TIL that cheap chain lube was wrecking my drivetrain

I used to buy the $5 bottle of WD-40 brand chain lube from the grocery store because it was cheap and easy. After 3 months my chain started squeaking and shifting got sloppy, so I finally tried a $15 can of Finish Line wet lube from the bike shop. The difference in smoothness and noise was HUGE, and my chain hasn't needed adjustment in 6 weeks now. Anyone else stuck on budget lube before realizing the good stuff pays for itself?

3 comments

3 Comments

kaigibson24d ago

My buddy thought he was smart by using vegetable oil on his chain once because it was cheap and "natural". He rode 10 miles and the oil turned into this sticky black paste that attracted every piece of grit on the road. Had to replace his cassette because the chain was grinding metal into the teeth.

karencampbell24d ago

5 years ago my friend Tim tried canola oil on his chain during a camping trip, @kaigibson, and by the time we got back to the trailhead his drivetrain sounded like a coffee grinder full of gravel.

claire87224d ago

@karencampbell that's exactly what happened to my buddy Mike last summer. He grabbed some random $4 lube from a gas station because his regular stuff ran out and he was too lazy to stop at the bike shop. Within two weeks his chain started skipping and he found these little metal shavings all over his garage floor. The mechanic told him the cheap lube was basically just water and solvent that washed off after one ride, leaving his chain bone dry. Cost him $80 for a new cassette and chain instead of just buying the good lube upfront.