenty of my buddy's bikes with their sticky lube with grit on their rings, cogs, and pulleys. Looks like sandpaper to me.
- True, I need to apply my wax lube more often (I try to between 60 and 100 miles). But I rarely, if ever, see any grit on my drivetrain. Definitely not on my chain! it's weird how it works.

FWIW, when my chain starts squeaking before my next lubing interval, it's close to replacement time. Sure enough...I look at my log and it's almost time. With the sticky lube, you may be vulnerable to running a chain longer than necessary (i.e., stretched).

It's funny how a lot of your responses here did not address whether they experienced success or failure. All they did was put forth their own testimonial for some other sticky product. You all are missing the boat.

And so the Chain Lube Holy Wars begin again. I guess it HAS been about 2 months, hasn't it?

fast ferd

· #19 · Mar 14, 2011

Lube wars

PlatyPius said:
And so the Chain Lube Holy Wars begin again. I guess it HAS been about 2 months, hasn't it?

It reminds me of one of my motorcycle forums where there's an almost monthly debate on the best engine oil.

I think people get locked in their mind that they need to see that wet layer coating their chain. Totally unnecessary, folks. Dry lube works way better.

PlatyPius

· #20 · Mar 14, 2011

fast ferd said:
It reminds me of one of my motorcycle forums where there's an almost monthly debate on the best engine oil.

I think people get locked in their mind that they need to see that wet layer coating their chain. Totally unnecessary, folks. Dry lube works way better.

I don't see a wet layer coating my chain. If I did, then I didn't lube the chain properly. Lube belongs on the pins/rollers - nowhere else.

My Chain-L keeps the chain lubed and quiet for over 1000 miles without anything other than an occasional wipe down. I like that.

1 - 20 of 176 Posts