Thank you Clayton . I have one bike that I use WL Clean Ride with and have for 4 years or so. Before that I used Squirt water based wax lube. It was much thicker but in the end I found no real world difference in wear of chains or cog teeth.
So, I'm gonna try just a surface cleaning of the outside of the chains and then CR. Like you, I found removing factory lube a bad idea. I prefer not cleaning a chain at all . FWIW, with CR I found the only way to not waste it is to position the rear derailler in a small cog/small chainring position, so the chain is at an angle. I place a piece of cardboard next to the spokes and a rag underneath. I use a copper wire end and slightly enlarge the tip of the bottle, or else it tends to stream sporadically. Then I rotate the chain backwards while just TILTING the bottle to get a thin stream between the jockey wheels on the chain, rotate about 12-15 times which is enough to saturate the chain but not be dripping all over. A few drips is alright. Then I just let it dry overnight, I don't even bother wiping it off, I suppose I could, I guess I forget about it. I probably get anywhere between 120-150 miles I suppose on it as-is. It seems better in warm weather. I only wipe it off before a relube. I may get a very small amount of build up between the 13-15t small cogs, but a screw driver removes it fine. A clean "looking" chain I don't care about, just a working chain is fine with me. I bought the quart sized a number of years ago and I have yet to use it all. It was maybe $26 at the time. The tops of the bottles come off, you may need some pliers held gently, then a small funnel to fill . As you know .... shake shake shake those bottles ! On Monday, June 4, 2018 at 7:52:05 PM UTC-4, Clayton wrote: > > Garth, I'm still in the 'trying out the Clean Lube phase". I degreased my > chain with citrus degreaser, but not by soaking it. I brushed it on with a > stiff brush while on the bike, and let it sit for a couple of minutes. That > left most of the factory grease intact in the rollers, but removed the > exterior grease. I washed the drive chain again with Dawn dish soap, let it > dry and lubed it with the White Lightening clean lube. I re-lube every two > or three rides off road (with lots of rag wipe down afterward) and less > often on road. So far, my drivetrain is staying very clean, but I am going > to measure my chain for stretch more often until I have some confidence in > the lube. Keeping all crap out of the pins and rollers interface is most > important for preventing chain stretch, and by leaving the factory grease > in there, it keeps dirt out. The heavy viscosity of the grease prevents pin > and roller contact. Chains last longer. Keeping the exterior of the chain > grit free, helps prevent cog and chainring wear. The problem is how to do > both, so I am trying this out, "Semi-degreasing". Eventually, the interior > grease while be depleted and replaced by the dry lube. > > I have a question that I have pondered for a long time......Does the build > up of the solids, from the semi-clean dry lubes on the cogs prevent wear? I > looked at my cog set right at the bearing surface of the teeth, and there > was a black hard-ish coating from using a dry lube. Excessive grunge and > grit is bad, but where is the exact line of cleanliness to provide maximum > drive train life? Without exterior lube on the rollers, do the chainrings > and cogs wear quicker? Wear less? > > The White Lightening clean lube is thin and makes a bit of a mess during > application. Dripping it on each link does not work. I go through it much > quicker than the dry lube, both because of the runny viscosity but also the > need to reapply much more often, which could get expensive. It makes no > sense to use forty dollars of chain lube trying to lengthen the life of my > forty dollar chain, but I hope to hell it prevents premature wear of my > absurdly expensive cog set. I have yet to decide if I like it, but plan on > using it on all three bikes this summer for a thorough test. I have two to > go through and clean yet. They have much cheaper drive trains and can wait. > I have been too busy riding. > > Clayton > #DirtDance > > > > On Monday, June 4, 2018 at 2:48:14 PM UTC-7, Garth wrote: >> >> >> Clayton, do you apply the WL Clean Ride over a factory lubed , wiped >> down, chain ?(ridden a few miles or not) Cleaning the chain prior I always >> have to reapply often at first as the first applications simply do get >> INSIDE the chain and it squeaks quickly at first. If I didn't have to >> clean the darn chain before using Clean Ride I'd still use it on both >> bikes, I simply prefer to never clean a chain, I've done it so many times I >> just enough. >> >> I assumed it would create a mess but never bothered trying it that way. >> >> >> On Monday, June 4, 2018 at 1:03:49 PM UTC-4, Clayton wrote: >>> >>> White lightening clean lube after every two or three rides with a good >>> chain wipe down, keeps my chain very clean. I have a very 'spensive cog set >>> that I can't afford to replace at three hundred plus dollars. (It was a >>> gift from my son). One thing I have learned after thirty years, is don't >>> degrease your new chain. Chains last much longer with the factory grease >>> inside the rollers. True story. >>> >>> Clayton >>> #DirtDance >>> >>> On Saturday, June 2, 2018 at 4:54:19 AM UTC-7, Michael Hechmer wrote: >>>> >>>> I did a search on this and was surprised not to find anything. (Except >>>> waxing cloth!) >>>> >>>> After 40+ years of cleaning and lubing chains I may be ready to try >>>> wax. I recently got a recipe & process on the tandem list but wondered >>>> about the experience of people on this list. How much extra work is it? >>>> How much longer does it last than "dry lubes?" Does it make a difference >>>> what kind of environment you ride in, eg, Santa Fe vs Seattle? >>>> >>>> Michael >>>> >>> -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com. Visit this group at https://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
