craig@hp-pcd.UUCP (craig) (09/07/84)
after using motor oil, tri flow, wd-40, etc for chain lube, I tried Break Free. Great stuff. It seems to have a penetrating oil base with lube particles in it. I was impressed with how long it stays on the chain. (In wet Oregon, mountain bike chains squeak after about half a ride with tri flow, about 3 rides with break free.) It doesn't seem to collect any more dirt than tri flow. Buy it in the squeeze bottle - its easy to put small amounts on chain side plates, derailers, etc without spraying it all over everything. Cheaper and you use less. Just remember to shake it up. Craig Durland
joels@tektronix.UUCP (Joel Swank) (09/09/84)
I have tried various lubricants on my chain over about 30,000 miles. The best lubricant I have found is chain oil, or similar heavy oil. Unfortunately, this type of oil also picks up dirt rapidly and the chain and derailleur get covered with black goo. Then I have to use a solvent like WD-40 to clean everything, and re-oil. Finding this amount of labor unacceptable I searched for a better solution. WD-40 and similar solvents are too thin. They soon evaporate leaving a squeaky chain. I have tried several different brands of lubricants. The one that offers the best combination of long lasting lubrication and resistance to dirt and water is LPS-3. I get it at a local electronics store. LPS makes a series of solvent/lubricants numbered 1-4. 1 is a very thin solvent similar to WD-40. 4 is a very thick lubricant almost as thick as motor oil. LPS-3 works well for chains as well as cable housing and car door locks. The second best lubricant is a Teflon lubricant, TRI-FLO. It lubricates a little better than LPS-3, but also picks up a lot more dirt. Either of these products are superior to WD-40 and chain oil. Joel Swank Software Center Tools Support 50-487 Tektronix Beaverton OR 97077 (503) 627-4403