Chain oil

[Gareth]

Scottoilers are horrible things, chain is well lubricated but oil and shite sprayed everywhere else.

Scottoilers are brilliant, but yes can be messy, but then chain drives are messy.

I would do 30,000 miles on a DID ZVM and I couldn’t find any measurable wear on the chain. I never adjusted it between tyre changes. I only ditched them at over 30,000 miles because I was wary of running a third front sprocket on the same chain.

Anyway I’m currently running a R1250R, so no chain to lube, and yeah I do notice how clean the rear of the bike is.

So, back to bicycles. Used various lubes on my emtb. Tried a few wet lubes but came to the conclusion that they just attract dirt and form a grinding paste.

Any bottle of drip on dry wax does me. Currently using a bottle of that Squirt stuff.

 

[mooby77]

For anyone that wants to DIY a chain lube, here is my winter formula with ingredients commonly available from Amazon

• Liquid Paraffin (125 ml) – primary oil that is light enough to penetrate the chain while still providing proper lubrication.
• CVT Fluid (25 ml) – maintains a low viscosity that allows the formula to penetrate chain links and hold on in wet conditions.
• 0W-40 Synthetic Oil (35 ml) – ensures proper lubrication in extremely cold temperatures, making sure the fluid doesn’t thicken too much to flow.
• Fluid Film (2 teaspoons / ~8 ml) – a small amount for rust protection, helping displace water but not too much to inhibit fluidity.
• PTFE Powder (4 g) – reduces friction and ensures ultra-slick performance to make sure the chain runs smoothly even in freezing temperatures.
• Titanium Dioxide (TiO₂) (4 g) – protects the chain from abrasion and offers durability for the cold, hard conditions of winter riding.

Procedure:

1. Combine Liquid Paraffin, CVT fluid, and 0W-40 synthetic oil to form a lightweight and penetrating solution.
2. Add Fluid Film to assist with corrosion protection while keeping it relatively lightweight.
3. Stir in the PTFE powder and TiO₂ for friction reduction and extra wear protection against dirt or salt.
4. Allow the formula to settle, ensuring uniform distribution of all components.

Shake it well before applying to chain.

I am using this recipe , well about to but struggling to find fluid film in the UK at a reasonable price , any readily available alternative , liquid type form

 

[Tom Sellers]

I am using this recipe , well about to but struggling to find fluid film in the UK at a reasonable price , any readily available alternative , liquid type form

I see you are in Snowdonia. A few years back we made it to the world cup downhill in Fort WIlliam. We wanted to visit Snowdonia, but the 7 hr drive from Ft WIlliam did not fit into our timeline as most of our trip was focused on going as far north as Shetland and biking everywhere we could.
Also, many years before that, I bought a big pail of fluid film to undercoat our vehicles. I ordered it from NAPA, and shared the cost with a buddy that also wanted to undercoat his Delica. In fact, when I was renovating a condo, we used to go buy materials at an auction in Calgary. One of the pallets I bought had about 25 litres if liquid paraffin on it, which I was about to dispose of when I had the idea to start spraying it on our chains. And as my spouse has a vehicle with a CVT, I bought a bunch of CVT fluid when it went on sale recently. I always use 0W-40 in all our vehicles, so I also buy that in pails. So the only ingredients I needed to purchase were the PTFE, and TiO2. In fact Boron Nitride would be superior to Titanium Dioxide for the ceramic component of this recipe and I would have used it, but when I looked it up on Amazon it was too expensive. You could always leave the FLuid Film out of the recipe, but I seem to find that for other projects I always seem to have a need for it anyway, so I still have a few cans hanging around that I picked up on sale years ago. I also did up variations on this recipe for cable lube and summer chain lube using the same ingredients. If there is any interest, I'd be happy to post them as well.

 

[Swiss Roll]

Scottoilers are horrible things, chain is well lubricated but oil and shite sprayed everywhere else.

Yeah, now I think about it, it would be even more palaver. I should just put some chain lube on my toptube bag!

 

[El Grifo]

Feel like I am missing out here.
I clean and wax lube my chain about once every 10 days. I have done 3,600km on the original chain. It measures less than half worn and the gears change like a swiss clock !
What am I doing wrong ???

 

[Paulquattro]

Feel like I am missing out here.
I clean and wax lube my chain about once every 10 days. I have done 3,600km on the original chain. It measures less than half worn and the gears change like a swiss clock !
What am I doing wrong ???

Do that in the UK with all the mud
We are all from different environments on the site so it isn't a one size fits all sort of thing .

 

[El Grifo]

Do that in the UK with all the mud
We are all from different environments on the site so it isn't a one size fits all sort of thing .

Drink to that mate for sure !
I just feel that some if the methods or suggestions posted here are a testicle hair away from obsessive compulsive behavior.
I do of course defend the right of those who carry out these lengthy and complicated procedures !

 

[Dax]

Drink to that mate for sure !
I just feel that some if the methods or suggestions posted here are a testicle hair away from obsessive compulsive behavior.
I do of course defend the right of those who carry out these lengthy and complicated procedures !

Agreed. FWIW I read all the ball waxing options when I bought my first ebike, decided to ignore it and just splash some wet lube on every couple of rides. First drivetrain did 1500 miles in FoD winter, second did about 1800. In both cases the chain got bent by smashing the mech off (which I do regularly) rather than the drivetrain being worn out.

 

[Bear-uk]

Just wondering if this chain wax stuff is any good as a Back, Sack and crack wax?
Asking for a friend

 

[El Grifo]

Works for me Tio !
Shine like a new pin

 

[Paulquattro]

Drink to that mate for sure !
I just feel that some if the methods or suggestions posted here are a testicle hair away from obsessive compulsive behavior.
I do of course defend the right of those who carry out these lengthy and complicated procedures !

On that note i do very little with my chain
Clean it after a muddy ride and wipe it with an oily rag basically no more no less

 

[El Grifo]

On that note i do very little with my chain
Clean it after a muddy ride and wipe it with an oily rag basically no more no less

Yep !!
My riding conditions are hot, dry and dusty.
3600km with same chain and drive train with plenty life left in both.
Only time the bike gets wet is when being washed down every 5 or 6 rides
We can only dream of riding on muddy trails :-(

 

[Dax]

We can only dream of riding on muddy trails :-(

Happily swap conditions for a year or two.

 

[irie]

Happily swap conditions for a year or two.

Agree, is shite now.

 

[El Grifo]

Happily swap conditions for a year or two.

Sh#t !! Lost my passport

 

[Paulquattro]

Sh#t !! Lost my passport

Thought you might of

 

[Waynemarlow]

I am using this recipe , well about to but struggling to find fluid film in the UK at a reasonable price , any readily available alternative , liquid type form

Mix 50/50 of Waxoil and chainsaw blade oil, you end up buying 2 litres mixed and that seems to last forever, seems to dry off overnight if you wipe the chain down after applying leaving a very nice film of wax over and oil still inside the links. No rust and doesn't seem to get wiped off by our truely horrible mud & sand conditions we ride in.

 

[RustyIron]

they just attract dirt and form a grinding paste.

This!