So, last night I realized that I had a SRAM chain with a powerlink on it. So, I decided to try and see if it was easy to remove the chain. It was. I got off in about 2 minutes. Supposedly with practice it gets even easier. But, since I'd never done it before I was impressed. Having gotten the chain off, I decided to rinse it in some citrus degreaser to really clean it. I haven't done this since I bought the bike 450 miles ago. After brusing it with a cleaning brush and getting most of the muck out, I rinsed it fully of all degreaser and then put it back on the bike. I then applied Epic White Lightning to each link. My dad says that I have apply more lube because I took it all out. Am I doing anything wrong? How could I tell if my chain is sufficiently lubed and cleaned, etc.?
After cleaning it, wait till the water dries, drip a drop of lube on each link. Let it sit for like 10 minutes for the lube to make its way inside and then wipe off the excess.
Am I doing anything wrong? no.How could I tell if my chain is sufficiently lubed and cleaned, etc.? your gears should feel crisp when you shift. don't forget to lube the deraillerurs where they pivot.
When you use degreaser you risk taking all the oil of the chain. If White Lighting is a wax based lube you may seal the water/degreaser in the links. I use to use White Lighting and it does last but I got tried of cleaning off the build-up on the gears. If I soaked a chain, which I never have, I would put a light oil (Pro-Link or Tri-Flow) ride it then use White Lighting. Acually I would dump the White Lighting and use Pro-Link. I just dust the dirt off the chain and gears with a paint brush and, reaply PL, and ride. But there again my bike is almost always dirty...except the drivetrain.
Hmmm, good points in here. I didn't wipe off the excess after applying because I figured, since it's wax based, that it wouldn't attract dirt and if it did it would fall of like it's supposed to anyway. Hmmm... As to the Pro-Link, that was actually on my list to buy when the Epic (White Lightning) ran out. So, I'll give that a go for sure.
I used to swear by White Lightning, but my rides were much shorter than they are here in So Cal. I always did the drop on a link and let it dry overnight routine. Halfway through rides here, my drivetrain was noisy, and the shifting suffered. On my first MTB in 1993, I used to use Finish-Line Bicycle Lube (not the Century, but the Bicycle). I'm not sure if it's even made anymore. It would also evaporate and leave lube on the chain. I've got a bottle still, but haven't used it since at least 1996. Anyway, I had a bottle of Pro-Link and T9 that I bought several years ago. I hated that stuff because it would just attract dirt with the drop ona link application method. I realized after starting to hate White Lightning that I wasn't supposed to use it like it was White Lightning. So, I started backpedaling and squirting it on the chain. Continue backpedaling for several seconds. Then backpedal through red shop rag. This removed all the excess, but left the lube where it needed to be. It also seems to clean the chain too. The chain does feel gritty after first applying the lube, but the grittiness goes away by morning. You will also need to clean your derailleur pulleys and chain ring of any lube, as they will quickly turn dusty brown if you don't. I find that lubing in the big ring and third from the bottom seems to make accessing the rings much easier during cleanup immedietely afterwards. Now my drivetrain isn't noisy halfway through a long ride anymore. On Saturday, I bought a bottle of Rock N Roll Gold from the Path and am looking forward to trying that out.
yourr right roy, white lightning sucks!! Ive been using the the Pedros Dry lube. Good stuff and keeps things clean.
I picked up a Park CM-5 chain cleaner at Jenson and it works great. It leaves your chain looking new and it's not messy like the reviews claim. Lube your chain with Tri-flow and your ready to go. http://www.jensonusa.com/store/product/TL707A09-Park+Cm-5+Chain+Mate.aspx
I've been a White Lightning fan for years, now that they came out with this new one called Epic, I like it even better. True it doesn't stay on as long as some, but I've got chains lasting a lot longer then when I tried some of the other brands.
I just put my first dose of ProLink on my chain tonight after cleaning it. I'll see how it does. I agree, though, Mike, I like the Epic W.L. too. But, the ProLink got great reviews on MTBR and Dean recommended it, so... But, if I don't like it, it's back to the Epic for sure.
In my opinion, ProLink (nor T9 or Rock & Roll) is not a lube to just be left on. I wquirt it on while back pedaling, back pedal for a bit, and then wipe it off. I do this all while in the big ring. After wiping down the chain, I drop it in to the middle ring, and clean the lube off the big ring.
I used to use Pedro's Extra Dry - which works well, but tends to not last a very long time. I read an article in MB Action and am very pleased with this stuff by Maxima. Here's the link: http://www.maximausa.com Go to the products section. The stuff I use is their Chain Wax - which is a spray. You don't need much and it holds up for at least 10 hours of riding - with very limited dirt attraction. (better than my experience with Pedros). If you need to lube it up, get the MPPL - which is listed in their "Miscellaneous" section. Clean the crap out of your chain with simple green and a metal brush, rinse, dry, apply MPPL, cycle the chain for a minute, wipe down, let stand for 10 minutes, then apply the Chain Wax. Cycle through for another minute, run it through a rag for a cycle - you're done for a couple of weeks. Sounds like a lot when I type it, but it's very easy.
